Pro Showcase - C'est Nom De Strip!

Leeds seems to be a bit of a hot bed of talent for all things music, maybe its something in the water, but creativity seems to run deep.

One chap in Leeds at the moment, but originally from the mean streets of Edinburgh is Nom De Strip aka Chris Elliott.

We've heard a lot from Mr De Strip in the last few months, he's been a virtual conveyor belt of choonage since he burst onto the scene. No stranger to that scene, Chris is standing side by side with Stupid Fresh (Tod), as they look set for double domination. We hop skipped and jumped over the Lancashire/Yorkshire border to catch 5 minutes with the man himself:

Don - We'll start with the standard.... Describe your sound in 3 words?
Nom De Strip - Whatever I Fancy!

... nice answer, and if you had one nugget of advice for unsigned dance music producers, what would it be?
Try to make original tracks and avoid too many remixes. I have made millions of remixes that could have been, and would have served me loads better as, original tracks.

It is an interesting point that, sometimes an eagerness to just make music, and new music leads to an endless supply of remixes. It is true to say that remixes and bootlegs can help you make your stamp, but it is always prudent to make a stamp on some original beats, even if you sample/be influenced by other music!

As a Logic user and abuser, what is your favourite VST Plugin?
I really like Gladiator, unfortunately that synth kills my 4 year old laptop CPU!

And who is(are) your tips for 2010? Which producers have your backing?
Little Bastard, Aspin & Dipace, Punk Rolla, The Dutch Rudder, Jackinori, Reset!, Kyle Watson, Luvstuff, Button Masher, Mele, Stripper, Felguk, Beataucue, Frederik Mooij and probably more I've temporarily forgotten will have MASSIVE years!

Just a few then ha ha! Thanks for the tip-offs - a few of those guys will be familiar to readers, but some others less so... and this is what this blog is all about!

And what's next for you? What does the short-term future hold for Nom De Strip?
Release-wise I have tonnes of stuff out in December, 'Nom De Bomb' EP on Bombsquad, remixes of Dizzee Rascal - Dirtee Cash, Rishi Bass - Dirty Balloon (both with Tom Piper), and of Pablo Decoder - The End Of It All. I'm also gonna be in the studio with Tim Healey. Next year I have an EP with Bart B More out on his label, my first EP on Southern Fried in April, and more remixes for Tim Healey, DJ Dan, MC Flipside, Tom Piper, and I almost forgot.... my mix of Hatiras - Spaced Invader!

Gigs wise I have my final tour as part of Stupid Fresh to South Africa for xmas and New Year, after which I'm fully focussing on finalising solo Nom tours to Canada, north Europe, south Europe, Australia, Asia, USA in the first half of 2010 as well as as many UK gigs as I can get.
I'm happily looking after my own gigs for now (promoters hit me up!), and have Tim Healey taking care of my music management as well as maintaining strong ties with Micky Slim and Bombsquad in the future.

Awesome, another very busy man!

If you still haven't heard of Nom De Strip, definately check out his Myspace... and look out for him and Stupid Fresh hitting 2010 hard!

Until Next Time...




Don.

Pro Showcase - Tom Flynn talks "Your Future"

They say word of mouth is the best form of marketing, and an artist getting plugs from the best in the biz is Tom Flynn.

Props from Jesse Rose, Mowgli, Worthy, James Zabiela, Zombie Disco Squad and more... and with releases on Mowgli's own Deadfish imprint, Tom has been on the lips and in the playlists of the guys that make the big waves in the scene... and with good reason.

Slick techy productions with crunchy percussions and a flow worthy of any set have set him apart.

Fresh from his release on Jengaa, which is out on Beatport now (go get it!) we caught a few minutes with Tom for a chat, on (amongst other stuff) why you shouldn't rob your future!

Don - Great to have you with us Tom, let us get straight to it, describe your sound in three words?
Tom - Bouncy, Dirty, House (music)

If you could empart one nugget of knowledge, what would it be for unsigned dance music producers out there?
My one piece of advice to unsigned producers would be don't keep on buying synth after synth. It's an easy trap to fall into, thinking that the next synth you buy will make you sound like claude VonStroke. It's best to master one synth instead of having 12 synths that you don't really know how to use. On a seperate more important note - don't illegally download music, you're only robbing your future.

(Don Note:) An interesting point there, and something we haven't discussed in great detail on here... I will cover it in a blog coming soon, but I think it is important for guys to go out and buy music. It is sometimes so easy to download music off a blog, I have seen big zips floating around with the Beatport Top 100 on... that is plain wrong! I think there have been a few blogs closed down recently for doing just that. In any case - if an mp3 accidentally slips into your music folder by mistake, always try to look it up upon release and download it anyway, if only to give a nod (and 32p) to the guy(s) that spent hours making it in the first place!

