Anomaly Digital Recordings

Interview with Kranky & Lethal courtesy of Daniel Beale @ Oldskoolreview.co.uk

Tell us a little bit about your history.

Kranky: I was born and bred here in Brisbane Australia, and in 1992 at age 16, I was introduced by a mate to the sounds of Oldskool Hardcore and Jungle Tekno with some mixtapes that were floating around at the time, both from well known DJs in the UK and local DJs who were pushing the sound at clubs and raves Down Under. What I loved about the music was the way that it brought in influences from many different forms of music, and I particularly loved the sped-up funk and hip-hop breakbeats and samples being used. Having been listening to stuff like Public Enemy and Eric B & Rakim through high school, I instantly fell in love with this new music. I started heading off to local raves and was totally hooked. With mixtapes and CDs that had made their way from the UK to Australia from guys like Easygroove, Krome & Time, Carl Cox, Slipmatt & Lime, Ratpack, Hype and hearing local legends like DJs Angus (RIP), Thief and Jen-E smashing out the Oldskool hardcore sounds, there was no turning back. Getting to see artists like the Ratpack, the Prodigy, Grooverider, Carl Cox and more making their way over to raves in Australia at events like Fantazia and Strawberry Fields, was an incredible experience.

I continued to follow the rave scene as it split and developed into Happy Hardcore and Jungle/Drum n Bass in the next few years, but as much as I enjoyed the newer stuff, it was the Oldskool Hardcore and Jungle Tekno that was my first love in electronic music. As Happy Hardcore went a bit mental in the mid 90s, I stopped listening and concentrated on the breakbeat side with Jungle/DnB. Fast forwarding to the 21st century, I moved in with a mate of mine Russ who owned a pair of Technics and taught me the basics of mixing and scratching. When I moved out I was hooked and had to buy myself a pair of decks, and have been playing Drum n Bass, Jungle, Breaks and Oldskool at gigs and on internet radio here in Australia ever since. At some point last year I found out that Stu, who already had a production career, had moved to Australia and pretty soon we hooked up – it wasn’t long after that that we decided to get into the studio together to create our own take on the J-Tek sound.

Lethal: I grew up in Camden, North London. Anyone who was around 16yrs of age or older in 1992 in that part of the world got immersed in what is now commonly called Oldskool Hardcore, and everything about it. MC Nino from Production House & Baby D/The Housecrew fame is a personal friend of mine, and it was an inspirational phone call from him one day which gave me the confidence to push my own music. It was shortly after that I met up with DJ Nee and we were writing some Oldskool Hardcore sounding music which later evolved in production and sound, and became known as Hardcore Breaks. We ran a Vinyl label called Enormous Mouse and had much success with it – culminating in legends of the ravescene DJ Billy Daniel Bunter & DJ Slipmatt giving us the rare opportunity to write a tune for a Ministry Of Sound album. We ran Enormous Mouse until the pair of us left the UK for pastures new (We both moved to Australia, just different parts of the country). It was while I’ve been out here in Australia that I met up with Kranky and he got me back in the studio to write some J-Tek.

How did you hear about the J-Tek sound?

Kranky: Back in June 2008 I stumbled across an article in April 2008’s issue of Kmag (#99) entitled ‘Back to the Future’ where Outrage and Modular talked about their new label ‘J-Tek’, where they were reviving the Jungle Tekno sounds. I immediately started hunting around on the net to see what I could find and located their digital store and proceeded to buy everything available! I was already playing stuff like Hardcore Breaks at the same tempo, and J-Tek gave me a new element to incorporate into my gigs and radio shows.

Lethal: I’d heard talk of people writing new J-Tek music, but the first few tunes I heard seemed too minimal to really hit the mark with what Jungle Techno really was like back in the day – even though the production was really good. At that point I must confess that I wasn’t really feeling it, and that was until I went to see Kranky play a set in Brisbane and things started to click into place. Seeing the reactions of a busy dancefloor to some of these nasty hoovers and dirty amens reminded me of what I’d been missing, and the next day I was writing a J-Tek tune of my own.

Is there a J-Tek movement in Australia?

Kranky: There isn’t really much of a J-Tek movement to speak of down here that I’m aware, as Australia is usually a few years behind the rest of the world when it comes to adopting new forms of music, and the local music scene is still dominated by very commercial sounds. However, the Drum n Bass and Dubstep crews and audiences have started to pick up on it and its popularity is only going to grow with time.

Lethal: What he said.

