*******Beat Dimensions Interviews**********

TIAGO
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
I first got known of Beat Dimensions through Cinnaman, back in 2006.

2. What got you into production?
Always had a passion for music… and it started as a side thing, like something to do with free time, never really taken that seriously. It wasn’t until I was in Glasgow that I had my own space and time to experiment, found peers and people alike that were also interested in what I was doing and shared a similar enthusiasm.

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
I’ve been always inspired by Zion Train, Prefuse 73, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson, Al Hudson, SOS Band, Mtume, ZAPP & Roger Troutman, Parliament, Terry Riley, Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan, Steve Reich, King Tubby, King Jammy, Max Romeo, Ferro Gaita, Tabanka Djazz, Bonga, Paulo Flores, Azymuth, Lonnie Liston Smith, Horace Silver, Dr. Dre, Madlib, J.Dilla, Steve Spacek, Sa Ra, Dam-Funk, Martyn, Kode9, Burial, all at Hyperdub, Mala/DMZ, Fly Lo & Samiyam, Rustie & HudMo, Mike Slott, Dorian Concept, Lazer Sword/Low Limit, Floating Points, Mark Pritchard.

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
My family changed my life. Glasgow changed my life. Thinking “Funny How Things Can Change” changed my life.

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
Gritty tempo!

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
I can’t really remember, but I probably went for a cycle in a park and enjoyed the day outside.

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
There seems to be a very liberate and free way of working just now, and because of that it is well likely that you will be hearing/producing something completely different the next day.
I hope artists, audience and everyone keeps up with being fresh, at the level of creation/production and at the level of understanding what is being produced.

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
Record different mixes of a single track, looking at the sky at night, eat well, having a window, live somewhere leafy, do silly, redundant things, not having any method whatsoever of working and trying out different things is what I use mostly.
It’s all a really random process and sometimes I don’t even understand what happened and how it happened, but I have a little help from Reason, Akai S950, Novation Bass Station, cheap keyboards, voice changers, passing cats, dogs, birds, whatever makes noise and has quality to be used for something.

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha never had a beat scene… only occasional star dust and some random passing-by meteorites.

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
Being lucky?

11. Where’s the future taking you?
Trying to live on a ‘take it as it comes’ basis… which sometimes is difficult, but I’m open to anything. I just want to keep on and put ideas out. At the moment, I’m working on an EP for LuckyMe and live show to follow, but I also have a few ideas for other projects and work with visual artists.

http://www.myspace.com/tiagoandrade

BUSY
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
Jay Scarlett of Amp Soul Generation told me about the project.

2. What got you into production
I used to play in symphonic band in grade school, but always wanted to make my own music. I came across some mixing and DJing software, and then found Fruity Loops 2.4 (now FL Studio). My original intention was to just make MIDI’s to put on my old website, but I found that it could do much,

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
My father has been playing Bass longer than I’ve been alive, and my mother sang in bands, for plays and in church. Growing up around them surrounded me with great music. Other than that, my biggest inspirations are probably Steely Dan, A Tribe Called Quest, OutKast, Radiohead, Mannie Fresh, Korn, Erykah Badu, Fred Hammond, The Neptunes and Timbaland. They were my musical diet when I first started. Since then I’ve also drawn inspiration from Portishead, The Mars Volta, The Roots, Susumu Yokota, and various others. I have friends that also make music that I trade with as well. I think everything I hear inspires me, including the sound of my environment; and I listen to a ton of music so I can’t list everyone/everything.

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
Musically, I’d say Jay Scarlett, Dai Kurihara, and Mono/poly. Mono/poly got me in touch with Jay, and from Jay I got in touch with Dai. Working with Jay and Dai I’ve been able to get music heard, where not even 2 years ago the only people that would hear most of my music were a very small circle of 3-5 friends. I can’t even explain how much that’s raised my spirits about the music world. At times it seemed to me as if the world was going down a tunnel that was progressively weening out all that was fun about sound, but now I’m a part of this community of minds that is combating that. Being on this compilation is a testament to that.

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
Both! At the same time if possible

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
Went and made some new tracks! I get inspired by positive feedback. It tells me that someone likes the direction I’m taking; and if that direction is not received well, I have to go back to the drawing board and discover a new route.

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
I hope it’s an infinite expansion. Every time I hear regurgitated formulas on the radio, I imagine someone else out there is growing tired of it. Rest assured there is something to cure that, and I hope that the beat scene can infiltrate the radio more here in the US to make it more accessible for those lost in the slop.

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
Mainly software (FL Studio, Acid), but some hardware (Radium 49 and Arturia Analog Factory 32 key MIDI keyboards/controllers, Tascam US-224 sound module, AKG k-240 Studio headphones).

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
Tiny. I’m from Maryland (DC Area), and there are events for beatmakers occasionally, but they’re usually not looking for the ‘fun stuff’. It’s more focused on the rap battle scene, and thus it doesn’t get into the experimental realm.

