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Simon Bassline Smith
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2001 was a big year for everyone concerned in the drum and bass industry, but it was even bigger for one particular label. We're talking about Technique Recordings, headed by releases last year that saw the huge success of the X Project series part 1&2, and a quality tune in "Badman / Phoneix", it was all about having fun, establishing themselves within the scene and putting out what the scene wanted, decent drum and bass. We were able to grab Simon Bassline Smith (Co-Owner of Technique)and ask him about last year's events and what they have in store for 2002.
It was 1999, and a new label had entered the scene. Set up by a familiar face along with his new protégés, the duo aimed to smash it up big time in the underground network that is D&B. Simon Bassline Smith & Drumsound didn't have to wait long for the masses to sit up and take notice of what they had to offer. It's 2001 and that time had already come, an array of tunes hit the stalls, and the drum and bass fraternity spent, spent, spent on what they and so many people saw as "money worth spending". Simon was overwhelmed with the support.
"Last year was good for us, and we want to expand to do better than last year. Our profile was big, we were releasing quality tracks and we were basically concentrating on a number of releases at high standards. We really needed to stable ourselves because there was a lot of hard work involved, it was all about consolidating the label as a brand name within the world drum and bass if you like."
Technique was established to represent a crew, however it is undeniable that last years achievements are subsequently down to the main combination of the Drumsound Trio and himself, that kicked the whole camp off. Indeed, Drumsound & Bassline Smith became one of the fans favourite partnerships of the year, so how do they get on, and how do their styles and idea's differ?
"We met four years ago when we were residents in Derby. We basically got on, had a laugh and listened to each other's music and to each other playing. Our partnership blossomed from there really. Working together, we have different idea's on some things and then we can have the same idea's. I have been around longer than Drumsound, so they are the new boy's on the block and new ideas spurn new techniques and for drum and bass as a whole. We put all our idea's together in the pot, and both parties have got to like it, or we re-think what we have done, and basically that's our benchmark. You've got to work at these things, for us it is natural now, we spend time together so we gel together and bounce off each other. No one has the last say, its usually a case of one of us will go with the other's idea's."
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Half of 2001 wasn't just about the tunes they were producing back in the studio's, far from it, a mixture of good PR as well as smashing up dancefloors across the nation helped considerably. Running your own club night is never easy, as most of us have found out of our own accord, but afterall, Technique have had, well, just a little bit of experience...
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"For 2 years we have had our own night. When we decided to do our nights we got people like Grooverider, Andy C, JJ Frost, DJ SS, Digital a lot of DJ's who we thought were pioneers and brought them to Derby. There is a good fan base here and a good following which I think we helped to build up, it was successful. DJ's came and had a good time, they played anything and everything they wanted to, and it is the same now. The club nights are a positive a way of getting the labels name out there. In this day and age to be successful it is important to have a club night, it is a slight deviation but it's necessary. Fans come and listen and if they like what they hear they go out and buy it, it goes on from there like one big chain."
2002 is here, 2001 is in the past, its time to talk about the now and the future and Bassline is more than eager to kick off the new year and end it in style at the same time, remember, they have to go one better than last year, how are they gonna do it? Simon enlightened us with talk of several big projects.
"This year we are planning to be better, we have sorted out our release schedule, we've got "Stigmata/ Time" in March, Drumsound & Myself doing "roll the nite / eightball" and after that we have the third instalment of our X-project series. Futuretech have a nice little tune called "Kashmir", which is an atmospeheric track, and of course we also have the Breakdown EP which will include a Twisted Individual release due in May/June time. Three other of our artists are also gonna do something special for the label too. The last couple of months we have been planning the release schedule and we've got added help from subliminal media now, so we are sorted:)"
Ahhh, X Project 3, this should be interesting. The first two compilations were bombin, and there is no doubt the next installation will exceed our expectations, but Technique will be happy, if we like just one of the tunes off the pack. He tells us a bit more about what to expect from the later of the series.
" 'Kashmir' is going to be a dance floor track, reminiscent of sounds from the country itself, so it has a very eastern european feeling with heavy beats & is fairly abstract. There will be a couple of tracks from Drumsound and myself which are going to have more atmospheric stabs, and the Twisted Individual Remix is light hearted drum and bass, very sort of happy drum and bass if you like. There is a mixture of styles, to suit everyone, we like to tap into different sounds and push the boundaries. If you like just the one track from the series, then it was worth doing."
A big release schedule planned as we can see, how on earth they find the time to do anything else is beyond what our mind could handle. However, being the professionals that they are, they always find time for their fans, as Simon proved when he whipped out his crammed packed diary and started splurring out the various dates he had coming up...
"Yeh we've got a few things coming up on the djing front, we're gonna be at the Essesntial festival @que club doing a set with my man Roni Size, then we've got a
five day tour with DJ SS with his album launch "The S Files" which is gonna be kicking off in Notthingham, Sheffield, Newcastle Leicester and London. We've got a lot of work in
Birmingham, and in the west midlands area. There's gonna be an old skool thing for Flashback, and then we're off to France, Germany, Croatia, and obviously we have our own club night to look forward too. Oh, and there's also the Miami Winter Music Conference."
How is it possible to forget that last one? Ha Ha, the Miami Winter Music Conference, probably the highlight of the year, I am sure many of you will agree. So, I thought the interview was over and was about to conclude when a startled Bassline Smith suddenly shouted.
"Oh yes, and there's gonna be a remix of Badlands, a 12 inch single on Formation entitled "Raser Laser, a 12 inch on chronic and we'll be doing a Majik Star remix"
Ha Ha, I think that we all know how 2002 will be blowing up for Technique, nuff said Simon mate, nuff said.
We would like to thank Simon for giving us the chance to do the interview.
For more info on Technique check out:
http://www.techniquerecordings.co.uk
