Afro Monk

Asa recently posted that he was looking for some blog support on an interview done over at the Greek Dubstepforum. I gave it a quick read and decided that I’d help him out. If you follow me on Facebook or some of my rants on this site I’m sure you’ll see why I agreed to this. It seems like the movement and attitude is spreading. Let’s not forget to mention genuinely being embraced by everyone with a free mind. This dude has a lot of passion behind what he says and isn’t afraid to speak his mind despite knowing it’s going against the ‘norm’. This is one of the reason I’m building a label right now. There aren’t enough outlets and places to get things like this pushed. That traditional dubstep sound is dying but that’s ok as long as it keeps evolving. The idea of 140bpm and heavy bass isn’t a formula to live by in dubstep. Hell if it was up to me forget about the bass lines and just fill it in with more melodic synth lines.

Here is the interview!

So who are you ?

My name is Asa, that is my birth name as well as my ‘alias’ or whatever you want to call it. I am a producer/songwriter from the UK, i am based in a small city on the south coast of the country, about half way between London and Bristol.

When did you started with producing and where does your style derive from?

I started ‘producing’ back in school, when i was about 15, i guess? but of course it was nothing serious, at the time my musical background was in choirs and i played piano – which has definitely contributed towards the way i write a lot of my music now. But in all honesty I’d say my production derives primarily from being sick and tired of hearing so many generic artists, i just wanted to hear something different. I make tunes for myself mostly, it’s like therapy, ya know? its personal and it’s intimate, well it’s intimate until it’s released anyway. then it’s the listeners property, which is the way it should be. For me, it just has to evoke an emotion in the listener, wherever that be on headphones in a dark room by themselves or it be on a huge sound system amongst thousands of other people – it’s got to induce some sort of emotional response. that’s the purpose of music, right? otherwise there is no point. In terms of dance music, I grew up listening to mostly garage, just a lot of 2-step and some dnb really, amongst a lot of other music of course. Bands like Sigur Ros & Incubus amongst plenty of others have as much influence on me as my contemporary ‘dubstep’ producers. But that is definitely where a lot of my rhythmic patterns stem from, for sure.  The Skippy 2-step drum patterns, i love them. I still find my garage collection to be the most varied and interesting music i have, obviously there is a lot of nostalgia involved with my relationship to the tunes, but garage did get killed off and recycled into dubstep and grime pretty much. That’s the way this music works, there is this continuum of bass music in the UK that just keeps churning out new ideas. hence why i get so frustrated with generic production traits – it’s the downfall of scene’s in the context of this music, you HAVE to do your own thing, and i think that principle is where my style derives from. I do my own thing.

What do you respond to the whole thing about dubstep and heavy bass. Is it just a trend?

Well it’s just the ridiculous amount of mid range lfo abuse i hear. I mean, i mostly only hear it when residents are playing that stuff before me at bookings. But don’t get me wrong, the producers I’m closest with like KOAN Sound, Statix & Culprate – they  make some of the hardest stuff around – but it’s so well executed, i get just as excited about a new Culprate tune as i do about a new Burial one, and that’s the way it should be i think. Good music is good music. But there definitely is a lot of poorly produced dubstep, i know that much. there is not enough space in the mix downs in most dubstep tunes now. No room for the sub frequencies to be the prominent focal point in the mix. Which was the only ‘rule’ in Dubstep in the first place, if you can even call it a rule. It had to be around 140bpm and have emphasis on sub bass, the rest was up to the producers individual creativity. That’s how it should be. Me and a few of my friends have all been writing music around 100bpm recently, after becoming somewhat disillusioned with what people think ‘dubstep’ is now, we have just reached a point where making music defined by one tempo just isn’t plausible. We don’t want to do that, as much as dubstep is and will continue to be the home for our music. There really has been a very notable divide in the scene over the last year or two; it’s clear to everyone involved on either side. A lot of people on one side hold a lot of animosity towards what is now commonly associated with the tag dubstep; as a result they are deliberately pushing further and further away from the cliché production techniques which is a positive creative drive for sure, but I for one am still more than happy for my music to be tagged as dubstep. I still think the best thing about the genre is its diversity, so if producers like me try and distance ourselves from dubstep, and then what hope does it have? Creating sub-genres is like pushing yourself into a corner, setting up more boundaries; it will only limit people’s creativity.

Your last release is ‘Sweeter Things EP” and let me tell you, we like it so much. whats next? are there unreleased or new tracks coming up?

