Alley Cat - Drum and Bass Producer Interview

June 2003

Interview with Alley Cat, drum and bass producer and Skunkrock label manager.

How old are you?

I will be 30 in October. It's a good thing though I think!

How did you get into the drum and bass Scene?

I got involved in raving in the early 90s. Had to step away from it for a while and then in about 1995 I happened upon d'n'b and was instantly hooked on the music. I was such a trainspotter I hassled anyone and everyone for information on tunes. From then on I was in the shops every week checking tunes. People assumed I played even though that wasn't my intention, I just got into mixing in 1997 for fun and later that year started doing a club night. It all evolved from there. I am surprised it really went anywhere as I had terrible stage fright and zero confidence. But I guess the music drove me to keep pushing on and since 1999 I have been doing the d'n'b thing full time.

You came to London from San Francisco in 1999 why was that? It can't have been for the weather!!

San Francisco has many cloudy days so it wasn't too much of a change! I was invited to come to London to help with Skunkrock. It was a good opportunity and I didn't really know if it would develop into anything for me career-wise but luckily our name has grown over the years and I have been able to develop myself as a DJ and occasional producer as well as a label manager. Drum'n'bass wasn't as international a few years back as it is now, but I think I got involved with the label at a good time and luckily things evolved more on a global level!

How long have you been producing music?

The first proper d'n'b track I did was called "Iodine" which I co-produced with The Countamen (Skunkrock 004) which came out in 2000. Since then I have had a few co-produced tunes come out on Skunkrock and also a tune with Native Minds that dropped on Reinforced Records a couple months ago. I am just getting started though I still have a lot to learn.

What did you do before you started djing/producing music?

I have had all kinds of jobs. I managed a little movie theatre for a few years in San Francisco while I got a degree in English Literature. I had worked in the music biz doing college radio promotion. I have also worked in restaurants, done telemarketing, receptionist and admin, worked in a library, sold clothes, you name it! The year before I stopped working at a 'normal' job I worked two jobs, like 60 to 70 hours a week, at the Theatre and doing editorial for a big website, as well as DJing on the side.

I was really into electronic music in my early years, my brother is older and had all kinds of cool records which I would sneak and listen to.

Alley Cat

What are your musical influences?

My musical influences are all over the place. I was really into electronic music in my early years, my brother is older and had all kinds of cool records which I would sneak and listen to. I also played clarinet and saxophone when I was young. My background ranges from punk and ska to hip-hop and all kinds of electronic styles. I guess living in San Francisco I was able to see a lot of cool acts over the years. But I think it was stuff like Kraftwerk and New Order that really forged my love of electronic beats. I love electro the most aside from drum and bass! Some of my fave albums of all time are as follows (these are just a few):

• Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
• Michael Jackson - Thriller
• Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
• Massive Attack - Protection
• DJ Shadow - Entroducing
• Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
• Bjork - Homogenic
• Kraftwerk - Computer Love
• New Order - Substance
• Goldie - Timeless

Do you think that coming from a different country gives you a different perspective on the drum and bass scene?

Well looking back it did because we had a lot of local producers and stars that really influenced the sound in San Francisco. They were playing a lot of their own tunes and developing their own style. We had a lot of UK acts come through as well but I think when I was there I was more inspired and influenced by people like Sage and UFO! who are still doing their own thing. But I have been in the UK for four years now and I think I am just doing my own thing. I am definitely developing my own style and try not to be influenced by anyone, but of course being here and going out here I am exposed to what's doing the rounds at the moment. Lucky for me though in the last few years d'n'b has become far more of an international music, so along the way I managed to forge a small path for myself and have been decently accepted.

What is the drum and bass scene in California like?

I think the scene in California has been quite good over the years, there is a long history there, especially in LA and San Francisco. I think since 9/11 the pace of things has slowed a bit in general due to the economy, but whenever I go back and play I have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment there seems to be more club type things going on, which I prefer… whereas a few years ago there were a lot of bigger events and raves that featured loads of guest DJ's. These are fun as well but I think due to stricter laws these have slowed a bit. So when I go there I play at clubs, like Respect in LA. They have been really supportive so I have to give a big up to those guys! I also just returned from a small tour of the East Coast and Texas. I hadn't played in these areas in about 3 years so it was great to be back and get a positive response.

How long do you spend in the studio a week (on average) and what software / equipment do you use to produce your music?

Not enough! I just got a new PC so I hope to get something going here for myself but so far I have only produced with other people who have studios :)

What can we be expecting to see hitting the streets from yourself and the Skunkrock camp in the near future?

We just had the Crowd Control 2 EP drop at the end of May. The next release will be our first single from Outlook (Blues Inside/Flirt) who has been getting play from Bailey, Flight, L Double… he's a newcomer from Toronto and I really love his music. There is another track of his called "My Love" which will be released later this year with a Cyantific Remix on the flip.

What tunes do you rate that are doing the rounds drum and bass circuit at moment?

