Yadava is a Manchester-based producer and DJ known for his releases on local staple Ad Hoc Records and for his debut album, “It Rains Here”, that was released last year by London outfit Church. Catching our ears from day one, we’ve happily premiered a couple of his tunes in the past (and future) and now we’ve also invited the rising star to record a mix and answer some questions for us. We ask him about his influences, the city of Manchester, his album as well as his forthcoming EP, among other things. Find out more about Yadava and read the full interview while listening to this perfectly curated Monday morning soundtrack.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/mixed-by-yadava” /]

INTERVIEW

How would you characterize the sound of Yadava?

Hard question! Think I’m still figuring that out myself and I’d hope it would keep evolving as I develop anyway. A lot of the time it’s heavily influenced by what I’m currently listening to which can change pretty often. I guess jazz-influenced sounds are a common theme, whether it’s the samples I’m using or the sounds I’m creating myself. I like to incorporate percussive elements into the mix too, I’m always aiming to bring some richness to the rhythms. I think I also tend to gravitate towards slightly more laid-back sounds, even if I set out to up the tempo.

Your debut album on Church, “It Rains Here”, has been rinsed by us at BB HQ quite a bit since its release. Can you tell us a little about the background of the double LP? What were some of the inspirations behind it and is the name a tribute to your home base of Manchester?

Yeah the name is a reference to Manchester for sure, but it also has a double meaning. I wrote a lot of the LP whilst I was going through a bit of a difficult time so it’s a reflection of that too, even though that probably wasn’t a wholly conscious and explicit process. For me, there’s melancholy tones throughout but also some warm and soothing sounds in there. I can definitely recall the process of creating the music feeling like it was serving a therapeutic purpose, and when I listen back to it now it’s like a document of my emotions at that time packaged up for me to go back to and make sense of. I don’t think I’ve ever actually played the record out in a bar or club. At the same time, it’s cool that other people are going to engage with the music in a completely different way to how I do. In terms of the sound palette I was definitely inspired by the sounds of labels like 22a records and 2000 Black, as well as Manchester-based friends exploring similar musical territory like Contours.

Tell us about your forthcoming EP for Ad Hoc Records – any particular inspirations behind it?

Yeah the tracks on that EP are some of the first ones that I’d recorded and decided to send out to labels. I’d just picked up most of the gear I made the Church LP with so was getting my head round using the MPC and recording live bass/keys so it’s a bit fuzzy round the edges. But yeah it was just experimenting really with mixing live instrumentation and samples from records I was listening to a lot at the time, mainly bossa nova and some jazz-funk sounds. One track actually had a digital release last year but it’s going to be nice for that to be pressed up to vinyl with some other sounds I’d made at the same time!

How is the scene in Manchester right now? There certainly seems to be a sound that’s hot there right now with producers and DJs such as Contours, Cervo and the like championing it. Would you say Manchester is carving out a bit of a niche for itself?

I’ve been in Manchester for about 10 years now and what I’ve always noticed is the breadth of music coming from the city – I don’t think it would be fair to put Manchester in a particular box musically because there’s so much music to engage with, and too much to try and make reference to here. I think there’s a lot of really nice jazz and soul infused hip-hop coming from the city at the moment, obviously championed by artists like Children of Zeus who’ve had a big impact and been doing their thing for a while; as well as younger artists like KSR and Blind Mic. I think because there’s such an eclectic music scene in Manchester, that gets reflected in sounds that straddle lots of different styles. For example, the Kawuku sound project that Tom (Contours) and Chris (Cervo) worked on, or what Tom (Werkha) is doing at the moment, occupying that space in between more electronic sounds and live jazz.

We know Manchester is full of talent. Is there anybody there that’s currently flying under the radar that we need to check out? Any special shout outs?

Taurtollo who released a really nice EP on Ad Hoc records last year is someone to keep an eye on for sure. Also Garth BE, who’s probably not so under the radar but if you aren’t familiar with his stuff then I’d go check that… and keep an eye out for more sounds in the near future. There’s loads more, too much to list here but a good starting point would be to check out the archived shows from local DJs on NTS Manchester, Reform Radio, MCR live etc.

