Dubstep producer Skrillex talked to Mixmag this week and declared his skills on a deck and more on record in a recent Q&A.
Read on for more…
When did you first start skating?
I first started skating when I was about nine – that was in San Francisco. Then, when I was about twelve, I moved to LA and used to skate at spots like Verdugo Hills high school, which is a really famous spot. I was always more into ‘go big’ – seeing how many stairs I could jump. My claims to fame when I was young were ollying the twelve-stair, pop shuvits, kick-flipping the six stair, stuff like that. I was also playing in punk bands at the time.
So do you still skateboard?
Absolutely. On the Mothership tour I’d skate for hours before a show. I’d work up a real sweat and be hyped before I went on stage.
Was your manager not against it – just in case you broke a wrist and couldn’t DJ?
Nah man! I’m not going to give it up. For me skateboarding is a bit like getting piercings and having my ears stretched. I’ve had them like that since I was young, but if I didn’t have them already, at this age, I probably wouldn’t get them done. Likewise, I’ve skateboarded for a long time, so I know my way. But if you weren’t that deep into it and you tried to go hard now, you could really fuck yourself up. Everybody is a bit more fearless when they’re young. Nowadays, I’m just doing flat down tricks – fun boxes and that kind of thing.
Read the rest of this interview discussing Steve Berra, Koston and more here.
The Massacre was heavily missed by many last year so organisation for this one started as far back as the beginning of August to make sure it was going to happen. With no room for a mini ramp at Vauxhall’s Hidden Club, Matthew Bromley’s idea to have a skate sticker exhibition caught on amongst 12 of London’s best skate art illustrators and the Toxic Wasters exhibition took its place. We did miss the ramp though, so next year we will try our hardest to get it back into the mix for you.
Highlights for this explosive night are rife. Cornish 4-piece Crowns made some new drinking buddies by serving up cold pints of Clash inspired, seafaring punk rock. Tomb Crew got stuck into Front Magazine‘s room by dropping the beats on the earlybirds whilst Illaman MC had more words that a dictionary to spill across Rack N Ruin‘s set too. 3 hours of grime, dubstep and bass reigned supreme before Cerebral Ballzy took to the stage in the Vans room. The results were no surprise.
This was the most chaotic show we have ever seen at any Crossfire night. From the off, a sea of bodies collided as the hardcore was sprayed into the crowd. Surgeons, zombies, military officers, pirates, even bananas, were smashing into each other forming one of the biggest bundles ever seen thanks to the dance music podiums that were used as launch pads! This legendary set was ended with a piñata smashing of the highest order and a set of absolute bangers by Stereo:Type who mashed up every classic in the book. The Vans room was covered in beers, stickers and sweets and ended up destroyed.
The Last Resort DJs dropped 90’s rock classics across 2 rooms and had the place rolling alongside a fierce stoner rock set from James Sherry, whilst Talita Two Shoes and Pheobe Winter freaked everyone out with their Child’s Play and dropped a great selection of metal! It’s always fantastic to see the DJs and bands dress up for this occassion. Pheobe’s and Talita won it for the girls and Enter Shikari‘s Rou Reynolds was a serious contender for the boys prize. Shikari have spent the last 2 weeks on tour around the UK but still had the energy to jump on the decks with us for 90 mins. Rout and SGT Rolfy had the place jumping before handing over the decks to High Rankin & Tigerlight who were dressed for Ultraviolence and continued the frenzy with bass driven beats mixed with a ton of wob!
Overall, not many people were ejected on the night. We are listening to all of your feedback on our facebook page and twitter so keep them coming and share your pics on there with us this week.
Thanks so much if you came down to make this night the huge success that this year’s Crossfire Halloween Massacre in association with Vans turned out to be, and also for dressing up in some of the best costumes we have ever seen! Big ups to all at Vans and Front Magazine, all at Hidden Club and Found series, Chloe Leeks, James Sherry, Paul Parker for his incredible artwork and all of the illustrators involved in Toxic Wasters exhibition, all the DJs and bands mentioned above, everyone at Division PR, Sophie Kostrowski, Scott Kell, Tom Halliday, the lovely guys at WE Audio, Kerrang, Rocksound, Clash, Metro, NME, Time Out, The Londonist, TNT, Sidewalk Mag, XFM, Gallows, We Are The Ocean, Hawk Eyes and all of the other bands out there who retweeted our shit and anyone we forgot. See you in 2012!
