the release date for the '839' lp from justice & metro draws ever closer, and so edj caught up with mjazz bossman justice for a quick chat about the project...
edj: How did you approach the making of the album? Did you have a pre-conceieved concept or idea you want to follow and achieve, or did you take a more organic approach to it?
There was no real plan when we started , as to what would be made, we were both working on tracks and maybe Scott metro would send it over and I would do a bit and send it back or vice versa. We were both making similar styles or certainly tracks that sounded of the same ilk and we knew we wanted to do an LP, so it just naturally progressed in an organic fashion.
edj: You seem to have switched up your style somewhat for this LP, as a lot of people will associate you with the more breakbeat orientated sound. Why is this? Did you want to put your stamp on the more 'minimal' sound thats popular moment or is it simply a case of creative expression?
I think that whole minimal field was definitely pricking our ears at the the time, I was feeling the experimental side of some of the bits i was hearing, and experimenting is what I have always been about really, so I guess this combined with the techno elements involved, is what drew me in, plus as you say putting our own slant on it was something we wanted to do. Also a lot of the bits that we were listening to weren't a million miles away from stuff I did back in the day like Aquisse, lounge lizard and the Viewpoints album, I never really considered myself one of them rolling breaks guys, so I guess I saw the whole thing as a medium I could slip back into.
edj: You've been involved with D&B in its various guises for the best part of 20 years now - how exciting is this new 'minimal' sound/movement compared with other eras that have gone before?
Yeh this my 20th year doing this, and I think its great when new movements or sounds come along , it keeps everything exciting, and i think d and b can cater for all its different factions, there can be something for everyone. Saying that though things can get a bit cliched quite quickly , so i think its important that peole try and put their own spin on things and not blindly follow. Its great to be inspired by stuff but be inspired and maybe try to do something a little different with it.
Yeh I like a lot of minimal stuff, as long as it interests me and sounds good , not just cos its minimal, but i hear maximal stuff thats running as well and then the kinda what i would call rolling experimental that Chris Inp does which sort of straddles a bit of both. But i think i mentioned earlier the thing about this era is that you seem to be allowed to be different again , be experimental, take a few risks, thats what I like about right now. It makes it more accessible as well as it is able to cross genres and sit nicely with detroit techno, dub step or whatever and for me personally , I am getting on a bit now, it all makes for a better listening experience.
edj: A lot of artists have been releasing albums over the past 18 months…why do you think this is? Do you think theres any value in doing an album as opposed to just putting out singles? Why did you decide to undertake this project yourself?
I think doing an album gives you more scope to explore different ideas and create a concept. I personally have always preferreddoing a long player and presenting a body of work, I think it allows an artist to be that and not just a producer. So doing 839was just an extension of this, and the MJAZZ LP idea had been kicked around for a while with both Metro and myself so it was always going to happen.
edj: This LP has been produced in collaboration with Metro – how did you two hook up for this, and why did you decide to do this collaboratively? Do you think your styles are complementary, and do you think the end product is better than if either one of you had done it on your own?
I have known Scott for years , we go back to the days of rave, standing around in fields, all of that. Scott started to play me some bits he had been doing , the label was just getting back on its feet and Scott was coming with some great designs, so it was just the right time to get on and do something. I think the styles work really well and I find these days its real good to have two heads on stuff , the studio can get a lonely place sometimes and with the advent of AIM etc...... we could still ping bits over to each other, sort arrangements or move on sketches that either of us had done. We are both really pleased with the end product, for sure, there are some great collabs with Muted, Momentum and Diamond Eye. The album is both of us so to say better, who knows , different yeah, but it all sits together and has its sound for sure.
edj: Was there ever a time when either one of you felt restricted by working in collaboration? Were there any major disagreements or fallings out over this project and if so how did you resolve them? Who had the final say over major creative decisions?
