Live DNB has always gotten mixed reviews. While some artists, like Paradox and Amit, can truly bring the same fury of their released music doing Live PAs, some fans get confused with acts like "Planet Pendulum" making arena-rock DNB, or Reprazent's jazz fusion sets. As of late, especially with the Jungle Drummer's live sets with dope DJs (he's recently been touring with DJ FU), the idea of a truly gifted DNB drummer has been intriguing hardcore fans. KJ Sawka is the new breed of Jungle Drumming: Seattle, Washington bred, he is a musician that took his gift with the sticks, added his growing love of DNB and Electronic music, and fused them together to further blend the two styles of playing. He has released an album, and is currently working on a new collection of dancefloor-ready tracks, and is on the verge of exploding on the DNB scene worldwide. Dude even has performed with Blake Lewis (yes, that Blake) before, and has him on his new album! We shot the ish with KJ on many topics: his evolution, his production, and the new opportunities he has been affored (London Elektricity? Bassdrive Radio show? new album? Tour?)... get ready!khal: First things first: how does it feel to be garnering so much publicity over the ‘Net? It seems like word of mouth has lead to things moving in a pretty fast direction for you in the last couple of years. Does it ever feel surreal?
KJ Sawka: You know, it feels great!! I've been producing and playing music for a long time. I've been striving to be an international artist for a long time.. It feels more deserved than surreal. I am very, very grateful though. No head here :) but I've known in my heart that there really are people out there that want to see and hear my music... And love it!!
khal: I know you’ve been involved in music for a while. Can you talk a bit about your progression? When did you start drumming, when did you start working in bands, your first flirtations with DNB, etc.?
KJ Sawka: I started playing drums at age 11. Playing jazz, rock, and funk. All the basics around at that time. I started teaching drums to my friends right off the bat, so that helped my progression a lot. Along with practicing 8-10 hours a day, everyday. Total nerd!! I was in bands all through high school.. Then, 18 years old, just out of high school, I heard dnb and breakbeat music.
LTJ Bukem,
Crystal Method,
Chemical Brothers. They blew my mind!! I never wanted to listen or play anything else again that I'd played before. I was hooked on electronic music!! I wanted to create what I heard on the drums. And at the same time I bought some drum machines and started programming and playing keys.
khal: OK so now you hear DNB, and you spend time honing your style to, for lack of a better term, recreate DNB-style breaks live. How long did it take for your style to catch on? Did you ever encounter someone who said “you can’t do it”?
KJ Sawka: It didn't take very long for it to catch on. I had some songs and started a band called
94th Street. Which was the name of the street I lived on at the time. I teamed up with my long time guitar mate
TJ Berry and roommate sax player
Alex Zimmerman. We came out with a big bang in Seattle. Bringing 200+ kids out to every show. The dnb and breaks live drumming styles caught on quick!! I played many Seattle "Loft Parties" and they launched me even further into the professional music scene. My style was catching on so quick, that at one of the first shows I had ever played in Seattle,
Michael Shrieve (drummer of
Santana) asked me for drum lessons...
khal: In one of
the first videos I saw of you on YouTube, you are not just playing the drums,
but you have samplers going, and you seem to be doing like 5 things at once at times. Can you break down your set up? How long did it take you to create the kit that you are using now, and how long did it take to start implementing the samplers and effects and such? Also, is your setup still evolving?
KJ Sawka: My setup is always evolving. Since I started playing breakbeats, I also started programming beats and playing with effects and keyboards. My bedroom started looking live a music store. Yes, I usually do like 4-8 things at the same time. If drumming wasn't already 4 things by itself. I used to have a drum kit , drum pads connected to a sampler with tons of effects. Now it's more laptop based. - Currently I have a all odd size drums with a Mac Powerbook running
Ableton Live, Reactor, Battery,
Pro Tools, etc. A mixer, trigger finger laptop controller,
Korg sampler, drum pads/ brain, audio/midi I/O,
Kaoss pad, Akai filter, gate unit, Electrix MoFx and many other varieties constantly changing it up...
khal: Now, while some might just be hearing about you today, you’ve been bubbling in the US jungle/DNB scene for a few years. I know you’ve opened for LTJ Bukem, and played the country over a few times over. What point did you start to realize that your style was catching on, and people were truly starting to not just take notice, but be genuinely impressed with your work?
KJ Sawka: Everyone has been really impressed with the drumming aspect since the beginning but the online videos have taken it to a whole nether level. Getting my debut album signed to a real record label has helped in a huge way, not just as a drummer but as a producer as well.
khal: You’ve put out one CD,
Synchronized Decompression, and I notice that the styles on that aren’t exactly like your live sets, meaning its not all LIVE DRUMS LIVE DRUMS, but a mixture of the programmed beats and other effects. What do you think is more important: wowing crowds with your dazzling skills in a live setting, or crafting creative tracks on your released output?