Moving on then to a more production level, what is your favourite vst plugin?
My favourite plugin at the moment would be Dr Device from Audio damage, insane mangling heaven which i reach for quite often.

... and who do you think will blow up in 2010?
My top tip for 2010 would be Strict Border, I think the tribal thing they got going on is really rocking it, very percussive and downright dirty.

Finally, what is next for Tom Flynn?
Well, Following on from my EP on Jengaa, coming up for me is an EP release on Deadfish - Magia and Twisty, an EP on Worthys Anabatic label next year, a remix for a new signing to Jengaa called Hoppa! by the Headshotboyz and a remix for Daniel Carro's Bakelite beats label. I've also just finished a remix for Chris Crowthers Dubnoir Label, a track called Balkan Blues which will be out in a few weeks.

Super, all busy busy, thanks for joining us, its been an interesting chat!

Until next time...


Don.

Pro Showcase - Malente talks Parties and Music!

This year alone, Malente has been involved with releases on such "Holy Grail" labels as Fools Gold, Southern Fried and Dim Mak... so with hit latest number "I Like It" getting props from - it seems - every AA list DJ out there, and 2010 fast approaching, you definately feel that the best is yet to come from this Germany based Purveyor of Party!

We kidnapped 12 minutes of his day to ask him a few questions:

Don - Hey Christoph, thanks for speaking with us... If you had to explain your vibe and direction to untrained ears in 3 words, what would you say?
Malente - Party, Party, Party!

....and whats your 1 piece of advice for unsigned dance music producers?
Do what you feel like doing. don't think about Styles, Labels, Money, Girls (well maybe Girls). The main thing though, is you should enjoy the processs of making music. if not do something else.

Whats your favourite VST plugin of the moment?
Old Native Intakt

Who is your tip for 2010? Who have you seen glimpses of this year, that you would like to see more of next year?
Well, what i can tell you is that the in my humble opinion one of the most underrated tracks of 2009 was "We Gonna Give You The Lesson" by Mr Miyagi. I played the sh_t out of that and everybody asked me what that track was, but as far as I know it didn't even get a proper release.

Funnily enough, Mr Miyagi is an artist we are definately aware of at Venga Digital, in fact we were about to release that track - but unfortunately the guys had blogged it quite a bit. Which was good for them, but made it a bit difficult to give a full release to! They are definately guys to look out for, we definately agree with that tip-off!

So what's next for you? What do you have out and upcoming?
Well Malente & Dex ft Bonde do Role - Bangkok is out now on Exploited, its an amazing package featuring remixes from by Freeform Five, dOP, Idiotproof, DanM & James Braun
and another original "Gipsy Kings" remixed by Round Table Knights.

Also in that package, is the Douster remix of "Lions" - and I am happy to give that to the Lock'Don readers! - See Don.

Following that, theres a release on Southern Fried in December with Jay Robinson, and a release in the New Year on Dim Mak, where I am teaming up with Azzido Da Bass! Then Australia tour in January.

Wow, probably the busiest guy we have spoken to of late - that is a serious schedule!

Malente then has kindly (big thanks to Exploited Records for this aswell) allowed us to share the link to that Douster Remix, so I do that below:

Malente & Dex feat. New Kidz - Lions (Douster Remix) (Right Click Save Target As)

So that was an excellent showcase im sure you will agree, Malente really is one of the nicest guys in the biz, and always has time for the little guys.

You can check him out on Twitter @Malente or on his Myspace

Until next time!




Don.

Pro Showcase - A pre-flight natter with Kelevra...

I am sure when Kelevra reflects on the 12 months he has just experienced, he will do so with a little smile on his face.

With tours on 4 continents, heavy hit after heavy hit - together with new projects and enterprises starting all the time, Kelevra (Paul) is definately riding a wave at the moment.

We caught up with Paul, as he was preparing to swap Lincolnshire for Johannesburg!

Don - We'll start with a taste of what your vibe is at the moment... describe your sound in 3 words:
Kelevra - Bouncy, Fun, Unpretentious!

...and Whats your favourite VST plugin of the moment?
I have an old favourite which I still use for mainly everything, Synapse Hydra!

What's your 1 nugget of advice for unsigned dance music producers?
Keep doing what you enjoy and dont give up, if u stop enjoyin it, dont do it!

Who is your tip for 2010, an "under the radar" guy you think will break through next year?
I am digging 2 young south african producers Kabz & Jason Williams at the moment, and a little more well known one, but Black Noise have really burst onto the scene recently. Oh and Redsquad also, I think he is 17 aswell, so theres a lot of good stuff out there!