Ahhh that’s awesome, i am glad you like the EP – i was a bit hesitant about it, i mean, it’s music i make for me and a few close friends to listen to and I know it’s not what most people are used to hearing. So it’s really good to know that some people have picked up on it and get the point of the tunes, that sort of thing is really cool. I really appreciate it whenever anyone tries to connect on a personal level and say that they like the tunes, that sort of thing really means the world to me. As for new releases myself & KOAN Sound just done a remix for Kito & Reija Lee’s EP on Mad Decent, which has been getting huge support and a great response recently which we are really happy with. Right now I have a whole bunch of remixes due for release – the list is so long i wouldn’t even know where to start. The same applies to collaborations, I’m still working with my core group of friends more than anyone, mostly KOAN Sound, but I’m now getting to work with some of my favorite artist’s, which is something i am really happy about. I apologize about being so vague and not mentioning artist’ names, but i have realized recently that it is good to keep such things under the radar until they are completely finished and on top of that I’m simply just not allowed to talk about things until certain dates etc. I write music all day, everyday. So there is no shortage of new music, it’s just an odd period for me and my friends at the moment – a lot of decisions being made with labels and all that kind of stuff, so a lot of our tunes are in a state of limbo at the moment.

Where do u see dubstep/step/future garage going? *just another trend like minimal techno

I really do not agree with the whole genre branding thing, as I’ve said. To me – ‘Future Garage’ is one of the most ridiculous tags i have ever come across. I could sit here for hours and moan about why i disagree with it, but it’s not worth it. i just don’t agree with it. It’s dubstep, don’t call it anything else. there is something in it for everyone – that has been the whole point of this music from day one, it was the main principle that attracted me to it, ya know? The scene is thriving, regardless. There is so much good music consistently being put out. that’s all that counts – it is not a ‘fad’ or ‘trend’. its just another part of this constantly evolving bass music continuum that we are so lucky to have in the UK. Creativity is thriving, the underground really is glowing…

What u know about Greek Dubstep in Greece in general and if u have any thoughts to play here?

I have a dear friend of mine who guys by the name of ‘Skru’, he goes by other alias’s also, but he is a great soul and has so much passion for the music. He has always supported my stuff since i started, but other than that i know very little about the scene in Greece. I hear about events occasionally from my friend, but that is about it. it is obviously a place i would love to come and play, meeting people and traveling is one of the best things about music – it is what I am most thankful for out of all of it. I hope i am lucky enough to have a Greek promoter want to book me someday!

Tell us some of your favorite source for sounds. VST plugin’s , DWA’s, hardware…

I don’t like to talk about production methods so much, for a lot of reasons really… I think sharing knowledge about production and such things is one of the most important things, no doubt. But i prefer to do it on a one to one basis – I would happily teach or show anyone how i go about putting this sort of music together if they were willing to just sit there and learn. Making tunes brings people together, the people I value the most in my life are the ones I have met through music. the whole networking side of it so important. Production tutorials and things like that seem to be a bit too ‘paint by numbers’ for me, it cuts of that human experience of writing music. The fun and the vibe you can get from working on music with someone who approaches it in a completely different way is one of the most exciting things for me. Sitting around with KOAN Sound and just working on tunes have been some of the most beneficial moments of my life. Do you know what I mean? i will say this though – i record all my own foley sounds, i have my own production palette. Well, i hope i do anyway..

“I made this for you” , i have to admit that was my first ‘contact’ with ur music, its one of my fav mix’s and i have the question if the title and the hole mix is ‘personal’ to you. maybe a girl ?

Well, i really don’t know if i should talk about these things… but it’s ok i guess. i mean, I am personally invested in it all for so many reasons. But they are not going to be the same reasons for the listeners, if that makes sense? I really don’t want to come across as pretentious. I just like making tunes, that all. so yeah, Essentially, a lot of the music i have made in the past was as a result of a very messy, break up from a long term relationship –a lot of it is about telling stories for me. It’s like therapy, it really is. That situation is well in the past now of course. so in regards to the mix entitled ‘I Made This For You’, it is in relation to another person… the key is in one of the first track names, that is all i will say. she knows who she is and that is all that matters

5 tracks I am into at the moment

Ed Sheeran – The A Team (KOAN Sound Remix)

Culprate, Tekka& Sticky Disco – Finger

Earl Sweatshirt – Earl

Joy Orbison – Sicko Cell

Asa – Sweeter Things (eleven8 Remix)

Interview done by: dubstepforum.gr

I personally think I listen to a lot of music. Might not be lots of different times of music at a given time but feel like I’ve heard more music than the average person. I’ve been thinking about that question you get every so often, “What are your favorite bands/artist/DJs?”.

