Have You Met.. Dampé

Joe Munday, a musician, producer and DJ from South London. Dampe brings a wealth of infleunce from across the world. Living in a richly diverse culture such as London, Dampe has never been short of ideas with his eclectic track selection on Rinse FM. He took some time to join our Q&A series:

Where did you grow up? What’s the creative culture like in your city?

I moved around the midlands as a kid, spent the teenage ‘growing up’ years in the South West/Devon but have lived in London longer than anywhere else now. Devon is a sick place to be a teenager, close to Bristol and Plymouth for music and going out but also lots of country and beaches to fuck about on. 

Usually i’d say that London’s creative culture is immense, forever shifting and makes the fight that it is to live here 100% worthwhile. Its just like they say, there’s a million overlapping communities, scenes and lots to get excited about and overwhelmed by. 

Covid is stifling all that at the moment and it’s bleak to see venues and communities on their knees. I think you learn a bit of resilience living here so hopefully it will bounce back although sadly there are people and places going under without support. Those first responsible dances back will be so, so good and hopefully make everyone appreciate and explore London’s culture, as well as support independent creative endeavour more.

What made you get into music, who were the people around you which influenced you?

My mum made me pick up an instrument because she was gutted she couldn’t play anything. Then getting to school you meet people who lend you music or turn you on to different sounds. It was pre-streaming, burning CDs and playing them in the car era. My friend Sami El-Enany burnt me a copy of Hail To The Thief and some Venetian  Snares I think – we actually released an album together this year. So those formative friendships are still really influential for me, who you party with, who you create with. 

What were early experiences in music, did you start with playing instruments?

Yeah, started with guitar – Spanish fingerstyle, traditional folk tunes. Then played in questionable bands for years before taking music tech at college and spending all my time in the studio they had there. My parents were never musicians but they always had music on in their houses. 

What made you decide to release music with Darker Than Wax?

I was programming a venue and we started doing a couple parties with the 4 To The Floor crew (s/o Kengo) who booked the DTW guys when they were over here one summer. We got to talking and bouncing some music back and forth. I hooked up with Marco when I was in NY last year and the rest just worked out slowly really. The label, crew and everyone involved is just great. I’m hugely grateful for the support and to be part of the family. 

Describe your show on Rinse FM

I’ve been hosting a monthly show on Rinse for two years now. It’s mostly new, upfront dance music, house, techno, garage and everything in between. Ive done a couple downtempo and ambient shows during peak lockdown when my head just isn’t up for two hours of dance music. This year i want to switch it up a bit and start getting guests in for mixes as well as play older finds too. I think now I’ve made myself part of the furniture i can branch out a bit. Stoked to be on the station though – banging place and people.

Have a listen to his previous show from Decemeber:

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing? 

I literally have no idea. Music and sound design is the day job at the moment so i guess life would look very different. I like taking pictures on 35mm – is that a viable career?

Are there any artists in the UK we should be paying attention to?

Of course! Far too many to mention. Off the top of my head though:

2020 was Pa Salieu’s year for me, Coventry’s finest rapper – every project is so cold expecting massive things from him this year.

Ghetts continues to be the UK’s best MC imo

Been listening to an album from a London based cellist called Oliver Coates who released an album last year called skins n slime which is insanely beautiful and the production is close and intense  

I always look out for Sheffield based Yak’s productions, deep, percussive club tracks on a couple great labels

Bristol’s Livity Sound just put out a great EP from a producer called surgeons girl i really like – Lush new UK Techno.

Couple UK stalwart labels and crews i follow who always are pushing great dance music but I’m sure won’t be news to you guys: Apron, Hessle, Livity, Wisdom Teeth, Time Capsule, WOLF, AOTN, Faith and Industry, Rhythm Section, Co Op, Touching Bass etc 

How have you tried to change your approach going into your most recent record, in comparison to your previous EPs?

From the outside looking in I think the process and approach would appear very similar (me sitting at my synths for months on end, sometimes frustrated and sometimes serne) but to me they do all feel different and mark distinct people, moments in time, spaces and/or gear used. 

More interestingly and importantly, this EP specifically had me questioning/thinking about sample culture a lot, the massive imbalance in the dance music industry/the world and appropriation in general – lessons i’ll be taking forward.

Describe your EP in three words

Colourful, hopefully engaging 

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Make sure you check out his latest EP through singnapore based record label, Darker Than Wax. Titled, ‘Oil’, Dampé doesnt hold back in showing you his extensive sound design skills, you can purchase here.

