We’ve teamed up with local roots reggae duo, Dubkasm, to produce these limited edition t-shirts. The t-shirts have been made to promote the release of their forthcoming album, ‘Transform I’, next week. The launch party for the album is being held at their ‘Teachings In Dub’ night, which they run in conjunction with the Bristol Reggae Society. The T-Shirts are available in black and grey and are very reasonably priced at only £12 each. Most of them are going to be sold on the night itself but we have a limited number available for sale through the website – they can be purchased here (or by clicking the picture above).

We also caught up with DJ Stryda, who is one half of Dubkasm, for what turned out to be a very interesting and in depth interview. Stryda has been an active part of the UK roots scene for well over ten years now and is involved with almost every aspect of it. As well as making music, djing and promoting events, he also runs a record label, a weekly radio show and also a monthly record shop. Throughout this time, Dubkasm tracks have been run by all of the major sound systems, including Jah Shaka, Aba Shanti-I and Iration Steppers. The culmination of this decade of dedication to roots music is the forthcoming LP, ‘Transform-I’. It is the first roots album to come out of Bristol since Henry & Louis’ ‘Time Will Tell’ LP back in 2001 and is destined to become a Bristol classic. Below is a trailer video for the album which should give you some idea of what to expect. I don’t know if my opinion holds any weight at all, but I really can’t recommend it highly enough.

The interview follows below…

You are heavily involved in the roots scene, where did this love of reggae originate from?

I had early influences like going to St Paul's Carnival and seeing friends from primary school on the floats and hearing soundsystems playing reggae during the 80s.  I seriously homed in on Reggae around 1990 through listening to the local pirate radio stations of the time; all of them were playing reggae.  These stations would advertise shops where you could buy the music, and promote dances where you could hear it, so once in tune to the radio it was fairly easy but still took a bit of searching out.

How long have you lived in Bristol for and what influence has it had on your music?

I am a Bristolian, born and bred.  I have generations on both sides going back here in the city.  My family could have never envisaged that I'd put on huge soundsystem events at the Trinity Centre where my grandparents got married or that I'd have pirate radio meetings at the Jolly Roger pub where my parents met in the 1960s.

I am pleased to have witnessed how Bristol has developed into a multi cultural city and feel blessed to have been a teenager in a time when Massive Attack released Blue Lines and Bristol became, for a time, the musical capital of the UK.  I remember friends of my cousins in London being very impressed that I was from Bristol.  Many producers and DJs in Bristol have been inspired by reggae.  As Dubkasm, Digistep and I didn't incorporate influences from reggae into various other electronic genres of music; we went to the source and have done our part in keeping orthodox Rasta focused roots and dub music alive.

Much is made of the influence of reggae on Bristol’s musical output; what would you say the reggae scene in Bristol is actually like?

That depends how far you go back and what circles you move in.  When I was growing up I went to numerous reggae nights at the Malcolm X Centre.  Back then most top Jamaican artists passed through Bristol.  There were soundsystem nights and blues parties every weekend in St Pauls.  Even though I had some great experiences I only caught the tail-end of the best times.

These days the scene has dwindled to some extent.  Not so many of the live acts pass through the city due to poor crowd attendance.  Today's younger generation are more into grime or other genres of music, reggae or dancehall isn't necessarily the 'in' thing in the way it was when I was a teenager.

There are events that are labelled 'reggae' nights in town with no set order to them at all, it seems to be more of a mash up affair with DJs dropping a Shabba Ranks tune followed by A King Tubby dub with very little knowledge of where the music's coming from.  Not my vibe at all.

I have loved being a part of the real inner-city reggae scene.   Playing at and attending dances that mainstream magazines would never even hear about, dances that would sometimes be advertised just by word of mouth but would get rammed!  Proper local vibes with the crowd knowing the tunes, understanding the lyrics, and feeling the vibes.  There is nothing like playing reggae to a real reggae crowd.  My first ever DJ appearance was at Ajax Blues in St Paul's.

How long have you been doing Dubkasm for?

Our first release was in 1996 on Dub Out West Vol II, released on Nubian Records & Armagideon Sounds.  We spelt our name Dubchasm back then.  After that we spent time establishing friendships within the roots scene whilst Digistep developed his musical talent at University level.  Although we had no further releases until 2003 we had extensive dubplate exposure from Jah Shaka, Aba Shanti-I and Iration Steppas.  Shaka was running '20th Century Dub' in 1997, Aba was running 'Jah Bible' in 1998 and so it continued.  Our most well known dubplate since then has to be 'Warrior' run exclusively by Jah Shaka, the dub version to Every Lion featuring Lidj Xylon, Shaka closed many of his dances with this tune which was a real honour.  A previously unreleased mix of 'Warrior' features on our forthcoming LP.