Can you talk a little about So Flute, the event series you help with? What’s your role? Tell us how it started, the ethos behind it and if you see it expanding into something else in the future?

I started So Flute with my pals Dan and Billy when we were still students over 6 years ago now. Our friends Luke and Tom came on board pretty early on too and we used to do monthly parties at the Roadhouse (RIP) before it closed down. Music-wise I think we were influenced a lot by DJs and parties we had been going to with an eclectic music policy like Mr Scruff’s Keep It Unreal nights and Hoya:Hoya. We also wanted to put on nights that felt like a house party, where there was a laid-back feel and more of a connection between the people in the crowd. I think over the years So Flute definitely developed in that way. You’d see the same people coming each month and it feels like there’s a strong core community of people who we’d consider part of the So Flute family. I think doing parties in that way also meant that although we were booking some bigger artists like Floating Points or Sadar Bahar we could also put on a residents party and the vibe would be the same. At the moment we’re still doing parties every few months in Manchester, as well as one off parties in other cities. There’s been talk of a label in the pipeline for ages given the amount of people we’re connected with that are making great music so watch this space on that one…

You’re clearly a big fan of jazz. Was it always that way? Could you give us some musical influences you listened to growing up and a few that are currently inspiring you?

My dad is a jazz musician so although I can’t say I was actively engaging with the music, I was definitely exposed to a lot of those sounds when I was younger. I remember borrowing some Joe Henderson and John Coltrane LPs to use for an art project in college. Being drawn to them visually I naturally ended up engaging with the music too; although I think I did some blasphemous damage to the sleeves in the process. I also used to listen to a lot of pretty questionable hip-hop in my teenage years but then became interested in the source material so that was another route into those sounds. At the moment I’m digesting a lot more ambient and DIY synth stuff which isn’t something I’ve dug very deep into before. There’s so much great music being reissued by labels like Music From Memory and We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want (great label name) so I’m really enjoying that right now. Also the constant stream of really great contemporary jazz stuff from labels like Gondwana, Brownswood and Black Focus. The Mansur Brown LP has been on heavy rotation.

What instruments do you play? How much do you tend to sample and how much do you usually play yourself? 

I wouldn’t claim to be technically proficient but I can fumble around a bit on bass, guitar and keys so I tend to incorporate live recordings into my music. Although saying that, the balance of samples and live recordings can really vary from track to track. So tracks like Rebecca’s Jam and Weightless off the Church LP are all live recordings I played, apart from the drum samples that were programmed with the MPC; but then “Hiromasa’s Interlude’ is pretty much all sample-based except some chords and percussion really low in the mix. If I can get the sound I want by recording something in then I’ll definitely go for that because you have so much more control in manipulating the sound, but I also really enjoy working with samples. I see sampling as just as valid a method of making music as creating original sounds, but I do think it’s important to try and make sure you’re adding something new if you’re using sampling as a creative process in which you’re taking some credit as the artist. Whether that’s pulling samples from a range of different sources, layering samples with your own sounds or whatever your approach might be. Otherwise from my perspective what are you adding to the source material?! There’s blurred lines I guess, but yeah in terms of my own process I’m happy moving up and down that scale of sampling vs. playing in live recordings.

Are you an avid record collector? Do you remember the first record you bought? How about the last one?

I do tend to buy a lot of records, but I buy and play loads of digital stuff too. I definitely like having things in physical format and generally feel a stronger connection with the music if it’s something I can hold in my hand and engage with the artwork and inner notes etc. One of the first records I bought that I’d really wanted for a while was a copy of this amazing gospel record, Spirit of Love – The Power of Your Love. It’s been reissued now but at the time there was no other way for me to engage with the music other than listening to a pretty low-quality video on YouTube so it was really exciting to have a physical copy with all this extra information about the recording and artists.
I remember buying a CD single of Eddie Grant – Electric Avenue on a school trip when I was about 11 but I think the first record I bought was a copy of the Velvet Underground – Loaded in a tourist trap record shop in New York. The last one I bought was a reissue of the Mkwaju LP by Mkwaju Ensemble.

