Your latest EP has been released on Scour Records. How did this come about?
After releasing my tracks ‘Alive‘ and ‘The Boom The Bang‘ I was approached by three record labels. All were Glitch-Hop/ Breakbeat oriented and Scour Records was one of them. As I was following Scour Records already and was into their portfolio, it was pretty clear to me at that moment that it was the label I’d like to pursue my first EP release with.
Tell us a bit about the label.
Scour Records is UK-based, independent digital label run by DJ Spinforth. They specialise in releasing breakbeat, glitch-hop, ghettofunk and other types of electronic music that are infused by genres such as funk, reggae or swing. They’re real legends in this field, you should check them out!
When we last spoke to you you were making glitch hop. Would you say your new EP continues in the same genre?
I would say so, although not all the tracks fit entirely in the “glitch hop” category. For example the title track “So Much Style” is a little departure from the glitch-hop vibe sounds more like a nu-funk song . Although there is a glitch hop feel to the release I didn’t want to go overboard with glitchy and wobbly effects but focus on delivering funk instead.
Who are your main influences musically?
My main influence is the funk in all forms. From James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Prince, Zapp, One Way, George Clinton through G-funk producers such as Dr. Dre, DJ Battlecat, Daz Dillinger to more modern funkateers – K+LAB, Griz, Slynk, Dam-Funk, Chromeo… the list goes on and on.
You previously studied the Complete Music Production and Audio Engineering Course at SEM. How do you think it helped you?
It helped me systematise my knowledge about the music production process and its essential tools, such as compression, eq and time based effects. In addition to this I was also able to collaborate with other students and musicians which allowed me to discover my strong points but also my weaknesses so I then knew in which areas I need to improve.
“Studying at SEM allowed me to have a hand on experience using hardware such as mixing desks, synthesisers and various types of microphones. It opened me to new concepts and gave me a fresh perspective on the writing process with regards to the music theory and arrangement.”
Tell us a bit about your recording process.
When starting a track I always start with drums. I find that having a nice, groovy and solid drum part really helps in the writing process as it’s the foundation that dictates the feel of the song, especially in dance music. I always layer the drums with some old school breaks for more groovy feel.
The next part is usually chords as they set the key of the song and the notes I’m going to choose for the bass, melodies and other parts. Often I will also try to fit some vocal samples to give the listener something extra to latch onto. When I have a good, solid 8 bar loop I will extend it and play with the arrangement. I find it’s really important to get to an arrangement phase fairly quickly so I don’t become bored with the same part playing over and over again.
As for the gear, the vast majority of the things I make is done in the box, that means I don’t tend to use much of an external gear. There are few exceptions to this rule on my EP but 90% of what you hear has been done inside an Ableton, using my collection of VST plugins.
Were you making music prior to studying at SEM?
Yes, I was making music for about 3 years before studying at SEM. I was romancing with the idea of producing music before but I wasn’t invested in it really until late 2012.
What are your future plans for Beat Le Juice?
I want to make a live set featuring my songs so I can showcase my work live. Then, I have a plan for two more EPs, one being the continuation of the style I’ve already established and second one being a slightly different project. I would also like to release my own sample pack and maybe even start doing some music production tutorials. There’s so many things to do!
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