Dubstep producer and cp-founder of Circus Records Doctor P took some time out to answer some of my questions on collaborations, the upcoming festival season and what the future holds for himself and the Dubstep scene.
Doctor P, your track ‘Sweet Shop’ has become a certified Dubstep anthem, can you take us through the creative process?
“I didn’t do anything particularly special when making that track; my process is always the same. I usually get the drum loop going with some sound effects, then spend a long time experimenting with bass sounds. Dubstep is all about the energy in the bass, and it can take weeks for me to get it right, whereas drums tend to take a lot less time. I think I went through probably about 50 bass patterns before reaching the final version; sometimes it can be even more than that. I wanted an Old Skool style intro for the track, as I thought it would work well in contrast with the crazy drop. But I did not want to use a blatant sample from an existing old skool track, so I created it myself (although people constantly ask me where I sampled it from). I think I threw the intro piano and vocal together in about 20 minutes; I definitely didn’t expect so many people to go nuts for it! As for the ‘Sweet Shop’ vocal before it kicks in, that’s actually me saying ‘switch up’.”
Shall we expect an album from you in the near future and if so what should we expect from it?
“I have no plans to do an album just yet; I quite like the process of making and releasing music as I go along, so there’s no deadlines or limitations. However, I expect I will do an album in the future, when I’ve got a few more single releases under my belt. I’ve never worked on an album project before, so it could be quite interesting.”
Are there any artists you’re looking to collaborate with in the near future?
“I’ve just collaborated with P Money on a vocal mix of ‘Sweet Shop’. He’s getting a lot of attention at the moment, and I think his vocals work really well with the Dubstep groove. I’ve been a fan of Scroobius Pip and Dan Le Sac for a long time, and I just got to remix their new track ‘Sick Tonight’, which was big. (I did a twisted Drumstep thing, which is going off at the moment) Example approached me recently about a possible remix or collaboration. I’m a big fan of his music so that could be a good project.”
You’re now playing sets all over the place; so far what’s the best and what’s the worst venue you’ve played at?
“I think the best was Mosh @ Paradiso, Amsterdam, which I played at on my birthday. The venue is amazing, the sound system was ridiculous and the crowd was insane! (Plus I was staying in a swanky hotel!) It’s hard to say which is the worst; a contender is the basement at Ibar in Bournemouth, just because it’s so ridiculously small and hot. I reckon the dance floor holds about 20 people, and there were ravers almost poking me in the eye as I was mixing! It was still a good night though, as the crowd were going mental. Sometimes the small gigs can be the best ones.”
Festival season is now with us; will you be making any festival appearances this year?
“I’ve got a couple of festivals lined up for this year; I played the Aberystwyth Uni ball a few weeks ago, and I’ve got Shambala in Northampton (my home town) and Moor Music in Skipton confirmed so far. Unfortunately I’m not booked for Outlook in Croatia! It looks totally insane, hopefully I’ll be over there next year.”
If you had to pick one track to define Dubstep as a genre, what would it be?
“The track that first got me excited about Dubstep was Rusko’s ‘Cockney Thug’. I think Rusko had a vision of Dubstep that nobody else had at the time, but it’s definitely caught on now. It defines Dubstep for me because it is completely unlike anything else which preceded it, and that’s what Dubstep’s all about.”
What do you think the future holds for Dubstep?
“That’s a difficult question. Dubstep has totally exploded over the last 2 years, and it’s impossible to know whether it’s going to keep growing or go away as quickly as it appeared. I think that as long as there’s quality music coming out of the scene it will keep growing. It’s got a fresh sound that’s been missing from the music industry over the last few years.”
Lastly, what will Doctor P be doing in 10 years time?
“Probably still playing Sweet Shop at ‘Old Skool Dubstep’ events!”