What are some of the must do’s/eats/sees in Manchester?

If you’re looking for dancing into the early hours then I’d be heading to venues like The White Hotel and Partisan where there’s some really interesting programming and nice crowds by virtue of being that little bit further out of the city centre. There’s plenty of wicked record shops to check out too; Piccadilly Records, Eastern Bloc, Vinyl Exchange and King Bee in Chorlton is definitely worth a dig. There’s a really good Ethiopian restaurant called Habesha, hidden above a takeaway in the Village just off Canal street. Also I could eat pizza all day every day so Rudy’s Pizza in Ancoats is another one of my favourite spots for food.

How much can you divulge about what’s coming up in Yadava’s near future, music-wise.

After the Ad Hoc release I’ve got another record coming out on a Swedish label and I’m also working on finishing another EP for a new Canadian label too. There’s a few more bits in the pipeline including some edits and a collaborative live project I recorded with another Manchester producer, but I’m having to focus my energy on other responsibilities for the next few months so I’m taking a bit of a break from any major new recording projects at the moment. There’s also the monthly ‘Expansions’ show I host with Contours on NTS Manchester where you might hear some forthcoming/unreleased sounds from ourselves and close pals!

Between running an event night, gigging, producing a whole bunch of music and trying to finish a PhD, how are you managing to balance your time?

This is something that has been really hard for me, it all kind of fell apart at one point and I had to take a bit of time out from everything last year. Trying to find a balance between so many different competing interests is really difficult and something I’m still working on. It’s even harder when there’s something you want to focus more of your energy on; for me that was music, but I had other responsibilities and so I’ve had to learn to put things on hold to make life manageable. Finding that right balance of things isn’t something I’ve been able to do on my own and I’ve really benefitted from the support of people around me, that’s probably been the most useful resource in terms of coping with things. By virtue of studying a psychology-based course I think I had access to people who were well placed to provide support as well as having some close friends who really helped me out in my hour of need! Also being self-aware and taking care of your basic needs you know, getting enough sleep, eating well, all those things contribute massively to your ability to manage pressure and they have to come first.

Interview by Igor

Cet article MIXED BY/ Yadava est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/mixed-by-roberto” /]
This is someone you should definitely be keeping an eye on, as we have been, and this is why we’ve invited him to play at our Piknic Electronik stage. Ahead of the event, we’ve asked him to put an assortment of tunes together for us while also letting us dig a little into his background. Find out more about Roberto and his influences in the interview below. You can catch Roberto alongside Silktits and Seb Wildblood at our Piknic Electronik stage on June 10th.

INTERVIEW

Let’s start with the usual – beginnings. Where’d you get your musical start, what or who pushed your influences into house/disco/beyond growing up?

I don’t know about the very start but in terms of dance music specifically, without a doubt Eddie C was the one who introduced me to it. We went to the same high school and became friends around ’92 or ’93 I think. At the time I thought dance music was pretty cheesy, but he’d play me these hardcore breakbeat records, you know like early jungle stuff and it just blew my mind. I was already heavily into punk and industrial etc., but yeah that was pivotal for me… I mean I’m still into it all this time later! We’re still buds too.

As you’ve been a local DJ in the Toronto scene for quite some time, we’d like to know what your first major breakthrough was in terms of DJing?

My first regular gig in Toronto was at this bar called Babylon in the gay village. It was pretty small but had great sound and a great DJ booth that looked out onto Church Street from the third floor. Some friends and I did a Thursday night there called Dub Poetics for I think 3 years or so. We had a lot of great local and regional DJs play with us and it really was a breakthrough for me in terms of finding my place in the community. The scene in Toronto was so vibrant then! I already knew many of the DJs and promoters, but that was a place where I could be myself and show that I wasn’t shit, haha. That started in I think ’98.

