Interview with Virus Recordings label Co-founder: Optical.

Ez!

Here’s the link to the interview that Monika have done with Matt Quinn aka Optical recently.

Enjoy!

Interview with Dutch master of the mic: MC Dart

We are proudly presenting an interview with Remondo Sedoc aka MC Dart, dutch stalwart of the microphone!

 

What takes up your time outside of drum and bass?

A lot of work! I have a day job next to my MC’ing thing; I am an IT engineer/consultant. I do a lot of IT stuff and it takes a lot of time.  Then there’s my family; I have a 10-year-old girl and a boy who is 5 years old.

How did the MC’ing start for you?

That’s ages ago, like 17-18 years ago probably. I started when I was 18 years old. It was jungle at that time. DJ Dreazz started Triple Vision with two other guys; I just walked into the store one day with some other friends and we started chatting about the music, drum and bass, jungle and DJ’s and MC’s and everything. And at a certain point we were talking about if I wouldn’t want to MC, because there weren’t that many MC’s back then and he was like ‘yeah you wanna try’? And I was like ‘okay why not?’ I’d never MC’d before at that point, so I just joined him at one of his gigs. Afterwards he told me ‘yeah you can come more often if you want’, so I just joined him and this is how it all started running.

 

What do you like about MC’ing? Do you have a certain goal while performing on the stage?

The whole interaction with the crowd is really important for me; I love it when I can be on the stage instead of being behind the DJ booth, because when I can interact with the audience it’s so much better. My main mission is to let everybody have a good time. I just go along with the music, with the vibe. When it’s early I don’t go full blast, unless the vibe is there for it, you know what I mean? So it totally depends on the moment what I’m doing, but in the end it’s all coming together as one package; you give the crowd a good feeling, to get the DJ really pumped up and hyped up. Most DJ’s enjoys that as well; if you have a good MC, and they really pump the music up a little bit more for them, they really enjoy that as well.

Where do you get your inspiration?

The music, the crowd, the vibe, the moment, everything. Most of my lyrics at the moment are freestyles, whatever is happening at that moment.  If the crowd is really banging, the vibe is really up there, the flow is more natural than when it’s a really tight situation or vibe then I have to really work it and find things to say. Usually the moment is my inspiration.

Do you prepare before the show?

Not really (laughs).

Which MC’s do you look up to?

When I started MC’ing, MC GQ was really one of the first MC’s I heard on jungle that time and I was really like: “wow I wanna do that as well, I wanna be just as good as him!” When I think of it MC GQ is probably my main inspiration.

In Holland you have a couple of really good MC’s like Swift who’s upcoming right now, Dapper has been always been a big player in the game, MC Vin-E. MC Vin-E and me started back in the day as a few jungle MC’s. Those are the guys I really respect and it’s always a good time on the route together.

Who would you like to collaborate with?

MC GQ. I collaborated with many DJ’s and MC’s but I have never been on the stage with MC GQ and this is really something I would love to do.

As far as the DJ’s it doesn’t really matter for me, if the DJ plays a good set.  If it’s a big name or upcoming DJ, if the DJ plays a good set it’s what I like.

Where does your name come from?

Absolutely no idea and it has nothing to do with darts. I think that at the time when you get to the age of 12 or 13 you start thinking of nicknames with your friend for each other and somewhere around that period I think Dart is born. I don’t know why but I got stuck with that name.

Why drum and bass?

I grew up with jungle and early hardcore, UK rave, that was always the music that I really loved. This music kind of evolved into what it is nowadays and I just went along with it.

Have you ever had any interest in hip hop?

I listen to a lot of hip hop, but doing hip hop while I’m MC’ing, I don’t know. I have always been into the rave, jungle and that’s the thing I stuck with. I love hip hop but to do hip hop, I don’t know. I thought about it a few times but it’s not really my thing to do.  I love listening to it, UK hip hop, Dutch hip hop is really good also, but its not my thing to do, perform.

Who would play at your ideal night?