Enjoy the gallery photos below thanks to the long hours put in by Tom Halliday and Scott Kells. If you use these images, please credit them.
Watch the full video from the night courtesy of Sophie Kostrowski and Matthew Bromley:
Watch a clip of Cerebral Ballzy exploding in the Vans room. Caught on iphone from above.
TOM HALLIDAY’S PHOTOGRAPHY:
Enter Shikari blow up the Front room
Sweet Dreams played party nightmares!
Our photographer Tom Halliday is a Misfit!
High Rankin dropped bombs!Cerebral Ballsout played
SCOTT KELLS PHOTOGRAPHY:
Crowns brought dead sailors up from Cornwall!
Tigerlight in the house!
Next 3 pics shot by James Sherry.
Final photo by Tom Halliday.
“It was a great night had by all with some amazing outfits, a truly hilscarious event!” – Sgt Rolfy (Enter Shikari)
Rack n Ruin has been knocking out bangers for a couple of years now and with a string of hits under his belt including Soundclash, Righteous, Territory and more, he’s guaranteed to blast the speakers each and every time. As we gear up for the Crossfire Halloween Massacre, we had a quick chat with him to show you what to expect come the 28th.
You’ve been on the scene for a little while now and have mixed up sounds from Soundclash with Jessie Ware to Territory – do you just make tunes as you go along and see how they turn out? Or do you set out to make certain styles before you get going?
It depends really. Some days I have an idea in my idea and will stick to that but some days it’s just experimentation. If I’m working with a vocalist, we’ll generally get the vibe going together and then go from there.
You’ve done remixes for the likes of I Blame Coco and Nas/Damian Marley – how did they come about and do you approach them any differently from your own original beats?
Island Records approached me after hearing Soundclash and asked me to do some remixes, this then led to the work with Coco etc. I approach remixes in lots of ways, but usually I listen to the original and think of a way to make it more interesting and more suited to the dancefloor. It is different to making original tunes unless you start an original with a prominent sample.
There are loads of talented MCs out there, who have been the best you’ve worked with and are there any you still want to jump on one of your tracks?
P-Money is very talented and a fast writer. Old skool jungle dons like Navigator and Slarta John are also amazing. I’m very lucky to have worked with such sick MCs. I’d really like to work with some MCs from the States next.
How did you hook up with Black Butter Records and how good a fit are they for your tunes?
My manager runs the label and we’ve been there from the start of the label so it nice and my sound has progessed along with the label. I really like their output so it’s all good!
What are your top three tunes playing out at the moment?
Bax by Mosca, Signal by me and P-Money and everything by Hostage!
It’s the Crossfire Halloween Massacre you’re playing at, so who would be the last person you’d want to see trick or treating you when you open the door?
Evil clowns freak me out so probably one of them!
And money’s no object – what would you dress up as for the Ultimate Halloween outfit?
That’s a hard one. Always loved the Jason films so probably him, a bloody hockey mask!
Get on Rack N Ruin’s latest release below and find him of Facebook.
Thanks for making this one of the best night’s out we have ever had the pleasure of creating. Look out for the gallery today on the homepage.
SCHEDULE!
ROOM 1 – AKA THE VANS ROOM
9 – 10.30pm: LAST RESORT
10.30 – 11pm: CROWNS LIVE
11pm – 12pm TALITA TWOSHOES/PHEOBE WINTER
12-12.30am – CEREBRAL BALLZY LIVE
12.30am – 2amSTEREO:TYPE
2am- 4am SWEET DREAMS
4am-5am – CROSSFIRE SOUND SYSTEM
ROOM 2 – CROSSFIRE ROOM
9pm-10.30pm – TALITA TWOSHOES/PHEOBE WINTER
10.30pm-12am – LAST RESORT DJs
12am-5am – CROSSFIRE SOUND SYSTEM
ROOM 3 – AKA FRONT MAGAZINE ROOM
9-10pm CROSSFIRE SOUND SYSTEM – JAMES SHERRY
10pm-11.30pm TOMB CREW with ILLAMAN MC
11.30pm -1am RACK N RUIN
1am- 2.30am ENTER SHIKARI ROB & SGT ROLFY
2.30am-4.00am HIGH RANKIN and TIGERLIGHT
So here, we are. There are literally handfuls of advance tickets left. Snap them up right now and we will have your details on the door for when you arrive, no worries. We have also held back only 100 tickets on the door for those of you who can’t get your shit together! We are almost there though, you’d better be ready!