How about your first breakthrough on the production front? When did that take place and prior to Roberto/Conga Radio, were you doing something else?

I’ve put a few things out over the years under various names but when Jex and I did the first Conga Radio record that was a big boost for me. Certainly more interest in my own work came out of that.

When did Conga Radio start, how did your close relationship with Jex Opolis come to be?

I actually met Jex buying the first Good Timin’ record off him! I saw that he was based in Toronto so I messaged him on Discogs because I wanted to save on the shipping, haha. We met up at a subway station and figured out that we knew a bunch of the same people and were into a lot of the same records. Anyway we started chatting and hanging out a fair bit and eventually got together to try making music. I think we got 2 or 3 tunes written that first session and realized we worked well together.

2016 was a pretty big year for you with quite a few solo releases coming out with EPs on Good Timin’, No Bad Days and a couple of solo releases as well on Superior Elevation and Red Motorbike. How did those come about? Were you sitting on a bunch of material and things just sort of fell into place?

Those releases came on the heels of a fairly productive stretch, yeah. At the time I was buying and selling lots of synths and studio hardware and just having fun learning new gear and experimenting. So yes, I was sitting on handful of decent demos that I polished up for the releases.

I knew Tom Noble from playing a couple gigs together and obviously I knew Eddie and Jex very well, so basically those releases just came from sharing tunes with buddies. I connected with Jake and Gabriel from No Bad Days over the internet and that was just a great fit musically that came together really quickly. That’s a couple of real nice guys there.

Do you feel like you’ve received more local and possibly international attention within the past year or so? You’ve recently had a gig lined up in Brooklyn and of course the one in Montreal at Piknic, which we are promoting here, so it seems like your production and DJing path is starting to take you to new surroundings.

A bit more, yeah. Jex organized a tour to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Good Timin’ earlier this year. We played NYC, Montreal and Toronto together which was a lot of fun. I played a show in Quebec City as well this winter which was excellent. Honestly any time someone reaches out and wants me to come play their show because they like my records or mixes, I mean, that is about as good as it gets. I’d love to travel more but I’m not really out there chasing it like a lot of other cats are. I am very fortunate I get to play in Toronto pretty often, then a few little trips each year spice things up nicely. But hey, anybody reading this who wants to party gimme a ring! haha

And yes, I’m really, really looking forward to Piknic! I’ve attended numerous times over the years as a patron so I’m stoked to be on the other side of the stage for this one.

Are you regularly continuing your work in the studio or are you finding it hard to balance “real” life with that of music? Have you got something lined up coming out in the near future that you can share with us?

Every day I try to work in the studio for at least a bit, but yeah it’s tough. I have a fairly demanding full time job and the remaining few hours in the day often just isn’t quality creative time. It makes completing new material a pretty slow process for me. That said, I am working on some new stuff that I’m excited about. I just finished an EP that will be coming out later this year on the label Pulp out of Spain. Also working on collaborations with Eddie C and Ciel that I’m super pumped about.

We touched upon you being a regular in the Toronto scene, as you’re very active in helping to promote both your own records, gigs and those of friends as well. How are you finding it is evolving over the past several years? Any special shout outs to people in Toronto or beyond that you think deserve some more recognition?

It is definitely blooming! The scene in Toronto, or at least the little corner of it that I hang around is a really great community. There is a lot of new talent coming up and it seems like a lot of younger people are genuinely interested in dance music which I feel hasn’t been the case for quite a while. People are supporting each other’s efforts and collaborating all the time. It’s a really exciting time and there is an abundance of excellent music happening every week despite a relative scarcity of venues.

I could fill a whole page with Torontonians deserving of more recognition but I’d like to give a shout to some of the badass femmes that are working hard and making waves in Toronto right now; Ciel and her Work In Progress radio show and parties, Kehdo, Efemmera & Ceremonies and their On Earth parties, Milch from the Invisible City team, Korea Town Acid who just put out an amazing EP, Babygirl, Jaime Sin, Diana McNally, Club Fitness and Stacey Sexton are all super talented, knowledgeable DJs that you will be hearing more about soon if you haven’t already.