What roles do you and Digistep play in the music making process?

Digistep is the musical talent behind Dubkasm.  He plays many instruments and has a degree in Music Technology.  My role has always been based around my contacts within the roots scene, getting singers to record with us, writing some of the lyrics, and of course I run the label.  That said, the sound and vibe of every release is discussed between Digistep and I.  We both have an equal share in the final outcome of the music.

How did Digistep moving to Brazil influence the music that you make?

There are similar connections with Africa in Brazil as there are in the Carribean.  Some of the instruments, musical styles, and traditions were brought to Brazil by Africans who were enslaved and transported there.  These similarities struck a chord with us and we decided that our LP would have some subtle elements of Brazilian instrumentation as well as the traditional reggae sound and the heavy UK dub vibe people already associate with Dubkasm.

Of course, Digistep's move to Brazil also had a huge impact on how we operated as a duo.  Dubkasm became a transatlantic operation.  Digistep would send me a riddim track and I would record singers in various studios around the UK and send the files back to him where he would then finish the track.  When the final track was returned to me I would then set about releasing the vinyl here in the UK.

Eventually we started work on tracks for the debut LP.  We performed in Rio early 2008 and spent hours in Digital Dubs Studio recording percussion and local singers in the Brazilian tropical heat.  When I was back in the UK things continued as normal with me recording singers here and sending the files out to Brazil.  Once we'd complied all the tracks for the LP Digistep came home to Bristol for a holiday and we mixed the whole thing at Daddy Roots's studio in Montpelier.  Slightly afterwards the Sao Paulo council paid for Afrikan Simba and I to fly out and join Digistep to host two Dubkasm shows.  We took full advantage of this and mastered the LP at El Rocha Studio in Sao Paulo.  So the link between Bristol and Brazil is really strong, I think Digistep and I have spent the best part of the past five years on Skype!

How long has it taken to put the LP together and what was the vision behind it?

We've planned on releasing an album for many years.  Digistep moving to Brazil in 2004 meant the volume of music we released wasn't quite the amount we initially planned as things took longer to complete. The LP has been an idea in our minds that's developed and changed as our own situations have.  I suppose it's years in the making really but it's been the last two years that we've really knuckled down to it.   The mixture of influences that shaped the LP is what gave rise to the title, Transform I.  It’s really an adaptation of Brazilian singer Ras Bernardo’s song title, ‘Transformai’. In Portuguese, the word is used to urge someone to transform their mentality, their way of thinking – effecting a spiritual transformation and in a Rasta context, ‘I and I’ is an expression to totalize the concept of oneness.  These two messages, along with others such as building whatever you do ‘From the Foundation’ sum up the progressive, forward-thinking vibe we try to project – to transform I and I using the music as a vehicle to promote the message. The decision to use a Portuguese word stemmed from Digistep’s Brazilian roots, which are a key influence. You can hear that in the instrumentation too – cuica, berimbau, cavaquinho, zabumba. Many of these instruments were brought to Brazil from Angola and the Congo by Bantu slaves. So when you mix nyahbinghi rhythms with samba, you can feel the same African roots, the heartbeat.

You have gone to a lot of effort with the presentation of the album, both with the artwork and the heavyweight pressing. Why is this so important to you?

After an event I promoted years ago at the Black Swan I was in London in someone's flat and noticed framed on their wall the flyer for that same night.  This person liked the look of the flyer so much they had taken the time to frame it and given it pride of place in their home!  Making an effort with presentation does get noticed.  Collecting records as a teenager, the album artwork was often just as exciting as the actual music.  I remember sitting with Digistep at his mum's house listening to newly bought LPs while marveling at the sleeve.  So much of this has been lost in the digital age we now live.  We want to release music that will last and package it in such a way that it feels like a special item to have.

In keeping with the tradition of the music we commissioned a Rasta painter from Gloucester to paint a picture to be displayed in the inner section of the gatefold sleeve of the vinyl and a pullout section of the CD.  This artist used to paint rasta imagery on soundsystem speaker boxes in the 1980s.  I gave him just one of the vocals from the album along with all the track titles.  After a couple of weeks had passed I returned to Gloucester to view the final painting.  I was overwhelmed when the artist showed me how every track title was incorporated into the painting and listened in awe as he gave a reasoning on what each aspect of the painting represented.  We wanted the LP to reflect the message and vibe both visually and musically.

