December
14
For this installation of our ongoing Bass Music Blog featurette, we've got Canadian Mike David, aka Bombaman, in the mix. He's been actively grinding out tracks from his home studio and getting noticed internationally. With his unique style, this Toronto resident has seduced some big artists like Crookers, Rusko, and Diplo to name a few. And why shouldn't he? He's got a load of tracks and remixes on labels like
Lo Dubs,
Electrostimulation,
Aufect,
ESP, and
Dim Mak. He has a slew of upcoming remixes of artists ranging from DZ, to Manchester's Numan, to Nonewyork, and Thunderheist. Currently he has one of his own tracks scheduled for imminent release titled: "One of Everything" on Aufect records. It's no wonder his name is indelibly marked on the tips of people's tongues when discussing this new wave of bass music coming from North America.
Sidenote: You used to go by Matt Carl. Why the name change? Why Bombaman?
Bombaman: I have always kind of used the two names, interchangeably, but the more I got into production, the more I started using JUST Bombaman. That, and I hate trying to explain the whole Matt Carl thing.
S: So why Bombaman?
B: I spent A LOT of time playing that video game, Bomberman, especially when XI and myself lived together. We'd work on tunes, one guy on the production computer, the other guy on the super nintendo computer. I think, at the time Magnetic Man had just come about, it was kind of a goof on that...
S: Hah, you ever sample the game? Bomb blasts, dying sounds, etc?
B: Nah, though I have gone on a mad hunt to find a sample in the game that says "Bomberman" to use in a track, but to no avail...
S: You and XI are basically like the dynamic duo (not sayin' either of you are the sidekick), but how did you two meet? What happened to your collaborative project as Loetech?
B: We met many moons ago, through a mutual friend when we were both heavy into DnB. Around the same time, we both started getting out of dnb and started making really weird, experimental kinda stuff, mostly getting our feet wet in ableton. That would have been about 3 or 4 years ago. Since then, we've been attached at the asshole, doing radio shows together, making tunes, playing live and what have you. What happened to loetech? Well, we both started doing different things. He went and did deeper stuff, and I kept playing harder, noisier stuff. NOW we are on separate sides of the pond for sure. He does hip hoppy things, I do housey things. Every now and then we come together to merge the two styles, but not too often these days. We're both pretty busy with our individual stuff, remixes and the like.
S: You say "housey", but I'm sure there's a million sub-genres we could categorize the sound you're making now. In your own words tho, what would you call the stuff you produce?
B: Ahh fuckkkkk, I have no idea. It's 140 bpm. Sort of dubsteppy, but sort of housey. I don't want to call it housestep, cuz that sounds retarded. I'd say it's just some heavy bass shit, you know?
S: These days, I think calling music "whatever"-step sounds stupid. Whats the most ridiculous pairing with "step" you've heard recently?
B: BROstep, FACK OFFFFFFFFFFFF. God almighty, stupidest thing I have ever heard. Who cares how hard the music is? It's still dubstep.
S: Ok, I was trying to think up a question concerning brostep, but I think thats a whole can of worms (an expression I don't think I've ever used before) I don't want to get into.
I.D. : The North American scene in general seems to be really popping at the minute with artists like you, XI, Starkey, DJG, Jus Wan, Noah D, DZ and so on. So yeah, how'd that all happen and what do you reckon will happen next?
B: How did it all happen? Shit, the internet, that's how. Seriously, I don't really know. The internet has played an ENORMOUS role in getting mine and XI's name out there, that's for sure. Without it, we'd still be trying to mail out cd's, waiting forever for responses. These days it's instant, which, in my opinion, is awesome for quality control. What's going to happen next? No idea, really, but it seems North America is 100% holding it's own. With the artists mentioned, as well as guys like 12th Planet and Joe Nice championing the sound like mad all over the world, playing a lot of North American stuff, I think it's all just gonna be "dubstep"...region won't matter. Guys like Skream and Plastician are loving up the North Americans atm, so i think the ball is already rolling.
S: The mix you've done for us is all your own tracks. This doesn't give me any idea to the other artists you're into at the moment. Any specific tracks you can't stop listening to? Any mixes that keep popping into your playlist?
B: At the moment, I listen to this mix Crookers did live in Paris from September, I think it is. SOOO many good tunes in that mix. Been listening to a lot of Laidback Lukes radio show on Club FG or whatever it's called. I try and grab whatever Rinse podcasts they make available, like Skream's and the Dub Police show. They are the guys playing the kind of dubstep I am into. As far as tracks are concerned, 12th Planet is at the top of my playlist next to DZ and XI. And again, Crookers material always makes it in to my live sets. My tunes are heavily influenced by what others are doing. I like specific things about certain tunes, and just kind of jack the ideas and make it my own. This usually spawns from me knowing I will never get the tune(s) so I just have a go at it on my own.
S: ok, also, before we wrap this up, there this never ending thread on TJ.com (torontojungle.com), "An Interview with Mike D (NSFW est 1841)". Do you think linking that thread would be a good supplement to this interview?
B: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! ummmmmmmmmmm, maybe, lol, it's a pretty good representation of what me and xi are all about, that's for sure :D
[XI interviewing Bombaman - NSFW]
Tracklist:
01. Bombaman - Tag
02. Umek - Posing as me (Bombaman Re-edit)
03. Solvent - Think Like us (Bombaman Remix)
04. Bombaman - Skivvies in Your Bed
05. Bombaman - Flower People
06. Bombaman - Fat Camp
07. Numan - Skull Crusher (Bombaman Remix)
08. Asher Roth - I Love College (Bombaman vs. Lifeafter1984 Remix)
09. Bakir & Dubsworth - Soul Job (Bombaman Remix)
10. J Courage - Chicago (Bombaman Remix)
11. Darling Farah - Floaters (Bombaman Remix)
12. Enur & Natasja - Calabria (Bombaman Remix)
13. Bombaman - Exia VIP
14. The Veronicas - Take me on The Floor (Bombaman Remix)
15. DZ - Down (Bombaman Remix)
16. Nonewyork - Dead (Bombaman Remix)
17. Bombaman - Voice Box
18. Diplo & Laidback Luke - Hey! (Bombaman Remix)
19. Thunderheist - LBG (Bombaman Remix)
20. Bombaman & Steve Gerard - Increasingly Obvious
21. Hired Goons - Herbert
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