Number one hits on the U.K. dance charts, three critically acclaimed full-length albums and 15 years of non-stop touring and producing have not dulled the flame for Total Science. DJing in Montreal next week, the Oxford duo delve into yet another decade as tastemakers and policy-setters of the drum’n'bass genre.
The ever-shifting stars and planets clearly indicate that now is the best time to be independent. With a family of labels including their flagship imprint CIA, sister label Advanced, its Sektor series and hip-hop excursion Skindeep, spawning an endless list of collaborators, underlings and minions in the process, Total Science have been building a self-sufficient business plan since day one. Is it as easy as it looks?
"It is hard work," affirms Q-Project, one half of TS, "but very rewarding to be masters of your own destiny. Over the many years of producing we’ve seen a lot of things that made us believe staying as independent as possible was the key to longevity. It may not scoop the largest income in the short term, but over time, if you can keep on it, it’s possible to survive in this small scene we call drum’n'bass."
Operating under the moniker Total Science since 1997, you’ve surely asked yourselves this question many times: Are electronic musicians implicit supporters of a world increasingly dependent on technological advancement?
"Defiantly pro-technology," concurs Q-Project without hesitation. "There is no way on earth that I could have followed my dreams without the invention of the sampler – or even had the dreams – as the hip-hop tracks that made me love music so much would have never been produced the way they were.
"It’s funny, as I had a very similar discussion only yesterday with a photographer who has been taking pics of us for almost our entire career. When we first met I had a small set-up in my room at my parents’ house but it had cost 15k, then we moved to a huge studio worth over 50k. It’s amazing that now we use a laptop sound card and pair of Mackie HR824s. Anyone with £500 can get a PC, buy the sample packs, watch the tutorials on YouTube and be up and running in a month. I wish it was that simple when I started out."
Total Science perform May 30 with local support from Corey K, Mayday and Bassic at Decibel, 4119 St-Laurent ($6 in advance at Moog, Psychonaut or $10 at the door).
Let the festing begin: lyricist, musician and love-maker of astonishing dexterity, Mile End favourite Socalled rolls heavy with his All-Star Klezmer Band, performing live tonight (May 21) at St-James Church’s Chamber Music Festival. Real heads enter dat chamber.
Passeport’s Forward weekly celebrates one year of Thursdays tonight as special guests Sixtoo, Abra and X-Wam join residents Wally, Dialect and Rhys Taylor. Mark next week off on your calendar also as local ghetto-tech legend Sebastian Prelar – whose cult successes include 12-inches for DJ Bam Bam’s Bass Heavy Music, Miss Djax’s mythical Djax imprint and Paul Langley’s Jackstar – DJs at Forward, May 28.
Meanwhile, up at my other favourite Thursday night haunt, Jupiter’s Less Bullshit More Fun, expert veteran night-fighters Bliss (May 21) and Poontz (May 28) will join equally magnanimous resident and co-host Mindbend behind the wheels of steel.
Jungle Inity keeps it on the real with a li’l shindig May 22 at L’Alizé where DJs Wally, Galaks, Jahstyle and Mad-Kiloz promise to bump drum’n'bass, jungle, dubstep, breaks and more ($7 at the door).
"That is the artist’s job: take mineral rock from dark silent earth, transform it into shining light -reflecting form from sky." – PKD