In the trailer video you say that Dubkasm has a very strong Rasta message. Is this something which you feel strongly about?

Not every music has a culture and faith attached to it.  Roots and dub reggae does.  This is something that we have always been keen to respect and maintain in our work as Dubkasm.  As a youth, listening to the lyrics of the music led me to reasoning with elder Rasta people who in turn explained the importance and significance of the message.  In 1997 I had the opportunity to go to Jamaica.  I visited numerous recording studios, Rasta centres and record shops in Kingston.   The way in which reggae music was used daily confirmed to me that it really is the cry of the poor and the voice of the sufferer.  Through very difficult times both Rasta and reggae music have literally kept some people sane.  I have called my radio show the 'Sufferah's Choice' to this day and of course we named our record label after the show.  Rasta people and reggae music don't try to preach or convert but aim to give a voice to people and offer an alternative outlook on life.  Rastafari has had a huge impact on my life for which I give thanks.

Would you say that the roots scene is welcoming to newcomers, or is there a need to prove oneself before being fully accepted?

It's important to remember that this music was a major unifying force for black people here in Britain during the 1970s and 80s.  Racism is still sadly a part of life these days but during the 80s it was rife and often a daily pressure for black people, the Friday night dancehall was a place of refuge.   Over the years many reggae artists have been exploited.  This considered, it's not surprising that some newcomers are met with a certain level of suspicion and sometimes hostility.  I faced some of this at first but if you're coming from the heart, in time people see this and guards are dropped.  This music and its message is a whole way of life for many people, it's not a fad or phase for people to go through; it's all about longevity and those dealing with it respectfully and who are in it for the duration will get the respect they deserve.

You have worked with a large number of different vocalists; how do these link ups come about and who is your favourite singer that you have worked with?

By interviewing soundsystem owners, reggae artists, and producers for my radio show during the late 90s, Digistep and I formed many great friendships within the roots scene.  Often due to the homework I did not just on the music but also the message meant that established main players in the scene took us seriously and in turn worked with us as bredrins.  I often write letters to singers explaining the vibe behind the track they've agreed to voice before the recording takes place.  This helps set a theme for the song before it's actually written.  This is followed up by phone calls, and then of course linking up in person to record them.  Before recording vocalists we like to reason with the artist and even have our own input on the lyrics being written.  These reasonings, both in the UK and Brazil, have lasted for hours and have in turn shaped the final song.  We feel strongly about the lyrics and the emphasis is on the original Rasta teaching that ‘word sound is power’.

Highlights for me have been listening to Digistep reason with Ras Bernardo and Jeru Banto at the Digital Dubs Studio in the tropical heat of Rio.  When Ras Bernado explained the message of the LP’s opening track, ‘Introdução’ he had tears in his eyes.  His lyrics are all in Portuguese and they carry some serious weight; here they are about 'historias esqueçidas, verdades escondidas' forgotten stories and hidden truths. He talks about oppression and how mental slavery must be abolished through self-transformation. I think his vibe reflects other militant aspects of the LP such as 'Babylon Ambush' and keys in with the general ethos of the album. I will never forget recording Dub Judah in his Dub Tech Studio, he's an artist Digistep and I have always admired and been inspired by.  Most recordings with Judah take place during the night, From The Foundation was no different and was completed as the sun came up.

You have been doing your show on Passion for over ten years now; what are your views on the importance of pirate radio?

Well, pirate radio got me into reggae and was the direct link to the scene I've since become a part of so it's a very important thing in my life.  Even after all these years of reggae music in Britain there's still not a weekly national roots and dub reggae show.  If people want their music promoted they have to get it to pirate radio DJs and soundsystems.

The power of local radio is truly incredible.  Many years ago a very well respected figure of St Paul's, known as Bangy, was killed when he intervened in a mugging that took place on new years eve.  There was quite rightly outrage in the local community and the radio stations of the time were the medium for people to update the community.  It was the same situation in the mid-nineties when Marlon Thomas was racially attacked at a fairground on the Downs.  In later years this incident was told in the Smith & Mighty release 'No Justice', sung by Rudey Lee.  At the time of the tragedy it was pirate radio that informed the people of these events and gave the voice for people to express their feelings about it.   It's about much more than just music.

Your dance, ‘Teachings In Dub’, has become very popular. Although the initial interest may have been because of the link up with Subloaded, you have since proved that you can still ram dances on your own, a very hard thing to do with roots and dub. What do you think is behind this? Do you think that the popularity of dubstep has led to more people discovering roots music?

