10 December 2013

Stanton Warriors interview

Interview and mix by the Stanton Warriors for the Noisey/Vice.com website
http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/read/youneedtohearthis-touching-bass-stanton-warriors





Stanton Warriors make bass music; intentionally vague and un-pigeonholable bass music. The Bristolian only constant is unbridled heavy low frequencies. Whether that be house, electro or anything between depends on what side of the bed they get out of. They're also one of the most envied remix outfits having reworked M.I.A., Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, The Streets, Gorillaz, and Daft Punk to name a few. While Dominic waited for his plane at an unknown airport, we nattered on about Russell Brand, failed rap careers and the art of the remix. Then you can tuck into an hour's worth of this week's Touching Bass.

YNTHT: You’ve been going strong for over ten years, but are the best and worst parts about being in the music industry for so long?
Dominic: The best thing has to be being able to produce our own sound and then being asked to play that sound all over the world. We have been non stop touring since 2001 and still the parties keep on coming. The worst thing has been how the dance music industry of late has become more about brands, cliques, money and who you know pushing it further from its acid house roots based on music not marketing.

We now live in a musical realm where singles arguably run the music industry rather than album. As the remix masters that you are, how important do you feel that remixes are as a part of that package?
Remixes are important as it's great to have your original track reinterpreted by other artists. We have often done remixes just to use for ourselves in sets as it's nice to have such exclusives. Remixes are a staple component of dance music culture from the days of Larry Levan through to the blog bootleg of today.

You’ve remixed for M.I.A., Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, The Streets, Gorillaz, and Daft Punk, to name but a few. But, which remix are you most proud of?
Our mix of Azzido Da Bass' "Dooms Night" most probably, as it crossed over to so many scenes. We had DJs from the garage scene like EZ, through to breaks DJs like Freq Nasty all the way across to Sasha and Pete Tong championing it. It was always our intention to not be pigeon holed and just to make fresh music.

What do you prefer making. Remixes or originals?
Remixes are certainly easier to do but nothing gives you more satisfaction than dropping an original tune for the first time and the crowd going off. We have done a shed load of remixes saying that. It was nice to get recognised by Mixmag in their top 20 remixers of all time list as well. 

In the past, you've been using your label as a vehicle for your own output, but will this always be the way?
We have decided to open it up to all the new talent we have been discovering of late. Labels like Dirty Bird and Black Butter have led the way with pushing new sounds in an uncompromising way to great success and we would like to do that in our own way. 

What’s the latest movements in that regard?
We have signed new bass talent Mafia Kiss, German electro bass dude, Marten Horger, as well as a load of individual projects which we feel best represents the sound we are trying to push. We are also getting a load of remixes of the artists we sign to incorporate different sounds.

What’s your YouTube guilty pleasure and how did you come across it?
Sometimes you start out on YouTube listening to tracks only to end up watching cats breakdancing. Guilty pleasure today was watching Russell Brand giving interviews about the world. I used to think he was a hipster knob but now I love how he's shaking things up with his eloquent yet thought provoking, humorous rants.

Out of interest, did you ever get to meet up with Twista when you guys worked with him?
No we worked over the Internet. We did however get to meet up with and hang with Big Daddy Kane when we made a track with him. We were quite star struck for the first time! Stone cold legend. Most rappers we have worked with have been either mental or cool as fuck or both.

So you've considered your own, full-blooded rap career, amirite?
I rapped for fun when I was a kid but sounded bad trying to so it in an American way. Being a DJ seemed a better career path.

Finally, what material did you go for on the mix?
This mix is a bit different from the recent mixes we have put up on Soundcloud and our podcasts. We have gone for a slightly deeper, slower, bass kinda sound utilising tracks and remixes from artists like UK bods Woz, Lorenzo and A1 Bassline through to American talent like AC Slater and Diplo and Australian bass stars Motez & Mobin Masters. The connected theme, if anything, is that none of it is house. Is any of it future garage, electro, breaks or just bass music? Who knows and who cares - it's music that works for us in a 4am London basement party environment. 


Amen. 

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