Henry Greenleaf – Taking First EP

Henry Greenleaf is a rising UK producer currently based in Bristol, in the south-east of England. Inspired by the creative culture in Bristol for electronic dance music, Henry draws inspiration from Jungle, Post-Dubstep, and an array varied techno from Drumcode, to the ambience of minimal. Henry’s new EP titled, Taking First, becomes the fourth release under Par Avion. The opening single, ‘Taking First’, is a heavy scorching opener which immediately grabs your attention. Henry seems to take inspiration from Drumcode and dubstep to create a quickly evolving track. The following track, ‘Rumble’, carries the dark engrossing feeling of nervousness, as the steady opening build creates an atmosphere of suspense.

The B-side carries the energy of the previous tracks but with more sounds befitting on the dancefloor. It could be the rhythmic swelling from the percussion elements in the closing track, ‘Rumble Cando Remix’. Or it could be more the ethereal, alien-like sounds resonating from the synthesiser during the opening build in the track, NOFM.

The full EP releases on the 22nd of January. You can pre-order here

Listen to ‘NOFM’ below. 

Gloabl Jazz DJ Gilles Peterson Teams Up With Jean- Paul Bluey Maunick Team For Project ‘STRA4TA’

Gilles Peterson and Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick have teamed up to create a new project STR4TA.

This week, they released their latest single ‘Rhythm In Your Mind’, building up to the release of their album ‘Aspects’ on Brownswood Recordings on March 26.

‘Rhythm In Your Mind’ recalls the early-80s British funk scene, laidback and groove-driven. It is a sound that Maunick helped to drive with his involvement in groups Incognito, Light Of The World and Freeez.

As STR4TA, Peterson and Maunick released their single ‘Aspects’ in October of last year, although they didn’t announce that they were behind the project. This forthcoming album marks the first original material that the pair have produced together in over a decade.

Listen to ‘Rhythm In Your Mind’ below, and preorder the album here.

British DJ Ross From Friends Launches A New Label

Ross From Friends, AKA Felix Clary Weatherall, has launched a new label, Scarlet Tiger.

Kicking off the outlet is a new single, “Burner,” from Weatherall himself. It’s out now. “I’ve always sent music back and forth with friends and folk I’ve met online over the years, amassing all of this music, so it made perfect sense for me to start a label to release all of it,” Weatherall says. “There seems to be a general path that flows through all of the things that grab me, which is some kind of UK electronic music.”

Weatherall is a British DJ, producer and frontman of Ross From Friends. He released his debut album, Family Portrait, in 2018 via Brainfeeder.

Listen to ‘Burner’.

Rinse FM Presenter Dampé Announces His Latest EP – ‘Oil’

Darker Than Wax’s final release of the year brings us back to the world of UK dance music with Dampé – the solo project of Joe Munday, a musician, producer and DJ from South London. Dampe brings a wealth of influence from across the world. Living in a richly diverse culture such as London, Dampe has never been short of ideas with his eclectic track selection on Rinse FM.

After numerous setbacks from the chaos of 2020, Darker Than Wax are proud to announce Dampé’s label debut with the world – ‘Oil’. Set for release this Friday, the 15th of January will be the full 8-track EP with a wonderful blend of evolving dancefloor track, to more rhythmic and eurphoric singles.

Listen to ‘Oil’ below.

TALENTED DJS SHERELLE AND AFRODEUTSCHE LINED UP FOR 7 DAYS OF SOUND DIGITAL EVENT

Saffron has finalised the line-up for its 7 Days of Sound digital event, which takes place across January 23 to January 29.

The week-long series of workshops will cover a broad range of topics with a number of artists and experts lined up as hosts.

Among the schedule is: Afrodeutsche (pictured) on frameworks for producing, scoring and performing; Sherelle in conversation with Lizzy Ellis discussing building resilience, capturing energy, supporting your crew and elevation through radio; Team Love’s Pauline Bourdon presenting a practical guide for event sustainability; and certified Ableton Live trainer Anna Lakatos taking a deep look at producing and build tracks in the software.

There will also be Mercury Prize-nominated Anna Meredith dissecting one of her scores; Katie Tavini de-mystifying the mastering process; Mix Nights co-creators Daisy Moon and Em Williams hosting a beginners guide to digital DJing; and much more.

View the full schedule here.

Day tickets are priced from £11 and can be purchased from Eventbrite.

UK GOVERNMENT REJECTED EU’S OFFER OF VISA-FREE TOURS FOR MUSICIANS

It was revealed on Saturday 9 January that the UK has turned down an offer from the EU of visa-free tours for musicians.