Well even before we teamed up with Subloaded there were many sound system nights I promoted that were successful going back to the late nineties.  In 2007 the Bristol Reggae Society were looking to get involved in some local promotions and came to me to discuss options and we decided to start some joint projects.  At the same time I was in discussion with a friend of mine, DJ Pinch, about he and I combining forces.  It all seemed to come together at the right time and it wasn't long before Subloaded moved to the upstairs of Clockwork and Teachings In Dub was launched in the downstairs arena.  I think these nights were as popular as they were because of the joint effort of parties involved.

A lot of younger people who had come for the Dubstep upstairs would pop down to our room and be literally blown away by powerful soundsystems such as Aba Shanti, Jah Tubbys and Iration Steppas.  For many, this was the first time they'd heard a reggae soundsystem.  The feedback we got was good.  We've now had to split from Subloaded due to not having a club with two large floors available but Teachings In Dub continues to be really popular.  Perhaps some of those younger people enjoyed the vibes so much they followed the reggae sounds to the new venue?  I recently played a set at Dubloaded and someone approached me afterwards saying he really enjoyed the set and asked me, 'what was that music you were playing?'  He looked surprised when I told him it was digital UK dub, most of which had been released in the early and mid nineties.  I hope people into dubstep do get around to listening to more of our dub sound.  It's important to keep the music accessible to each generation.

Do you see the two genres as linked in any way or are they very separate in your mind?

I see them as two separate genres.  Just because someone decided to label the music 'dubstep' doesn't mean it's connected with dub reggae.  I'm no dubstep expert but am told that its influences are wide and they range from Garage to Techno.  I do, however, think there are some strong links.  Reggae soundsystem culture and dub music has shaped all modern electronic music whether it be directly or indirectly, so it's all connected regardless of genre.  I really admire how dubstep producers and labels still use vinyl as the preferred format for released and am pleased that acetate dubplates are still used for DJs to promote exclusive music which is obviously in keeping with reggae soundsystem culture.  I like the attention to detail and the obsession with sound quality, and the fact that instrumental, dubbed music is given the room to breathe.

The track ‘One Blood, One Source’, on Pinch’s ‘Underwater Dancehall’ LP, uses samples originally recorded by Dubkasm. How did this link up come about and do you have any plans to explore further dubstep related projects?

The files for one of the tracks from Transform I, entitled 'Sangue Brasileiro (Brazilian Blood)', was given to Pinch in 2006.  He used many of the sounds to create the track 'One Blood, One Source' which features on his debut LP, 'Underwater Dancehall'.  I introduced Pinch to a great friend of mine, Rudey Lee, and they recorded the vocal.  I'm really pleased with the Bristol connection on this.  Other dubstep producers are working on Dubkasm remixes and there's even talk of a dubstep remix album to Transform I.  Let's see what the future brings.

What does the future hold for Dubkasm and Sufferah’s Choice?

'Transform I' features a mixture of vocal, instrumental, and dub tracks.  For all the dub-ites we have compiled a second LP entitled 'Transformed In Dub' which features dub mixes of a selection of tracks from 'Transform I'.  This will be released much later in the year. Digistep joins me in the UK for the launch party of 'Transform I' on 25th April at Teachings In Dub in Bristol.  From then on we tour as Dubkasm with guest artist Afrikan Simba.  You'll be able to catch us playing the dubplate mixes from the second LP at our Dubkasm shows.

For more info catch the Sufferah's Choice Show each Monday 7-9pm GMT on 106.2FM or www.passionradiobristol.com or check out www.dubkasm.com

We've just printed up 60 of these limited edition t-shirts designed by the inimitable Monsta. Monsta's work is instantly recognisable, having become synonymous with both the dubstep and drum and bass scenes (although his art is now being found increasingly further afield as well). Below are a few examples of his vast body of work, including a few of the record sleeves that he designed for Metalheadz and a couple of his many videos as well. More of his stuff can be found on his MySpace page and a full biography of the multi-talented artist / music producer can be read here. It's great to have him on board and I hope that you all like the design - something about it seems to be particularly fitting given the current economic climate. To quote Rudyard Kipling, "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs...!"

