Interview with Speedy - Our Third Place Contest Winner.

Hello again bassheads! I hope you're all doing well, even you naughty boys and girls.
Today, we have for you a one of a kind interview with our Third Place winner - Speedy. Speedy is an 18 year old producer from Norwich, England. He wowed us with his unique, musical perspective on dubstep. He's helping to pave the way for new sounds and styles in an ever growing world of music.
But anyways, I'll let him tell you his insights via our interview:
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How did you find out about Not Strictly Dubstep?

searching for a dubstep forum on google.

How long have you been producing?

3 years

What Inspired you to start producing music?

a mixture of things. before i started producing music i wasnt really in to
electronic music, let alone dubstep. I was very much a 'metalhead'. I got
fruity loops just to create backing tracks for my guitar work, then realised
the joys of electronic music. i then started listening to rave music, then
eventually going to raves, and i then developed a love for massive amounts
of bass. i s'pose that my love of dubstep sprung from that.

Are you currently signed to any record labels?

none whatsoever but im very open to offers ;)

Do you have any music currently being distributed online or physically?

yes, mainly on http://app.artists-first.net/speedy/shop.action

What would you say is your main genre?

Dubstep

How has your music evolved since you first started producing?

its become more... agressive i'd say. still melodic and keeping the original
purpose of what i believe dubstep should be / is, but more energetic in a sense.

What software do you mainly use for music production?

fruity loops 8

Any particular VST's that you'd like to give credit to?

sytrus for its (often misunderstood / unrecognised) versatility and NI Massive
for its ease of use and manipulation.

What would you say is the most important part of a well produced track?
(i.e. mix, melody, energy, ect.)

based on personal and world experience i would have to say its the
mix down that is the most important thing to creating, not only a well produced
track, but also a popular track with the public. Ive heard some brilliantly composed
tunes by some unknown artists and they go unrecognised forever purely because the 
artist has little understanding of mixing. i believe it to be a shame because people
dont give enough credit to good composition (especially in the Dubstep genre it seems).
people just care about the quality of the sounds, and to some extent that was the 
original vibe of the scene 'quality and feeling of sound'.


What is your favorite genre of music to listen to?

Dubstep or Grime. nothing beats a bass so hard that  it (quite literally) controls your 
breathing.

Who is your favorite producer/DJ/band?

Producer: Bar 9
DJ: Jaguar Skills
Band: As i lay dying

Do you play any instruments?

Ocarina ;) haha
guitar, piano, drums and double bass. most of my songs start out life as a silly riff on
the piano and then get transferred / programmed in to the computer.

Do you DJ? If so, when and where was your favorite set that you played?

I do but ive not done any large sets yet

Fill in the blank: "Behind every successful musician, there is a ________"

'slowly deafening mathematician.' music is all about a) the numbers: tempo, rhythm, modes,
frets etc... and b) VOLUME!

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

a tootsie what? i estimate 100?

Would you prefer ambient or grimey?

a mix up of the two. the way i see it is that, youve gotta prove to people you can do the
melody side of things, and possibly even set them up to think that the tune is chilled, and 
then at exactly the right moment drop it in to some grimey filthy tune. a good tune always
surprises you! if music is predictable its boring.

Do you have any advice to give potential or learning producers?
 
Work hard on production, learn to play an instrument outside of the computer program &
always be over critical of your own music. but most of all enjoy it!

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there it is, the deep, introspective insights of a great up and comer! If you're interested in finding out more about Speedy, or contacting him, follow him on his various intermediary websites!

Facebook
Soundcloud

Much respect to speedy for his awesome tune, and to everyone for being supportive of Not Strictly Dubstep and what we're doing. Keep tuned for upcoming contests!

And now, Speedy's Track, "Underground":

L.F.R.- Second Place Contest Winner - Interview!

Today, We post about our Second Place winner of the NSD Competition, Leo Monger, or L.F.R. His track, "Stand Off", Incorporates a unique blend of chugging metal guitar, dirty wobbles, and all out dubstep mayhem.

We've got an Interview with the man, as well as his Second Place winning track at the bottom of the post!

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How did you find out about Not Strictly Dubstep?

I saw a banner for it on a blogging website I think.

Where are you from?

I'm English, currently studying music technology at Kingston University in South London.

How old are you?

I'm 19

What does the name "L.F.R." mean?

