For part one, featuring mixes from Numan, R1 Ryders, SRC, 8Bitch and Deep Teknologi, click here.
Doc Daneeka
From: Swansea. Tracks played by: Oneman, L-Vis 1990
Doc Daneeka is from Wales, has remixed Manchester buzz band Delphic, and makes house music that takes in the best of the UK: dubstep’s focus on the bottom end, Funky’s desire to look abroad for rhythm patterns and percussion, and grime’s grit.
Daneeka describes his sound as designed for the basement in this interview, and there’s a reassuring, quite abstract grubbiness (not in a horrible “cor mate that dubstep track was right facking dirty†way, obviously) to tracks like ‘Shut Up’. But what really binds his music together is that love for polyrhythms that rarely lulls and keeps you on your toes. He can also bliss it up with the best of them – check ‘Gattoviola’ on his myspace for proof.
He couldn’t do a mix for this feature, as the day I contacted him about it he was leaving to live in India for a bit, and still had to mix down his next EP. Still, he got the answers back and sent me several old mixes; I’d personally direct you to his Greenmoney Radio one which features plenty of his own material.
Doc Daneeka. Like the Catch 22 character, right? What’s the significance of the name?
“The book is just so dope I needed to take something from it. There were so many options, but I always liked the sound of Doc Daneeka. He’s a dude too.â€
Where are you from? What do you do day to day?
“I’m from Swansea, South Wales, the hub of cutting edge electronic music! Not really. I mostly sit in my room pointlessly wasting hours on the internet and making beats. I also run a club night called Slamonthebreaks.â€
What’s your background in music?
“I’ve always been involved with music. When I was younger it was with orchestra music – then punk bands – I got into the whole dance music / DJing thing and production followed from that really.â€
What soft/hardware do you build on?
“Logic.â€
What do you try to achieve with your tunes – like what vibes, or feelings do you try to conjure up with them?
“It’s all aimed at being played at parties in small sweaty basements. Proper poly-rhythmic dancing music – I hate linear beats.â€
What producers / music inspires you?
“Hard to say, I’d say the Mizell Brothers are some of the most inspiring producers ever, they just did so much and really opened my eyes to possibility. Dilla and Calibre also have done a lot for me over the years. Apart from that, there’s just so much talent and great music being made that it’s whoever I’m listening to that day.â€
Do you just see your music as house?
“Errrr – sort of. Bit of an awkward subject really. If someone calls it funky, then I’d prefer to call it house. It’s kind of its own take on house, basement house if you like.â€
What releases do you have coming out?
“There is a limited edition blue vinyl press of my Delphic – ‘Doubt’ remixes out about now, ‘Drums in the Deep’ drops on the Fabric Elevator Music compilation on January 18th, plus my EP on an undisclosed subsidiary of Ramp should be dropping in Feb or March. Got a lot in the oven too, so hopefully it’s gonna be a busy year! I’m amped already.â€
What else should we know about you?
“I’m pretty partial to fine foods.â€
Stream: Doc Daneeka – Greenmoney Radio Mix
Tracklist on the above link.
the hoya hoya nights are the most foward thinking parties in manchester, and illum sphere's production gets better with every release.
the illum sphere mix is deeeep, one of the best mixes i have heard in ages, its great to get lost in at night time during walks around the city. i'm gonna keep my ears peeled for more of his stuff
wooooah illum mix is sick! he stands out a lot more than the rest of the ones to watch
This Mosca mix sounds like part of a proper, long form one. Amazing stuff.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] For part two, featuring mixes from Mosca, Hackman, Doc Daneeka, Julio Bashmore and Illum Sphere, click here. [...]
[...] Recently profiled by FACT, Manchester’s Illum Sphere is steadily gathering accolades on both the strength of his own productions and his Hoya: Hoya clubnight. Here he releases Long Live the Plan, the first EP in a two-part series on local label Fat City. [...]
[...] Their first line-up together features Pangaea, the Hessle Audio star who recently put out an excellent six-track EP of new material (reviewed here), Ikonika, the crunked-out dubstepper whose forthcoming debut album for Hyperdub has the FACT office salivating, Blunted Robot Martin Kemp, and Mosca, who was recently in the mix for FACT here. [...]