We've used our usual Highrise t-shirts for these, so they are luxuriously soft, 100% cotton and have been screen printed for the best quality finish. They are available in Medium, Large or XL and cost £18.90. Just click on one of the images above to grab one. :-)

Guido's life is about to undergo some serious changes. With his debut release on Peverelist's Punch Drunk label having just hit the shelves, the level of interest in his music has just risen dramatically. The 21 year old Bristolian producer has been preparing himself for this surge of interest, however, and has been using his time wisely, learning the skills which he will need to help his music reach an ever widening audience. Until now his musical focus has been solely on production, but aware of the need to perform his music, he has been using the daytime serenity of a local night club to hone his DJing skills and is now ready to start accepting bookings. This desire to do things right, or not to do them at all, looks set to serve him well in an era in which quality control is so often overlooked. For those of you who are not yet familiar with the young producer, the mini mix above should provide a nice introduction to his sound.

He was kind enough to pop round for a chat on the eve of his first release...

So, first of all, what kind of music are you into yourself?

I’m into anything really, as long as the melody and rhythm capture something. Melody is definitely something that I’m into a lot. I’ve got a piano which I use pretty much everyday. I go and practice different scales, chords, intervals and stuff like that, so I’m coming from a musical angle. I had lessons formally for a little while, a jazz teacher for a year and a classical teacher for a year, although I don’t have lessons anymore. I really like Jazz. One of my favourite Jazz acts is the Esbjorn Svensson Trio. I listen to them a lot.

When did you first start using a computer to make music?

I started making music on the computer when I downloaded Fruity Loops when I was 15 or 16, maybe even younger. That’s when I first discovered the software.

Do you still use Fruity Loops now?

No, I’ve got a Mac now so I use Logic and Reason.

You MC a bit as well don’t you?

Nah!

Well I heard you the other day…

Yeah, I was a bit drunk! I used to write bars for a bit of fun. A long time ago I was making a song and I thought I'd write to it. I spat the bar to Shadz and he said, ‘you should jump on the track with me’, so we did that and it’s still really the only bar that I’ve got. I was just drunk at Joker’s the other day… It’s definitely not something that I want to get into (laughs).

You work with a lot of vocalists when producing though…

Yeah, I’m definitely up for collaborating, especially with singers at the moment. I’m really liking what can be done when working with vocalists.

How do you like to work with vocalists?

I either give them an instrumental to take away, or I’ll email it to them etc, then if they write to it we’ll go over it again and then record it. In some cases I’ve written a few lyrics, only for a few songs but I have done a bit of song writing.

Shadz is probably my oldest musical partner, I met him in 05. He’d heard a tune that I'd done with someone, and from that we went on to collaborate with each other. Through Shadz I met Joker and then we started swapping cds as well. This led to us meeting up more and becoming friends. Gemmy is someone that I only got to know recently, within the last year or so. Before that I'd never really had a chance to see him or talk to him that much.

You mention Gemmy and Joker. Whilst you do all have distinctly individual styles, there are definitely similarities within your music. Do you think that this is just by chance or would you say that you have influenced each others music?

I think we all come from the same kind of background; we all used to listen to garage and grime so I don’t know if that’s it. Back in the day I was really impressed with Joker’s stuff though, before I knew him too well. It was good to see another Bristol producer making really good beats.

Have you ever considered collaborating on a track with Joker or Gemmy?

The first time I met up with Joker we made a tune together, but since then we haven’t been able to. I don’t know if it’s because we mess around too much or not… generally we've been better at bouncing ideas off of each other over the net, but in the future anything is possible.The way I get my ideas for music, sometimes it comes out very slowly. I can’t just set a time to make a tune with someone as it won’t always come out of me then. I’ve got to be a bit spontaneous I think.

What is the whole Purple Trinity thing about?

It’s a name that came up for me Joker and Gemmy, it came out of nowhere really, but it’s cool, I like it. Joker had a thing for purple, he’s got a lot of purple pictures etc. We were talking about synthenasia one day, where you hear a certain tone and it reminds you of a colour, and his colour for his music is purple. I don’t know whether my stuff sounds like that or not.

So you’re ready to start djing now?

I’m saying yes to bookings now. I’m ready to go out there and show people some of the material that I’ve got, although I’ll play whatever sounds good. A friend lent me a pair of decks and I kind of taught myself not very well on those - I think I’ve just started to get it now though, after a long time. It’s the next step for me to take now, to get out there and showcase my stuff.

Is music something that you want to try and pursue as a career or are you happy with it being just a hobby?

Definitely, I can’t think of anything else! I’m up for doing anything: film music, computer game music, tracks with artists - anything. I’m just doing what I like to do really. I make music every day; I spend at least a few hours every day on the computer or the piano. I’ve had a lot of support from my parents.

What makes a good tune for you?

I think for me a tune needs a really meaningful motif that connects with you. Then it builds up, it might a change a little bit, then there'll be some more tweaks and then some other things change. The progression of a track is very important to me, taking the listener on a ride.