"L.F.R." is my first three initials.

How long have you been producing?

I've been producing music for roughly 7 years now, and playing guitar for about 10.

What Inspired you to start producing music?

I got into producing first because I wanted to record some of the tracks I was writing on the guitar. My dad was making an album from home at the time so he had a lot of software I could use and it kind of all sprung from there.

Are you currently signed to any record labels?

I'm signed with Monkey Dub Recording at the moment.

Do you have any music currently being distributed online or physically?

I've got a track called 'Gone Off The Deep End' which is available here: http://www.junodownload.com/products/1601948-02.htm?trackid=1

What would you say is your main genre?

For the past few years dubstep has been the genre I've felt most inspired to work around but I make a bit of hiphop and write a lot of acoustic stuff as well.

How has your music evolved since you first started producing?
Well when I first started producing it was mainly metal that I was recording so I guess with this track you could say it hasn't changed much! But yeh I've gone through periods of being interested in so many different genre's since I first started, I think it's evolving all the time.

What software do you mainly use for music production?

I was using Reason mainly, running it through cubase for audio recording, but I've just made the jump from pc to mac so it's gonna be Logic from here on out!

What would you say is the most important part of a well produced track? (i.e. mix, melody, energy, ect.)

Well I guess it depends on what you're trying to create. When it comes to dubstep, or any dance music for that matter, I think it's all in the energy! Mixing can come later. You can mix a track to the highest standard but if it doesn't have that energy, if it doesn't make you're heart go when you listen to it, then why bother? Sort the energy out first, there's all the time in the world to sit in the studio tweaking levels.

What is your favorite genre of music to listen to?

At the moment I'm listening to a lot of hiphop.

Who is your favorite producer/DJ/band?
In terms of producers, I'm a big fan of Flux Pavillion, Distance, Burial, guess it depends on my mood! Dj wise I like N-type cos I've seen him play some really good shows, Silkie and Loefah both killed it when I saw them as well. My favourite band would be The Root's, there playing in London soon as well so I'm stoked!

What's your current favorite track to drop in a set?
Oh man, 'Gamma Ray Burst' by Downlink always fuckin kills it when I wanna floor people! 'Normalize' by Flux Pavillion and 'Druid' by Marlow both get people pretty excited or if I'm playing a more chilled set 'Level 9' by Mala is a deep one to drop.

If you were trapped for eternity with only one item, what would that item be and why?

Hmm I could be boring and say my guitar cos I think it'd be the one thing that could always keep me entertained! But I'll go for one of those adventure books where you make decisions about the story and choose what page you wanna go to just to see if I could make every possible eventuality happen.

If your music had a smell, what do you suppose it would smell like?

The Forest.

Fill in the blank: "Shove a ________ in it!"

Dirty great wobble.

Was fuzzy wuzzy fuzzy?

Supposedly.

Do you prefer high energy or more chill music?

I'm all about the high energy.

Do you have any advice to give potential or learning producers?

Sort you're drums first. If the beats sick then everything else sounds good. Make sure the track has some kind of forward motion, something pushing it along, and if you're stuck with where to go with it then go see someone who really knows how to perform that kind of music do a show. When you get back sit away from the computer and listen to you're track as a fan rather than an artist, you'll feel what needs to come next. Once you're happy with a track get it out there, send it to record companies, radio stations, play it at shows, just make sure people are hearing it! And enter competition's on the internet, it's seemed to work pretty well for me :)

Anything else you would like to add?
Yeh, check my Soundcloud to hear more of my music and also the Monkey Dub Remix contest ep, I think it's gonna be titled 'Re-grinded' which is coming out very soon, I was one of the competition winners for that one as well.

Be Sure to Follow L.F.R. to keep up to date on future releases and to hear more of his tunes!
Big Up to L.F.R. and everyone who took part in the competition!

Follow L.F.R.
Soundcloud
Facebook


And now, the second place track!

First Place Winner - Interview

It's been a long time coming, and it's finally here! We've got a fresh interview from the first place winner of the NSD Competition; Niel Salter, AKA "Salt-Uh". A producer since the late '80s, Salt-Uh has definitely shown some raw talent with his track Dook tha Looper.
(If you haven't heard the track yet, you can check it out at the bottom of the interview.)

Now, Having said all that, Let's get on with this interview!
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How did you find out about Not Strictly Dubstep?

