Having made his name back in the early 00's with releases on Dread, Metlaheadz & Tech Itch amongst others, John Rolodex is making waves again both with his productions and new label Machinist Music. EDJ caught up with one of Canada's original Junglists for a chat about the past, learning from mistakes, the state of the scene at the moment and what the future holds...
John Rolodex - Everyday Junglist Guest Mix Vol. 21EDJ: So, youre name might not be as well known as some of your contemporaries (certainly amongst the younger heads) but your history with d&b stretches back a long way right? Releases on Dread, Tech Itch and so on...give us a brief history lesson...I got started DJing around 1997 on the local scene in Edmonton, Canada, where I grew up. I was among the first to represent DnB in this part of the country. I started to put together my own tracks in 2000 and signed a few to Dread Recordings, Ray Keith’s label in 2001. My first release was ‘Dragon EP’ which was followed by 2 more EPs on Dread as well as a remix of Ray Keith’s ‘No No’ which still gets drawn today. I also released ‘Novocaine’ with long-time friend Synoflex on Metalheadz, a 12” on Tech Itch Records, a split 12” on Freak Recordings and a handful of others. Under my Amenizm moniker, I released a 12” on PI Recordings in 2005 (which folded as the release was on promo) called ‘Amenizm Pt. 1’ which received a lot of attention from some surprising sources. Around this time I moved to Toronto and things slowed down a bit for me in terms of release output. Then in 2010 I got back in the game and started building my own imprint, Machinist Music.
EDJ: You mentioned in an interview with DOA that you ‘handled your relationships badly’ during that period which had a detrimental impact on both your releases and progress within the ‘scene’ at the time...care to elaborate? What went wrong and what did you learn from those experiences?Essentially, I had let my ego get the better of me. I burned a few bridges and despite my best efforts after the fact, I’m probably still on the shit list with certain people. I’m not going to go into specifics but when you’re a young man who’s exceeded both your wildest expectations and those of people you grew up with (releasing on Metalheadz, touring Europe etc.) the temptation is to believe your own hype and I bought in. But it didn’t serve me well, and I would caution others not to make that mistake.
EDJ: Safe to say you’d do things differently than if you had your time again, or would you? Learning from your mistakes is an important part of life not just the microcosmic d&b industry, do you think you’re, paradoxically, all the better for it given those past struggles?Hindsight is always 20/20. But I would have kept my ego in check in a lot of situations. I’m definitely better off now, knowing how others perceive a jackass who won’t take his sunglasses off.
EDJ: Clearly it sapped your energy and enthusiasm for d&b quite a bit but coming back with a vengance at the moment with Machinist Music – what was the thinking behind the label? Merely a vehicle to get your own productions out there or something more deeper/substantial behind it all?I certainly wanted an outlet for MY music. But starting a label was always something I wanted to do. It was on the list I made when I was a teenager, even before I was a DJ, so I can tick that box now. Back then I looked at labels like Ninja Tune, Warp Records, Metalheadz etc. and thought it was amazing how these were vehicles that could consistently deliver quality material tied together by some common thread. Later on I started to understand what a label actually did, but I never lost the idea that a record label could be the access point for people who loved the music. That’s what I want Machinist to be for people. And for our artists, I want it to be a place for them to grow and develop; and to feel both challenged and at home at the same time.
EDJ: You say that it ‘navigates the realm between the techstep & hardstep of dnb’s platinum era’...what era is that for you? What is about that era that you still hold dear?I was reminded how key this is just last week. I did a guest mix for Fathom Audio’s radio show and one of the lads commented that the mix was fresh but somehow brought back the vibe of the old days of DnB. That’s really what it’s about. It’s about chasing that feeling of excitement I had in the pit of my stomach when I finally got a copy of that special record and couldn’t wait to play it out. That type of excitement is completely unique to music for me. That’s what I’m always chasing; in the studio, on the decks and with Machinist releases. For me, vibe is rooted in tunes like ‘Moving 808’s’ or ‘Armoured D’. It doesn’t mean we won’t put out a liquid tune, or something that isn’t techstep as those sounds were also key back then. What I call ‘the platinum era’ of DnB is a sacred thing and it’s the inspiration for the label.
EDJ: Seems to have been quite a resurgence in the ‘classic’ techstep sound, albeit with a bit of a modern twist, in the last couple of years...do you think that this sound is still relevant today? Why do you think so many people are so keen on reviving it? Surely it had its time in the limelight and its better off just letting it be....obviously you don’t feel like that right?I hear a lot of tunes today built on the classic techstep sound but in a new way. People have definitely contemporized it. The common thread, besides the vibe of course, is the minimal aspect of it. Producers are realizing it’s more effective to make a tune with 20 channels than with 80. It’s a direct response to some of the maximal tunes that have occupied ‘the top 40’ of DnB over the past few years.
Clearly I don’t feel that it’s ‘had its time in the limelight’. And as my inbox gets filled with fresh tunes with that same vibe and people keep booking me and buying our music, clearly I’m not the only one.
