Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Interesting interview with bass heavy weight COTTI (UK)

Cotti - Producer, DJ, and MC - has been shredding dance floors since the very early ages of bass music and is definitely one of our favourite Selectas in the scene. Dont bother listening if you don't have a sub.

  
Interview:

1)    What’s your main music influences?
         
I would say that other good music is a massive influence in one sense plus the fact that music just seems to flow so natural with me and where I spend alot of time, in the studio, I can just fling ideas down casually which really helps if know what I mean.

2)      How did you get into the dubstep scene?
         
Well I started around 2005 when I first met Dj Chef and Loefah(DMZ). Chef was the first main DJ to really support my music and at the time I was making alot of Grime which was quite big in London at the time and kinda fitted with the Dubstep sound to a certain extent. I continued to make beats and pass the music on to the likes of Skream, Benga, Mala, Pinch, Kode 9 etc who all supported my music back then.


3)      At what age did you start producing?

I first started producing when I was around 19 years old but was Mc'in before that, my dad is a musician so I got him to show me Cubase and I was away from there to be honest.


4)      There's been a lot of talk about the evolution of dubstep and what it's doing to the genre... So what are your views on the evolution?

Bro if asking “do I like the noisy stuff” then generally NO I don’t, although there are a few of the Harder tunes I can appreciate, the scene does seem to be going in one direction at the moment but I honestly believe it will pass and people will actually get back into real music so to speak.

I believe that things will come back around in dubstep once people educate them selves rather that following the masses.

5)      Tell us more about your MCing.

Bro I’m down with the vocal side of things as well as the production & engineering and all the rest of it :D

I cant lie bro, when I make a tune I really love, most of the time ill sit there and just make up some lyrics or vocals to match which means I do end up vocalling alot of my own material as you can see on the Dubstep Album I just released on iTunes in April, I have quite a few vocals on there, with tracks like "Mash a set" & "Skankers" ft CrazyD.

Cotti
6)      Is there anything special that you are working on at the moment?

Yes, I am working on 2 other Albums as we speak, both will also be released on my label via iTunes, 1st is another Dubstep comp ft Producers from SumtingNew As Well as others Like Quest, Silkie, El-b just to name a few. The other is another Album but it will be of mixed Genre ie Dubstep, Grime, HipHop, Reggea, House, etc so keep your eyes peeled for those later this year hopefully.

7)      Was it tough for you to break through into the music scene?

Yes it was very tough, I spent years putting work into music from around 2000/2001 but it was only around 2004 I started to see any benefits if u know what I mean, alot of the time though its more to do with being in the right place at the right time and obviously being a good producer.

8)      Career wise, where do you see yourself when you’re older? And what do you do besides making music?

Well I’ll like to retire in Jamaica with my family and still run my Label's "SumtingNew" & "Bassface". I’d like to hopefully set up another business out there and include my family. Besides making music I’m a father which takes up alot of time now...erm I don’t watch TV hardly at all unless I get a new movie lol tbh I spend ALOT of time making music or running the label, my close friend said to me the other day "Wow Cotti every time I come to check you, you got lots of new tracks, all vocalled and everything" lol

9)      I know you have worked with the likes of Cluekid and Coki - and that’s just to name a few - but out of all the Producers and DJ's you’ve worked with, who did you get along with best and who did you most of all enjoy working with?

Errrm Im not to sure tbh, it was good experience working with Coki, Cluekid & Kromestar but over the last year I have been working alot with Crazy D who I get on very well with, a lot of people don’t even realise that he produces but we have a co production out right now on iTunes track entitled "Believe me not" ft in Mrk1 Ibiza Mix which is getting alot of love right now.

10)      Dubstep is getting very big in South Africa, do you see yourself coming to Cape Town and playing anytime soon?

Man I’d love to travel to Africa to share my music, probably more than any other country, if any promoters are reading this then please book me lol. Africa is one place I have not been to yet but would really love to. 

11) Latest stuff to look out for?

Recently I have landed a show every Sunday 5-7pm(GMT) on Sub.fm which im doing along with Dj Enme & Dj Raggs who are both part of SumtingNew plus the rest of the camp will be appearing on rotation so that we all get chance to show what we’re made of. 

Also you can find the "SumtingNew Dubstep Album" is out now on iTunes as well as "Teenwolf/Juggernog by me & Coki which  is on 12" and digital platforms.

Last but not least SumtingNew have started to put on our own Dubstep nights in London & Uk, the second edition will feature Myself b2b Chef, Quest(Deepmedi) El-b b2b Caski not to mention SumtingNew Dj' Enme, Raggs, Euby, Standard Procedure, Substeppers & mc's CrazyD & KillaP
Free Podcast D/L