I was just googling dubstep to find some new sites and came across NSD. Where are you from? I'm from the Midlands in the UK a town called Nuneaton but am currently located in Exeter on the south west coast of England. How old are you? 36
How long have you been producing?

I made my first track in 1988. I was 14 years old and had an Atari computer with Steinberg Pro 24, which was the predecessor to Cubase and an Akai X7000 Keyboard Sampler. I saved up my paper round money to buy it.
What Inspired you to start producing music?

The Electro albums and Jeff Young on BBC Radio 1's National Fresh show. As soon as I heard the electros and other early Hip Hop in the 80's, I knew what I wanted to make this music. I was fascinated by break dancing and body popping, even though I wasn't very good, but loved the music and culture that was coming out of America at that time.
Are you currently signed to any record labels?

I'm not currently signed to any label at the moment but I am in the process of starting my own label, 1st Bass Records.
Do you have any music currently being distributed online or physically?

I currently have music available for download from Chemical Records, Juno Download and 1st Bass Records.
What would you say is your main genre?

Hip hop has always been my roots in music. I have a Hip Hop outfit called The Dookie Squad and we have been producing songs since 1992 and our first release on Vinyl was the '6ft Under' EP in 1994. We still produce music today and tour Europe every year or two.
How has your music evolved since you first started producing?

The very first tracks I made were very basic with just a break beat sample and a groove over the top, but over time I learned how to be more creative with the equipment I had. These days I try and use as many real instruments as possible in a lot of songs to try and keep those authentic sounds in my music. I especially love the warm sound of vintage instruments from the 60's and 70's and try to make my music have a warm feeling like a lot of the music from that era. My mixing desk has valve channels to play with and putting sounds through these always adds a nice depth to a song. I used to spend a day or two on a track, now I will usually spend months. What hardware do you use for music production? I have a Custom Built Core I7 Music PC with 2 x Delta 1010 sound cards, An Allen & Heath GS3000 24ch mixer, Mackie HR824 Studio Monitors, An Akai S6000 Sampler, an Alesis D4 drum machine and a few other outboard pieces of equipment.
What software do you mainly use for music production?

Steinberg Cubase 5. I also use NI Massive, Halion for sampling, Symphonic Orchestra, I have a waves plugin pack for eq etc.
Any particular VST's that you'd like to give credit to?

One of my favourite VST's is Magneto. It's a simple analogue tape manipulator that can make a lot of small sounds big. What would you say is the most important part of a well produced track? (i.e. mix, melody, energy, ect.)

The most important thing for me in my music, is to try and make my songs have a long shelf life. It's very easy to make a track that sounds great but it's not so easy to make a track that still sounds great in years to come.
What is your favorite genre of music to listen to?

I like all sorts of music but I mainly listen to a lot of soul music from the 60's and 70's. I think there is a lot producers can learn from old recording techniques.
Who is your favorite producer/DJ/band?

For me, A Tribe Called Quest were a major influence on me and from the Low End Theory album onwards, their music still sounds as good today as it did when it was released.
If you could only use one word to describe your style of music, what would that word be?

Moist

Fill in the blank: "I love the smell of _____________ in the morning!"

Bread
What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Not really something I would loose sleep over.
What's your favorite tempo (BPM)?

The tempo that fits the song.
Do you have any advice to give potential or learning producers?

Do it because you love it. Remain open minded as stubbornness is a refusal to learn.
Anything else you would like to add?
Music is what life sounds like and if I could say it in words, then I wouldn't make music.

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There you have it! Some insightful words from our first place winner. Now that you know a bit about him, why not follow Salt-Uh and listen to some more of his music! Oh, and of course give a listen to his winning tune!

Follow Salt-Uh:






www.salt-uh.com
www.1stbassrecords.com

Much respect everyone, thanks for reading, keep your eye out for more interviews and other such madness to come! Give a listen to the winning track here:

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Well, the wait has finally ended! We here at NSD have come to our decision for the first ever Not Strictly Dubstep Competition! I know, I KNOW! I apologize for the long delay, but the truth is, we just couldn't rush the decision.

So, without further ado, here are your first ever Not Strictly Dubstep Competition winners!

First Place goes to Salt-Uh for the track "Dook tha Looper"
Second Place goes to LFR for the track "Stand Off"
and Third Place goes to Speedy for the track "Underground"

HUGE ups to these three champions of the dirty music world! And to everyone who took part in the competition! We have been amazed by the talent that the members of NSD have shown, and can't wait to have more contests!