Do you always start with the hook then?

Sometimes it’ll be a melody that I wrote on the piano, other times it might be a chord. I’ll get a certain feeling from a chord and from there add rhythm to it and some extra melody. Sometimes I’ll put down an idea and then months and months later I’ll find that idea and it will strike something off and I’ll go from there. That is what I meant earlier about not always being able to make a tune there and then, sometimes it just happens over time.

What other music do you listen to?

I listen to various composers, recently though I’ve been listening to a lot of Japanese stuff, music from Studio Ghibli Films. Joe Hisashi is the composer for most of those films and I think he really nails it. Like Gemmy has said before about a lot of the computer games we grew up playing, the producers there were very talented. It's hard to imagine those games without the music because that's what created so much soul and character and also the feelings that we've kept in our memories. I know Mario and Sonic were done by Japanese guys. For me, my favourite computer games were Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9. The music was by Nobuo Uematsu and is very nostalgic to me. I still play Final Fantasy 7 now, even though I don’t have the time for it – I just love it!

Have you ever been to Japan?

Not yet, but it’s definitely a place that I would love to go. Not just for the technological / neon side that Tokyo’s got, but also for the more traditional, outside of the city kind of thing.

Do you think living in Bristol has affected your music?

It’s hard to say as I’ve only ever lived in Bristol, but there’s definitely something about the place, a certain feeling in the air. There’s a good community of people here, you get a lot of support and everyone’s really helpful. I really appreciate little comments from people, or when I’ve been out and someone has recognised me and I don’t even know them - Bristol’s quite small in that way.

Finally, how does it feel to have your music released?

I feel very happy about it and very grateful. I'm really excited that my music is getting heard by more people now. Peverelist putting it out has given me a big boost and a lot more confidence.

'Orchestral Lab' / 'Way U Make Me Feel' is out on Punch Drunk now.

This hour long piece of extroverted bass madness turned up in my inbox yesterday, courtesy of the good people over at Fabric. Star Eyes & The Captain, from New York’s Trouble & Bass crew, have put the mix together ahead of the crew's takeover of room three at Fabric Live on Friday (6th March). The mix combines dubstep, bassline, funky, booty and other such party rocking genres and is clearly heavily geared towards the dance floor. If you’re looking for something to get lively to then it should fit the bill nicely. It’s all about the Lil Silva track for me, but that’s blatantly just because it’s essentially a grime track which is masquerading as house. The Jack Beats remix of ‘Where’s My Money’ is one of the most ludicrous tunes I’ve heard in a while, an example of pure wobble madness done right - well I can’t stop grinning to it anyway. Here's a link so that you can check out the mix for yourselves...

Download Here (Right Click Save As)

Raffertie – Wobble Horror
Cardopusher – Steppin’ Worldwide
The Qemists feat. Wiley – Dem Na Like Me (Subscape Dub)
AC Slater – Calm Down
Bombaman – Eye Spy
DJ Manaia – Pull Up
TC – Where’s My Money? (Jack Beats Remix)
NROTB – Take Me Up (Math Head Remix)
Rico Tubbs - Born to Bounce (Supra1 Remix)
Heavyfeet – We Gettin’ Crunk
Wittyboi – Ironman VIP
Edu K – Raver Lovin’ (Nadastrom Remix)
Mikix the Cat – Freeze
Star Eyes – Disappear (Mikix the Cat Remix)
Jackmaster – Bang It
Lil Silva – Seasons
Buraka Som Sistema – Sound of Kuduro (Drop The Lime Remix)
Blackfinger – UMF (Supra1 Remix)
DJ Class feat. Lil Jon – I'm the Ish
Knuckles – Headphones (Mikix The Cat Remix)
Guns n Bombs – Riddle of Steel (12th Planet Remix)
B. Rich – We Ball Harder
Drop The Lime – We are The Future
Baobinga – State of Ghetto Jackin feat. DJ Nasty (TRG's Brooklyn 2 Bucharest Remix)
Rico Tubbs – Respect (Demo)
Udachi – Jellyroll
Blackfinger – UMF (HeavyFeet Remix)

Over the course of the last thirty years, Bristol’s music scene has continually reinvented itself and the music which has found a home in the city. Reggae, punk, soul, hip hop, jungle and more recently dubstep have all been adopted by the locals, gradually evolving and mutating into new and exciting sounds. Throughout this time Rob Smith has been right at the centre of things: an embodiment of the ‘Bristol Sound’.