EDJ: Although not personally totally my cup of tea (although do have a penchant for a few bits here and there) , do you not think the fact that it has seen such a resurgence in popularity amongst both producers & punters is a damning indictment on d&b today, if people are just trying to make it sound like it did 10-15 years ago and people are happy it does? What, if anything, do you think is lacking from modern drum & bass?I think the big difference between 10-15 years ago and today in terms of production is the quality of equipment we have. Even an unplayed copy of the best-produced DnB record from ’97 would sound weak compared to any decent tune from today. I’m talking about production values here. So even if we remake those old tracks, we’re still using new and better equipment so we can update those sounds for today.
But from where I’m viewing things, I don’t think people are living in the past. I think generally producers today are using inspiration from those classic sounds and adding something new made possible by all the new toys we have today. The quality of the production is better than ever and I love DnB as much or more than ever.
EDJ: Flipping styles to the polar opposite, what do you make of the more minimal autonomic style stuff that currently en vogue too? A fan, or not?I like some of the minimal stuff. When it first came around I heard somebody call it ‘click and bass’, which is funny. Much of that stuff has no place on the dancefloor but would be great soundtrack music, which is cool. I’m all for that.
EDJ: You hooked up with Rene LaVice for Machinist..making some serious moves at the moment with Headlock being signed to the mighty Ram Records...must be heartening to see one of your own make such strides right?Yeah, absolutely. The support for that tune has been across the board. It was originally set for release on Machinist so I had sent it around and the response was totally shocking. After a while Andy C asked us if he could release it and we decided it was best for both Rene and Machinist so the rest is history. Our next release on Machinist is ‘Vika EP’ which features two of Rene’s solo tunes, a collab with Trex and a collab with myself.
EDJ: Surely too must be an enormous boost for the label too, with the energy of such a well-regarded up and comer helping keep things moving...Definitely. It’s brought a lot of attention to the label from both fans and some of the tastemakers wondering what’ll come next from our corner.
EDJ: What else have you got lined up for 2012?As mentioned, we’ve got an EP from Rene LaVice, ‘Vika EP’ coming shortly. Then ‘Hidden Corners EP’ from myself. We’ve got two remixes of my tracks; Morphy has remixed ‘Keep on Truckin’ and Trex has remixed ‘Connector’. Both are blinding! We’ve got absolutely killer solo EP’s in the works from Trex, Acid_Lab and Dioptrics (who produced Hornet Head with Rene LaVice). I’ve also got a new artist I’m working with who I have to keep secret as we can’t settle on an artist name. ;)
I’ve also signed a solo tune from T.Power who’s coming with some very cutting-edge stuff. He does our mastering and is an absolute genius with them frequencies. He and I are working on a few beats together and some other projects that are top secret for now.
This year I’ve got loads of touring planned, both here in North America and my first European tour since 2007 in September. Promoters holla!
I’m also planning to start filming a short film project I’ve been planning for a long time starting late this year. Some of the scenes will be written around Machinist Material and the label will be a part of the production. 2012 is a big year!
EDJ: Canadian D&B has a fair amount of pedigree what with yourself and artists like Gremlinz, Stranjah and so on...whats it looking like at the moment? Aside from Rene (and the 3 aforementioned of course) who should people be keeping an eye on?Yeah Canada has had a strong presence in DnB for a long time. Aside from those you mentioned, from Toronto there’s Grimm, who’s both a talented vocalist and producer and Schematic who’s extremely talented and needs to finish that tune for me (if you’re reading this, Dan). On the west coast Spinlock has been making a name for himself for some time, and I hear Psidream has been hitting the studio though, I haven’t heard the beats. Of course Marcus Visionary from Toronto needs to be mentioned, one of the originals.
At the moment all of us are making moves so keep your eyes peeled. It’s a good look.
EDJ: Shouts...Shouts to T.Power, Rene, Trex, Acid_Lab, Dipotrics, and all the Machinist fam, John Ohms, Bassdrive crew, DnB Lives Here crew, all the DJs who support the label, all the promoters who book us, and of course the fans who make it all possible. BIG UP!
If you like what you hear below then make sure to catch more of the same on his weekly Monday Bassdrive show...
Tracklisting:John Rolodex - Abduction Scene [Machinist dub]
Brainwash & Mystic - Fear of Noise (John Rolodex rmx) ]OIK dub]
Rene LaVice - Vika
Mechanizm - Archimedes [dub]
Schematic - Everywhere I Go [Liquid Brilliants]
John Rolodex - Connector (Trex rmx)
Rene LaVice - Bass Kick
Rene LaVice - Pulserate VIP
Fade - Nutty Reese [Architecture dub]
Rene LaVice & Trex - Secrets
Original Ninja - Wounds [dub]
John Rolodex - Hidden Corners
John Rolodex - Throwback
Outrage - More Light [Backlash dub]
Dj E,Fade,Kantyze & Abiotic - Jumble [dub]
Soul Intent & Ms Tempz - 2 Bad - dub
Trex - Chicken Pox (John Rolodex rmx) [Lockdown dub]
Acid_Lab - Stratosphere
Fade & Original Ninja - Cold Flow [Vampire dub]
Trex - Destination Moon
Dub (classified)
Meth & Audio - Alone [dub]
Dioptrics - Limitless (Machinist dub)
http://www.machinistmusic.com/
