Page 40 - Zone Magazine Issue 014

Since starting out in 2007, Colchester based Andy Beckett (A-B-S /Andy Beck) has carved out a well respected place within the underground dance music scene. He has garnered support from industry legends such as Meat Katie and Dopamine, and has had releases and remixes on AUX, Kiosek Records, Deep Garnet Records, Dead Famous, Vim Records, 9G Records and many many more. His sound has moved from the tech-funk breaks style of a few years ago and he is now focusing on a more 4/4 techno style and is turning a few more heads in the process. Andy agreed to have a chat with us from his studio in Colchester.
Hey Andy, thanks for talking to us, first of all can we ask, what first got you into music, and what were your early influences.
I've been into music from an early age, my brother is 5 years older than me and has always been into music as well, so when I was about 6 or 7 I was listening to his electro tapes, Eric B & Rakim, LL Cool J, Public Enemy. Then he started to get into dance music and I remember nicking his records like Tricky Disco, Bomb The Bass, The Scientist 'The Bee' & Stakker 'Humanoid'. Same with my sister, she was into rock and metal and I got into that, then when I hit my teens and started to get some money I started to develop my own taste & build my own music collection.
From that, what made you want to become a dj/producer.
I was always messing about mixing with my brother's records at home, hardcore, hard house, drum & bass stuff like that. I got my own set of decks in about 2001, but never really wanted to become a DJ or producer it was just messing about listening to the music I liked. I got into the DJing side first and then had a few people start telling me I should have a go at
producing to set myself apart and try to break out of the local scene.
For those who are new to you, how would you describe your sound?
Well it's changed a bit over the years but I'd say it's always had a 'groove' and tougher techier edge. My DJ sets have been a bit of a cross section through breaks, electro, house & acid. Production wise it's kind of been the same, up until recently that is.
How did you first start out?
Like I said I was mixing at home and had been collecting breaks vinyl for a few years after I saw
Stanton Warriors, Meat Katie, Lee Coombs, Freestylers etc all play at a local club in Colchester. I thought I was getting half decent so why not try and get a gig, I sent a demo out to a local promoter and got a gig & become a resident for them for a couple of years. My debut gig was nuts for me, small bar venue but rammed and just went off better than I could have ever dreamed. That was 10 years ago and I caught the buzz. I started having a go at producing in about 2010-2011, and finished my first track called Seqtronic in 2012. I emailed it off to Dead Famous from Bristol and I think it was signed about half hour later!
Can you talk us through your studio setup?
I've got a custom built PC one of my mates' put together for me a couple of years ago, Ableton Live 9, Yamaha monitors but I end up doing a lot of work in my Beyerdynamic DT880 headphones at the moment, NI Maschine, Novation Midi controller & a load of software synths & VSTs
Any go to vsts that you couldnt work without?
I love Maschine's software and use that on pretty every track I write to programme the drums, percussion and some of other squeaks & bleeps, route that into Ableton and then have full control over every part of the track. Z3ta+ was the first synth I bought and thats stuck around as a bit of a go to. Audio Realism ABL2 is great for some 303 action as well.
What is your work flow when writing a track, do you have a set structure?
I always start from the drums upwards, get a groove laid down with the drums & bass, then the percussion before I add any leads, riffs and the like. I do tend to mix down as well as I write. I need to try and streamline my workflow and try to speed up a bit, work, home & family life too over a bit last year but I'm looking to dedicate more time to music this year.
What have you got coming up on the horizon?
I'm working on my first few tracks under my new Andy Beck alias, I've got one track called Nu Life finished which was actually played on BBC Introducing a few weeks back, the name was a bit of a nod to the fresh start. Then a couple of others on the go at the moment, both pretty tough techno. I've started promoting some house & techno nights called Boom Room with a couple of mates in Ipswich, we did 2 events the end of last year which went really well and we're starting to plan this year's parties. Plus I want to get out and start playing some more gigs, I've done a couple of Andy Beck one's and really want to push the new direction with promoters.
As we can see you are making the transition from a more breakbeat/tech funk style to all out techno recently, what was the thoughts behind that?
I've been playing breaks in some capacity ever since I started playing gigs but the scene has become pretty much non-existant in the UK. It's kind of morphed into the 'bass music' thing which I'm not in to. I was always dropping some techno and acid into my sets where I could and that was becoming a greater and greater part of the set. I always thought I'd better try and stick a couple of breaks tracks in just because, but I've really been struggling with it for the last couple of years to find any tracks that I'm feeling. Whereas my love for techno has just grown and grown, I get far more excited about it. So last year I decided to ditch the A:B:S name and re-launch as Andy Beck.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the dance music scene? What are your biggest influences?
Good nights out are a big inspiration. I decided a couple of years ago to start going to events that I liked the look of rather than one's I thought I could network at and further my DJing. So I've been to some amazing techno, house, acid, hardcore & hard house nights and you just absorb the music and start to think of sounds and styles which you could write. I went to see Nexus 21 & Billy Nasty last week and it was proper underground, bleep & bass old skool, which after 27 years or so just still sounded so good.
Any upcoming artists that are really doing it for you at the moment?
There's a new guy on Spektre's label called Gary Burrows who's putting out some great tunes, banging techno with old skool hardcore samples in. Barbuto has just done a wicked EP for Balthazar & Jackrock's Renesanz plus Cosmic Boys on Form.
Connect:
https://www.facebook.com/absdj79/
pic by John Phillips
Words By John Ricketts
40 ZONE-MAGAZINE.COM
spotlight interview [uk] - andy beck