His vast discography serves as a timeline of the city’s musical history: a history which he has been instrumental in forging. Beginning as a guitarist in local roots reggae band Restriction, he later teamed up with Ray Mighty to form the now legendary production duo Smith & Mighty. Their early work on their Three Stripe label helped to lay the foundations for both the trip hop and jungle scenes which the city would become so famous for. After a period of chart success and major label involvement in the early nineties, Smith and Mighty returned to the underground as uncompromising as ever in their musical vision. Joined by Peter D Rose they continued to release groundbreaking music, this time on their More Rockers imprint. Rob Smith also went on to collaborate with local roots reggae producers Henry & Louis. This fruitful relationship culminated in 2001 with the release of the fantastic, yet criminally overlooked ‘Time Will Tell’ LP.

2009 sees Rob Smith (now RSD) fully immersed in the dubstep scene: a sound which has quickly found a natural home in Bristol. When talking to him it is immediately apparent that his passion for music remains undimmed; he can’t enthuse enough about dubstep and is truly thankful for the opportunities that it has presented him with. Given that he has never really been one for press or publicity, it was an absolute privilege to be able to interview him and discuss both his own career and the musical environment within which he has operated. A huge thank you to him for taking the time out of his hectic schedule to entertain my curiosities…

Reggae and Dub have clearly had a huge influence on your sound. How did you first get into Reggae?

In school, when I was about 11, there was a kind of common room for older kids to use at break and lunchtime. Most of the boys would play football in the playground but I wasn't really into it so I'd hang around in this room. Some of the girls brought in piles of 7" records to play on the portable record player. I was really intrigued that on the ‘a’ sides were songs and the ’b’ sides were strange kind of spacey instrumental versions of the ‘a’ sides. One time I got up the courage to ask one of the girls if she would go and buy me a record as I didn't know the names of any. She bought me 'Festival Wise' by U Roy; I played it until it wore out. 

You have a history of playing in local bands; has this involvement in live music affected the way that you approach production?

The thing that I really wanted to do when I was younger was to be able to play around with a tune and have control over each separate musical element. I used to make band recordings on a Portastudio (4 track cassette recorder), mixing down the whole drum kit onto one track, bass guitar on the next, keyboard and guitar on the third, vocals on the forth and then patch in a space echo and a reverb unit and make dub mixes.

What equipment were you producing with during the early Smith & Mighty days and how does this compare to what you are using now?

He he! The first sampler we had was a Yamaha kind of toy thing with a plastic mic on a coily wire; it had 3 seconds sampling time which we thought was fkn marvellous!! Eventually we went for a 24 track mixing desk, 16 track tape recorder, Cubase sequencer on Atari, S1000 sampler, 808, 909, SH101 etc… Now I make everything mainly within Ableton. One of the main advantages for me of a computer based studio (apart from space saving) is that you get total recall, which means you can work on many tunes without losing the previous tune’s set-up. I do miss that tape ‘sound’ sometimes though.

The way in which Henry and Louis’ ‘Time Will Tell’ album was put together is very interesting, with Andy having taken the tracks over to Jamaica to record the vocals. How exactly did it all come together and what was it like to work on the project?

Andy Scholes (Louis) came round one day and said, 'I'm going to Jamaica.. got any dubs?' I gave him a batch and a few weeks later he came back with all these vocal recordings of Willie Williams and Johnny Clark etc. I thought it was my birthday! He’d hooked up with the guys from UB40 in Kingston and they let him use their studio to record and mix the vocalists - then I did post production and dub mixes back in Bristol.

Albums such as ‘Time Will Tell’, and earlier Carlton’s ‘Call Is Strong’ were of great importance to Bristol’s music scene but did not necessarily gain the widespread recognition which they deserved. In your opinion which tracks or albums have been the most important to the development of Bristol’s music scene?

Well it’s hard to name specific tracks, but the sounds from people like Mark Stewart and The Pop Group were early statements of how pioneering this city could be. Stuff from groups like the Cortinas, Chaos UK, Maximum Joy, Black Roots, Wild Bunch, Fresh Four, Andy Shepherd, (Smith & Mighty), as well as lesser known bands like Mouth and Fish Food. These definitely make up some of the deeper foundations of the Bristol music scene, as well as more obviously; Massive (Blue Lines), Tricky etc, and later on, Henry & Louis, More Rockers, Krust, Die, Ronni, Flynn & Flora, Suv... Bringing it up to date though, it's like there are too many people to list... Pinch, Pev, Blim, Joker, Headhunter, Gemmy, etc, etc, etc!

You have always seemed to shy away from unnecessary publicity, is this something that you feel strongly about?