In order to celebrate 10 YEARS of doing this Crossfire stuff, our filthiest party, THE CROSSFIRE HALLOWEEN MASSACRE in association with Vans returns to the capital this year on Friday October 28th. We are putting everything into this one here so get organised in advance. Press play for Halloween Treats!
ADDRESS:
This party will be held at the same venue that we threw the Flip premiere at HIDDEN CLUB, 100 Tinworth Street, Vauxhall, London, SE11 5EQ from 9pm-5am. Click here for a map. Please note that this night is strictly over 18’s only. You will be asked to show ID at the door and go through a small security check.
TICKET INFO:
Earlybird tickets have now unfortunately sold out. Advance tickets for just £10 (+booking fee) are on sale now from Ticketweb and WeGotTickets for a limited period. You can pick up paper tickets in the shop over the counter and online here at Slam City Skates. Please note that this event always sells out and tickets are currently selling fast, so organise your Halloween night now to avoid disappointment. Invite your friends from the Facebook
event page..
FANCY DRESS
The Massacre is only a week away, so what will you be dressing up as this year? It’s not essential but please note that pretty much everyone makes a big effort for this party. We will give away a huge package from Vans, Front, Crossfire and of course, a ltd edition Toxic Wasters sticker pack for the best dressed on the night. The best dressed male and best dressed female will be picked at midnight, so get yourself organised this weekend!
Nine Inch Nails, mashed up with Skrillex, Guns and Roses, Plan B, Michael Jackson, Slipknot, Chase and Status, Pendulum, Nero, Rage Against the Machine, The Prodigy, Noisia, Daft Punk- it’s all stuffed into here to form a party classic! Just dive into this and download it for free today on us.
If you are loving this, show your appreciation and LIKE the Stereo:Type Facebook page so you can keep in touch with more of this goodness.
Cerebral Ballzy are our special guests this year. Watch their latest video here and look out for an interview with them this month.
We have also added Cornish 4-piece punk band, Crowns to the Vans room line up. Expect pirate style punk rock with a boozy swagger hitting your ears! Get a free download here.
MASSACRE 2011 LINE UP
FRONT MAGAZINE ROOM: LDN BASS SCENE/DUBSTEP/DnB/ELECTRO
HIGH RANKIN & TIGERLIGHT
ROUT & SGT ROLFY (Enter Shikari DJ Set)
RACK N RUIN (Black Butter Records)
TOMBCREW feat ILLAMAN MC (Trouble & Bass)
SWEET DREAMS
VANS ROOM: CLASSIC ROCK/METAL/THRASH/PUNK/MASH UP/HIP HOP
CEREBRAL BALLZY – LIVE!
CROWNS – LIVE!
STEREO:TYPE (XFM’s most requested Mash Up DJ)
TALITA TWO-SHOES (Total Rock)
PHEOBE WINTER (Metal Hammer show onPlanet Rock)
CROSSFIRE SOUND SYSTEM with ZAC SLACK & JAMES SHERRY
LAST RESORT
CROSSFIRE ROOM: TOXIC WASTERS SKATE STICKER ART EXHIBITION!
12 of the most exciting skateboard graphic illustrators will showcase one off sticker designs especially for Halloween. Includes exclusive work from Paul Parker, Mr Gauky, Kyle Platts, Sam Taylor, Matthew Bromley, French, Stu Smith, Fos, Craig Scott, Dan Singer, Paddy Jones and Tom Slater.
Watch Paul Parker’s illustration documentary here to find out more about his art. Mr Gauky’s Day In A Life is also now live. Awesome stuff.
If you have been to the Massacre before then you know you will need 2 days off to recover, so this year we have decided to help you out and throw it on a Friday. Get organised with tickets now to avoid disappointment. Please download the Massacre flyer below and put it on your wall. See you there!
We have some good news for you regarding Halloween today. Last year’s Crossfire Halloween Massacre event didn’t happen due to a back injury, but this year we are back with an absolute banger to celebrate 10 years of Crossfire.
Expect 3 rooms full of party chaos including very special guests held at a venue in South London! A limited 100 cheaper £8 earlybird tickets have now sold out. Standard advance tickets can be found here but be quick as these are selling fast. Click here for the facebook page for all info. Please put the date of Friday October 28th in your dairy and we will see you there.
West London Bass Club is debuting on July 1st at Ginglik in, unsurprisingly, Shepherds Bush, West London.
