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 No stranger to the drum and bass scene, the father of US drum and bass Dieselboy will be back in Hong Kong for a night of three turntable mayhem along with his MC and partner in crime, MC Messinian. They both caught up with hkclubbing to give us a scoop and insight into what they are all about! Following on from the mammoth success of Pendulum, catch them both at Club Magazine on the 5th of April, courtesy of Magnetic Soul!
Click here for the MC Messinian Interview, or here for the Dieselboy Interview.
Nilly: Why did you choose the name Dieselboy?
Dieselboy: It was an old internet chat name I was using in the early 90s. It had no relation to anything. I just thought it sounded like a cool name, especially back in the early "kiddie" rave days. Nilly: What or who got you into drum and bass? What were you listening to before drum and bass?
Dieselboy: When I started Dj'ing, drum and bass did no exist. I was buying old UK hardcore and breakbeat records, the stuff that eventually evolved into drum and bass. I felt an affinity for that style of music because of the intricate percussion elements and the focus on really futuristic sounds. Before Dj'ing i was listening to a lot of industrial and synth pop. Nilly: When you started out playing drum and bass in the US where were the main hubs or fan base for the music genre. Where are the more contemporary hubs?
Dieselboy: The main hub for DnB was the east coast, especially places like Baltimore, Washington DC, New York and Orlando. Nowadays Los Angeles dominates scene wise, but there are strong scenes in Texas, Denver, Seattle and North Carolina. Nilly: What did you have to do to promote drum and bass in the early days?
Dieselboy: Play for free. Call info lines and ask to be booked at shows. Send out free mixtapes. Push as hard as I fucking could. Nilly: Having introduced the drum and bass in the US, how do you maintain the genre's longevity and fan base?
Dieselboy: Give the kids a good show. Stay on top of the newest music. Work on interesting and artistic projects. Experiment! Nilly: What do you think were and are they differences between UK drum and bass and US drum and bass?
Dieselboy: US kids can handle harder music. UK kids tend towards more commercial stuff. Nilly: Who are the key drum and bass DJs and producers who you respect within the drum and bass scene in the US? Who do you enjoy collaborating with and why?
Dieselboy: My favorite artist is probably Gridlok out of San Francisco. I respect all the guys on my label like Evol Intent, Demo + Cease, Infiltrata, Spektrum and upbeats. I think Hive is immensely talented. Same with Tech Itch, Counterstrike, Limewax, Raiden, the list goes on and on! I enjoy Collaborating with mark (Tech Itch) because we get stuff done quickly. Nilly: Tell us a little about your label "Human"?
Dieselboy: I push music from artists whom I respect and who I think are genuinely nice people. I also try to push new American artists who I think are on the verge of breaking through. Human is a nice creative project for me to help promote drum and bass and express my aesthetic in the scene. Nilly: What record/ production plans do you have for the future?
Dieselboy: I am wrapping up a new track i recently started with the Evol Intent boys called 'Midnight Express'. I am in the process of working on my new mix CD entitled SUBSTANCE D. I have a bunch of stuff waiting in the wings from other artists to be released on the label. Nilly: Have you DJ-d alongside MC Messinian in the past? What's the vibe between you two?
Dieselboy: Solid gold! Nilly: How does it feel to be back in Hong Kong since your last appearance?
Dieselboy: It's been a long time coming. I can't wait! I want to fucking smash it. Nilly: Any hints as to what we can expect for the set in Hong Kong?
Dieselboy: Pure energy! I've really been working on my mixing game the past year or so...lots of 3 turntable mixing, etc. I want to give the kids a show to remember. Interview by Nilly C.
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