I’ve never really been into that side of things; I just like making tunes. I think it's ok to choose what you want to do and what you don't want to do.

In the early 90’s you had some involvement with major labels; why didn’t things work out and what did you learn from the experience?

Mainly, I think us (Smith & Mighty) and major labels didn't work out because of a lack of understanding about each other's aims and roles (ours and theirs). It was a dark time which almost led to me completely giving up music and I’m glad it's now history - although we were very happy with the Steppers Delight EP!

I think there is something to be learned and gained from every experience - even the ones that seem bad at the time.

Looking back are you pleased that you ended up following an independent route?

Yeah I guess so. After 5 unproductive years with a major label it was quite a relief to get back to an independent status. Running a label is great but doing it properly does involve a lot of time and energy. Lately I’ve been really enjoying working with independent labels run by very cool people with vision! 

Much has been made of the importance of the Dug Out club to Bristol’s music scene. Which venues / places have been particularly important to you musically?

Yeah the Dug Out was pretty good although to be honest everyone used to complain at the time, 'Uuuh Dug Out again!' It was open every night and was a bit like a youth club with a bar, a dj and a sticky carpet. More than that though it was where a lot of people met and exchanged ideas about music and bands etc.

Other great places for me were Fosters/The Guildhall Tavern, The Bamboo Club, The Granary, The Western Star Domino Club, The Topcat Club, Green Rooms… mainly because these places had a healthy mix of people and sounds: kind of a mish mash of reggae, soul, funk, punk, arty guitar stuff and then later hip hop.

You have strong links with Japan, both playing over there regularly and releasing on Japanese labels. How did this first come about and why do you think you have such a strong following over there?

I first went there with Peter Rose as More Rockers in about 97. We went with Jah Shaka and played in Tokyo, Osaka and also went with Shaka when he played in Kyoto. I met Naoki E.Jima and his wife Miwako in Tokyo and we’ve been friends and worked together ever since. Naoki runs the excellent 'Disc Shop Zero' record store and also the 'Angel's Egg' record label. He has been totally nuts about Bristol music from time and knows everything there is to know about it, right up to the present day. I've been really fortunate to have made some great friends and contacts over there and have been able to go back once or twice a year to DJ and work with various labels.

When did you first become aware of the emerging Dubstep scene?

I was enjoying things like early Hyperdub and Horsepower and then people like Toasty, but it wasn't until I went to see Digital Mystikz play that I really 'got it'. After they played, Tayo introduced me to Mala who told me about Pinch!

I’m assuming that it was something which immediately appealed to you, seeing as you have been producing very similar stuff for years?

Yeah - to be honest I couldn't believe my luck!

Why did you decide to use the RSD alias when producing Dubstep?
 
DJ Flynn suggested it. He said, 'you ought to call yourself RS Dub!'

How would you say the Dubstep scene in Bristol at the moment compares to the other sounds that you have been involved with? Musically speaking which has been the most exciting period for you?

For me, Dubstep is maybe one of the most exciting things to happen musically - not just in Bristol, but in the UK and world wide. It's comparable to the excitement of the Jungle movement in the early 90's and it’s a bit like a musical ’conclusion’ in a similar way that Jungle was, but with a broader scope of styles, sounds and attitudes. It seems to be influenced in a kind of butterfly effect way by all the people who love it. Other periods that were exciting and important for me were the punk/reggae of the late 70's/early 80’s and the early rave/free party period.

You have worked with or alongside many of Bristol’s best musicians; has there been anybody that has stood out to you as being particularly talented?

Loads of people. It’s difficult to narrow it down but as for vocalists I'd have to mention Tammy Payne and Louise Decordova. Also a friend of mine who played piano on one of the albums that went out in Japan: Beni Williams… wicked!!

Which producers are you feeling at the moment?

Loads of people. In Bristol, I’m always loving Pinch, Pev, Appleblim, Joker, Gemmy, Hench and at the moment, Guido, Chasing Shadows, Phaeleh, Time… loads.

Outside of Bristol, always Mala and at the moment Synkro, Monkey, DJG, Widdler, Sparrow… loads. I’ve also recently heard some really impressive bits by Wrexile, Kalbata, Fragile and O-kapi.

If you could give new and up and coming artists one piece of advice what would it be?

One thing I would say is be honest with yourself. Are you passionate beyond the thought of making money? If not, then maybe do something else.

What do you have planned for the future release wise? Will there be an RSD album? Anymore Smith and Mighty stuff?

All things are possible.

What do you think you would be doing now if you’d never been involved with music?

That's a really difficult thing to think about… postman maybe?