Monday 26 July 2010

PG Podcast 009

Gon

Duration: 00:35:07

As 2008 drew to a close, a new label called infrasonics was entering the dubstep scene. Its physical presence was impressive: 10” vinyl releases with minimalist designs based on metallic tones and soft colours, which reflected the vein of its productions - cold techno textures on a bed of spacey dubstep. s p a t i a l was the alias chosen by the imprint’s creator and spaced out have been the successive releases –six, to date- on this exquisite label based in London with pilgrimages to Berlin. Three EPs have been released by s p a t i a l , all on 10”. The three others are 12” splits on which infrasonics has introduced artists from Chicago, Berlin and London: Hot City, xxxy and Ike Release. All of them are playing an important role in the development of dubstep into unexplored areas, touching future garage and hip-hop, always with techno on the horizon so they don’t get out of good habits already formed.

The latest infrasonics release, dated June this year, discovered the talent of Jamie Grind and Gon. Gon is an Italian producer who’se been based in Dublin for the last eleven years and who, right now, is presenting himself to the bass music scene with his first tunes on vinyl. His style is close to the burning percussion of funky house, although it’s not all carnival and party: Gon likes the sense of space and magnetic, metallic texture of the best American techno as well. He has prepared a mix for us full of futuristic dubstep which introduces some of his own productions and future infrasonics releases, and which is the perfect excuse to talk to him about his past and future and of course that record label, which despite its youth, is already an important player in avant-garde dubstep.

Part I: spatial speaks

Photo by: Thomas Sergeant

Was infrasonics originally meant just for spatial releases, as the first three releases in a row might suggest?

Yeah, I started it as a platform for my own material but it quite quickly became apparent I was looking to grow something a bit more community based and get involvement from other artists. Actually, infra12001 (the first split) came before the third 10”. The initial idea for the 10”s was to incorporate a hybrid release of web and physical. The 10”s are accompanied by some free tracks on the website, you find them by following the URL on the vinyl. The object is important to me so I wanted the packaging to make that object desirable, and a way to discover the material in the virtual domain.

The following releases have showcased newcomers to the scene in a “vs.” format. Is there reason you’re such a strong supporter of the shared release?

Firstly, the minimal aesthetic I have for my own releases just doesn’t translate to releasing other people’s music. I have to switch roles between something I treat as quite personal with my own stuff and keeping the best interest of the artists with whom I choose to work. The split records are about showcasing a variety of music on a single release. I’m not such a fan of the massive fragmentation within dance music which I feel is largely counterproductive. Sure, there’s an art to say, honing a particular micro genre until it reaches perfection - I’m just not that interested in hearing that progression. The UK bass scene is incredibly fertile territory with very little really being off limits and that’s something I’m extremely happy about.

You’re bringing new people for each record. So, will there be any in-house artists for infrasonics, a backbone that shapes the whole catalogue, or the opposite?

Almost every record, though Ike Release has been part of two split 12”s. The artists I’m working with now will all provide other material for the label and there’ll be some new faces in addition.

The techno textures that can be listened in some of your records are a consequence of your love for dub (space + echo) or are you an actual Detroit-Berlin sound fan?

As I’ve said before, I’m interested in sound at the most fundamental level (I guess a lot of producers are) along with dimension, and rhythm. Dubwise production techniques have been present in dance music since year dot - some styles just highlight it more than others. Over the years I’ve been a huge fan of techno (amongst other things) so I guess that comes through. I didn’t really distinguish by the cities so much back then but my heart would say Detroit and my mind would say Berlin. Or something.

Which have been your introduction to the sound and how has it shaped over the years?

A dance music history put through a blender?! Seriously, the best stuff comes with the least preconceptions in terms of what I want to make. I’ve made all sorts over the years - some of it’s more appealing than others.

There’s a house-garage feeling in Hot City, Xxxy and Gon. When did you finally acknowledge that the funky genre was the present and the imminent future of London bass scene?

UKF is an important strand of what’s happening in LDN but there’s lots of interesting stuff out there. I love visceral music and I’m happy to skank out but sometimes it’s all about the dance, you know?

How predictable is the future from here?

Erm?! Ok, to try and give something worthwhile… I mentioned above that the UK scene is pretty fertile right now with a plethora of influences and styles being plundered and re-appropriated into something fresh. This is generally great but I have a couple of instincts: the first is to be acutely aware that it doesn’t end up creating carbon copies of music from more established genres and the second, perhaps more importantly, is that I feel the acceleration and breadth of influences may lead to either a fatal implosion, or is perhaps a signifier before something new reigns true. More optimistically: I think there’s enough fresh blood and fresh ideas to keep things moving along nicely.

What about infrasonics future?

We’ll we’ve just release infra12002 by xxxy vs Ike Release and infra12003 which is Jamie Grind vs Gon. infra004 which is my next release is in the system and should be due in a couple of months. I’ve got a few releases in the pipeline for other labels also. We’ll deliver more split 12”s from existing artists and look to get more artists on board. I’m also keen to play with a few other ideas that perhaps get some of the artists working together - we’ll see.

Part II: Gon speaks

These tracks for infrasonics, if we’re not mistaken, are your first official release. Did it take long to shape your own sound? What was the most difficult barrier, aesthetic definition or producing skills?

I actually had a CD/digital release with a track called ‘6’ on Carbon Logic, but these two tracks on infrasonics are my first vinyl release, which is what I was really aiming for, being the vinyl junkie that I am. I’ve been spending long hours in my home studio producing for about six years now and it’s only in the last while that I’ve started being somewhat satisfied with the results. Putting an end to a track has always been a struggle for me, I tend to reshape and re-tweak sounds to death even when it’s not really necessary. So I would say learning how to structure and finish tracks was the most difficult part. But of course as regards producing skills, it’s an endless learning curve and I still have a long way to go.

Your music sounds funky but technoid at the same time. How this style reflects your own personality or mood?

Well I don’t know if any of my friends would describe my personality as ‘funky’ or ‘technoid’! It’s hard for me to comment on that as I don’t really see myself as having a style as such. I’ve made music in other genres in the past, like hip hop and bits of instrumental music for short films etc. I suppose my sound is influenced most by the music I’m listening at any particular time and lately I have been buying and playing a lot of UK Funky.

What are your next steps?

The next big step is moving to London in September after 11 years living in Dublin. I will keep working away on the music over there and hopefully there will be more releases to come. London is where a lot of the sounds I love are coming from at the moment so it will be great to be at the heart of it. Oh! and I’m gonna buy myself a big polyphonic synthesizer…

About the mix you’ve done, how was it mixed and what did you try to transmit with it?

It’s a live mix using vinyl and Serato for the digital tracks. It’s a selection of what I’m playing out at gigs these days which is a lot of Garage, Funky and Deep House.

Tracklist:
01. Xxxy: "Fela!!" (Free DL)
02. Seiji: "Agua Riddim" (Free DL)
03. Hot City: "Work The Box" (Dub)
04. GON: "Teg Wond" (Dub)
05. Connect 1: "I Know" (Nice 'n' Fruity)
06. Dub Monsters: "Untitled" (Fifty First)
07. Grievous Angel: "Move Down [VIP mix]" (Soul Jazz)
08. Joe: "Claptrap" (Hessle Audio)
09. spatial: "100402" (forthcoming infrasonics)
10. Jamie Grind: "If You Want" (infrasonics)
11. Colz: "Coverage" (Demo)
12. Ghost: "The Spooks" (Ghost)
13. DJ Wolfe feat. Mic Man: "Graveyard" (Knifes Edge)