The winners for Phraktol's "Not Strictly Dubstep" Track Remix will be posted within the week!

Keep up the good work everyone, We're extremely pleased with the talent you've all shown! Listen to all the entries on our youtube page, or by checking out the Not Strictly Dubstep Competition page.

Here's the First Place Track!

I know, I'm lazy!!!

I'm sorry everyone, this is my first blog... I'm not sure if I'm lazy, or just feel pompous having a blog in the first place, but anyways, I figured I'd keep everyone updated!!

We WILL be having a Raffle and a Contest on Not Strictly Dubstep so if you're not already a member, Sign up and Log on and start fuckin around on the forums to start earning points today!

NSD Points will be able to get you free raffle tickets, Otherwise they will cost you around $2 (But hell, what's $2 for a $400 sound pack, and to help NSD grow? :P)

Anyways, do like I said and log on.

ALSO! Follow the blog, and our facebook page, and tell your friends about NSD!
On a closing note, here's some nice stuff for you to listen and watch to:

Sexy mix from my boy Fish Finger from Crossroads records (big things from crossroads! FREE DOWNLOAD ON THE MIX!):
http://soundcloud.com/fish-finger/fish-finger-31-minutes-deep-dubstep-promo-mix

a quick bit of nasty from my boy Krausey AKA Disgustin Justin:
http://soundcloud.com/krausey-disgustin-justin/headfuck

Found this guy thru the NSD Soundcloud Group
Check out Robokop, i've enjoyed pretty much every track of his i've heard, pretty dirty shit!


Also, get a free download on my own (Phraktol)'s dutty little remix of Ginuwine's track "My Pony"

And check out this mix from Subsider for the GetDarker Competion!

And Finally, a Funny video from a few years back I was recently reminded of, watch this silly kid get his "whip" stolen LOL!

OH! And follow our channel on YOUTUBE! We got lots more gonna be uploaded soon including some original Music Videos!

Much respect to the NSD community. Keep up the good work! I'm finally getting the hang of this Blog stuff i think! :D

Ahhh, the gift of giving!

Well, I guess not technically "Giving"...

We here at Not Strictly Dubstep have some juicy goodies to give away to site members. What kind of goodies you may ask? Well, allow me to explain!

We've got a superb sound sample pack, worth $400 USD, which has been donated by loopmasters, This sample pack is a DUBSTEP sample pack, which includes (among others) Circuit Bent sounds, Heavy bass samples, and Old Movie vocal clips (all completely legal to use commercially). This sample pack is epic, and I personally am extremely jealous because I can't enter my own contests! :P

We also have a FULL LICENSED version of Fruityloops Studio Signature Bundle, which has been donated to us from our friends at Image-Line. This is a $300 value, and as we all know, a full production suite is an extremely powerful tool. I've been a fruityloops user for years, and know several other producers that use it, some of them are pretty big names that you all likely know.

So, in order to both raise activity on the site, and give everyone a challenge, we will be having a Raffle for the sound pack, and a Contest for the Fruityloops bundle!

How to partake, you ask?
Well, First off, if you haven't already, you need to log on and sign up for our site, www.notstrictlydubstep.com

sign up is free, and once you sign up you can start earning points. The NSD User points are how you get raffle tickets. Adversely, if you want to enter the raffle, but don't have enough points, or you just don't mind making a small donation to help future NSD productions, we will have tickets for sale for a small amount.

The contest, however, is to be determined. If you'd like to get in on a contest, and have an idea of something you think might be a fun challenge, hop on the forums and tell us what you think!

Also, Invite your friends to the site using the 'Invite' link on your user profile to earn some extra points!

Hope to see some activity on the forums, Contests will begin at the beginning of august, so start earning points now!

Biggups!

FALL INTO THE KAZM!

Our first musical tale is one of an insane, mohawk wielding producer by the name of Kazm. We've got an interview with the man, as well as a couple freebie tracks. Kazm is an up and coming producer with a unique and HEAVY sound! Listening to his tracks can (and will) cause side effects such as Kidney Stones, Trouble Breathing, Blindness, Heart Palpitations, Sleep Killing, Erratic Dancing and the dreaded Anal Seepage!