KJ Sawka: Well, I see it as sort of two entities. I love playing the drums live, so that is what I do live. But I love electronic music too. And electronic music doesn't have live drums in it all the time. I tried playing the electronic drum samples live without the acoustic drums and there wasn't the same impact as the live acoustic drums. There were big ups and big downs in the sets. When I played electronic drums, it was sort of mellow and when I played acoustic drums it was 'off the hook'... So I've been enjoying playing 'off the hook' shows last few years... haha... As far as the album goes. I want people to get just a small sense of the live show and mainly be able to sit back and enjoy a nice studio album of electronic music.
khal: Word is that you’ve also got a show on BassDrive radio. In listening to
the archives, I see that you not only employ the live style you’ve been known for, but you also throw in things like
DJ Shadow’s “Six Days”, as well as other familiar tracks. How does this show come about: is it essentially your live performances condensed, or are you actually mixing?
KJ Sawka: Yes, I have a once a month Bassdrive show, the first Monday of every month 6-7 central time US. I have been remixing some of my favorite dnb tunes in my live sets for a couple years now. DJ Shadow's "Six Days" is my own remix, called "Six Day War", off
the original Colonel Bagshot record. People want me to release it, maybe I will soon? The Bassdrive show was all live, not unlike other live shows. I put tracks into my Ableton Live session and remix them on the fly. It is definitely like mixing records but way different... It has a similar sounding result. My live show has many different aspects of "on the fly" and pre-recorded material. I separate my tracks into bass, keys, vocal, drum loops, samples, etc. and trigger, tweak, effect, loop and remix them all at one time. And play the acoustic drums.
khal: As stated before, you got into DNB through hearing a track of LTJ Bukem’s. While he is definitely a figurehead in the scene, he is not as prominent of a name as he once was. Do you still keep up with current DNB, and if so, who are you feeling these days?
KJ Sawka: Yeah definitely, LTJ was an eye opener and I try to keep up... I listen to and am
influenced by
Human Imprint recordings,
Hospital,
Renegade,
Outbreak,
EZ Rollers,
Moonshine,
Noisia,
Roni Size,
Black Sun Empire,
Spor,
Evol Intent,
London Electricity,
Venetian Snares,
Amon Tobin,
Boards of Canada,
Royksopp.
khal: I heard a rumor that you might be doing some work with London Elektricity? Are you able to discuss this at all?
KJ Sawka: Well, we have some recording dates with him in July when I'm in the UK. Who knows what is going to come out of it though. It should be good I feel.
khal: One thing I HAVE to ask: when it comes to playing DNB live, it’s still in its infancy in terms of producers segueing to recreating their music live. LE does it,
Pendulum has their “
Planet Pendulum” sound coming, and a few other acts have really pushed their sound, but in terms of in demand drummers, it seems like the only guy on the scene has been The Jungle Drummer. Do you feel any competition with him in terms of “jungle drumming superiority”? Would you ever be game for a “drum off” style battle with him?
KJ Sawka: I would definitely be into a drum battle any day!! haha .. But there are a few hand fulls of drummers that do DNB that I'm aware of. Just not to many doing the full on DNB/DJ type sound. I am aware of drummers who can do many things I cannot but I haven't seen any drummers take the performance to a "DJ style" type thing yet... I love making people dance even more then wowing people.
khal: I hear that your next album will be going away from the more “moody” styles of
Synchronized Decompression. What steps are you taking to ensure that your new disc will be full of more “club-ready” tracks? Who are you working with to accomplish this – any new players come into the fold?
KJ Sawka: I produced the album myself. I really want to be known as a producer as well as a drummer... Preferably a producer. I still have a long way to go but I feel that the tracks will slay the dance floor. I also want to convey a moody style, for I'm a moody guy. I like to think of my music as Heaven meets Hell, Yin and Yang, Darkness vs. Light. I've been doing live-PA sets, mainly "breaks" and it's been going off!! Very similar to playing the drums live. So I know I'm doing something right.
khal: You’ve linked up with
Cyber Groove for your promotions and management. What was your situation like before, and what are the pros of linking up with a company like Cyber Groove?
KJ Sawka: Yes, Cyber Groove contacted me after seeing my YouTube videos and my website. They are booking and promoting me. I am currently managed by Interface Management out of Seattle. I've been with Interface for a few years. The pros of linking up with Cyber Groove are that they are very submerged into DNB and Electronic music, which is perfect for what I'm doing. Interface Management is more broad genre music management and booking company.
khal: Do you have tour dates, and if so, where can fans find you in the coming months?
KJ Sawka: Yes, I have many tour dates coming up - Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Toronto, NYC, London, UK, LA etc, etc ..
I post most current tour dates on
my MySpace website, as well as on
KJSawka.com.
khal: Do you have any final words/shout outs to give to the people?
KJ Sawka: Yes, I'd like to thank Cyber Groove Productions, Interface Management, Wax Orchard Records, Grapevinez International,
Demo,
Zacharia,
The Dowes and all the Seattle DNB crews, My singers -
Christa Wells and
Emilia Sosa. And all the people out there - get ready cause the KJ Sawka ship has landed and it's motha f *kin' bullet proof!!!
So at the temp. gig I picked up, I had some breaktime and, since I am allowed to surf the web whilst on breaks and lunch (bonus!), I decided to clean up 
