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[rock the dub Interview]: FRISKe


Becoming a part of a collective works wonders for your status. One day, FRISKe was just another kid in his bedroom, checking out beats and perfecting his DJing... fast forward to 2005, and he scores an unlikely underground hit with "Troublesome", which was featured on the sampler to the Renegade Hardware LP, Apocalypse, which showcased his Horsemen bredren flexing their muscles and trying to save the world. That album lead to a bit of critical praise, and not only has FRISKe been featured on the sampler to the next Horsemen album, Revelations, with "Da Shinin'" but he has a tune entitled "Villians" with Perpetuum that has been getting rinsed by plenty of heads for a bit now. With his tracks being featured on the Carpe Diem album, as well as forthcoming bits on 13 Music, FRISKe is set to take the DnB world by storm with his infectious beats and dark tones. Catch him at the forefront of his career, speaking on the industry, his background and other points of interest.

khal: EZ FRISKe, what's going on? Now you're one of the latest additions to Loxy & Ink's Horsemen crew. How exactly did you link up with those guys?

FRISKe: Yo. Well, I've known Ink for a few years now; I'd say it's been about 2 years since they brought me in. I'd been passing Loxy some tunes which he was feelin', 1 of which was "Troublesome", and its been official since then.

khal: I see that, while you may be new to the scene as a whole, you've actually started producing and DJing at a young age. Can you talk a little bit about how you got into electronic music as a whole, and how that evolved to you getting signed to a big DnB label?

FRISKe: Yeah, I've been into this music since I was 13; I've been making music since about age 11. It was probably around 93/94 when I listened to hardcore for the first time, from an old tape my sister had. I then started DJing a couple of years later, and at age 21 I was doing a weekly show on Kool FM London. That's when I started to take things seriously and got into producing properly: did the usual route of sending out demos and that to various labels. Then I met Ink a few years ago and passed him a CD and been in contact ever since. Over the next year or so I was sending quite a few tunes over to Loxy and Ink which they was feeling and was brought in.

khal: While some might see that your catalogue is smaller than others, there's no denying that the tunes you've gotten released so far are on some big releases. When you were making tracks like "Troublesome" and "Shattered", were you creating them for those albums, or did those tunes just happen to get snapped up for those releases?

FRISKe: There was no plan really. I'd been passing Loxy various tunes, and "Troublesome" was picked for the first Horsemen LP, Apocalypse. "Shattered" was a thing Gremlinz had started, which was basically just a loop. I passed through and we rolled it out, sent it to Clayton and the next day it was signed.

khal: With such a large squad of producers, how does it feel being in a collective like the Horsemen? Do you guys chat regularly about your plans/releases/etc? How often do you guys collaborate on tracks together?

FRISKe: Yeh, it's a daily thing, you know. Always on the case, as far as collabs, I've recently finished a new thing with Perpetuum, and currently I am working on new material with Aspect and The Fix.

khal: I get the impression, from talking with Perpetuum and seeing your crew's span, that you guys are on a mission to educate and inject something new and different into the scene. How do you feel about the current state of the DnB scene, where many believe that people are producing beautiful turds, as opposed to great tunes?

FRISKe: Well, personally, I'm not really feeling a lot of what's considered popular right now. I feel us mans are definately filling a gap that was left in the scene a few years back, and brining something new to the table. Saying that, there are some serious tunes around at the moment.

khal: Take us into FRISKe's studio: what kind of software/hardware are you working with? Also, how does your creative process start? Are you sitting down with ideas already mapped out, or do you just start freestyling until something works?

FRISKe: I got a pretty basic set up. I aint really a gear head, its all about samples, vibes and ideas, for me. It ain't what you use, it's what you do with it. But anyway, equipment wise, PC based, Yamaha monitors, various VSTs, Waves Platinum and about a million samples which I've collected over the last 5/6 years. Writing a tune, it depends really. I ain't really got no formula. Sometimes I'll get some mad ideas and have the tune already mapped out somewhat, and other times, I'll just be playing around with samples and the inspiration comes from there.

khal: Based on the info on your MySpace page, you have a gang of collaborations coming in the near future. Do you prefer working by yourself or with others? Are there any pros/cons to working either way?

FRISKe: It depends really; some tunes I'll be working on just roll out. Others not so easily. That's when it's a good time to bring someone in on it. There's not many cons really. Most of my collabs are with Horsemen so were all relatively on the same page when it comes to the sound we want.

khal: There is also talk of you branching out into production for other realms (TV, radio, movies, etc.); can you shed some light on those excursions?

FRISKe: Yeah, I've done a bit of work for NBC in the States, making music for thier adverts and commericals and that. It's really just a goal of mine right now, you know just to keep it moving, opening doors and that.

khal: Concrete Jungle is the name of your soon-to-be imprint. What is your focus and plan with that label? Will you solely be dropping your own tunes on there, or will others be able to submit tunes to you?

FRISKe: It's basically gonna be a outlet for myself and other Horsemen tunes. I'm still working out distro so it's really at the very beginning stages still.

khal: Do you do any DJ gigs? I read you were given opportunities to represent on Kool FM… do you still touch down on radio stations like that? What would your current play list of tracks look like?

FRISKe: Kool was a good learning experience for me, I did the graveyard shift as most do when they start out. But it was good inspiration for me to take things further and is really what motivated me to get into production. I still got friends at Kool so I will be passing thru the studio again sometime in the near future. My current playlist consists of Horsemen LP, of course, various tunes from Gremlinz, The Fix, Spirit, Aspect, Manifest, Verb, Loxy and myself, Paradox, Hive, and also my EP, "Concrete Jungle EP", which is forthcoming on 13 Music.

khal: Could you give the masses a sense of what tunes you have lined up for the near future, and where they can hear these tracks?

FRISKe: Horsemen LP Sampler, LP and CD are all about to drop on Hardware all within the next couple of months, I am featured on all 3 parts, with "Da Shinin'", "Villains" with Perpetuum and "The Cypher". My debut EP "Concrete Jungle" will be dropping in the next couple of months on 13 Music. Plus more which are still TBC at the moment. You can hear these tracks at myspace.com/friskesmokeghost which is updated weekly.

khal: Where would you like to see your career as an artist go in the next 5 or so years?

FRISKe: I'd like to see myself running my own label, and take it to the next level.

khal: Do you have any shouts and/or final thoughts you'd like to kick before this interview ends?

FRISKe: Definetely. Got to big up Loxy and Ink everytime and all the Horsemen soldiers. Also big shouts to Clayton and Ollie @ Hardware, Dave @ 13 Music, Protocol, Krayz and all the kru @ Kool, and everyone who knows me and supports me, ressspect.

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