Interview: Drum & Bass’ DJ Code (Sketch & Code)

Interview: Drum & Bass’ DJ Code (Sketch & Code)

31 January, 2008 | 2.15AM

• Section: Music News Topics: Beatport Blog
• Written by: ERockUK

After many years in drum n bass and some heavy releases on EZ Rollers’ Intercom label and the well known Emotif Records, DJ Code of Sketch & Code fame is rolling solo.

I caught up with him in London, England to talk about his new releases on Emotif, Canada’s Furious Records, industrial rock music, parenthood, plans for the future and his take on the drum n bass business. 

How do you find producing solo after spending so many years with Sketch? Will you take the sound in a different direction?

“It’s been ok so far. The biggest difference is not having someone to bounce ideas off and vibe from.

“I’ve found mixing down tracks a problem and somewhere that there is room for improvement technically.

“Working as we pair you are always going to have that reassurance that something is sounding right if you both agree, whereas when working on your own it’s down to your discretion and judgement.

“I have a tendency to push everything too much and have the potential to end up with a distorted mess that will then need correcting if I’m not careful. 

“There’s a fine line between everything peaking and overcooking it.

“I’m not so sure about taking the music in a different direction but I think you will definitely be able to hear the difference. 

“As Sketch & Code we have always made dancefloor tracks for us to play out in our sets and I think that ethos will still be the same for my solo projects. 

“For those people that have heard our DJ sets together, there can often be quite a contrast between the tracks we play and those influences obviously came out in our production.”

What makes a good drum n bass track? Is it all about pushing the envelope or making people dance?

“For me it’s got to be about making people dance. If people can’t dance to it, then they won’t go to clubs to hear it. 

“If they don’t listen to it in the clubs they’re not going to listen to it indoors and therefore they’re not going to buy the music either.

“Drum n bass is one of the most diverse and cutting edge genres of music available. 

“There are so many different factors that can make a track “good”. 

“It can even be something as simple as a sample that makes a track stand out and then at the other end of the spectrum you’ve got the tracks with seriously complex drum patterns and bass lines that are just amazing and blow you away when you hear them. 

“I tend to see good tracks in two ways; they’ve either got something unique or interesting that you just can’t forget about them or they’ve got the right elements and vibe that keep you interested and make you want to move.”

What gear are you using in your studio at the moment?

“I use Logic 7 Pro on a Mac. 

“I mainly use the internal plug-ins like EXS24/ EXP24 and the FM synths. 

“I do use some external bits of kit like a Nord Lead synth and a few other bits I have picked up along the way.”

What d&b sound are you feeling these days?

“I’m really into a lot of the jump stuff that’s doing the rounds at the moment. 

“I play a bit of everything but tend to lean towards the tracks you can play at three o’clock in the morning when the night is at its peak. 

“The last drum and bass album I was really into was High Contrast ‘Tough Guys Don’t Dance’. 

“I didn’t really play any of the tracks out because everyone else was hammering them, but I thought it was a good album.”

Are you working on anything big at the moment?

“Yeah, a baby! Due 6th May. 

“Other than that I’m currently working on a project with MC Cogee (Kool FM/ Ragga Twins Crew) that fingers crossed will finally be the long awaited follow up to Rudeboy Rebellion, as well as some more bits for Emotif. 

“The plan is also to write five or six new tracks for Furious Records before the end of the summer.

“There are a few remix projects in the pipeline as well. 

“One remix I’m looking forward to doing is for an Industrial band called System:FX currently making some noise on the underground gigging circuit. 

“I’m also involved in a non-drum and bass side project with young London based songwriter ADM, currently working on getting an album together.”

You still DJ a lot, how are the parties? What’s your favourite city to play?

“The parties are as busy as ever. There are always going to be bad nights every now and again but the scene seems to be healthy at the moment.

“There are a lot of long running weekly events still going strong as well as the one off events.

“I don’t think there is one city I could single out and if I did it would be doing an injustice to all those other cities around the world that I’ve played good gigs in. 

“Here are a few places that I always look forward to playing;

Cardiff (Wales)
“There used to be an excellent monthly night called Bullet Proof that I’m not sure is still running anymore as the promoter that used to book me handed it over to someone else but it was always a good night out.  Good line-ups and a crowd that was up for anything.”

Toronto (Canada)
“Toronto is one of my favourite cities in the world and probably the only place other than London that I could live. This has probably got something to do with the hospitality I have been shown there and the friends I’ve made over the years.”

Montreal (Canada)
“I’ve included Montreal as well because I always remember a gig at The Blue Dog that was off the hook. The venue is not that big but it was packed.  It was part of a Furious Records Tour some years ago to promote one of the releases and at one point I think the whole crew were playing back to back. There were at least five DJs and not a lot of room behind the decks but it was going off.”

Germany
“I have never played a bad gig in Germany. You can pick any city there and they all have a scene going on. The parties are always busy and they are really into the music. I’m looking forward to going back and playing in Bielefeld in the next few months.”

Out live do you prefer CDs or vinyl?

“It’s got to be CDs I’m afraid to say. I prefer the feel and sound of vinyl because I grew up with it but the practicality of a CD makes it so much easier to play a set using them now days. 

“I should probably support the vinyl scene more than I do.

“I still release music on vinyl and expect people to buy them but I also need to do what’s in my best interest to enable me to play the best set I can.

“I understand that there are issues over quality control by playing CDs as you can be playing unfinished tracks and tracks that haven’t been mastered etc. 

“This is something I try to be aware of so that I don’t play something if the production isn’t up to scratch, but at the end of the day I would not be able to play with the amount of selection I do if I only used vinyl and dub plates.”

Wrap Up

Code remains as always a gentleman, a scholar and a DJ’s DJ.

Few drum n bass producers have stuck it out through the booming 90s into the difficult shift away from vinyl to digital music delivery.

Yet this guy, after all his contributions to the scene remains down to earth, honest as hell and a dedicated d&b soldier.

I’ve been lucky enough to hear some of his new tracks and I can say with confidence that although everyone will miss the great Sketch, Code is keeping the duo’s legacy alive and well.

Any fans of the Sketch & Code Intercom bangers like ‘Reality’ and the grinders on Emotif will not be disappointed.

Watch out for new tracks from DJ Code on Emotif in 2008 and the Space Rock Remixes on Furious Records February 12th on Beatport.

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