Skope has been smashing it for the last year since the release of his Razor Beam EP on Adapted records. On the day the new Casino EP is released on Caliber, here's an interview with the 5x UK Glitch Hop Awards Poll nominee...
Please introduce yourself....
My name is Alex AKA Skope from the UK in a small village near Reading.
How would you describe your style of music?
I try to write my music based on samples as much of possible to capture the same sort of sound as the hip hop i love to listen too. I like to blend this style of sampling with the modern production of loud drums and distorted basses.
You've got such a chunky bass sound, how on earth did you arrive at that?
A lot of experimentation basically. I like lots of distortion and filtering in different combinations but tend to experiment with any plugin at my disposal to try and keep developing new sounds and textures.
What first turned you onto this style of music? Any particular artists or tracks?
I’ve been listening to hip hop and funk for years before I properly discovered electronic music, at which point I really began to love the filthy side of things. But it wasn't until I heard Koan Sound’s "Mr Brown" that I tried putting the two together.
Then I discovered the works of Caliber Music and Adapted Records with artists like Kursa and Mako about 1 and a half years ago and started to think I could maybe do this neuro bass stuff if I put my mind to it.
What kit do you use?
I pretty much work in the box except for my Kaos pad which I love for adding some little fx towards the end of my projects. Just got some new adam a7x speakers which are amazing as well. Inside the box it is mainly Logic and a bit of Ableton. I like them both for different reasons and having the two helps me break through writers block and offers many more creative opportunities.
Plugins I like and use all the time are izotope, fabfilter, sonnox, waves, camel audio and native instruments. I also use a lot of addictive drummer to create my own drums without using samples.
What's the weirdest thing anyone's ever said about your music?
I’m sure there have been some silly comments on youtube, although I can’t remember any particular gems.
You've just got back from an Aussie tour (you lucky bastard!) how was it?
Amazing, great people, great parties and great weather. Can’t wait to get back out there!
What's the craziest gig you've ever played?
That would have to be Deliverance Festival in Australia. It was in the mountains surrounded by a kangaroo reservation. I was camping in a little meadow of mint and at one point during the festival a couple of ponies galloped through the dance floor much to my amazement!
Where do you like to play the most?
I really enjoyed playing at the festival, something about the outdoors which gives a great atmosphere, especially with a great sound system.
Who's inspiring you most at the moment?
I have two types of inspiration, in the sound design side of things Mefjus, Neosignal and Disprove are top notch at the moment.
When it comes to music I’m listening to lots of weird random music from the 70s and earlier, no particular artists but I love the crusty sound of an old record and I love finding rare little musical gems.
Who are you looking out for in 2013?
I think Haywyre is going to blow up even more next year, he definitely deserves it.
Disprove is another one to watch as well as Mefjus. Also I think Soma is highly underrated, all his work is great and he deserves to get a lot more recognition this year. Almost forgot MoodyGood as well. 16bit have been sorely missed so really excited to hear some new stuff from one half of my old favorite artist.
You've got a heavy new EP just about to drop on Caliber. It feels brassy. How would you say it's a development from your previous output?
There is a bit more variation on this EP I think. I got the chance to play with dubstep a bit more again which was a lot of fun. I put a lot more time into the little details that polish the music off so hopefully they sound more full and energetic.
What's your next project in the pipeline?
There are quite a few of different things in the pipeline actually. I have been making a lot more stuff with a bit more of a moody vibe than the funk I’ve been releasing lately. I have another EP with Adapted coming around spring hopefully. An EP with Disprove which has been a lot of fun to write. Some remixes for adapted for AU5 and Aberto. Collaborations with Mr Bill, Haywyre, Kursa and Stickybuds are all in progress too which are all pretty exciting as they are some of my favorite artists in the scene. Very busy at the moment to say the least!
Where are you looking forward to playing next?
I have a gig in Cornwall through the Glitch Shop guys which should be really fun. The wheels are in motion for a Canada tour as well which I’m pretty excited for too. Should hopefully be showing my face at a few festivals too. Already locked things in for
Noisily this summer. Looks to be a busy year all round!
