“There’s definitely a lineage that we feel a part of, from the early hardcore, through to jungle, through to the Metalheadz era; through garage, grime and dubstep, especially when DMZ came around.”
People do seem to think your music strongly evokes certain precursors, for example the Metalheadz crew or DMZ. Who or what inspires you all?
Amen Ra: “Growing up I was all about jungle and hardcore from the age of about 12 or 13. I’m infected by a lot of that style, it won’t ever leave me! Also house and garage, 2step, all those old pirate sounds were all me. Broken beat sparked me massively and when dubstep started emerging that was a very deep time too, early FWD vibes. Everything I do comes through that filter. But I can’t deny my biggest musical influence, which is hip-hop. From hip-hop I got opened up to a whole world of music. I grew a deep love for free jazz, Brazilian music, psyche-rock – loads of stuff. The LA beat scene has to get a mention as well. I’ve been inspired by certain philosophers, writers and films too. The wider influences are all recorded in the music – the titles of the tunes, the samples.”
Double Helix: “The musical history that London’s streets and surrounding counties hold are important to me as an individual and a producer. I see the hardcore continuum as the UK’s gift to the world – its effect on the way that a massive cross-section of society interacts is huge and can’t be overlooked. Early jungle and breakbeat hardcore pioneers feature heavily in my record collection. Metalheadz 01-50 are quite possibly the most influential tracks that I own, and what Goldie did with Timeless and then Platinum Breakz Vol.1 is actually ridiculous. 90.6 FM under its many names was the home of two crews that without doubt had a massive impact on our sound, SLT and Bass Inject – they always came with new dubs on a weekly, nobody had the tunes they had and it was seriously fertile ground for music. Garage and the significant founders of the early movement that evolved from 2step into dubstep are seriously close to my heart… the beat patterns they came with were an eye opener as to what can be done at those tempos.”
Low Density Matter: “Ant Hill Mob, RIP, Groove Chronicles, Steve Gurley, Wookie, LTJ Bukem, Shogun, Nookie, Nubian Mindz… anybody that brings that warm, classic edge to production, the subtle tones that draw you in and take you into rainbow of deep vibes.”
Solar Man: “RZA, J Dilla, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Santana, Portishead, Photek, Hidden Agenda, Flying Lotus, Kutmah, Burial… any artist or label that is happy to push boundaries and open up new avenues. I’m into big thinkers and music needs these people.”
If music from what’s often referred to as the hardcore continuum is important to a lot of you, do any of you feel some sense of descent from musicians in its past? Do you think it’s necessary to be familiar with it to understand your music?
Amen Ra: “Definitely, people who do not come from the continuum will have a different understanding of our music – just as valid an understanding as people who have come from there as I think there’s enough to cater for both. There’s definitely a lineage that we feel a part of, from the early hardcore, through to jungle, through to the Metalheadz era; through garage, grime and dubstep, especially when DMZ came around. But things aren’t like what they were in the past, they aren’t as rare and underground, so we kind of have to draw a line under them eras, while remembering them at the same time if that makes sense.”
Double Helix: “It’s almost impossible to avoid the impact of its sonic lineage when you’re exposed to those sounds and ethics from a young age – the way that they interact and resonate with London as a multicultural society becomes clearer the more you look, and it’s a really powerful thing . I don’t think that grass roots familiarity with the continuum is essential to experiencing our music fully, but there will naturally be far more reference points in tracks for people that grew up with the continuum.”
Low Density Matter: “I think it’s inescapable really: if you lived anywhere near the M25 corridor once it was built, no matter how old you were, the continuum would almost definitely have affected your life in one way or another – be it through friends giving you tapes, record shops opening, people talking about the convoys, picking up rogue pirate stations in the car or even the bad press about raves. We’re no exception. The FM dial was rammed full of pirates and a ridiculous cross section of music was on tap, so you naturally develop an affinity with those sounds over the years.”
Solar Man: “We take a lot of influence from styles that have a direct connection to the continuum, and some that have influenced aspects of it without being so obvious, so it’s open to listeners of all backgrounds really. If you check beats by Amen, Helix or LDM for example, elements of garage, jungle and house are all clearly present in the sound they produce, but they’re all fused and punctuated by bursts of Bollywood, jazz, hip-hop, soul and a variety of samples from many genres.”
No Fixed Abode: “You don’t have to be familiar with the continuum to understand our sound, but it helps: there’s definitely a certain understanding of the continuum required to truly get it, I think. I twist the traditional format and bring in other influences that other heads might find too risky, as it goes too far from “UK” shit. I don’t care, this is no time to play it safe and this ain’t the time for those who just stick to what is comfortable and keeps them “in the team”.”
“I think it’s inescapable really: if you lived anywhere near the M25 corridor once it was built, no matter how old you were, the continuum would almost definitely have affected your life in one way or another”
Are there specific aims in mind for any of you when you make music?
Amen Ra: “To experience that feeling that comes from understanding something new. That feeling of newness is something that I seek in every lab session. Approach it with a beginner’s mind!”
No Fixed Abode: “A beginner’s mind! I always go in with that beginner’s mind: just go wild, no preconceptions, just expressions. I want to reach places I didn’t reach on the last tune.”
Does this phrase, “beginner’s mind”, come from somewhere in particular? Non-musical influences have been mentioned, in the context of samples and titles. Can you give a few examples of what you’re into?
Solar Man: “If any subject matter or topic takes my interest I’ll read around it and most probably try to find a source of material to sample some related dialogue from. I listen to a lot of films and documentaries late night while drifting off to sleep – never really watching the visuals, more keeping an open ear for samples, as you’re in a different place at those times.”
No Fixed Abode: “I love aphorisms, really short ones that can make you think for days, that’s what it’s all about – “half long twice strong” as GZA says. Bruce Lee’s one inch punch is inspiring in that respect, ’nuff power concentrated into one short movement. There’s something really exciting and deep in that, it’s like a Zen Koan; I try make tunes like that. They don’t seem to have loads going on but slowly they get under your skin.”
Amen Ra: “The Beginners Mind thing comes from Zen, it’s an expression that really resonates with us. You know how people talk about “beginners luck”, well how does it work that someone trying something for the first time can sometimes be better than a so called “expert” in that field? Because the experts mind ain’t fresh or open so maybe it doesn’t see the thing as clearly as the beginner, and maybe it isn’t as flexible as the beginner’s mind. Approaching music in this way results in more interesting sounds I found. This attitude is what makes LHF difficult to approach for some people because there’s constantly new spaces being found and we don’t settle on any definition. As soon as I feel like there’s a definite idea forming about who we are, I naturally change my approach because I always want to feel that newness. LHF is evolving all the time because members are always turning on lights for other members to see more possibilities, it’s a constant exchange between all of us.”
Robin Howells
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