Can we catch you on the radio in the UK?

Kranky: I am quite busy with gigs and my weekly radio show on http://krankydigital.com which is based here in Australia, where folks can catch me playing J-Tek every Wednesday 10am-Midday (GMT). However I do have an upcoming guest show on UK-based http://nu-rave.com on Sunday 6th September 1pm-3pm (GMT) and will most likely be doing some more guests shows there later in the year, maybe even a monthly thing assuming I can squeeze it into my schedule!

Lethal: At the moment I don’t even have turntables at home (mine are back at my Mum’s in the UK LOL) so I don’t really get on the radio too often – unless I happen to be at Kranky’s when he’s doing his weekly krankydigital radio show, and I might hop on the decks for a quick mix, or a scratch. But I don’t host a show of my own or anything.

What are your plans for pushing the J-Tek sound in Australia?

Kranky: I’ve been playing J-Tek tunes at various gigs in South-East Queensland since June last year, and on internet radio here in Australia for the same length of time. Ideally I have been pushing to get J-Tek represented at Drum n Bass and Dubstep nights, as we really don’t have an Old Skool scene to speak of here that could be used as an avenue to promote J-Tek. I’d love to see J-Tek grow in popularity where we can have J-Tek nights in their own right, but that is still a ways off. I’d like to link up with any guys pushing the sound as DJs or producers in other states around the country, so if you’re out there and reading this, hit us up! We’re also keen to see the sound taking off in New Zealand, and Lethal is flying there in September to play at ‘Spring Equinox 2009’ in Christchurch showcasing some of our productions and the J-Tek sound.

Lethal: Mainly to put out release after release of quality music. Any DJ’ing opportunities that come my way will be used to push the music to anyone willing to have a listen.

Are there any other DJ’s playing it apart from you?

Kranky: I’m only aware of a couple of guys in Australia who are playing or producing J-Tek, but I have recently had some interest from some local DJs who are talking about getting into it. Things are starting to take off and people here are taking notice as the number of tracks available to purchase has increased and the word is getting out there.

What do you think the Australian influence will bring the sound, and how popular is the original Jungle Tekno sound and the rave scene in general over there?

Kranky: As Australian producers I think we’ll be bringing some of the sounds that are familiar to us here, and gradually forge a J-Tek sound of our own from combining what we hear coming out of the UK with elements of the local bass heavy culture. We want to keep the energy and vibe of the original Jungle Tekno sound but keep it sounding modern instead of simply reproducing Old Skool. The original Jungle Tekno and Old Skool Hardcore sounds were certainly popular here back in ’92-’94, however unfortunately Old Skool raves here today are few and far between, and the more regular raves in Australia tend to be all about ‘Happy Hardcore’ and now ‘Hardstyle’. We’d love to see that change, and the DnB & Dubstep scene are far more into the music we’re producing than the local ‘ravers’.

Lethal: I think it will bring more of a dnb-vibe to the genre. But as it really is still in its fledgling state, it can pretty much go anywhere from here just as long as the fundamentals of J-Tek are adhered to, and the production & mixdowns remain good. I think as a genre it needs to stay new sounding with touches, and elements of what the original Jungle Techno vibe was all about. More than anything else, it needs to have an element of fun to it.

How often do you play in England?

Kranky: I’ve not played in England yet – perhaps at some point we’ll get over there to do some shows.

Lethal: Not often any more, since I left the country 3 years ago.

What artists/producers/DJ’s across the globe do you rate for their J-Tek productions?

Kranky: I’m really into a lot of the J-Tek that’s coming out from the UK, and the variety of J-Tek tunes that’s starting to develop from guys like Outrage, Digital, Modular, Tango & Ratty, Nolige &  Pilgrim, Madcap, Secret Society, Resonate, Classified Material, D-Con, Requiem – the list goes on, and I’m loving it all! Everyone’s doing a bang up job with their productions and mixes and making the scene grow, and it deserves to grow too, because by bringing back memories of the Oldskool sounds meshed with modern influences gives it a freshness and appeal when other genres seem to be stagnating. There’s something for the oldies, as well as the younger crowds with the new J-Tek movement.

Lethal: I’m loving a lot of Tango’s stuff at the moment, and Pilgrim’s 1st tune with Nolige was awesome too. I’m expecting big things from Pilgrim! Resonate’s a badboy as well. I’m looking forward to hearing more from him.

Isn’t it amazing that you can download a track from the UK and be playing it that very same night in Australia?

