Deep within the wave of new and emerging drum and bass artists who are trying to be the next rollers king, are the few who have a taste for the deeper and soulful side of the genre. The recently-surfaced artist OB comes to mind here, and he has a natural talent for writing drum and bass tracks with sweeping harmonious pads and vocal samples.
After hearing OB's recent releases on Sub:stance and Monk Audio, we caught up with him to get an insight into his craft and musical influences…
First things first, who is OB?
I’m a 20-year-old DJ and producer from North London but I’m currently based in Brighton where I’m studying Economics at Sussex University.
What got you into drum and bass?
I was originally introduced to dance music through Pendulum and The Prodigy but then ended up discovering mainly dancefloor drum and bass during my teen years through UKF’s Youtube channel. I then found myself really getting into it after discovering artists like Lenzman, Alix perez, Ivy Lab, Break, FD, and Ulterior Motive, Lenzman’s mixes like The Dope Tape, The Soul Tape plus his Bukem in Session mix. I was also enjoying the grittier side of the genre from attending a few squat raves, Playaz nights and Next Hype events which were all wicked but overall, I’ve found the dark, soulful, techy and jungle inspired side of Drum and Bass is where I’d say my heart lies.
Did you have any endeavours in music before you started producing?
Yeah! I started playing the piano when I was quite young and also picked up the Guitar and Bass guitar from around the age of 10 as I was heavily into 70’s music, which I still enjoy. I then started mixing at around the age of 17 and got myself some decks after messing about on one of those DJ apps with some mates in the smoking area at college. It was about 7 months after that when I decided I wanted to have a go at making my own beats.
It’s clear you spend time getting your mixdowns right. How did you learn to produce? In your experience, what was the most effective method of learning music production?
That’s nice to hear as I used to struggle woefully with them! I pretty much taught myself to produce using Youtube videos and general trial and error over the past couple years, especially with sound design. Before I left for University in 2018 I did however get the chance to sit down every so often with my pal Gray, a fellow North Londoner who’s smashing it and getting everything he deserves right now. He was very helpful when it came to learning some of the basics and navigating Ableton when I was just getting started plus a couple of other tricks and bits of advice here and there so big ups to him every time! I also have a small circle of people around me who I’m lucky to be able to turn to for feedback and pointers.
In terms of the most effective method of learning, I’d say learning the basics, understanding your DAW and stock plugins, learning your main synth inside out and figuring out your workflow are really important as the sooner you do that, the sooner you can quickly translate your ideas into reality. I personally spent a lot of time last year working on the technical side and mixing but it got to a point where I was overcomplicating it for myself and it came at the expense of the vibe. So recently I have been focusing much more on ideas, being creative but also keeping some things simple and I’m happy to say it has been working really well for me. I do enjoy the technical side of production a lot still and I’m always trying to learn new stuff.
How did you hook up with Monk Audio? What was the timeframe between starting production and your first release with them?
So, Rob and Jack over at Monk picked me up in the middle of 2018 through Lengoland I believe. Off the back of that I was sending them music and then linked up with them at one of the Coded events Rob was playing at. This was very early on in my journey and they really stuck with me and helped me grow as an artist by constantly giving me helpful feedback and advice which I’m very grateful for. I released a free download with them after a year of producing but my first proper release came just after 18 months of producing once we all felt the tunes were ready.
Misguided has a very smooth rolling flow to it. do you find it easier writing drums or bassline elements in your tracks?
Cheers! I’d say I find it a little easier to create drums personally. They are the starting point for me when making a track and then often the bass will be written. Once I have a basic idea and vibe down, I’ll add more percussive elements and variations of the bassline and then build the rest of the track around that. There are also times when the bassline may come much later as I build the track around a sample or pad that I’m feeling, so It all depends.
How would you describe your selection and playing style as a DJ?
I’d say I focus a lot on selection and trying to build a vibe nowadays, I use a combination of long blends and quick mixing to do this. I sometimes find it difficult to fit the different styles I want to play at the same time as keeping some continuity within a mix but it always works out fine. When playing out I always find it important to read the crowd and make sure what I play is going down well. I am hoping for this style to become more visible this year through sets and mixes as well as my own productions.
What has been your experience playing out in Brighton? Has it been different to London?
In all honesty I don’t have a lot of experience playing out down in Brighton! My first set at Volks was down here for a Monk Audio night and I was given the opportunity after that to cut my teeth playing some room 2’s thanks to Arcane which was really good fun. However, I started to do less of these as I was spending more time focusing on staying in and working on my production which feels like it is starting to pay off. I’d say the difference between the two is that Brighton has Volks which is such a unique place to play as well as rave because it has such character as a small venue. I love the place! The places that have really given me the bug for playing out I’d say are Guildford, Nottingham and Leeds especially where I got to perform before Etherwood and Urbandawn.
Back to the music. You’re locked in a broken elevator for an hour and the operator has kindly agreed to play some music through the intercom until its repaired. What 3 tracks (in any genre) are you requesting and why?
Tough one this! I’d probably go with “Echoes” by Pink Floyd because it’s 23 minutes long and it is a great piece of music. Then I’d go with Ice Cold Soul VIP by Lenzman as it was one of the first Liquid tracks I listened to on repeat when I was about 15. Finally, I’d choose a track by The Four Owls called Not Like Before as it’s one of my favourite UK rap tunes.
What have you got in store for us this year?
Currently working on my debut EP, plus another potential release I’m keeping quiet on for now. Next show is the Monk Audio night in Guildford on April 24th.
Soundcloud - ob-dnb
Instagram - obdmn_uk
Facebook - OBdrumandbass
Photography - Encrypted Sound / Jungle Mania UK
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