BREAKS.IT • View topic - The Sheet feat. RICO TUBBS [English Version]

1.Hi Rico, in recent times you’ve been djing to Mad In Sicily alongside with our friends Blatta&Inesha, I was told it’s been a huge party. Can you tell us your impressions about the italian crowd?
* Well it was a good party indeed!
Good crowd good venue and Blatta & Inesha played a wicked set and got the people crazy so all I had to do was try not to ruin it.

2. As a foreign producer can you tell us how do you perceive the italian musical scene?
* I have no clear picture of the present but there is a long history of disco culture - much more so than almost anywehere else in europe - so you have strong roots for dance music there.On the breaks side I ofcourse know Mantra label artists and I'm under the impression that house music is doing quite well there.

3.Your last album “Knickle Sandwich” has become a great success, everyone talks about your music including the breaksheads, where do u get your ispiration? Which are the artist who influenced your sound?
* My early inspiration comes from the sample heavy dj Food and Ninja Tune stuff alongside early rave like Altern-8 and Prodigy.
The full list of influences is looooong though - theres lot of hip hop and funk (James Brown as one of the biggest),the whole big beat thing with Chemical Brothers etc. and 2-step and Speed garage.Drum'n'bass also playing a big role - especially the silly jump-up sound.Its been only in past few years that Ive found the old Chicago,Detroit and acid house as well.

4.Breaks scene in the last year seems to be in a deep identity crisis, lots of dj’s and producers (even the “biggest” one) talks about the death of breaks, what do you think about it and how can we survive to ourselves?!?
* Well it happened to drum'n'bass too.Speedgarage also disappeared completely only to come back again as bassline.
These things happen to almost every genre - they have the exciting time when everything is fresh and then become standardized and boring only to be reborn again usually by the help of new generation of producers.
Blaming big name producers of sellling out or stuff like that is bit silly.They have allready made their part and if you really are creative you can not make same sound for more than few years.I would be more worried if some "A-list" artists would be doing the same thing 2008 that they did in 98'.
Also one important thing is to take notice that there is now a lot of breaks not traditionally labeled breaks.
The whole baltimore thing for example is now all rave and big beat again but many in breaks scene dont take any intrest on that.

5. Suggestions for new dj’s and producers?
* Finding a unique style is the key.
Everyone now produces with the same software and djs play the same top tunes from same mp3 stores.
My suggestion is that listen to a LOT of music from different genres - even some you dont like.
You can learn a lot by figuring out black metal guitar riffs even if you happen to be producing tech house.
Same applies for djing.There is now 20 years of dance music to explore - that means there are thousands of killer tunes out there in hundreds of genres and subgenres outside the top ten of some download store.Go and explore it and make you sets unique.

6. A “standard” question (for us): How is your studio formed?
* I got pair of Samson monitor speakers and PC running FL studio.
Most of the plug-ins I now use is freeware - including the bass vsti I use in all my tunes.
The most important part of my studio is my 14 000 vinyls to wich I turn to to find my own sounds,samples and inspiration.

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