Wednesday 6 April 2011

[International Soldiers] - Bassrael on the German Dubstep Scene

Bassrael is - among other things - a leading Dubstep DJ and producer in his home nation of Germany. With his first vinyl release - Amsterdub - put on wax last year with over 350,000 views on YouTube and featured on GetDarker TV, as well as plenty of placements in compilations and a radio show on Make.TV, his name is quickly spreading through other nations. He had a word with us about his projects, his influences and the German Dubstep scene. 



What's crackin', Bassrael?
All good, mate! Winter is gone and I just got a confirmation for two major bookings this early summer at a new party I host. 


How did you get started in the German dubstep scene?
I was introduced to the sound by my friend and DJ-buddy Napalm Dread who showed me the legendary Dubstep Warz on MAH Breezblock show in 2006. When I heard Anti-War Dub I fell in love with the sound. It was my first dubstep vinyl and is still one of my favorite tracks. I listened to The Streets, Dizzie and Wiley before but actually played ElectroHouse (Ed Banger, etc) back in 2006. I slowly started to end my sets with some grime and a couple of DMZ singles. I did my first strictly-dubstep set in 2007. 

In early 2008 I started my own Livestream-show called Dubby_Terror_Show on Make.tv with my band-mate Chryzla. After my first show I got invited by Penelope from D
üsseldorf and we started a monthly party at Pretty Vacant Club. In March 2011 we had our 3rd birthday! 

In 2009 LOWmax contacted me and released one of my first Dubstep tunes on his label Biggerdubz (former Barish Rec). Since then I have released another EP on Biggerdubz, a couple of tunes on SubTek from Brighton, Amsterdub on cologne based Basspraesidium Records and three tracks on great free compilations (Subbass / Enough Dubs 2). 

Could you tell us a little bit more about it?
Nowdays you can find Dubstep in every big city in Germany, I think. Especially last year, it exploded over here. The Wobblizm party in Dortmund started with about 40 people in the crowd; on the first birthday in January 2011 more than 400 people showed up. 

I really have to say that most of the people I meet are really great guys with a lot of passion for the music. I'm just happy being a part of some kind of community that's mainly about good vibes. Even though there are a lot of younger people now who want more of the jump up stuff, I still feel comfortable at dubstep parties. I can't go to a hip-hop party any more, for example. 

What's one thing about the scene that may be unique?
There are lots of parties featuring local artists instead of booking big UK names, which seems a little different to some other countries, I guess. That gives me the opportunity to play out quite a lot.



What are your greatest influences as an artist?
I listen to a lot of different music and was happy to get a great musical education from my dad. He's got loads of records, too. 
He even sometimes DJs with me! I'm influenced by live music and jamming with fellow musicians right know. It's still the original hip-hop vibe for me: each one teach one and that sort of stuff. I really like the community feeling with dubstep, it sometimes feels like back in my hip-hop days.

We highly promote the use of vinyl at the Lab. What's your stance on 'em?
I come from a hip-hop background and started DJing & scratching in the late 90s. I've been a vinyl addict since then and buy a lot of records every month. It was one of my dreams to release a record one day and I'm really happy that it finally happened, even if we released and financed it ourself and don't make money with it. 
As a DJ I tried using CDJs one time to drop some of my tunes in 2009, but didn't like it at all. Vinyl rules, end of story. I do use Serato Scratch though for my own productions and dubs I get sent. It's still a record, though. 
At my party in D
üsseldorf with Penelope we only book strictly-vinyl-DJs, which is really getting hard apparently. 


'Amsterdub' has almost 350,000 tunes on youtube! Could you tell us about that?
I was asked by a guy called Erik to send him this tune for his YouTube channel DubstepTunez, which quite a lot of people check out, I guess. After just a month there were already more than 100,000 clicks! But only about 20-30,000 views are actually people watching the video. All the other clicks are autoplays when someone checks his channel, he explained. I didn't know that and thought there was something crazy going on ze interwebz. It is so strange because you can still buy the record. It is a very limited vinyl-only release (300 copies). I think it's very strange to have so many views but not many people actually buying the tune.

Amsterdub featured on GetDarker

What are your plans for the future?
I'm working on a new promo mix and on a live set with some instruments & turntables with my buddies Tourette and Bassador. 
There are a couple of my tunes forthcoming on Biggerdubz & Subtek and I have some plans with RKNS (Distortured) for a new party in Cologne later this year. I also will be recording an album with my band BOHAI, where i rap & scratch.



Big Ups...
Basspraesidium Crew, Penelope, LOWmAX (Biggerdubz), SubTek Rec, Bukez Finezt, rkns, DJ Foster (Sub.FM), Darkside, Dubby_Terror_Show Crew, BonnBetterKnow Crew, all the promoters & Djs who booked me and all the heads. 


FACEBOOK
SOUNDCLOUD
BLOG - BonnBetterKnow
DISCOGS


And check out Bassrael's Make.tv show here:

5 comments:

  1. Another wicked interview. Big ups.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bassrael is so chill! I've talked to him a couple of times and he's completely down to earth, even with random strangers across the world like me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. sick intervew and enjoyed the tune aswell. germanys scene is always buzzing tbh!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Big upz to Bassreal.

    If I didn't have a woman in my life, my place would look just like that top picture.

    ReplyDelete

Share some knowledge...