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TEEBEE INTERVIEW
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Everybody can remember the success of Teebee’s historic debut album “The Black Science Labs”. Smashing the scene into oblivion, it showed what the Norwegian was capable of, shooting him into becoming one of the forefront runners of the music which he helped to pioneer in his homeland Norway. It has been over a year, and a second album is about to drop, but will it meet the expectations the scene demands? We managed to catch Teebee in his busy schedule to find out what the album has in store for us all.
Starting off back in the early nineties, Teebee gathered with a few mates of his, and decided to host Norway’s first drum and bass party, but little did he know that what was to become his first, was by no means to become his last. After many years djing, he decided in 1995, that it was about time he looked into pastures new, and try his hand at production, his demo’s impressed many label owners, and he was picked up by the likes of Rugged Vinyl, Moving Shadow and Certificate 18. However, it was with Cert 18 where his career would take a dramatic turn for the better. Releasing his first album entitled “Black Science Labs”, Teebee had no idea it would make such an impact in the scene, the phone wouldn't stop ringing and he was propelled into a state of hysteria after picking up a year long list of djing dates which would take him all around the globe. His name was on nearly every major flyer, his name became common place in bassheadz banter, and he was nominated for the "Best International Producer" of 2000. Which of course he won without question, laying down a firm title that so deserved. So what was it like to given such a tag?
"It has put a great smile on my face. It was great to achieve, it's good to know that it was public votes that got me the award. It feels great to be appreciated by the masses, and of course it leads to public attention, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. Good cos it has opened a lot of people's eyes as to the music that I do, bad cos people become more cynical towards me, they begin to judge you when you want them to judge your music."
Something which I am sure we can all be guilty of at times, and something else we all seem to do, is expect too much from our artists. Has the pressure and great expectancy for Teebee to better Black Science in his new album, gotten to him? Of course not...
"The pressure is good! I love pressure, it keeps me moving. When I wake up in the morning and have 25 things to do in the day, I know I ain't gonna get em done, but I try. I was diagnosed with hypo - activity when I was five, I love it, it makes me better and it has helped me with my new album 'Through the eyes of a scorpion'. This album is gonna be more emotional, full of vocals and dancefloor elements, cos that's where my life has been over the last year, djing to the dancefloor."
His hypo-activity was certainly showing during the interview, talking faster than one of his Kung Fu punches, we were only just managing to keep up with him as he got excited about the prospect of his second album release on Certificate 18. What we wanted to know, was what to expect?
"You can expect heavy basslines! You know, everyone else is slowing down in the scene, so I thought forget that, I'm gonna do the opposite. There's a lot of heavy tracks in my new album, a few anthems, which I usually like to avoid, there's a couple of deeper bits, with a nod in the direction towards my previous debut album."
So does that mean that "Through the eyes of a scorpion" is going to be similar to Black Science?
"No far from it. The overall feel to the album is different. It's not so cold unlike Black Science. This album is warmer. When I did the first album, I was in Norway - it was cold. This year I've been on the road, USA, California, Asia, I've been involved in different climates, and the album is a reflection on that, making it warmer and more alive."
It sounds like an intriguing project, and a well though out one too. Teebee coming across as a sophisticated and logical guy, and must have had some meaning in the album as well as some thinking behind the title "Through the eyes of a scorpion", sure enough there was...
"The title of the album came out of nowhere really, a scorpion is blind, so there is meaning behind that. This album is me, it's about me. This album I feel, is a way of paying back the scene for what it has given me. I created this myself, and that's what it is. But I don't sting! Ha Ha."
Teebee started off his career with a three single deal with Rugged Vinyl, and then went on to claim success with Audio Couture & Moving Shadow, claiming titles featured on the Moving Shadow 98.1 Points series, as well as those tunes, he went on to release his first EP "Distorted Information" on Juice records, but as we mentioned before, his biggest claim to fame came at Certificate 18, So what is that makes this label different from all the other's out there?
"Paul Arnold and Certificate 18 let me do what the fuck I want to do. There are no limitations at this label. Paul will dare to put it out no matter what style it is. Look at Cert's catalogue, it is rich, there is so much quality of production. Paul lets me do what I want, that's why I find this my home."
There cannot be anyone in the scene that can argue with that. This time last year we interviewed Klute, who of course had the Fear of the People success, and their Hidden Rooms compilation has almost certainly sweeped into everyone's collection. Teebee was quick to point out that there is yet another rising star in Cert's ranks, his name, a certain Polar....
"Polar is a man of the future! His album is going to open eyes. He is a guy that incorporates beautiful melodies, I've learned things from him, and the guy's only 22! People like Laurent Garnier, Pete Tong and Talkin Loud guru Gilles Peterson love him, and that's gonna help him get bigger."
We can safely assume, that the last year for Teebee has been a far cry from being a somewhat quiet one. His "Through the Eyes of a Scorpion" is set to be released in the next few weeks, so what happens next for the big man?
"I go back on the road! To do some more extensive touring. On the 12th of October we have the launch party for the album @ Fabric. Then I'm off on a big big tour in America and of course I am gonna slowly but steadily build on my label Subtitles"
We would like to thank Teebee and Certificate 18 for allowing us to conduct the interview.
You can hear samples of Teebee’s forthcoming album at:
http://www.certificate18.com
