Phaction Joins the Team!

How long have you been writing Drum & Bass for, and what got you into production in the first place?  

I guess I gave some of that away above, but it was in 2013 when I made my first tune properly (it was Dnb from day one) and so its been 6 years now! I started like so many with mixing, playing out, then getting that thirst for making my own material out of hunger for doing things my way, haha! I think when you learn to mix you learn to appreciate tunes intimately, which leads to that curiosity of how they’re made, then you start to peel back the curtain and the new journey begins. You have to be hungry & patient to stick out production though, as I’m sure many would agree with, it’s really not about those instant grats you get with mixing; but very rewarding in the long run.

What’s it like for you to have Goldie as a fan of your music, and also what’s it like to have him mentor you through your EP projects on Metalheadz? Undoubtedly inspiring and surreal!?  

Yeah, it is surreal, he’s a nutter in the best possible way, a genius even. So much passion and enthusiasm, brimming with ideas, constantly busy – its the way he’s wired. I always feel energised when we catch up and getting his insight on the new batch of tunes has been very helpful, though I still feel like I have freedom to do what I like creatively. Its a good relationship. Plus our musical tastes outside of dnb overlap a fair bit, for instance I was checking out his classical show on Scala recently and heard him play some Thomas Newman (Film-score composer), I messaged him about it as he’s one of my favourite composers and G rang me shortly after just to chat about it. Its great to have that connection with someone, regardless of who they are. With G though I have special respect, for the journey he’s been on for all these years, his influence in the scene, the wisdom he has to offer to the new generation of artists and his willingness to do so.

What was you first club D&B experience like? Who did you go to see?

It was the likes of Andy C, Sub Focus, Dirtyphonics, Loadstar etc at Motion. Those were mind blowing experiences at the time tbh. In my formative years, long before production days I was really into the main stream high energy dnb – I still am to some extent and that influence still rubs off on my approach in the studio today. My uni mates and I would agree, you never forget your first raves. I went to some mad Dubstep nights too back in that crossover between underground and mainstream explosion (label nights like Hench & Dub Police for instance). Since that time my tastes have matured and I’ve become more grounded in the deeper soulful end of the scene…that said I’m keen to stay open to new musical experiences…I think that’s important. I semi-regularly hit jazz nights around Bristol which are flourishing atm and I like to hang with people who like plenty of music outside of dnb, it can be really healthy for creativity!

What’s your current studio set-up and how has that changed over the years?

So, the setup has changed slightly over the years, but on the whole I am fully happy with my current kit. I’m running 2 systems, a windows desktop and MacBook Pro, both on Ableton. My room is generously treated with custom rockwool panels – those made a massive improvement – that deadened sound you get in the room is quite satisfying! Monitor wise, about 3 years back I invested in a pair of Focal CMS65s, which I think are some of the best monitors that can be had about for a grand, moving from HS-50s and a Sub to those helped massively with mix downs. I run Beyer 990s for open back phones, they are superb, oh and a pair of HD25s which are good for hearing harsh frequencies, sometimes the 990s are a little soft so its good to have them as a 2nd reference. For a time I actually had 2 UAD PCI-E cards in the desktop and spent about 2k on their plugs, but I found myself using the laptop a lot with Fab Filter, Izotope, Plugin Alliance, and various other lesser known plugs that did the job so well, I ended up selling the UAD cards. They are super nice to have, but not essential. I keep my plugs to a minimum now, I once heard Lenzman talk about keeping your options to a minimum in production, it resonated with me and so I simplified my choices and learnt a certain batch of plugs closely. I think that can really help you carve out a sound too, if you’re consistent with a limited number of ‘choices’.

Your music has constantly been evolving over the years, and lately you have taken on a tougher, darker tone in your tunes too. What sparked this new direction, and which tunes really caught your attention to draw you into that sound?