Interview: Dismantle @ Outlook 2012

In the short space of just over a year Brighton born Dismantle has become known for his particularly unique brand of day-glo, adrenaline powered productions; most of which people enjoy bickering over the genre of on YouTube. Bearded had a brief ten minutes with him to find out what his music isn't and where not to go clubbing in Brighton.

Bearded: In the last year or so you've had releases through Wheel & Deal, Biscuit Factory, Black Gold; do you set out to try and structure your sound around a particular label or do you just tend to get on with it?

Dismantle: Nah I started making tunes in the style I do now, they got played a few times and then N-Type (Wheel & Deal Records owner) just asked if I wanted to sign ‘Computation’ and it was like "...yeah". It's not something that he'd always put out, but he just wants to put out good music. I don't usually do it for any particular label, more so a bit now, but before it was just a case of signing tunes. Black Gold, that's Prime Cuts from Scratch Perverts and DJ Kutz’ operation, they came to me and said they were starting up a label, wanted me to do the first release so I just sent them a pack of tunes and they picked a pair that they liked.

B: So is that literally how your workflow? Just keep making the stuff and sending it out?

D: Yeah just keep doing it. I'm just building for my next EP with Digital Soundboy at the minute.

B: I've never been one for pigeon holes and that, it all bores me and your tunes always seem to cause an absolute shit storm with people when they want to tag them.

D: Haha, I know. Just go on YouTube and there's some great comments on there with people arguing about it. I don't know what I'd call it, I wouldn't call it dubstep, I wouldn't call it house.

B: Do you even give a shit about that stuff?

D: No. It's just loads of people arguing... One thing I hate; it's not Moombahton. That's 110bpm. That's slowed down Dutch house and what I make is fast Dutch house... It's mostly Americans going on about it. I predominantly get booked with a lot of dubstep artists because of the labels I'm on but people put me on 130bpm line-ups too.

B: Was there talk of you being a guest resident on Radio 1 at some point recently?

D: No, I did a guest mix for Skream & Benga and a mini-mix for Annie Mac so I've done a few things in association with them.

B: Do you ever aim for that and think "I need a job" so to speak?

D: Producing and DJing is my job really.

B: So yeah, you don't really find yourself aiming for a target market or anything?

D: Nah, I mean now that I've got an audience that knows what I make. I've got to sort of keep that going but I get bored very easily so I'm always trying to make something that I haven't heard before or that hasn't been done, just because it's more exciting in the studio or when I'm sat at the computer.

B: Obviously this could be a load of pretentious crap but do you find the fact you're from Brighton ever effects your sound? Does the area have a "sound"?

D: Yeah it affects the fact I don't usually get a lot done haha. But it's just where I grew up, so I know the scene, but most people who do it go to London as it isn't too far.

B: I got barred from the Oceana's in Brighton...

D: Oh really? Why would you go in there anyway? You don't go to West Street mate!

B: I'm blaming alcohol! Recently you did the Computation VIP for Wheel & Deal and the Warp EP for Digital Soundboy, what's next up?

D: Still on Shy FX's Digital Soundboy label, just getting some demos together to show him. It's very work orientated; I send over demos of what I'm doing and we work on the parts. It's much less just picking out some tracks. It's more a question of what can we do to get the tracks as fitted to the label as possible. It's a case of maybe giving them a thirty second snippet and then building a track around that instead of just selecting finished tunes. It's a very different approach but it works well and I enjoy it that way because then I can see we haven't spent hours or days on a tune that will never see the light of day. If they can see there's something there we can work on it. I work better like that.

B: Do you head into making a tune with an idea or just sit down and have a piss about?

D: It works both ways usually. I drive a lot of places so when I'm in the car I'll get ideas in my head, usually I'll write it down on my phone or try and remember it. Maybe that sound from that tune or whatever, and note it all down so it's sort of mapped out then I'll just sit and start piecing it together. Usually I start with drum beats and if that's not really working just move about, sometimes like a little riff can change everything and you just start vibing with it. I always start with the drums but if the riff or bassline doesn't work with it then I'll build around that instead... All my music is just fucking kick-drums anyway. Usually the job's just a kick-drum and a bleepy riff haha.

Dismantle has recently been applying his kick-drums and bleepy riff's of no specific genre (possibly Notmoombahton) to Wheel & Deal and Digital Soundboy with great effect.