Fantastic, that kind of answer is exactly what this blog is about... lets flip it back to you then... What's next for Kelevra?
Well I am about to leave for a 10 date tour of South Africa then takin a well earned rest and hiding in the studio for the first couple of months for 2010!After a year of US & Canada 3times, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Sicily, Holland, Spain, Ibiza, Paris, South Africa, its much needed!

Definately, although I can't see the pipe and slippers coming out just yet :)


You can follow Kelevra on Twitter @KelevraUK or mosey on down to his Myspace , and keep checking the blog for more bits of genius from the heavyweight



Don.

Pro Showcase - 5 minutes with The Scumfrog...

Let's play a game of "Who am I?" ...

I have remixed Britney Spears, Dido, Enrique Iglesias, Paris Hilton and David Bowie, I wrote and co-produced Cyndi Laupers latest album, and put it this way, I have a ton of knowledge to empart.

Yes - I am talking about Jesse Houk aka The Scumfrog

We caught 5 minutes with the now New York based dance music legend to chat about music, and other such topics including why you don't always need a yacht!

Don - Thanks for chatting with us Jesse, you're a busy man, so let's jump straight in there... Describe your sound in 3 words?
Scumfrog - Cool Stuff [that] Works!

... and what is your 1 nugget of advice you could give to unsigned artists looking to make some headway?
Live for it, don't bank on it!

Who is your tip for 2010, who are you looking at to make waves next year?
DJ Theresa from NYC, worth checking out!

So what's next for you, any more stellar collaborations to tell us about?
A compilation for people with yachts, titled “Friends With Boats Vol.2” Download for free exclusively at http://www.myspace.com/friendswithboats ....even if you don’t have a yacht.

Now, if that isn't diversity I don't know what is... Britney Spears, Yachts and Cyndi Lauper all in the space of one blog post!

Some great pieces of knowledge to take away there, i've a feeling "Live for it, don't bank on it" is a new mantra in the making :)

If you have 5 minutes spare, you seriously have to check out The Scumfrog website, the flash "Scumberry" feature is really cool... nice blast of fresh air!

Also, if you want to see a who's who of dance music, in list format head to the "discography" section.

You can get it all via his Scumberry anyway on the website, go check it out at http://www.thescumfrog.com/

Until next time...


Don.

Pro Showcase - a Chat with Lee Mortimer

Label Owner, Producer, DJ and all round good guy Lee Mortimer joined us this week for a quick chin-wag in the first of our series of Pro Showcases... or Prowcases (Imaginatively).

The idea of these micro-interviews is to get the views and some nuggets of knowledge from the movers and shakers in the biz.

We make efforts to grab a few seconds with chaps that have an interest in labels, in order that they can give you a well rounded opinion of what you need to do as an unsigned artist.

If you don't know Lee Mortimer by now, then you should perhaps go here first, but let's assume you haven't been under a rock for the last few years - and you are aware of the owner of Wearhouse Music, Mr Mortimer.

So we started by asking him to:

Don "Describe your Sound in 3 Words"
Lee - "Bass - Hype"

(That's actually 2 words Lee, but we'll let you off :D )

We continued, to discuss tips and advice, and a question that I reckon will get a completely different response to everyone to whom we ask it:

Which 1 piece of advice would you give to unsigned artists?
Never give up and spend as much time as you can making music. Making good music is ultimately the thing that will get you recognition, nothing else.

Choice words indeed... "Practice Makes Perfect" is the old saying, and I think Lee's advice puts it perfectly, you need to have the skill and the ability to last the long-haul. Our ramblings about having a good appearance are all well and good, and to have a good online appearance will help, but that needs to be backed up with a solid stream of good music!

Onto something that is always interesting information for professional-producers-to-be:

What software do you use, and what is your favourite synth at the moment?
I use Reason 4 so I love Thor.

Lot of love for reason out there, its definately still rocking it behind the scenes!

Now, in these interviews we will get a hold of who the artists themselves are tipping for big tings, in order that they can too have their time in the limelight. All very nice isn't it :)

Whos your tip for 2010?
Aspin & Dipace have had a great end to 2009 so I expect more good things from them. Plus Kill Light and Melé.

Whats next for you?
My track with Laidback Luke "Blau" is out soon with some great remixes from Noob, LA Riots, Nacho Lovers and Doorly. I've got remixes coming of Bombay Bicylce Club, Streetlife DJs, Visage and Cold Blank.

Gig wise I'm in Slide in Oxford with Fake Blood this Friday, Saturday I'm in Leicester. After that I'm in London with DJ Zinc and Loose Cannons @ Cable. On Boxing Day I'm playing with Switch in Leeds for Filth @ Mint. Plus I've got other gigs coming up in Belgium, Switzerland and Edinburgh.

Busy Bwoi! Cheers Lee, excellent stuff.

So I hope you found that of interest, you can find more about the man like Lee Mortimer on his Myspace Twitter or Facebook!

Speak Soon



Don.