Page 45 - Zone Magazine Issue 006

artist spotlight [uk]
Rising star of the UK house scene from Hull (UK) DJ / Producer Ben Dooks released his bootleg of the #6 single ‘Right Here’ by Jess Glynne, which ended up being supported by nearly every club / bar DJ in the UK and abroad. 12 months later and the bootleg has notched up over 85,000 plays on Soundcloud and over 1.4 million plays on YouTube, and still counting.
Ben is now defining his sound by trying to push piano driven tracks back into the forefront of house music and 2015 is looking to be a big year with many more new original tracks and remixes to come. Ben was in Dublin very recently and dropped into Zone Mag for a chat before his gig in The hub in Temple bar over the Bank holiday weekend, to fill us in on his latest shenanigan’s..
How did it all start, what attracted you to the Dance music scene, what gave you the itch to mix?
My Dad has been a DJ in my hometown of Hull since he was 16/17 and because I was born in 1989, all I heard in my younger years was dance music. My love for dance music continued through my teenage years and it got even stronger once I finally got my real experience DJing, when I was asked by my Dad to cover a gig for him.
You have gained a huge following over the last few years, why do you think this is?
From the responses I get from the people who like my music, I would say it’s the piano element in my tracks. Some of the best dance music tracks of all time were from the early nineties and most of these tracks had a piano melody. I play the piano every day and even though I’m not the best I’m constantly learning something new and experimenting with different melodies to give my tracks that nineties feel but still keeping in with the current 2015 sound.
What’s your favourite Digital Audio
Workstation and why?
My favourite Digital Audio Workstation is FL Studio because of its ability to be both as simple and as intricate is you need it to be. You can get ideas down fast using its intuitive layout and you can be infinitely precise with its endless automation options. I’ve tried to use other DAW’s like Logic, Ableton but I’ve been using FL Studio for many years now, so I’ll be sticking with it for the time being.
What’s studios do you produce your tracks in and who would you love to work with?
I currently produce from my apartment in my bedroom like most producers starting out. I’m hoping to move into a house soon, so I can specifically transform a room into a studio and work from there. There’s a lot of producers I admire but if I had to choose one now it would be Mike Mago. I’ve been a fan of Mike’s for the last few years and I love the sound he creates in all his original tracks and remixes.
Do you have a favourite piece of outboard audio equipment?
At the moment no as I currently don't own any but when I expand my studio I plan to buy some effect units.
What are your thoughts on Analogue verses digital?
Analogue can create some amazing sounds and has the added benefit of being something tangible that you can push twist and slide but digital is far more accessible especially for the novice and what that means is the new guys are getting to know these much cheaper software synths and processing units, resulting in some pretty amazing sounds that we may not have heard, had the only option been really expensive analogue gear.
How do you see the underground scene now?
I see the underground scene as very healthy with new producers emerging all the time and some of the biggest songs of the summer have all started in the underground.
What are your next big project / collaborations / Album plans for the future?
I’m currently working with my very good friend Tommy Mc on a collaboration. He’s been there since I first started producing and has been a massive help whenever I’ve been stuck with something. I’m also working on a collaboration with Matvey Emerson which should be out at some point this year and I also have an official remix coming out soon on Spirit Soul Records.
Connect: www.Soundcloud.com/bendooks www.witter.com/bendooks www.Facebook.com/bendooks
Words By Mike Mannix Pic By Carl Greene
ESSENTIALDANCEMUSIC 45