Hmmmm… hard to narrow it down. Well I think my fave producer at the moment is A Sides. I play so much of his stuff, at the moment "What U Don't Know" with MC Fats and Regina, "Keep Steppin'" with MC MC and "Follow The Groove featuring J-Eye". He's the man. I think he's the king of combining breaks, heavy bass and soulful vocals.

I just got some new bits from Spirit which have a dark side but also some very soulful elements. It just kills me how he'll add strings to a tune about 4 minutes into the track, which just pushes it up a notch for the mix. It's fantastic. Watch out for his single on Revolv:er and also new bits on his own label Inneractive!

Also I am really loving tunes from TC-1 and Stress Level who run Dispatch. Of course gotta mention Artificial Intelligence too. Everything on Metalheadz and 31 Records goes without saying….. Also really feeling The Insiders! I love their new stuff, it ranges from jazzy to funky. A big one for them is "Late Night" which I think is coming out on 31 Records!

I always play tunes from people like Digital and Klute as well. They will always be favourites of mine. Love the "Dirty Money (Remix)" and "GT" from Digital on Function. Oh and the Calibre Remix from Klute's "Now Always Forever" is amazing, but so is the original.

On another side I am really into SKC's Limelight. I chased and begged to get this tune. It's the ultimate funky jazzy track!! Watch out for this one!

Which other producers / artists would you most like to work with?

Any of the aforementioned guys would be great. Most importantly I would like to work with people I get on with well… otherwise it's not gonna work!

Do you have a favourite tune of all time?

Oh that's a tough one. I can't really choose just one!! If I would narrow it down I could survive off the first Platinum Breaks LP on Metalheadz. There are so many classic tunes on there it's insane.

Is there any one tune you would really like to remix?

I think it would be fun to remix some of the Skunkrock tunes that haven't been remixed already.

How often do you get out clubbing?

Maybe once a month if that! It's hard to get out on a regular basis!

Do you have a favourite event or club night?

I think the best club I have been to recently in London has go to be the Metalheadz night. I went on opening night and it was so rammed. It was hot and dirty and sweaty. Including the beats! It was for me the ideal drum'n'bass night. I also love Herbal where Hospitality, Hexion, and Dylan's night are. It's just the right size. Usually I go out to Swerve if I go out. Last time was Bailey's birthday, it was fun as a lot of people were there!

Is there a particular tune you always seem to take with you when you head out to do a set?

Well I always move in cycles. So right now I have a few solid things I play every time, like the A Sides stuff I mentioned and The Insiders tune as well. I think "What U Don't Know" has been in my set every time for the last 4 months at least. It is 'the' tune for me.

You've played in quite a lot of foreign countries, do you have any particular favourites or any interesting tales to tell?

There is always a story to tell. The most traumatic was a few weeks back when a cab driver in Brussels was horrible to me. To make a long story short I forgot one of my bags in the cab. When he came back he tried to charge me 38 euros to get my bag back!

Then there are the incidents when the luggage doesn't arrive. I had this in Iceland when I was totally sick with the flu. I had most of my tunes with me but only grubby clothes that I had to wear for two days. I was a mess. Another incident happened when I flew back from South Africa. A ten hour journey turned into 30 hours when we couldn't land at Heathrow. After diverting to Edinburgh we had to sit on the plane for hours as they couldn't accommodate a jumbo jet. Then we had to try to get on other flights back to London. It was a long one.

I had a few incidents too where the promoter neglected to pick me up in the morning to take me to the airport. That's always a bummer but taught me a valuable lesson… always carry plenty of foreign currency!

I notice you have toured with Doc Scott, how was it playing alongside the mighty Scotty?

It's been a few years but I look back on it fondly. It was an honour for me and the tour was really professional with a big sponsor and t-shirts and a tour manager! I just remember going to music house the day before with my two tracks to cut, but unfortunately Doc Scott got there before I did, and proceeded to cut 12 plates. I told him I would never go there again if I knew he was gonna be there! But I really enjoyed hearing him play, no set was the same and the tunes were great. I was at a turning point at that time so it was inspiring to watch. I think Doc Scott is one of the most real people in the drum'n'bass scene, he says what's on his mind and he's definitely not one to big up himself or act fake and I think that's the way to be.

It's Sunday afternoon and you are chilling out at home, what is on the stereo?

Pirate radio of course!

Do you have any other interests or pastimes outside the music scene?

The main focus in my life besides the music is of course my daughter Lilie. She turns two in October. I am lucky that I get to spend so much time with her. So most of my time is spent with her and her father, going out for walks and enjoying London. Other than that I love going to new places and bargain shopping. Charity shops and boot sales are where it's at!

What are your plans for the future?

I just want to maintain what I have achieved so far with my Djing and with the label. Our aim is to move things forward slowly… keep our sound as diverse as possible. So my plan is to keep building up the label, featuring new artists alongside bigger names and just develop our sound and put out tunes that we love. Hopefully it's something we can look forward to doing for a long time to come. And of course I want to go to new places and stay in the mix!

For further information about Alley Cat and Skunkrock please visit:

www.skunkrock.net