Any particular music you’re feeling at the moment? Could you highlight some tracks you just can’t put down?

Well, I think I have every record Roza Terenzi has put out. She is definitely one of my fave producers at the moment. Also Khotin has been on fire lately, I’m picking up everything he’s putting down. The new Benedek is serious top shelf stuff, pure class. And I’m enjoying the recent Darling releases as well, stoked to check his new LP.

How and where was the mix recorded and anything you want to add about it?

It was recorded live in my attic studio with two turntables, two XDJs, my little rotary mixer and a delay pedal. I did two takes and was happy with the second pass. I wanted it to have a nice summery vibe but still have a bit of toughness which I think comes through. Hope you guys like it!

Interview by Igor

Cet article MIXED BY/ Roberto est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Recently celebrating our 10 000th subscribtion to our Soundcloud page, we got a very special guest who generously accepted to make a very special mix for our listening pleasure. We’ve got the man with one of the most appropriate monikers out there for his craft , Sampling As An Art (aka S3A) (soundcloud), dropping a new mix for our MIXED BY/ series. With the goal of communicating his love for house and soul and the influence these and others genres have on his work, his productions have made people lose their mind on dancefloors all over there world. If it wasn’t enough, Max (S3A) also travels the globe performing live shows where he gets to make his audiences dance till the break of dawn. With a high energetic style using sampling as a core of his work, S3A has the unique ability to energize crowds quickly and effectively, almost getting them into a state of trance, where he controls his audiences and makes them experience what he wishes them to experience. In this mix, the Concrete resident and label owner of Sampling As An Art Records makes us take a journey into ambient, jazz, soul and neosoul, disco, funk and obviously, house music.

While enjoying the journey, you may want to read what S3A had to tell us. We had a few questions on our notepad for him, which he kindly accepted to entertain.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/mixed-by-s3a” /]

INTERVIEW

Could you tell us about your beginnings with electronic music production? (and your introduction to the genre).

I’ve always loved electronic music. Even when I was young, I recorded music on my Amstrad, or on other consoles in order to record them on cassette. So, when I started listening to electronic music, of course I wanted to make electronic music … It was instantaneous. On the other hand to arrive to a natural result took me a lot of time. I started on Cubase, with rather technological sounding productions, I had to start by mastering the all in the box, before getting to the machines. So today I feel the most comfortable with a mix between machines and computer, I think my favourite thing is to make them all work at the same time, and that all of it gives a coherent and synchronized ensemble. Kind of like a magician a bit.

You already had a strong knowledge of different genres on which you based your music production on. Who were the artists that you loved (or still love) picking in their discography to do sampling?

It’s true that I started with more aggressive music, like hardcore or techno. But even in those times I bought a lot of Masters At Work or Todd Edwards for example. For me, techno is the sound, and house is the notes … And with age, I think I was naturally orienting myself to the notes. So it’s sure that artists like Akufen are references for me: Combining technique and musicality with something that we often forget in electronic music: Emotion.

How did your time in Paris with Zadig go? (Tell us about your collaboration and experience)

I am from the Rouen region at the base and I spent my first twenty years there. Zadig was a DJ already known in the area, and I spent my time going to see him play with my little scooter . We became friends, and we developed our relationship around music. So when I went to Paris in 2005, Zadig and I took a recording studio right next to that of Matthieu Berthet (the person who masters and puts vinyl into compliance with much of the current French electronic production). This place was where a lot of experimentation and very good moments took place between Zadig and me. For example, we made a disc: Friendship Connection (Paname 01), and we really spent a lot of time combining the sound of machines with the practicality of the computer. I keep a lot of tenderness of this period, and I would never have done S3A If I hadn’t gone through this studio.

What piece of equipment can we find in your studio now?