To be fair, no.....I prefer working in tandem these days, we're pals anyway, so there weren't any spats !! Plus , you know, we would play to our strengths, Scotts a designer he does alot of that stuff, and I would do the business stuff and so forth, the manufacturing, press, that kind of thing. But everything was straight down the middle other than that.
edj: How long did it take you to complete the project from your original idea to the finished article? How many tracks did you write for it, and how did you go about deciding which ones made the cut or not?
About a year really, just over, we had things going back and forth. I suppose we had about 20-30 odd tracks that we were working on, some were ideas that we have carried over to our next project, and for the final tracklist we sat down with about 16 tracks to see what would weave together and form its own concept. It was what sounded good together at the end of the day.
edj: Can you give us more information about this next project Metro? Have you started it yet, and what kind of angle are you going for with it - an '839' part 2 or something completely different?
The next justice//metro will be something different, well thats the plan !! On 839 we stuck to between 170-175 bpm, so on the next one we want to use different tempo's, and go down some different routes, maybe touch on some vocal bits, we wont try and force it, we'll just let whatever comes out, come out.
edj: There was quite a big hiatus for MJazz in terms of release from the late 90’s to the mid 00’s. Why is this? Did you fall out love with d&b, or did real life get in the way?
A bit of both really. Life caught up for sure, married , kids etc....... Your life gets put on hold for such a long time when you are in the music game, it was nice that it did catch up, cos yeh i was really bored with D and B at the time and i think music in general a bit. When you do something quite full on for a length of time, it can get a bit much.The rest did me/the label good......the scene is all for new things again , it wasn't really at the time i stepped out , so thats good. And over the last few years its been nice to get back on some shit.
edj: Aswell, your own productions and releases slowed considerable in the mid 200’s. Why was this? How easy was it getting back into the studio for this project? There has been a pretty big transformation in terms of the technology used in production in recent times so did you have to get to grips with any new techniques, bits of hardware or software?
Again same as above really, you do loads of records, releases, the label, your dj-ing, a rest was as good as a change !! Technology has come on for sure , you can do things now we used to dream of. I think I am a bit of a luddite when it comes to certain technologies, so I like to find a bit of software, that I am comfortable with, and make it work for me. Sometimes people get bogged down in technology, and forget that it's about making music. I do though love doing field recording and stuff and collecting weird noises and there are some shit hot recorders out there which, is a lot easier thean lugging a dat recorder around with a mic .........
edj: This is the first Vinyl LP MJazz has put out since 1996 (!), so whats up next for the label – are you going to use this as a platform to release more music, or is this a kind of one off release?
Yeh its onwards and upwards, we did the Modernists cd last year, we'll do another one of those and concentrate on a core few artists, its hard enough running a label in this day and age so we are going to be keeping it tight. But we will kick on from here and see where we end up. I like things taking their own path and going back to your earlier question , the organic route is favourite.
edj: There are a lot of new producers making names for themselves at the moment, who are you tips for greatness?
The guys who collaborated on the LP - Diamond eye, Muted , my man in the states Sinistarr is going to make more waves, I think Metro as a solo artist will come into his own even more and my man Momentum is doing some great bits at the minute so watch out for that.
Metro: All of the above, Justice, Joe Syntaxx and Felix K
edj: Shouts/Plugs etc
Look out for 839 in all its formats, more MPODS, Modernists CD 2, forthcoming Aquisse remixes and more MJAZZ product. Shouts to Lonnie,Carter, Julie,Clare,Mia, Scotty, Myronn, Bjarni,Louis, Miles Copeland, Big Tel..........all the MJAZZ crew and nice one to Fonik and the EDJ crew.
justice has also given up a track that didnt quite make the cut for the album as an exclusive free giveaway for edj. how nice. entitled ' ricochet', its full on experimental d&b like the rest of the lp, so grab it if you want some beats a little different from the norm
edj: How did you approach the making of the album? Did you have a pre-conceieved concept or idea you want to follow and achieve, or did you take a more organic approach to it?
