Along
with the aforementioned mixes we've also been busy over the past five months putting together a series of podcasts. The first podcast saw
myself (Illusive) and Step-A-Side playing a tune from each member of
the Mainframe Audio collective followed by a mix covering a range of
styles within the Dubstep genre before ending on a couple of tunes within
the 100bpm tempo range.
The
second instalment, hosted by Inquest and Alpha Labs, consisted of an
eclectic mix of Dubstep combined with amusing conversation. The
podcast followed a kind of 'call and response' theme between Alpha's
vision of what Dubstep is and Inquest's contradictory view. Who has
the right idea? You decide...
Myself
and Inquest were on hosting duties for the third edition. I think
that that our musical preferences complimented the others and led to
possibly the most consistent podcast so far music-wise. We included
all of the tracks from the Mainframe
Audio Christmas EP in the mix alongside some of our favourite
tunes at the time.
Step-A-Side
& Alpha Labs take control of the most recent podcast 'turning the
tables' on the previous format with a selection consisting of
strictly Drum & Bass bangers. This one definitely communicates
the highest levels of energy both in track-list and conversation. Best
served in a pre-party setting and sure to get you in the mood for
whatever you have in store!
Keep
an eye out for the next instalment coming soon, word on the street is
that it's going to be hosted by all four of us. Who can possibly
predict what madness will ensue!
-Illusive
Over the last five months, we at Mainframe Audio have been delivering a weekly mix series covering the full range of the styles and sounds that influence us as a collective.
The first instalment saw Inquest explore the dark tribal aspects of Dubstep back in November and since then we've delved deep into all corners of the current sound of the genre and beyond.
All of the mixes are available to listen to on our Mixcloud page. Here's one of my favourites; the first mix of the year, delivered by 'the mighty' Step-A-Side.
-Illusive
We decided recently to start a guest mix series to showcase the talents of other DJ's and producers outside of the collective. First up we have Brighton & Southampton based artist Noema UK stepping up with a mix packed full of deep, dark and minimal dancefloor destroyers. Keep an eye out for a couple of exclusive unreleased tracks in there including one from our very own Step-A-Side.
"NoemaUK is a Brighton-born DJ and Producer. Though predominantly focused on the tightly engineered, deeper end of the drum and bass spectrum, he is equally at home mixing dubstep, house and just about anything with the same moody, atmospheric quality found in his own productions.
As well as frequenting the decks at nights across the south coast (The Monday Club, Simply Vinyl, Contraband & Release), he also hosts his own weekly radio show on Emergency FM, where you can expect to hear him spinning the latest releases from imprints such as Critical, Shogun Audio and Samurai Music.
While DJ’ing is currently his main focus, he is set to step up efforts on his own productions over the next few months as he continues to hone his craft. Watch this space."
Words: Jet Vevers – K Mag
As promised I'll now take you through the background of each member of the team, explaining how we got to where we are today.
I'll start off with myself...
Illusive
My entry into the world of production commenced when I enrolled on a Music Technology course at my local college five years ago. Back then my efforts where concentrated on attempting to make Drum & Bass and it wasn't until about a year later that I discovered Dubstep. Gradually my interests shifted and I am now primarily focused on creating Dubstep towards the deeper, darker end of the spectrum, occasionally foraying into other styles and genres.
I got into DJing about six months after I started producing, originally a vinyl only DJ I amassed a rather impressive collection of tunes before the shift to CD's and digital formats. In the years that I've been DJing I've been lucky enough to support many of the key players within the scene at events across the south coast. I would say because of this I've developed a fairly unique yet diverse style, often combining the deeper sounds with more tear-out material when behind the decks.
I have recently set up my own record label, Instigate Recordings which was started with the aim of putting out underground dance floor orientated Dubstep with a strong focus on atmosphere and depth.
Inquest
Inquest has been producing for a relatively short time but since then has come a very long way. Starting in 2011 he has amassed a large number of productions ranging from progressive house to dark, ambient Dubstep.
Djing for around three years, Inquest has pretty much mastered the art of the smooth mix and blend, playing at a variety of local venues.
Originally starting off on trance music, his tastes and musical orientation drifted towards the deeper and darker side of things until he eventually got into Dubstep aged about 16. Since then he hasn't looked back. Currently his main influences come from the likes of Sleeper, Thelem, Biome and Nanobyte.
Step-A-Side
Step-A-Side, a producer and DJ of six years, was raised on a diet of Garage, Drum & Bass and Grime before eventually winding up on Dubstep. He has a very similar background to myself as we both attended the same college and then went on to do the same University course.
Now a resident at a number of local bass music nights, Step-A-Side has carved himself out the niche of being one of the few DJ's of Southampton pushing the deeper, more minimal sounds. Not content with just Dubstep these days, he's begun to branch out into deep tech house, having secured himself sets under the alias "Tomo", he proves that despite his passion for deep Dubstep he is not one to be pinned down to just one genre.
Step-A-Side not only has experience DJing and producing, he also helps with the promotion of a lot of local nights making him a familiar face in the local scene. He is influenced by artists like Benton, Author (Jack Sparrow & Ruckspin), Anex, Catacombs, Submotion Orchestra and Kryptic Minds. You can expect to hear tunes from these names in many of his mixes and sets.
As well as all of this, Step-A-Side is the founder of the live feed internet radio station Prolific Radio which has done a great job of supporting and showcasing the local talent of Southampton.
Alpha Labs
Alpha Labs has had somewhat of a different musical upbringing from the rest of us. Having played drums in a metal band for seven years he understandably has gone down a fairly different route to get to where he is today.
He first got into production five years ago in order to record demos for his band. It wasn't long until he was fiddling around with synths, his sound being shaped by the Drum & Bass he was listening to at the time from artists like Pendulum and Noisia.
One of the more notable moments in his flourishing production career has to be securing a release for his remix of The Ting Tings - "Hang It Up" on none other than Sony Music. Undoubtably a sign of big things to come from this incredibly talented producer.
He cites the likes of Noisia, Subfocus, Metrik, MRSA and Chasing Shadows as some his biggest musical influences in the realms of electronic music. Despite being fairly new to the world of DJing, he definitely shows promise behind the decks and will be showcasing his new skills at Mainframe Audio events in 2013.
Now that we've been introduced we can get on with posting some actual music, watch out for posts about the monthly Mainframe Audio podcast series and weekly mixes.
-Illusive
I'll set this in motion with an introductory post to explain who we are and the purpose of this blog.
Mainframe Audio is a collective of four Dubstep producers and DJ's - Illusive, Inquest, Step-A-Side and Alpha Labs. We set up the project to form a platform for us to showcase our talents, release our own music, upload regular mixes and podcasts and to experiment with producing music as a team.
This blog is about more than just that though. Given our individual tastes and knowledge in different areas of Dubstep, we realised that together we have the ability to keep tabs on what is happening across the scene. As well as keeping you up to date on what we are doing, we can also use this space to promote the artists that in our opinion are keeping things fresh and interesting.
Our collective knowledge of the scene and specific individual interest is what makes us different.
As we are new to this whole blogging thing, you'll have to bear with us for the moment. The next post will be about each of the members of the Mainframe team, allowing you to get to know us as we get to know the initially very confusing world of Blogspot.
In the meantime, check out Mainframe Audio on Souncloud and Facebook
-Illusive