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
Everything I get released is a crowning achievement to me. I don’t take any of these opportunities lightly because they all bring me a step closer. With every move the audience grows, and coming from having virtually no audience, it feels great to know someone is listening.

11. Where’s the future taking you?
Hopefully everywhere! I would like to work with more artists, and get things on the radio, on TV and in movies… I really want to get to other countries as well. For me it’s so much more than just making beats, but hopefully as things progress more doors will open for me in other areas.

http://www.myspace.com/busyb02music

MONO/POLY
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
Through some producer friends.

2. What got you into production
Curiosity

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
Timbaland, Jean Luc Ponty, Led Zeppelin.

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
The Internet changed my life.

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
Both

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
Had 30 seconds of joy then went back to being pissed off about school.

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
As big as we want it to be.

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
Both… MPC, Ableton and some other hardware.

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
There is no scene in Bakersfield. Just a bunch of arrogant piss holes who make rap music and own Yamaha Motifs.

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
Just being able to put out music for everyone to hear.

11. Where’s the future taking you?
To higher dimensions.

http://www.myspace.com/monopolytracks

DIZZ 1
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
I got it when it first dropped while i was living in Melbourne.
I remember bumping it at the club and watching faces screw up all over the room!

2. What got you into production?
I been playing drums since I was 8 .
I used to have a scratch/ turntable crew when I lived in Japan back in 99 and all the boys were making killer scratch beats so whenever one of them left his MPC unattended I was all over it!
Wasn’t long after that I bought one!

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
Dad brought us up with good music but Ill never forget when I first heard hip hop!
Got a Run DMC tape in year 5 and went to a PE concert in year 6!
Proper life changing experience! : )
Was into everything from heavy metal to jazz to jungle through high school and started buying vinyl from about age 16 which continues to grow and inspire as I write this…

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
Breaking my neck and temporarily becoming quadriplegic in 2003…
Also see above about DMC and PE in 1989 and 1990 respectively…

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
Depends how much oolong tea Ive had : )

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
A little dance…

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
42

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
I use my trusty lappy with Ableton live 8, a midi keyboard and when Im at home my Virus TI keyboard…

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
Yeah we have a few crews putting on some heavy nights down here and we are lucky to have some dons in Sydney including Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek who recently became official “Aussies”!

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
I was accepted to attend the Redbull Music Academy in Barcelona in 08 which was fuckin unbelievable! Also to scratch alongside virtuoso guitarist Slava Gregorian, and tabla player Bobby Singh at the Sydney Opera House was crazy!

11. Where’s the future taking you?
Here, just got back.

http://www.myspace.com/dizzleone

ERIK L
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
I first heard about it on a site where you could download snippets from the album and I thought it was really interesting music!

2. What got you into production
I became interested in trying to make beats when meeting producer/mc Arka from Supersci in -97. Late -98 I made my first beat and after that I was hooked. Except for like one or two years when I almost stopped..

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Wheather Report, Pete Rock, Dj Spinna, Digable Planets, A tribe called quest, Jay Dee, Stevie Wonder, Bilal, Herbie Hancock, Stravinsky, Jaco Pastorius etc.

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
Jay Dilla

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
I love both

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
Actually I don’t remember. I probably told a few people about the good news.

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
It will probably grow and grow since people will not satisfy with regular stuff..

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
A combination of both. Hardware: synthesizers, reverbs, fx’s etc. Software for recording/editing.

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
There are a few people in Sweden doing it with feeling but the scene for this more “creative” type of beats is pretty small.

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
Production and keyboard work for the Favorite Flava album.

11. Where’s the future taking you?
I have alot of stuff coming out probably pretty soon. My instrumental album is close to ready plus a few other albums and EP’s.

http://www.myspace.com/flyeriklbeats

KENLO
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
Myspace

2. What got you into production
Dancing and mumbling

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
Spirit of the ancestors, Jaydee beats, all things

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
Demon Fuzz – “Hymn to Mother Hearth”

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
Heartbeat at rest

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
Drank a glass of water

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
Dunno. People will do beats as long as they feel like it. It’s healing for the now cancer.

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
Veggie Loops 8.0

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
Community-inspired

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
Participating to 2007 Cuban Hip Hop Symposio.

11. Where’s the future taking you? 1976

http://www.myspace.com/kenlolenarrateur

FULGEANCE
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
I think it was from Ross (Hudson Mohawke). His track on the first comp is really fresh. And as Musique Large, my label, is distibuted by Rush Hour, me & Rekick were always connected.The first BD party @ FLEX BAR was really cool. People like that kind of new parties, grooves + good mood etc… Just wicked.

2. What got you into production?
I start a s a bass player but soon MPC became my fav instrument… Even when I went after MPC on computer, I felt like lost…heheh! No but I think all that electronic musics influenced me and push me to go forward.