I’ve decided to put together a list of albums that I feel represent me as an individual and have played a huge part of my own soundtrack. This is my life of MUST HAVE albums. You might even find something you might even like =O

I’ll start off with what is more commonly known by the masses and move down to the more obscure.

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
This album to me is my favorite Pink Floyd album and I consider them one of my favorite bands.

Bueno Vista Social Club – Self Titled
This album will forever mark history and show the world what Cuban music is really about. This is one of those albums that will hold a special place in my heart because I grew up in Miami. The sound of this just makes you think what it must of been like in Cuba before Castro.

The Fugees – The Score
This album is a classic for everybody. It’s one of the first albums I’ve ever enjoy at the start of my musical interest. I can listen to this album in whatever mood I’m in.

Bjork – Post
Bjork is one of my favorite vocalist in music today. Everything about this album is sexy and passionate. I can’t help but put this album on every week or so.

Wyclef Jean – The Carnival
This is one of the first albums I ever bought with my own money. I’ll never forget listening to this album for the first time. I was sitting in the office studying for a history test. Had one of those portable CD players and jammed out hard.

Fiona Apple – Tidal
I’ll never forget this album. It reminds me of summers when my older sister would be in town from college. Fiona’s voice is tantalizing and makes me feel so comfortable yet knowing her overall tone is bitter. I use to fall asleep to this album for years.

The Mars Volta – EVERYTHING.
This is hands down my favorite band. Omar Rodriguez Lopez is the most under rated guitarist in the music business right now. Everything about these guys I totally enjoy. Their music just puts me in this trance like state.

Coheed & Cambria – Second Stage Turbine Blade
I’ll never forget hearing this for the first time and thinking man did I download a bad copy where the vocals are messed up. Nope! Claudio is in his own class as a front man. I admit I didn’t like at first but wow how it soared to the top of my charts after the 2nd listen.

Sigur Ros – ( )
This is pure love. Another album that I use to fall asleep to on a daily basis for a large period of my life. The music is just raw emotion.

Cursive – Burst & Bloom
It’s hard to chose just one album for Cursive. Domestica & The Ugly Organ have been albums as well as Burst and Bloom that just make me feel happy inside. This band one of those bands that I completely found by random chance and said I’ll listen to them till the day I die.

Further Seems Forever – The Moon is Down
I don’t care who you are and what you think of the ‘emo movement’ this album meant a lot to me during high school break ups. I admit it, I’m quite a sensitive guy when you get to know me.

Glassjaw – EVERYTHING!
God this band is just pure rage and passion all in one. I couldn’t get into them at all but I’ll never forget being in the backseat of a car when Ry Ry’s Song came on and everyone was singing and it just clicked. Beyond excited to be flying out to Boston to catch these guys and their new material.

Poison the Well – The Opposite of December
Back when I was young I was just like how I am today. A calm collective focused person. Back then I had an outlet, mosh pits. These guys were that band that you always just want to relive those moments in the pit. They always take me to that place of bliss of just me, the music, and thrashing.

Halou – Wiser
This album means the world to me. This is one of those bands and albums that has never been found by society yet complete definition of Love. This album has such great meaning to me on so many levels. The singer of this band has to be on par with Bjork in my eyes, I’m telling you beautiful. If there is any albums on this list that I say you HAVE to have right now and listen to right away it’s this one and the next one.

Ooah – Of Porcelain
This is the only album on here that actually is electronic music. It probably comes to many as a surprise that there aren’t any dubstep albums on here. To be honest this is the one album that I would want to be on here that has to do with electronic music. This album is a huge inspiration to me. When I saw Glitch Mob in Chicago and shook Ooah’s hand after the Smart Bar set I told him Of Porcelain is a masterpiece and meant it. This possibly is my favorite out of all of the ones listed above right now. I would kill to get a copy of this on Vinyl. It’s a shame that this never got pressed. If I could help in any way getting this pressed I would. I can’t say enough about this album. Thank you Ooah.

I could of easily made this Top 20 albums but decided to keep it real to what I listen to on a regular basis. I did leave out some of my favorite breaks, drum & bass, and dubstep albums but you know what these truly represent me and listen to on regular basis. These are the albums that get to me inside no matter what. I can sit back and play these albums through at any given time.