An EU source involved in the Brexit negotiations has said that it is standard to offer musicians a 90-day period for travel without having to have various different work visas. Countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia currently hold this agreement with the EU.

It has been revealed that the UK rejected the EU’s offer of a 90-day period, instead asking for a 30-day one to fit with the government’s own proposals to limit travel for EU musicians.

These measures form part of Secretary of State Priti Patel’s plans to limit immigration. From this month, musicians from EU countries hoping to tour the UK will have to apply for visas that will allow them to stay for longer than 30 days, as well as providing proof of savings and a sponsorship certificate from an events organiser. These are the measures that non-EU citizens currently have to go through to work in the UK.

The government has previously put this failure to safeguard the needs of musicians down to Brussels, saying that it ‘pushed for a more ambitious agreement which would have covered musicians and others, but our proposals were rejected by the EU’.

Earlier this week, a petition calling for visa-free EU travel for touring artists surpassed 220,000 signatures. It had been shared by people and institutions like object blue, Josey Rebelle, NTS, Hyperdub and Rye Wax.

There are worries among the music community about how this will affect touring artists who have already been greatly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.

As a progression to this, it is now for each EU member state to decide whether or not it will require touring musicians from the UK to obtain a work visa.

[Via The Independent]

Elisa Delves Into Her Inner World For New Single, ‘Water’

Elisa Imperilee releases ‘Water’ produced by long-time collaborator SRIGALA and
accompanied by the singer’s first visual directed by ALMASS BADAT.

‘Water’ is a haunting tale of empowerment following Elisa’s journey through isolation
and fear as she faces her feelings. This is Elisa’s first self released track which follows her first release with MC Manik.

Speaking about the track, Elisa mentions: “People always told me that time was a healer. But sometimes time isn’t enough and the difficult truth is that you have to put in work to heal yourself.When I wrote this song I was in a dark place yet somehow this felt more comfortable than the prospect of facing the feelings I had been avoiding for a long time. I was becoming
aware of the trap I was in and this song chronicles my coming to terms with the fact I had
to dive into those difficult emotions to get out of it.”

Listen to ‘Water’ below.

London Club Fold Is Selling A Limited Edition Bag

London club FOLD has unveiled a new limited edition piece of merchandise.

The bag is branded with FOLD’s typography logo, and contains multiple compartments and an adjustable strap that makes it suitable for cross-body or belt-bag wear.

Its made out of heavy duty material, with a faux leather outer shell, printed red logo lining, secure zip and popper button closures, a dark silver-tone industrial finish, and an extra D-ring dog clip for the strap.

The bag was designed by Goda Poskaite.

It’s available on a limited run and costs £52. Get yours here.

Check out some more images below.

UK Music Festivals Face Imminent Cancellation Without Government Support

UK Music has warned British music festivals will be cancelled again this year unless the government steps in to provide support.

The campaigning and lobby group, that represents the commercial music industry, has shared a detailed report titled ‘Let the Music Play: Save Our Summer 2021’ outlining its strategy to protect and support the UK’s multi-billion pound live music industry.

In the report, it warns that a lack of COVID cancellation insurance available means that a government insurance scheme is necessary for music festivals to move forward with event planning this year.

UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said: “While this pandemic is still raging and continues to cause devastation to lives and livelihoods today, there is an endpoint in sight. Government is rolling out the vaccine and is openly speculating about returning to normal by the spring – but there is a serious risk that even if this proves to be a reality, lack of notice and available insurance options will mean much of the 2021 summer music season can’t go ahead.

“With the right support the live music industry can be at the forefront of the post-pandemic recovery and play a key role in our country’s economic and cultural revival – but there will need to be a concerted effort from industry and the Government together if we are to let the music play and save our summer.”

Last month, Germany announced a €2.5 billion cancellation fund to cover the cost of events planned for the second half of 2021 that may be cancelled due to COVID-19.

The call for action in the UK follows on from Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis taking to Twitter yesterday to deny a claim from Mel B that this year’s festival has been cancelled.

Speaking to Nihal Arthanayake on BBC Radio 5 Live, the Spice Girls member said she had been told the event has been called off, possibly indicating that the pop group were set to play the festival’s Sunday evening ‘legends’ slot as part of the 25th anniversary edition.

She said: “I know that Glastonbury’s been cancelled, so a lot of big stage performances are on hold again this year, which is sad but we’ve got to get this virus under control.”

UK Music’s report is also calling for an “indicative” date for when venues and events can return with full capacity, and the VAT rate reduction relief on tickets and business rates to be extended.

Read the full report here

[via Mixmag]