Deekline, Tim Healey and a Giant Pussy

Deekline, Tim Healey and a Giant Pussy

4 September, 2009 | 8.58AM

• Written by: Caleb Rakes
• Filed under: Music News: deekline, giant pussy records, tim healey

Fate works in mysterious ways. Planets align, stars collide, and DJs bump into each other in Kazakhstan, thus forming a label which combines their love of ghetto bass with oversized pussy cats. This is how the universe works, if you are DJs Deekline and Tim Healey.

Nick Deekline’s history as a producer stretches way back to the late 90s garage scene when he released one of the biggest tracks of the era, ‘I Don’t Smoke’ (da reefa), a sound which he hopes to bring back with his label cohort, Healey.

As the UK’s bass-driven scenes morphed into new and exciting sounds, Deekline became known within breakbeat circles for his cult label Rat Records, and for his duo, Deekline & Wizard.

Healey on the other hand, came from the other side of the galaxy, dominating charts and DJ playlists with his filthy, electro house beats as one half of Coburn. With tracks such as ‘We Interrupt This Programme’ and ‘Give Me Love’, Tim then moved into breakbeat, applying his trademark tricks to the sound before eventually teaming up with Nick.

The pair’s new label Giant Pussy Records combines all of Deekline and Healey’s breaks, house and dubstep influences, and as Tim sums it up, ‘ It’s a vault of sleaze, trash, and bass’.

We caught up with Deekline and Tim Healey to find out more about their Giant Pussy.

So which one of you pulls the strings and more importantly who’s responsible for the name ‘Giant Pussy Records’?

TH: That was Deekline’s idea. He approached me with the concept. We met in Kazakhstan in 2009, and had a mutual respect for each other’s productions.

ND: I was watching a comedy skit on Curb Your Enthusiasm about giant vaginas and I’ve always liked words that have a double entendre, in light of this and knowing that Tim had had his fair share of Giant Pussys (cats) in his lifetime he agreed.

TH: Deekline got me to remix a tune for him, and then we produced the 2009 remix of Fast Eddie’s ‘Yo Yo Get Funky’.

What’s the direction with the label, and how does it differ it from your own respective labels?

TH: Our slogan is ‘A vault of sleaze, trash and bass’, and that kind of sums it up. Basically it’s ghetto house where urban flavours and zeitgeisty beats come together.

We decided to have dubstep remixes on the B-sides, and the formula has proved to be a runaway success so far.

ND: We wanted to merge genres together and create something fresh and new. I’ve been playing gigs, and building my sets with house and breaks tunes and they’ve gone down a storm, so merging the two to create ‘ghetto’ house and big beat was the only way forward.

Nick, what’s on the agenda for your other labels? Do these have a future or will you focus now on Giant Pussy only?

ND: All the labels are a priority, but the other labels are and have done really well for me.

I’ve got Sludge with Ed Solo, Rat Records, which is obviously my oldest label with releases from the likes of Wiley, Freq Nasty, Stanton Warriors, Fresh, and Sporty-O.

I’m always working across the board with different producers and artists. I think that keeps the buzz alive and it gives my fans a broader knowledge of what I do.

In 2009 it’s tragically dull if your DJ set mines only one genre of sound, or style of production.

Was this a conscious decision to distance yourself from the traditional breakbeat scene?

ND: No, not really it was something that we had to do to make it more fresh. We both wanted to create a new sound for people to listen to and I think that we wanted this to be the beat that everyone wants to hear in the clubs.

TH: We both love beats and bass, in pretty much any format. Most of our records mash-up the styles, but ultimately on Giant Pussy we didn’t want it to be pigeonholed, i.e., you could play a track of ours in a breaks or house set.

Also we both play across the globe and at events that celebrate house, electro, techno, breaks and everywhere in between. In 2009 it’s tragically dull if your DJ set mines only one genre of sound, or style of production.

Deekline, would you say that your upcoming release ‘Bring It Back’ is a return to your earlier garage style?

ND: Absolutely, to be honest I got sick to death of garage, but I’m feeling excited about it again as it’s been a while since the days of it being over commercialised.

There’s been a huge buzz in London recently what with UK funky taking off and excitement over the plethora of raw talent and underground music in general.

It really feels like it did 10 years ago. I was well up for working on this project with Tim, to literally ‘bring back’ the old garage flavours and vibes.

