Introducing: Loadstar

Introducing: Loadstar

31 March, 2011 | 5.39AM

• Written by: Dan Cole
• Filed under: Music News: loadstar, lomax, ram records, xample

Loadstar formed last year, combining the talents of Gavin Harris, aka Xample, and Nick Hill, aka Lomax.

Having fine-tuned their individual sounds, the two teamed up while living in Bristol and soon caught the attention of RAM Records‘ Andy C.

Having recently released the “Space Between/BLVD” EP for RAM, Loadstar are currently working towards their debut album; we spoke to them about their plans for drum & bass global domination.

Can you tell us a little about your background? Where did you grow up, and where are you based now?

Gav: I’m from Bristol, lived here most of my life and still reside here now. I got into production whilst at university, and after releasing my first record, I was hooked.

Nick: From London, studied music and then moved to Manchester to give music a real go, before ending up in Bristol, where I live now. It’s a great city with a strong music scene and lots going on; it’s a good place to be, and only “down the road” from London!

How did you two meet up and decide to start producing together?

Gav: We met up north while I was studying and Nick was living with friends. Coincidently, we both moved to Bristol at the same time, and after meeting up again we thought we would get in the studio and knock up a couple of tracks.

How does your collective output compare to your individual styles?

It certainly feels different—we both had quite distinct sounds, and initially we found it difficult to really find a sound we were happy with. It’s not that easy working with someone else who works in quite a different way, but after a few years of sticking at it, we started to find our feet with it and it became easier. We feel that right now we are writing our best material as Loadstar.

Do you DJ, play live, or both? What are your sets like?

At present we are DJing lots but looking take it to a live show once the album is done. Our DJ sets are very high energy and fun; we put a lot of time into shaping our sets, making sure we can bring something different. 99% of our shows are done together, and we feel this is important to both be fully involved and not disappoint.

Did you have any mentors when you were starting out? Who helped you get established?

Gav: When I was living in Liverpool, Futurebound helped me out a lot, not only with DJing but getting me plugged into the d’n’b scene up north. Upon moving to Bristol, the guys from Distorted Minds and also TC helped me shape my sound. More recently, Scott and Andy at the label give us a lot of creative feedback.

Nick: Ben from Industry Recordings got passed a CD of my first few tunes I wrote back in about 2000. Even though they were awful, he could see potential, really encouraged me to keep at it, and helped me along the way. He’s still a great friend and I really think he has a really good ear, so I always play him everything first.

Which track did you produce that really made you decide to produce as a duo?

I think ”Remember," an Xample and Lomax track which came out last year, was the track that really made us want to begin to focus on a joint project and do something more concrete. That was followed up by ”Link to the Past,” which formed the basis of the album project.

What kind of studio are you guys using?

We both have small home studios to get ideas down, but we do the majority of our recording in our Stronghold studio in Bristol. That’s where the serious noise happens!

Do you currently have a favorite piece of gear or software?

Our favourite piece of gear has to be the sequencer! Ableton is just a great choice, and it’s instantly gratifying; quick and easy to get creative. Our Virus Indigo is just an absolute win of a synth, really diverse sounds and gives you depth that a lot of VST synths can’t create.

Which record do you wish you had made?

Here’s a few!

“Alien Girl” by Ed Rush and Optical, as it was quite genre-changing and still sounds stunning today.

The Chemical Brothers’ “Song to the Siren.”

If your house were on fire, which *one* record would you rescue?

Gav: Probably my original dubplate of one of my early tracks, ”Heaven & Hell,” just due to sentimental value!

Nick: I’ve got a limited edition copy of Chemical Brothers’
”Loops of Fury” that I got in Japan, just when I got into dance music.

When you’re not listening to electronic music, what do you listen to?

At the moment, Radiohead, Two Door Cinema Club, Brother.

What’s the best watering hole in Bristol?

We really like Hyde and Co: it’s a little private bar, good atmosphere and isn’t full of pricks.

Tell us about your upcoming gigs and releases…

We are touring all over in the lead-up to the album; look out for the album launch in June. Keep your eyes on our Facebook page for dates and info. We have
”Space Between” out on March 27, and our next single in June, closely followed by the album. You can also expect a few special remixes in the coming months!

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