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
Artists like Dabrye, Ammon Contact and Scott Herren really influenced me. But all the black music is my background, from jazz to eighties funk.Roy Ayers, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Sun Ra and more…and many house producers are my influences too. But its never so easy, there is so many.

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
Fill in the blank “PRINCE changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else? “…euh MPC changed my life too !! and my vision of makin music”

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
LOW CLUB, just between*

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
I had a good beer with a delicious lunch, and I said to myself, “yeah, you’re on BD2!”

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
I think its gettin bigger because every artist evolves into his own style, housy, unquantized, lo fi, bouncy…and thats the way all the music should work: get more influences/ideas to grow and do not stay the same. But I think all this artists get bigger because they do what they like and not what
people wait for.

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
MPC 2000, laptop + MPD32; and softwares. And when possible some friends borrow
me some good analog synth and it’s time to record!!!heheh.
I think one day I’ll come back to instrumental music, I mean play without sequences,
because it’s crazy how much this music brings u about feelings, just to play with people and feel it together is so exciting. But I’ll be on beat and electronic music since
80 years old, and maybe after I’ll go back to instruments !!!ahahaha*

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
I think I’m from black music from my influences, but House was a really good time.
And I think that mix into my influences from hip hop to house passing by funk make my music like a low tempo clubby music. But in France, where I’m from, people was curious before, tryin to make it new, the French Touch was a good and bad thing, puttin some new stuff in House, but developping a too big business about clubs… But I feel new artists makin it go faster, mixin all the styles, and makin it new, like Débruit, Mr Oizo, Powell, Blackjoy, Liléa Narrative, Daft Punk even if they are too popy now… (check their new track for TRON LEGACY movie, amazing low tempo house!!) and more that I forgot, because new artists are always underground no?

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
My EPs CHICO and LOW CLUB on Musique Large was a really good way to be diffused and listenned by beat and electronic lovers. About UK, ALL CITY records with the 3×7 Beatstrumental Serie and more recently ONE HANDED MUSIC with the Smartbaning EP really supported me.
But most of all, that’s the live shows which really spread my music and my likes.
The crowd is really important in that beat  style, like in all the music, but more in this one, because we wanna bring them to new stuff, so they have to be urious, interested and ready to move.

11. Where’s the future taking you?
I wanna play everywhere!!! But seriously, I hope that my album and forthcoming releases will always be liked and approved as the others. And I hope I’ll always keep my style, makin evolve the live show, just improvising in a way.

http://www.myspace.com/fulgeance

ZO aka LA CHAUVE-SOURIS
1. When/how did you 1st find out about BD?
I’m a member of Boogieboxxx Fam in France, we have organized 8 Partys with european Beatmakers during the 2 late years, and my friends maked me hear that BD sh..!

2. What got you into production?
I do Beats since 8 years. I’m a MC too. But Beatmaking is my “soul food”!

3. What has been your inspiration/bands you listened to in your come up?
Hip-Hop in the middle of the 90’s (New York, New York!!), Detroit in the start of the 2000’s and now, worldwide beatmakers. But I’m allways listening to Jazz, Soul, Funk and Afro from 60’s & 70’s.

4. Fill in the blank “_________ changed my life” (what changed yours?) Artist? Song? Something else?
It’s sooo a commonplace but it’s sooooo true : Jay Dee’s “Welcome 2 Detroit” changed my vision about beatmaking.

5. Up tempo or low tempo?
Low tempo, mostly.

6. What’s the 1st thing you did when you got the email that you were picked for BD2?
I have read it 20 times to be sure!!

7. There seems to be much more interest in this beat scene with every passing day. How big can/will it get?
I think this beat scene is interesting because it breaks with the machine rules, the “offbeat” is for me the new direction. And because there are no mc’s on the beats, it’s just a sensation, without words, and it touch everybody.

8. Hardware or software? What do you use?
MPC 2000 XL to produce and Cubase to mix the sounds.

9. How is the beat scene where you’re from?
My musician friends mostly come from oldschool hip hop too, but they have never stop opening their music to other styles like Jazz or Electronic music.

10. Aside from being selected for BD2, what has been a crowing achievement musically?
I’ve just finished an album with my friend Narqo aka Miqi O : our band is “Electrons Libres”, our album call “Straight Outta Bestown”. TThis project has run maybe 4 or 5 years, with a lot of work, inspiration and love!

11. Where’s the future taking you?
I have released a 6 Tracks EP (’Ignition EP”), which will get out in October or November, on the french label “Eklektik”. It looks like my “Peacock Revolution” on this B.D.2 :  electronic and evolutive beats, but i’ve tryed to make diffrerents atmosphere. Now, I’m working on new beats, but just with old samples from Jazz, Blues, Gospel and Ethnic stuffs. And I prepare my solo Live to play giggs from September.

http://www.myspace.com/lachauvesouris