In terms of drum machines, the classics are of course there: 606, 707, 808, 909. In terms of samplers, the MPC3000 is there, and for the synthesizer I buy and sell a lot to test. But what I have always with me: the Juno 2 Alpha, TX 802 Yamaha, and especially the M1 that I particularly like. I could add sound expanders that often serve as U220 Roland. Though I admit to being really a fan of the Roland boutique series, I think I have them all (laughter). I like the transportable, transport friendly aspect and the simple concept of something that does a specific thing very well.

Favorite piece of equipment? Why?

For live sets, I do as when I’m in the studio, that is that I keep the computer to do the role of conductor, it sends the MIDI clicks to the drum machine and other synthesizers.
So I often take the 303 in Rolland’s shop, the 909 in the same format (I was tired of having my real 909 repaired).
The computer also has another function . Something that the 3000 cant do for example: it reads the long and “tuned” samples. To keep a dynamic on the short samples I always have an SP 404 too.

What is the advice you would give someone who’s looking to take their first steps in music production?

Unfortunately it may be advice that seem a little vague . First we must know what we want to do. Either we want to move towards a style and at that moment the codes are not the same, or we will simply make his music and start from a blank sheet where everything is allowed. The important thing is to arrive at a mature sound, and not forget that the electronic music is principally studio music, where the sound counts as much as the notes or the harmonies.

Do you like keeping tabs on what else is going on in the electronic music scene? Does it influence your work? Which artists do you follow with interest?

Indeed I still listen to a lot of electronic music from all styles. I may have dropped techno a little, because honestly since 2006 I think its biting its own tail a little. I really like what Antigone does, and also Abdullah Rashim, But I confess I’m not running after the newcomers … On the other hand I inevitably keep myself informed about the House scene and quite a lot. Mostly now the ambiant/drone scene, jazz and neosoul.
So the artists that I am into a lot right now are Moonchild, K15, Ruby Rushton, Dimlite or Altus (last piece of the podcast).

What are your expectations regarding the North-American public this time around? Also, what aspects of your public do you take notice and allow you to draw nuances or differences between public/audiences through the regions of the world you visit?

My goal on the North American continent is to make myself more known. For example, I remember seeing Josh Wink in New York in a half-full venue (which shocked me). I think this culture is more European and not necessarily represented here …
It’s totally different from Japan, for example, who really has a jazz disco base, who’s very attentive to House music.
Yes there are clearly differences between countries, and I am very attentive when I play certain titles, to see how the audience reacts. According to their response, I adapt myself and stay very reactive. The goal is that everyone has fun, with a colour of sound that I want to convey. Anyway, for me Canada is a little different from the United States, because depending on the city, there is a real craze for this music, and all the better !!!

Your three favourite nights where you were performing and why?

First one I think I can say was my first live show at the weather festival in 2015, Second, my back-to-backs with Laurent Garnier (Rex / Concrete), And then I have a lot of very good memories on the decks at Concrete.

Your three favorite songs and why?

(Laughs) It’s not easy to get out just three songs …
So here are four tracks I currently listen to often in my walkman:

Horror Inc – Briefly Eternal (entire album)
Stellar Eider – wave (2nd title of the album “1”)
Fink – Resurgam
Altus – Session 7

How is it going with the Canadian cold?

Honestly, the weather is really more enjoyable than the weather in France right now. In Paris we have a kind of autumn thats been lasting for months, strewn with small descents of temperature. In Canada things are much clearer, we have felt for example here -24 (celsius) these few last days, and I liked discovering Montreal with this temperature and this weather. The last time I came to play in Canada, it was in November if my memory serves my right and It was a beautiful 22 degrees with full sun. I hardly recognized the city when I arrived here a few days ago! (laughs)

Shout outs?

I would of course like to thank Adrien and Erwan from Kizi Garden Records (Montreal based) who invited me to play at their night here, and I would also like to thank Florent from Bolting Bits. We had been talking for a very long time and finally recently met.
I would also like to thank the people who came to see me at Groove Nation (Montreal venue). It was a really nice evening!

In any case, the Canadian experience is always very enjoyable, and I cannot wait to come back and play here again!

Cet article MIXED BY/ S3A est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.