Kranky: Yep, I’m able to get new tracks from the dto4music store, or straight from the guys in the UK and be playing it at gigs and on the radio the same day. Gotta love it!

Lethal: Yeah, it’s awesome! The wonders of modern technology!

Are there any projects on the go at the moment?

Lethal: Yeah, far too many at once! It’s difficult to keep track of it all half the time! Hahaha

Kranky: What he said!

What other interests do you have outside of the music scene?

Kranky: Heh, well I have a ton of interests, I just wish I had more time to devote to all of them. I’ve got some pretty eclectic tastes – I’m a bit of a theatre buff, and love ancient history – I’m also into the odd computer game, kicking back at the beach, travelling around the state and country, seeing everything it has to offer, or just hanging with mates.

Lethal: Lounging by the pool, and enjoying the sunshine!

What are your top five J-Tek tracks at the moment, and why?

Kranky: It’s tough to come up with a top five because there’s so much good stuff I’m feeling… but here goes:
1. Tango & Ratty – Killa Sound
2. Tango – Concrete Steps
3. Requiem – Badman Vibes
4. Digital & Outrage – Made in England (Evil Remix)
5. Madcap – Night Works

Lethal:
1. Tango – Concrete Steps
2. Tango – Jazz Tek
3. Nolige & Pilgrim – Galactica
4. Resonate – Hands Together
5. Requiem – Fear Factor

I haven’t really got reasons why each of those are in my top 5 at the moment; they’re all brilliant tunes IMO. I obviously didn’t list any of our own tunes…!

Re: Anomaly

Is there a big enough market for J-Tek in Oz at the moment to warrant a label, or are you looking at this as an international venture?

Lethal: Oz is slowly picking up speed on exactly what J-Tek is I think. It fits somewhere between the Dubstep & Drum n Bass, and that is how it is being marketed here thus far. We’re looking at this as an international thing. You just have to look at Drum n Bass to see how the right exposure can make a genre a success

Who are the label owners?

Lethal: Me and him!

Have you got an artist roster at the moment, or is this purely a vehicle for your own music at the moment?

Lethal: Initially it was purely for us to put out our own brand of J-Tek, but we’ve since added London based Reqiuem to the stable and also we’re hoping to get some Dubstep related releases form New Zealand’s Dj Evil.

Where can we find out more?

Kranky: You can find out more news and hear clips of our releases and some of our forthcoming releases by checking our pages at:

Myspace: http://myspace.com/anomalydigital

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/anomalydigital

Twitter: http://twitter.com/anomalydigital

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113680246371

Youtube: http://youtube.com/anomalydigital

We’re also looking at having our own site up soon, so stay tuned for that.

Give us a release schedule if you have one.

Kranky: We’ve got a pretty aggressive release schedule planned following our first release – the Reflection EP – at present it looks something like this:

ANM001 – Reflection EP: Reflection / Unstoppable – July 2009

ANM002 – Parallel Vibes EP: Parallel Universe / Badman Vibes – Sept 2009

ANM003 – Speedball / Fear Factor – Oct 2009

and more TBA soon!

How can you see J-Tek progressing in the next 12 months?

Lethal: I think it will continue to grow – it’s still a very young genre. However, there has been mutterings of people saying that it’s lost its way already as there’s a few tunes coming out which sound like slowed down Drum and Bass. I think there will always be an element of people trying different things in a genre. It’s part of what makes it all so exciting. I hope it doesn’t become a genre where every tune has to have a certain element in it to be classed as a J-Tek tune.  More and more big names in the UK will probably get involved as there are already some well-known Drum and Bass people pushing J-Tek already. I’ve read in an interview with Tango that he is doing an album with Can You Feel It Media, and that will only serve to raise the profile massively. Then the onus is on us the artists to keep applying the pressure and get good quality music out there.

Kranky: What he said!

Re: Kranky – Can you tell us about your early influences?

Kranky: My dad grew up in Leeds during the 1930s and 1940s, and the music he played that I heard as a kid was a lot of Jazz and Swing – my Mum on the other hand grew up in Australia during the 1950s and 1960s and she played a lot of classical, folk, and rock – Mum also used to play the acoustic guitar and sing folk music. When I started listening to music of my own choosing it tended to be a lot of 70s rock, like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, as well as stuff that was coming out when I was a teenager, early Hip Hop and Rap, early Indie Rock and then some early Techno. I also learnt to play the piano when I was younger, but stupidly gave it up because of my crotchety old piano teacher driving me bonkers!