Now, Having said that, Lets kick this shit off proper with the interview!


So, Kazm, Where do you live?

Swansea, Wales. Born and bred welshman motherfucker!

How old are you?

18 years old.

How long have you been producing?

Hmmm... probably coming up to two years since I first started, though it's been about 7/8 months since I started taking it seriously.

What software/hardware do you use for production?

Currently running FL Studio, with Albino for the majority of my synths, as well as a variety of other VSTs.

What is your favorite Genre of music?

I've gotta say Dubstep really haven't I? Haha. Although Dubstep is the genre I listen to most, I listen to almost anything really, ranging from heavy metal to orchestrations. The only thing I don't really like is indie rock and pop.

What musicians/bands are your five biggest musical influences?

Hmmm... well, the first time I ever heard dubstep was when some guy I met in a park played me Cockney Thug, and it blew my mind. So Rusko has to be in there (Fuck all of you who hate on him, he's a top notch producer, even though his new stuff ain't that good.) Borgore is another one, I love the way he mashes up different vibes in his tune (Again, fuck you haters :P) Flux Pavilion, for his insane production level and variety, Bratkilla for the sheer heaviness of his tunes And of course, I have to put Pendulum in here, if it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't even be listening to electronic music. But then there's Reso... Spor... Aach, I can't keep it to 5! Haha.

What is your current favorite Song?

Ach, you can't ask me that! It's like telling me to pick one of my children... but I don't have any, so it's not anything like that. Probably Shekel - Tarantino at the moment, it's ace, check it out.

If you could spin a set with One other DJ of your choice, who would it be and why?

Oh man, it's gotta be JFB for his mad skilzzzzzz. Though he'd properly show me up.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what two things would you want with you?

A laptop and an internet connection :P Failing that, a fucking powerful sound system and djing equipment.

Can you recommend a funny youtube video for us to watch?

Anything on AndrewShrock's channel. Not only is he hilarious, he's an amzing skater too. Check it out.

Out of these three adjectives, which do you prefer: "Nasty" "Grimey" "Filthy" ?

Probably Nasty, coz you can have a Nasty tune that is slow and relatively mellow, but it can also mean it's fast and brutal. It covers more ground that the other two :P

Finish this sentence: "Dubstep makes me..."

Jizz and shit at the same time with no warning.

What's the story behind your name, "Kazm"?

To be honest, it's not that interesting :P My real name is Kieran, and an internet alias I used to use (And still do, actually) was "Kiigazm". One day I just had a brainwave after having no luck thinking up a decent alias, and the idea to take a few letters out of "Kiigazm" hit me. Voila, Kazm.

What can we expect from you in terms of upcoming releases?

My second free LP "Epic Mohawk Vol 2: Enter The Deathhawk" should be finished soon, so that'll be a good 12-13 tunes for you all. For free, too :D. Plus, of course the "Insanity EP" coming out through good old NSD :)

Do you have anything particular you'd like to say to the readers?

Smoking is big and clever, always take candy from strangers, and don't even think about not sharing your heroin needles. That's just selfish.
Peace :D

There you have it folks! Some heart felt, real talk. I hope this has inspired you to do something awesome, even if that something is just saving money on heroin needles and at the same time, learning to share a little. Now for the fun stuff! Kazm has offered out a Free copy of his track "Cyber Terrorist" which you can download HERE
Also, Here's the self titled track from his upcoming "Insanity EP" which will be dropping soon!

Follow Kazm on these socialite elitist fanclub sites:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Kiigazm
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/kazm
Not Strictly Dubstep: http://www.notstrictlydubstep.com

My First Blog Post!

Whats up everyone!
First off, let me assure you all that I'm not a 'blogger'... This is officially the FIRST blog post I've ever made. And already I feel violated...

Anyways, I've made this blog to showcase up and coming artists, as well as known artists in the electronic music world. You'll be able to find freebie downloads, Interviews, and more.
This blog will also be to showcase the skills of contest winners and other talented members of Not Strictly Dubstep.

If you are unfamiliar with Not Strictly Dubstep, Check it out today! There's contests, resources and more for producers who are learning, or just want to challenge themselves to become better at their trade. All contests are free to enter, and we try to offer some unique and fun prizes.
Join us on NSD today! www.notstrictlydubstep.com

Follow this blog so you can keep up with some unique and awesome music!
Bigup