OLMEC Interview

Anyone tuned into their electro bass is likely to be familiar with OLMEC's glorious dance-floor filth, but he's got something a little different in store on his next EP, Motley Bass, out on WONK#AY Records 6 July 2012. Here's the man himself on making the switch down to 100bpm.

Please introduce yourself....

Hello! I'm Morgan, aka OLMEC. Music producer / office monkey /family man from Bristol UK!

How would you describe your particular style of bass music?

Mid Tempo Broken Bass Filth! It's definitely got some of that neuro sound with elements of electro and dub-step mushed into it along with everything else that inspires me. Err.. like this!

 

What first turned you onto glitch bass? Any particular artists or tracks?

I first heard Opiuo's Physical Symptoms EP (free download right here) when I was still writing Psytrance (don't laugh!) as Morganism. Around the same time I quit Psytrance and started OLMEC as an electro project I was also listening to a bit of The Glitch Mob and was loving Kraddy's release Android Porn/Steppin Razor

Some time later I heard Inspector Dubplate's FRIDAY FILTH SESSIONS EP#3. That was the OMG I have to make some music like this moment! As far as I was concerned this was just called 100bpm, I was such a noob!
 

Luckily I made friends with Oska (Kursa) through a mutual friend who helped me out and turned me on to artists like Davr, Culprate and of course Koan Sound. I'm still really new to this sound so a lot of my "seminal" tracks are still pretty new:

What's the scene like where you are?

Pretty cool! Bristol is a big music city so there's always a lot going, even if it I am in the studio/bed when it's happening :) Things are feeling pretty eclectic right now with multi-genre parties and producers trying not to be too tied to one sound. Bristol attracts people from the surrounding area (London of the South West??) and the fresh blood keeps things fresh innit!

Where do you like to play the most?

Probably the Black Swan in Bristol, it's my local club and a Bristol institution. I like dirty clubs with banging soundsystems (in-house or brought in, as long as it's quality) so if you got that I'm not fussy about where in the world the gig is :)

What's the craziest gig you've ever played?

The craziest was probably at a tiny festival where a naked dude asked me to stop breaking his brain while I was playing. Most fun/memorable with out a naked dude is a toss up between two NYE gigs. One early morning after sunrise at a squat in London with a great crowd and loads of mates around. The other, Tribe of Frog at the Lakota in Bristol. Big room full of people and a terrific soundsystem.

Who's inspiring you most at the moment?

Absolutely everyone and everything! I'm still really new to this sound and I'm always hearing something inspiring. If I have to name names, Subdue is killing it right now and I love his style, check this out:

Also Blatwax has got the multi-genre mash-up thing going on which I'm really partial to. I hope he pulls out some more glitch hop kinda stuff soon

Who are you looking out for in 2012?

Mouldy Soul has clearly got his finger on the pulse (just listen to his radio show and you'll know what I mean!). Mouldy along with Kursa are both primed for big stuff this year.

Also watch out for Dephicit who's been known to smash it down here in the South West UK:

I think more and more people are going to get turned on to the neuro side of glitch hop and this means loads of new talent to watch out for, I just don't know who they are yet. One of them could be reading this right now!!

What's your next project in the pipeline?

I've got my first release coming out on Wonk#ay Records on 6 July and I'm working on the follow up and I'm going back in the studio with Bunkle of Wonk#ay Records pretty soon which will be loads of fun. Expect some free form bass nonsense from that collaboration. The plan is to keep on writing neuroglitchbass100bpmhop and ultimately play sets of all my own tunes (which I do fairly regularly with the electro stuff).

Where are you playing over the summer?

Next up is BIG:LARGE in Bristol which I'm really looking forward to. Loads of fun with mates to the soundtrack of loads of great bass music in all its forms.