How did you discover the rave scene?

Kranky: It was while I was in my last year of High School in 1992 that I was introduced to the rave sounds by schoolmates and by the time I was starting University the following year I was spending most of my weekends raving, and most of my spare time listening to Oldskool!

Can you explain what it was like to hear these exclusively English sounds in Oz? In England we’ve been spoilt. The original Jungle Tekno scene was created and mutated in house, with very little outside input initially, so we never relied on outside sources? Maybe there was an Oz JT scene that we never knew existed?

Kranky: It was a little bit different over here than in the UK, our rave scene tended to draw influences from other countries besides the UK, so we ended up hearing a lot of early German Trance, Detroit Techno, as well as Oldskool Hardcore from both the UK and Holland, locally produced music from Aussie artists like Itch-E & Scratch-E, Quench, all together at the same raves with international headliners from the UK and Europe coming here all the time. There was a huge variety of both breakbeat and 4/4 sounds. It was the breakbeat sounds though that I was most fond of, and Oldskool Hardcore was huge. Tunes like Tango’s Project 1, Urban Hype’s Trip to Trumpton, early Slipmatt, Vibes & Wishdokta, Yolk, Force Mass Motion, etc. those are the sounds that stick in my head today from that time.

Could you tell us how long you’ve been involved in the scene?

Kranky: It was about 2004 that I started getting into DJ’ing, even though I’d been raving and listening since 1992 – the price of equipment and imported vinyl here was quite prohibitive when I was younger, so I’d never bought any gear until much later. By 2006 I’d started an internet based radio station – krankydigital.com and had started playing club gigs and raves. Last year was a huge year for me with DJ’ing, playing sets right before DnB legends like DJ Hype, dubstep masters like Benga and Skream, and other support sets for artists like Concord Dawn, State of Mind, A-Sides & Gravious. I feel privileged to have had these kinds of opportunites, and my proudest moment was definitely tandem scratching on 3 decks with DJ Hype back in November 2008.

You have a busy DJ schedule, so what is the average week like for Kranky?

I’ve been playing my weekly radio show since November 2006 and generally am playing club/rave gigs on average about one or two weekends of every month – I’m happy with not doing any more than that as any more would be a bit much as I’m working full-time, building a house, and getting married soon! Now that I’m working on production in a lot of my spare time though, that’s kind of taken precedence over actually DJ’ing!

Re Lethal: – Can you tell us about your early influences?

Lethal: When I was growing up my mum listened to a lot of Motown, and my dad listened to stuff like Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, etc (I’m not quite sure how they managed to get along on that one haha) so musically there was a big variety going on. As a kid I loved anything with a breakbeat and a bassline. I guess it was all a natural progression for me.

How did you discover the rave scene?

Lethal: My best mate Alex was into the music long before I was, and I spent a lot of time with him listening to it on tapes by people like Ratpack, Slipmatt, Ratty, Seduction, Hype, & Pilgrim from all the big events. From there we learnt to mix records together. Going out was a big part of it too.

Could you tell us how long you’ve been involved in the scene?

Lethal: I guess I’ve been involved a little while now in one way or another. It was probably around about 2004 when I started writing music with DJ Nee. That was really when I started taking things a little bit more seriously and got gigs at proper events etc.

Can you tell us about your production history before you started working on J-Tek?

Lethal: As has been touched on before, I was one half of Stu & Nee, and together we ran Enormous Mouse Records. We wrote a lot of releases in the Hardcore Breaks mould and had music related to pretty much all of the labels in that genre. This was also where I started using the alias Lethal Formula to push the darker sounds on labels such as Hardcore Projektz, and this got recently shortened to just Lethal.

Shouts!!!!!

Kranky: I’d like to give shout outs to: Tango, Ratty, Pilgrim, Tommie Tronic, Ollie Resonate, Danny Modular, Outrage, Classified Material, Noobdles, de la Haye, Model T, Rev Dr Moustache, DJ Nee, Requiem, Steve Surreal, Wrekmeistah & MK Ultra, the whole krankydigital DJ crew, Russ for getting me hooked on mixing, Toon for all his support with DJ’ing over the years, old skool Grant & Rox, my family and most of all my wonderful fiance Monica.

Lethal: I’d like to give a shout out to DJ Nee, Simon Darkus, Vinyl Junkie, Lee Requiem, Tango, Pilgrim, MC Nino, Brownie, DJ Pete, Luna-C, my family, and of course my flatmates Shakira & Reggie for putting up with my noise!