There was no real plan when we started , as to what would be made, we were both working on tracks and maybe Scott metro would send it over and I would do a bit and send it back or vice versa. We were both making similar styles or certainly tracks that sounded of the same ilk and we knew we wanted to do an LP, so it just naturally progressed in an organic fashion.
edj: You seem to have switched up your style somewhat for this LP, as a lot of people will associate you with the more breakbeat orientated sound. Why is this? Did you want to put your stamp on the more 'minimal' sound thats popular moment or is it simply a case of creative expression?
I think that whole minimal field was definitely pricking our ears at the the time, I was feeling the experimental side of some of the bits i was hearing, and experimenting is what I have always been about really, so I guess this combined with the techno elements involved, is what drew me in, plus as you say putting our own slant on it was something we wanted to do. Also a lot of the bits that we were listening to weren't a million miles away from stuff I did back in the day like Aquisse, lounge lizard and the Viewpoints album, I never really considered myself one of them rolling breaks guys, so I guess I saw the whole thing as a medium I could slip back into.
edj: You've been involved with D&B in its various guises for the best part of 20 years now - how exciting is this new 'minimal' sound/movement compared with other eras that have gone before?
Yeh this my 20th year doing this, and I think its great when new movements or sounds come along , it keeps everything exciting, and i think d and b can cater for all its different factions, there can be something for everyone. Saying that though things can get a bit cliched quite quickly , so i think its important that peole try and put their own spin on things and not blindly follow. Its great to be inspired by stuff but be inspired and maybe try to do something a little different with it.
Yeh I like a lot of minimal stuff, as long as it interests me and sounds good , not just cos its minimal, but i hear maximal stuff thats running as well and then the kinda what i would call rolling experimental that Chris Inp does which sort of straddles a bit of both. But i think i mentioned earlier the thing about this era is that you seem to be allowed to be different again , be experimental, take a few risks, thats what I like about right now. It makes it more accessible as well as it is able to cross genres and sit nicely with detroit techno, dub step or whatever and for me personally , I am getting on a bit now, it all makes for a better listening experience.
edj: A lot of artists have been releasing albums over the past 18 months…why do you think this is? Do you think theres any value in doing an album as opposed to just putting out singles? Why did you decide to undertake this project yourself?
I think doing an album gives you more scope to explore different ideas and create a concept. I personally have always preferreddoing a long player and presenting a body of work, I think it allows an artist to be that and not just a producer. So doing 839was just an extension of this, and the MJAZZ LP idea had been kicked around for a while with both Metro and myself so it was always going to happen.
edj: This LP has been produced in collaboration with Metro – how did you two hook up for this, and why did you decide to do this collaboratively? Do you think your styles are complementary, and do you think the end product is better than if either one of you had done it on your own?
I have known Scott for years , we go back to the days of rave, standing around in fields, all of that. Scott started to play me some bits he had been doing , the label was just getting back on its feet and Scott was coming with some great designs, so it was just the right time to get on and do something. I think the styles work really well and I find these days its real good to have two heads on stuff , the studio can get a lonely place sometimes and with the advent of AIM etc...... we could still ping bits over to each other, sort arrangements or move on sketches that either of us had done. We are both really pleased with the end product, for sure, there are some great collabs with Muted, Momentum and Diamond Eye. The album is both of us so to say better, who knows , different yeah, but it all sits together and has its sound for sure.
edj: Was there ever a time when either one of you felt restricted by working in collaboration? Were there any major disagreements or fallings out over this project and if so how did you resolve them? Who had the final say over major creative decisions?
To be fair, no.....I prefer working in tandem these days, we're pals anyway, so there weren't any spats !! Plus , you know, we would play to our strengths, Scotts a designer he does alot of that stuff, and I would do the business stuff and so forth, the manufacturing, press, that kind of thing. But everything was straight down the middle other than that.
edj: How long did it take you to complete the project from your original idea to the finished article? How many tracks did you write for it, and how did you go about deciding which ones made the cut or not?
