NT: Hey man, can you give us an introduction?
B: Hi I’m Be-1ne, I’m a producer / DJ, label owner and cat lover, not necessarily in that order.
NT: What made you decide to start up your label, Area Recordings?
B: A lack of vinyl releases in the style of music I wanted to buy and a desire to find out what it was like to go through the steps of putting a record out.
Be-1ne - Cane Cutter
NT: What do you look for from producers when they send you demos? You've recently released a triple pack of relatively new producers, but what makes you decide that you want to release their music?
B: A good piece of music will move me in some way. Whether It’s screwing up my face to a big bass line or drifting off with some lush melodies, I’m looking for music that I get an emotional response from. When I hear something that is just so amazing, I want to share it. I have worked closely in some way or other with the people released, and forthcoming on the label. They have all have something unique in their music that I have wanted to help them share to a wider audience.
NT: How important a role do you think vinyl has, or should have, in the bass music scene? Can you say anything that might change the opinion of those who think it’s an obsolete format?
B: Vinyl will never be obsolete, I was reading an article the other day saying that vinyl sales have risen for the 5 year running. I think now it is much more of a luxury item than highly profitable commercial commodity. It is like anything, it comes in and out of fashion. I think with the crop of small sub-styles in the UK bass music scene vinyl is important and helps the scene to flourish. People view something with a physical presence as having some kind of worth or stamp of quality. I think music has gone through a period of anything goes with easy access to make and upload music into the public domain. Now I feel your seeing a generation who have developed their understanding of production values and understand that you don’t need vinyl, but the process a piece of music goes through to get there shows it has a certain level of professionalism to it.
NT: The sub-heavy, ‘eyes-down’ style of dubstep that you favour in your productions and on your label seems to have made a big resurgence in the last year or so. Do you have any thoughts on why this might be?
B: Eventually it was going to come back into vogue, like all music it moves in cycles. I’m a little more interested in the newer producers pushing the sound forward than getting stuck in a certain sound, which I hope the new release shows people.
Be-1ne - Tube Sound
NT: Another style that has kind of taken off in recent times has been the 160-ish ‘Autonomic’ sound. Do you have any plans to produce/release any more of your ‘Autonomic’ stuff?
B: I have a couple of tracks I've made that I'm really proud of and will be looking to get them out next year. Ive found im usually more productive in the winter so im looking forward to making some new music between now and spring and hearing what comes out.
NT: Local question time: I first thought of this question before Burlish planned the night Movement, but I’ll still ask it anyway. Why do you think there has been such a lack of decent bass-music nights in Birmingham? It’s a huge city, and there’s clearly more of a rock-vibe to the place, but I’m shocked that there aren’t more nights like Movement around.
B: Birmingham’s main failing is it’s lack of venues. There used to be so many decent venues back in my early raving days, and they have virtually all been knocked down. Birmingham hasn’t really had an underground scene for a while and I hope Movement could be the start of it. Somewhere for like minded people who are into the music to gather and enjoy it, as opposed to sitting in a sweat box with a load of people trying to be cool because some Dj on radio one played a tune.
NT: You made an appearance at the first Movement night. What came first, DJing or Producing?
B: DJing came much more before producing, I’d DJ’ed for maybe 5 or 6 years before producing, when I first got introduced to it and encouraged to give it a go I wasn’t that interested. My best mate had a studio and I really just saw it as a cool place to hang out in hindsight. I kick myself now for not being a little more interested.NT: What’s your opinion on the lack of non-producer DJs? Do you think you would’ve got as far as a DJ if you didn’t produce as well?
B: I think from when I started DJing the whole DJ scene has completely changed. Back in the day you had to be serious about your music, hunting down records and trying to build up a really good collection of records. Most DJ’s back then weren’t producers. To be honest I used to play out much more before I started producing, and is something I would like to try and pursue a little more next year.
NT: Finally, if you had to pick your three favorite ‘Night Tracks’, what would they be?
B: Jay – Z – Can I Live
Consequence – Circles
Steve Spacek - Slave
NT: Thanks for your time man! Check out Be-1ne's guest mix below (or download it here), and bag Area Recordings goodies over at their store.
Unknown - Untitled (Dubplate)
Strago & Snooks - Pills (Dubplate) Forthcoming Niteshade Inc
Lysergene - Spooks (Dubplate)
Strago & Snooks - Potstir (Forthcoming Niteshade Inc)*
Fused Forces - Ocean Dawn (Area Recordings)
Compa - Sentance (Dubplate) Forthcoming Boka
DCult - Face the Sun (Area Recordings)
Be-1ne - Untitled (Dubplate)
Krytikal - Selfish Way (Area Recordings)
3rdeye - Yonaguni Dreams (Area Recordings)
All tracks played off dubplates cut at Dubstudio.co.uk Except * Niteshade Inc Test Pressing.