Run by very good friends of Crossfire, the night aims to bring some of the glory back to the West of the Capital, away from those pesky East Londoners, promising to bring the Notting Hill Carnival vibes to the club with big tunes and bashy basslines.
With the promise of dubstep, 2step, reggae, dub, jungle, bashment and grime, it’s certainly got something for everyone beat-related and is only £6 before 10pm, £8 after. Make sure you sign up on the facebook event page for cheap entry – it’s definitely worth it.
The line-up is:
MC Xander – Loops, Samples, Beatbox
Sapnarella – Dancehall, Bashment, 2step
Chubstep – Dubstep
Zegema Beach – Roots, Reggae, Ragga
DJ Selva & MC Shot One – Drum & Bass, Jungle
This Sunday we will be at the Barfly for our evening of party goodness at the Gaymers Camden Crawl and will be expecting a night full of tunes and live bands from 6pm. The venue will be open all day of course if you are planning to get amongst the daytime entertainment but our evening line up is looking pretty tasty and can now be released so here’s what we have planned for you.
Live Schedule upstairs at the Barfly:
8.20pm – HOLY STATE – visit www.myspace.com/holystate – Traveling from Leeds and signed to Dance to the Radio, this angular, post punk 4-piece should please fans of Hot Snakes and Jesus Lizard. Don’t miss them as they give a great live show and will be a band you will hear much more about this year.
9.25pm – DELS – visit www.myspace.com/imdels Signed to Big Dada Records (offshoot of Ninja Tune) DELS is an MC who pushes what he can say with words as hard as he can and combines it with a really adventurous attitude towards music. His debut album ‘GOB’ is released on Monday so this should be quite a party!
10.30pm – CEREBRAL BALLZY – visit www.myspace.com/cerebralballzy Our headliners are set to take the roof off the Barfly in true hardcore style. The Brooklyn based punk 5-piece play fast, skate punk that Bad Brains and first album Suicidal Tendencies fans will be proud to hear so expect total mayhem!
DJ Schedule, downstairs at the Barfly
6pm-9pm:CROSSFIRE SOUND SYSTEM with Zac Slack and James Sherry. Expect a mixed bag of punk rock, psych-garage, stoner and classic alternative and indie tracks.
9pm-11.15pm:SWEET DREAMS DJs. Returning for more since last year’s Camden Crawl these 2 ladies who know their dirty hip hop and also love a party classic!
11.15pm-12.30pm: The CROSSFIRE SOUND SYSTEM will be charging on all fronts with mash up, rock and punk classics once Cerebral Ballzy take your ears off. Expect a sing-a-long.
12.30-2am:RITA MAIA. West London’s electronic slayer will be dropping Hip Hop, Drum n Bass and dubstep hammers until close at 2am.
One of our favourite new[ish] producers around is Kito and she’s got a new EP coming out with vocalist Reija Lee on Diplo’s Mad Decent label.
The Sweet Talk EP will feature four tracks – Sweet Talk, Broken Hearts, On The Jam and This City – and is released next Tuesday, April 29th. You can check out previews of all four tracks below.
Kito’s gonna do big things this year and beyond, get involved.
The track Fighting Fire features Jess Mills on vocals and is brand new fire from the producer and continues the excellent work he did with last year’s Foundation album which was on more than one list on our Best Of 2010 feature. The track is released on Digital Soundboy on February 27th.
Starkey is always difficult to define with his innovative mix of grime, dubstep, hip hop and everything inbetween and with his new EP, Space Traitor – Vol. 1, he doesn’t make it any easier. Not that this is a bad thing, as opening track Robot Hands slams its way into the ether with his trademark heavy duty bass interspersed with moments of calm before the storm.
Playing With Fire sees no let-up with a crashing drum introducing the track, laying the foundations for the crescendo of sound that follows, combining skittering hi-hats and empowering synths. The almost Hitchcockian film-score like strings of Holodeck again bleed into a bassline that demands full attention before showing his ability to switch styles with the much more relaxed Paradise with Anneka, who appeared on his album Ear Drums And Black Holes of this year.
Starkey’s production ends with the almost Joker-esque Lenses before unleashing a torrent of remixes from the likes of Ital Tek, Rudi Zygadlo [with a brilliantly understated remix of Paradise] and Egyptrixx amongst others. Fans of Starkey will lap this up and certainly there are tracks on here that would have lifted his album to higher levels. As ever, he is fresh and worth space on anyone’s iPod.
“I’ve always loved Vallely.”
Breakage