About a year really, just over, we had things going back and forth. I suppose we had about 20-30 odd tracks that we were working on, some were ideas that we have carried over to our next project, and for the final tracklist we sat down with about 16 tracks to see what would weave together and form its own concept. It was what sounded good together at the end of the day.
edj: Can you give us more information about this next project Metro? Have you started it yet, and what kind of angle are you going for with it - an '839' part 2 or something completely different?
The next justice//metro will be something different, well thats the plan !! On 839 we stuck to between 170-175 bpm, so on the next one we want to use different tempo's, and go down some different routes, maybe touch on some vocal bits, we wont try and force it, we'll just let whatever comes out, come out.
edj: There was quite a big hiatus for MJazz in terms of release from the late 90’s to the mid 00’s. Why is this? Did you fall out love with d&b, or did real life get in the way?
A bit of both really. Life caught up for sure, married , kids etc....... Your life gets put on hold for such a long time when you are in the music game, it was nice that it did catch up, cos yeh i was really bored with D and B at the time and i think music in general a bit. When you do something quite full on for a length of time, it can get a bit much.The rest did me/the label good......the scene is all for new things again , it wasn't really at the time i stepped out , so thats good. And over the last few years its been nice to get back on some shit.
edj: Aswell, your own productions and releases slowed considerable in the mid 200’s. Why was this? How easy was it getting back into the studio for this project? There has been a pretty big transformation in terms of the technology used in production in recent times so did you have to get to grips with any new techniques, bits of hardware or software?
Again same as above really, you do loads of records, releases, the label, your dj-ing, a rest was as good as a change !! Technology has come on for sure , you can do things now we used to dream of. I think I am a bit of a luddite when it comes to certain technologies, so I like to find a bit of software, that I am comfortable with, and make it work for me. Sometimes people get bogged down in technology, and forget that it's about making music. I do though love doing field recording and stuff and collecting weird noises and there are some shit hot recorders out there which, is a lot easier thean lugging a dat recorder around with a mic .........
edj: This is the first Vinyl LP MJazz has put out since 1996 (!), so whats up next for the label – are you going to use this as a platform to release more music, or is this a kind of one off release?
Yeh its onwards and upwards, we did the Modernists cd last year, we'll do another one of those and concentrate on a core few artists, its hard enough running a label in this day and age so we are going to be keeping it tight. But we will kick on from here and see where we end up. I like things taking their own path and going back to your earlier question , the organic route is favourite.
edj: There are a lot of new producers making names for themselves at the moment, who are you tips for greatness?
The guys who collaborated on the LP - Diamond eye, Muted , my man in the states Sinistarr is going to make more waves, I think Metro as a solo artist will come into his own even more and my man Momentum is doing some great bits at the minute so watch out for that.
Metro: All of the above, Justice, Joe Syntaxx and Felix K
edj: Shouts/Plugs etc
Look out for 839 in all its formats, more MPODS, Modernists CD 2, forthcoming Aquisse remixes and more MJAZZ product. Shouts to Lonnie,Carter, Julie,Clare,Mia, Scotty, Myronn, Bjarni,Louis, Miles Copeland, Big Tel..........all the MJAZZ crew and nice one to Fonik and the EDJ crew.
justice has also given up a track that didnt quite make the cut for the album as an exclusive free giveaway for edj. how nice. entitled ' ricochet', its full on experimental d&b like the rest of the lp, so grab it if you want some beats a little different from the norm
Justice & Metro - Ricochet
DOWNLOAD
http://modernurbanjazz.com/
http://www.myspace.com/tonyjustice
http://www.myspace.com/metrodnb
3 comments:
Respect the MJAZZ top mans. This LP is one for the heads that truly understand deep.
Massive album.
Oh and it's DiamonD EyE dropping a big ups for the mans dem. blap
brap! big ups all, thanks to fonik...
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