Bass Music Mix 25: Eomac / Dublin Scene Report (Pt 1)
December 28
Earlier this year I played in Dublin at a night called !Kaboogie. It was my first time playing in Ireland (as opposed to Northern Ireland) and it was really good fun - good crowd, good people, and of course, great Guiness. I was really impressed by a couple of things: firstly, it seemed as if there was a thriving independent scene over there which I didn't really know much about; and secondly, the guy on before me was wicked, playing really interesting tunes that mixed up glitch with a kind of garage shuffle, but without ever becoming overly intellectual, undanceable or retro. It's quite rare for me to be impressed by warm up DJs, but Eomac, for that was his name, did just that.
So, in intrepid BMB stylie, we made plans to 1) get Eomac to do a mix for us, and 2) interviewed Eomac and his partner in crime A-Force about the Dublin music scene. This is the last mix of 2010 and it really is a cracker - sonically interesting and very well put together, and the interviews are well worth a read too. Enjoy, and check out their split 10" here as well.
OK first things first - who are you, where are you from, and what's your musical background?
I'm a producer and DJ from Dublin, Ireland. I make tunes under the name Eomac. I help run the !Kaboogie label and clubnight, as well as various other musical projects. I've been playing music all my life, piano when I was a kid, then later DJ-ing and making electronic music, which I've been doing ever since.
Biggups for the mix - really interesting stuff! Is this similar to how you play in the dance?
Thanks! Yeah it's quite similar in that it is varied in terms of style and tempo. I like to change things up while I'm playing and bring various different types of music together and hopefully weave them into some coherent whole as a set. I''ve never been really interested in or able to put a set together at one single tempo or genre. Even when I've tried I always seem to bring something else in and go off in some other direction....
What was the thinking behind the mix? Was there a particular vibe you were trying to catch?
This mix was the first time I really tried to include a lot of my own productions. Up until now, I have been reluctant to include my own tunes in my mixes. It's only recently that I've been happy enough with my production levels that I feel comfortable including my tracks and feel confident that they'll stand up against released tracks. So I suppose this particular mix is an attempt to put my music in the context of current tunes that I've been listening to and influenced by and see how they fit.
Something that seems to tie the whole mix together is a kind of 'digital frailty' to the synths and melodies - kind of lo fi, grainy and vulnerable. Is that a fair comment, and if so, what is it that appeals to you about this kind of sound?
I think this is a fair comment. It's not something I was consciously aware of when making the mix but when you point it out I think it's quite obvious to hear. I've always been influenced by electronic music that has a strong emotional element but also has hard, gritty or funky beats that you can dance to - for example, Aphex Twin's classic tunes like 'Polynomia C', or most of the Burial stuff. It's a seductive mixture. Particularly Burial's music has a kind of vulnerability and frailty to it that I find really appealing. The music lingers with you long after you've stopped listening. This is something that I want for my own music - that immediacy in the beats and rhythms that works on a dancefloor, but with another element - a melody or sound - that sticks, that goes a bit deeper. And I think vulnerability is something that people are inherently attracted to, in art or in life, so melodies and synths that have that quality can be quite powerful, they can be beautiful and really draw you in as a listener, or indeed, dancer. The grainy-ness and lo-fi sound adds to this effect, it makes it more human, or gives it more life. Plus I'm kind of sick of overly produced, overly compressed, polished dance music. At the moment I'm looking for something with more grit and character.
The Dublin scene seems to be very fertile, what with All City, Kaboogie and the rest. Could you give us a bit of a rundown as to who's who, and what's what?
Yeah, it's a good time for the Dublin scene at the minute, a lot of diverse and original sounds about. Here's some of the main players, but there's new nights and promoters popping up all the time -
Alphabet Set - collective and label, home of T-Woc, Sarsparilla, Cignol and more, some excellent 7" releases out last year - if you're quick you might be able to nab one of the last few copies.
All City - nexus of all things hip-hop and post hip-hop for a good many years, their shop is located in Crow Street and they run a super quality label, check out this year's 10x10 LA series for some serious tunes.
!Kaboogie - collective and label, run regular club nights with old and new international artists and encourage home grown dj and producer talent through the website, gigs, and workshops, home to Redmonk, PCP, Sixfoot Apprentice and more.
Worries Outernational - run Dublin's longest running and most popular dancehall night, dubplates a-go-go.
Boy Scout Audio - new label started by Meljoann on a skwee/electronica type tip.
Standard - regular radio shows, bloggage and downloads on a grime and funky tip, home to Colz, Bob, Major Grave and more.
Ghetto Quietly - new bass music label started by Prince Kong, Bluefood and A-Force.
Second Square to None - art and music collective and label on a more experimental and noise tip, home to Ed Devane, Niamh de Barrah and more.
Audio Terrorists - long running free party and festival shenanigans crew.
Assquake - bass music parties of the booty shaking variety.
Soundtracks for Them - regular bloggage, mixes and occasional parties, home to Antrophe, Welfare and more.
Ignored Playaz - club nights on a UK Funky / bass music tip.
Stomp - up and coming club night promoting bass-y Irish electronica.
What releases do you have out at the moment, and what do you have coming up?
I only have one release out so far - a split 10" with A-Force on Ghettoquietly Records which out last September - the track is called 'Shufflesteppa.' I've got a few upcoming releases for 2011 which I'm looking forward to getting out. Some techno stuff, a remix for Ed Devane on Mantrap Records, digital releases on Invisible Agent Records and !Kaboogie and a series of 10"s on a newly minted Dublin label which I can't say too much more about yet!
What producers and artists inspire you and have influenced you as a producer and DJ?
A whole load of people! Aphex Twin has always been a huge influence and inspiration for me. His skills and also the breadth and scope of what he does - from old school rave to avant-garde electroacoustic stuff - I really find inspiring. Plus he's a banging DJ who's blown my mind a few times on the dancefloor. More recently I've been loving Zomby's tunes. The first time I heard 'Strange Fruit' I thought 'that's exactly the music I wish I could make!'. I think he's a truly gifted producer.
The mix spans a wide variety of sounds and tempos, yet hangs together really well - what do you look for in tracks?
Individuality and / or character. Either a good beat - an interesting new rhythm or maybe some original percussion - or a wicked sound or melody. If a tune has either of these I'll probably play it. If it has both, it's a keeper.
Can you tell us about your production approach - what are you working on, any interesting techniques or sample sources etc.?
I'm working on a whole bunch of tunes. I always work on a lot of tunes at once in different styles and tempos, so whatever mood I'm feeling usually matches at least one tune I'm working on. I've a pretty standard set-up: I work in Ableton Live, with a bunch of plug-ins and a MIDI controller. I think the techniques I use are all fairly standard - lots of subtle compression and side-chaining, gentle EQ-ing and automated FX. Room reverbs are something I'm getting very into. I'm very particular about the sounds I use. I trust my ears to find interesting sounds, and try not to use any that I don't really feel. I'm very critical of my own tunes. As for sample sources, if it sounds good I'll use it - samples from other tunes, sample cd's, stuff I've recorded myself - everything goes into the mix once it fits. I'm particular about the sounds I use, but not really where they come from.
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