Apart from a three-year break spent producing, Brighton drum & bass live act The Qemists have played together as a band since school. Now signed to Ninja Tune with an album due in January, they merge their two passions to produce heavy, rock-infused drum & bass. XYZ popped down to their studio to have a sneaky listen to the new album and find out exactly how they signed to one of the coolest and prolific labels working today…
XYZ: Drum & bass is generally produced on a computer yet you’ve played in a band for nearly 14 years. Is that something you’re looking to get back to – live shows rather than DJ sets?
Leon: Yeah, but it’s not really going back to it ‘cause we’ve written our whole album from live recordings and a live perspective. We just spent longer tweaking it and fucking with those sounds than normal bands. Liam: In terms of a live act, from a dance perspective, promoters just seem to love it. They’ll definitely book an act over a DJ. If you’re less well-known but you’ve got a really good live act you’ll definitely end up gigging more.
Leon: Yeah, but it’s not really going back to it ‘cause we’ve written our whole album from live recordings and a live perspective. We just spent longer tweaking it and fucking with those sounds than normal bands. Liam: In terms of a live act, from a dance perspective, promoters just seem to love it. They’ll definitely book an act over a DJ. If you’re less well-known but you’ve got a really good live act you’ll definitely end up gigging more.
How do actually go about writing your tunes?
Dan: It’s jamming from a production angle, like a riff, a sample, a beat… Leon: One person comes up with a riff and they’ll develop that into an idea and we’ll just pick it apart. I’ll start taking the drums to bits. Dan will often work on the bass sound and Liam will work on the melody… then we all swop.
Dan: It’s jamming from a production angle, like a riff, a sample, a beat… Leon: One person comes up with a riff and they’ll develop that into an idea and we’ll just pick it apart. I’ll start taking the drums to bits. Dan will often work on the bass sound and Liam will work on the melody… then we all swop.
Your new single features Faith No More’s Mike Patton. How did that come about?
Leon: We had a tune that we quite liked and wanted to get a rock singer on. Jeff, who runs Ninja Tune in America, just said: “How about Mike Patton?” So we sent it over. Next thing we know he sent back the vocals, perfect from start to finish. It wasn’t like he’d done the first thing that came into his head either, he had everything and every version with different effects and distortion that he’d applied.
Leon: We had a tune that we quite liked and wanted to get a rock singer on. Jeff, who runs Ninja Tune in America, just said: “How about Mike Patton?” So we sent it over. Next thing we know he sent back the vocals, perfect from start to finish. It wasn’t like he’d done the first thing that came into his head either, he had everything and every version with different effects and distortion that he’d applied.
Are there any other collaborations on the album?
Leon: Yeah, Jenna G, Navigator, Beardyman’s done a beatbox thing for us. The singer from Alabama 3, Devlin Love, she’s another really good studio person. It’s just harmony after harmony until it’s massive. Dan: Wiley did a great job actually.
Leon: Yeah, Jenna G, Navigator, Beardyman’s done a beatbox thing for us. The singer from Alabama 3, Devlin Love, she’s another really good studio person. It’s just harmony after harmony until it’s massive. Dan: Wiley did a great job actually.
We first saw you a few years ago supporting Dillinja at Devotion where you made him look fucking dull. How do the DJ shows work?
Liam: Dan’s the main DJ so there are two, sometimes three decks running constantly. Then there are two laptops. Leon’s responsible for music that you couldn’t play on vinyl, bits of well-known rock tracks, anything that appeals to sitting in a heavy set and I’m responsible for a cappellas and the occasional well-known d&b loop or hook. Dan: More often than not it’s the improvised stuff that works best.
Liam: Dan’s the main DJ so there are two, sometimes three decks running constantly. Then there are two laptops. Leon’s responsible for music that you couldn’t play on vinyl, bits of well-known rock tracks, anything that appeals to sitting in a heavy set and I’m responsible for a cappellas and the occasional well-known d&b loop or hook. Dan: More often than not it’s the improvised stuff that works best.
The mix on your Myspace is a wicked example of your DJ sets. Have you ever considered releasing a mixtape?
Leon: Ninja Tune have got one of the best mix CDs with ‘Solid Steel’ then they’ve got ‘Keep It Solid Steel’. They’re always done by very good DJs but I think you’ve got to pay your dues. Liam: Yeah, you’ve got to earn your Ninja stars before doing them.
Leon: Ninja Tune have got one of the best mix CDs with ‘Solid Steel’ then they’ve got ‘Keep It Solid Steel’. They’re always done by very good DJs but I think you’ve got to pay your dues. Liam: Yeah, you’ve got to earn your Ninja stars before doing them.
Finally, Liam did work experience in the Ninja Tune studios for a few years; how did you end up signing to them?
Liam: It was during Coldcut’s ‘Sound Mirrors’ album and they were looking for a d&b remix. They said: “Would you have a crack at the first single… but you’ve got 48 hours to do it!” So I came back all excited. I didn’t really think about it too much, just got on and did it. Then Zane Lowe played it almost every night for a week on Radio 1 and hadn’t played their version. Then the label got involved… Dan: We hadn’t really got much, just some ideas, most of them haven’t ended up on the album but it was enough for them to sign us up!
Liam: It was during Coldcut’s ‘Sound Mirrors’ album and they were looking for a d&b remix. They said: “Would you have a crack at the first single… but you’ve got 48 hours to do it!” So I came back all excited. I didn’t really think about it too much, just got on and did it. Then Zane Lowe played it almost every night for a week on Radio 1 and hadn’t played their version. Then the label got involved… Dan: We hadn’t really got much, just some ideas, most of them haven’t ended up on the album but it was enough for them to sign us up!
THE QEMISTS play Supercharged at Audio on 10th September. ‘Lost Weekend’ featuring Mike Patton is out 13th October and their debut album ‘Join the Q’ in January. I’ve heard it and it is sick!
Words by Chris Leggett
Photograph by David Tatnell
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