I really like Ed Rush; he’s a DJ who’s gonna play a set which can be uplifting and building up or smashing hard from the beginning, I have always had a good vibe with him and I always loved playing with him. I also like it when the night has good MC’s. I’m still hoping that one day the whole MC culture in Holland will be a little more like it is in England.  Over there MC’s have sets like DJ’s and in Holland the MC will be there for the whole night.  I think it’s really cool when you have 4 or 5 MC’s, but with different sets not all of them all together.

Is there any artist in particular you’re feeling right now?

Black Sun Empire, the guys from Champion Sound and Major League.

Do you have any tips for the young aspiring MCs out there?

Be patient, listen to music. I think it’s most important to get your timing straight. Some people say that as an MC you have to know their tunes, but I think that’s bullshit, you may be playing for a UK DJ who’s been in a studio for a whole day making dub plates and is playing them the same night and you will have absolutely no idea what kind of tunes that is. If you know music, if you understand music, if you know bass, if you can count bass, if you sort of know what is coming then you will be alright. Just listen to the sound, listen to the music, that’s the most important thing.

Could you name a few tunes that changed your life?

Origin Unknown- Valley of The Shadows; that’s probably one of the most impressive tunes I have ever heard.  That tune just represents the time for me when I was really close with my friends, enjoying myself with music, It feels kind of special to me, it is one of the most life-changing tunes for me if you’d like to call it like that.

What do you think of the scene in The Netherlands at the moment?

The scene is very steady right now, I love how it’s going. I’ve been there from way back and I have seen the scene have its ups and downs and I think that the last couple of years the scene has been really steady. A lot of Dutch drum and bass producers are really getting themselves recognition internationally. Holland is getting known out there!

Don’t you feel like they get more recognition outside than in their own country?

I don’t know where it comes from. I think they should get more recognition in Holland as well.  Guys like June Miller, just to name one. But it’s really positive that those guys are doing their thing internationally and in the end it’s really good for the scene in Holland. I like the way it’s going.

What’s in the pipeline now for you?

I want to mix some tunes, I probably say it every year but I really want to do it! I wanna hook up with some people and produce some tunes with me MC’ing on them, do couple of mixes with other MC’s maybe. I just normally go with the flow and see where it goes.

Any shouts?

Yeah to my Major League Crew, big up to my baseball crew, Floris is out of the country at the moment, big up to him as well, DJ Wallop. Big up to my Blackout crew, my PRSPCT family, all the people close to the scene, all the party people out there, big up to yourself!

Interview with Dutch DnB legends: Black Sun Empire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ez!

Monika sat down with 2/3 of Black Sun Empire trio, Micha Heyboer and Milan Heyboer to talk about their new album, labels, club nights and more. Read it here.

Check out Black Sun Empire website, facebook page or blackout event page. Buy the new album here.

Here’s one of the stand out tunes from their new album:

Big thanks to our editor Kris Deveria.

Interview with Gridlok.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ez!

Monika got San Francisco based d’n’b producer Gridlok to talk about his inspirations, blank periods, Project 51 and much more. To read it go here.

Cheers

Interview with Loxy.

Ez!

Monika cornered d&b stalwart Loxy at Renegade Hardware’s party in London to talk about his plans, opinions and loads more. Read it here. Share if you like. Cheers.

Stamina MC interview.

Ez!

There’s an interview with Stamina MC, done by Monika, read it here.

Optiv’s partner in Crime: BTK.

Monika caught Vini a.k.a. BTK for few words about his new album produced alongside Optiv: Dirty Tricks on Ed Rush’s and Optical Virus Recordings label. To read it go here.

Cheers!

Meet Pythius.

Ez!

Let me introduce you Hylke aka Pythius, 21 year old dj/producer from Holland. To find out more about this young talented guy go here.

Cheers!

InsideInfo Interview.

Ez!

Monika talked to InsideInfo, drum and bass producer from UK about his recent release Grow EP and about whats in  the pipeline. To read it go here.

Cheers

Interview with Optiv.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ez!

Monika got Optiv to talk about his newest album released alongside BTK on Ed Rush’s & Optical Virus Recordings label.

Read it here.