How does the dubstep element work into your label’s ethos? What are your main sources of influence here?

TH: We’ve had real success here, after Crissy Criss did the first remix for us, we’ve had no difficulty contacting leading dubstep producers and asking them to tackle our tunes.

So far each request has been met with a positive response. Tes La Rok’s latest remix is heavy, and Ed Solo & JFB’s re-work of ‘Bring It Back’ is huge.

ND: Again it would be hard to ignore the rise of dubstep from within the underground music scene, and what with the success of mine and Ed’s label, Sludge, it just felt like the most natural and logical thing to do, along with stroking big cats of course.

What are the processes involved in planning a cohesive DJ set based around the various sounds and styles Giant Pussy are associated with?

TH: This is something both of us have always represented: freestyle party music, so planning DJ sets comes naturally to both of us.

Between us we have over 30 years of DJ experience programming sets and rocking crowds around the world.

ND: I like to play Miami Bass, ghetto tech, house, breaks, dubstep and 80’s electro. I look to the early days when DJs played hip hop and house and just played whatever was rocking the party.

TH: We both have a pre-disposition to massive production and cutting edge sounds, with a healthy sprinkling of remixes and mash-ups.

ND: So with this in mind, I also find and make tunes to bridge the gaps in the genres. I suppose, really in my mind, I am trying to create a giant atmosphere that draws in all the pussy!

Where do you find that the crowds are more receptive to this style of ghetto-house?

ND: To be honest I find that everywhere I play is receptive to the Giant Pussy style, maybe it’s because I’ve been mashing up genres for years and that’s primarily what I get booked for. Although I think now it is becoming even more popular with a huge array of exciting producers on the scene and using programs like Serato and Traktor make it even easier to DJ in this way.

TH: I am yet to be defeated. As well as headlining in my own right, I’ve supported bands like the Prodigy, and DJs like Fat Boy Slim, Paul van Dyk and Deadmau5… and I am yet to clear the dancefloor.

People get the music we play. But it has always been like this for both of us.

You’ve both been collaborating together on a bunch of remixes. How does the production relationship work between you two?

TH: We work at my studio in Brighton, but Deekline bombards me with ideas, loops, samples and hook-ups with vocalists. It’s an insane environment to work in but there’s never a dull moment.

ND: I go to Tim’s studio as it is way more fun than mine, he has a huge 80’s porn collection and lots of colouring in books which I like to do. I tend to stamp my feet and jump about lots until I get my way.

I hear there’s an album in the pipeline, any more info?

ND: We’ve currently kidnapped a load of MCs and booty dancers and locked them in Tim’s dungeon, so we’re just waiting for them to come up with something good.

The Giant Pussy story so far...

DJ Fast Eddie ‘Yo Yo Get Funky’ (Deekline & Tim Healey Remix)

The track that started it all, Chicago hip house pioneer Fast Eddie’s 1988 classic ‘Yo Yo Get Funky’ was brought right up to date with the original breaks flavour dropping into ruff and nasty ghetto electro house.

Full of bass and old skool flavour, it was an instant hit.

DJ Fast Eddie ‘Yo Yo Get Funky’ (Crissy Criss Remix)

With a Crissy Criss dubstep remix on the flip, Giant Pussy set a dubstep B-side precedent that Healey and Deekline hope to follow with each release.

Sounding like a fresh and funky re-rub straight outta the late 80s, it’s a clever mish mash between yesteryear’s funky breaks and today’s bass-heavy warped dubstep sounds.

Tai, Tim Healey ‘Pocket Rocket’

Release No.2 saw ‘Pocket Rocket switch effortlessly between mainroom-facing electro house and raw London breaks. A huge breakdown, ground swelling bass, and ghetto nastiness completed this multi-genre monster.

Tai, Tim Healey ‘Mash Up Boyz’

Full of British street swagger, ‘Mash Up Boyz’ presented male rap vocals over party breaks and low slung electro house. Growling, and cocky, it’s like a blast of freezing CO2 in the face.

Tai, Tim Healey ‘Pocket Rocket’ (Tes La Rok Remix)

A dubstep remix of ‘Pocket Rocket’, sees the female vocal destroyed by Tes La Rok’s gritty dubstep beats. Suck on that square bassline, bitch!

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