On March 23rd Kmag will be hosting a Bullet Train label night at Café 1001. In anticipation of this event we caught up with label boss Marco Del Horno, who has also put together an exclusive mix to whet your appetite...

Thanks for talking to us Marco, last time we spoke you we're awaiting the released of Bullet Train Volume 2, what the reaction been like since it's release?
Yep, the reaction was really good. Bass music is developing so fast and people are finally realising there is more than just dubstep out there that can rock a club – and the comp did the job in highlighting what we're about as a label.

Your partner in crime on that release was Last Japan who is also on the bill for Café 1001, who else is on the line-up?
We've got Shift Key, Kashii and FamousEno.

Can you tell us a little bit about them individually and why you've chosen them to play alongside you?
Shift Key is our new signing. His production is next level – very exciting stuff. I play a lot of his records in my sets. Has the knack of writing bangers. Check him up on YouTube. Because he also sings and is a full fledged musician – so I think with him developing he'll grow into the full package.

Kashii's track Push is on the Bullet Train Allstars EP, he's got a lush deep sound to him which complements the line-up.

FamousEno used to be one part of Warrior One – and he has that bashy bass sound which is so unique. Him and Last Japan have been writing together recently as well. As a DJ he's sick – proper jump up – and he's played on Bullet Train line-ups and rocked it previously so I had to have him back.

 

What kind of sound can we expect from yourself and the rest on the night?
Just good bass music right across the board. Every DJ on the line-up brings something different in their styles – which is why I've put them all on the line up. When signing acts and releases to a label its always about thing what new angle / sound / dynamic they can bring to the line up. If I just signed another Last Japan or someone really close to me it's a pointless exercise – we need people bringing new vibes and challenging what we do. It how we keep the levels up.

What releases do you have forthcoming on Bullet Train and are there any you're especially excited about?
All of them! I wouldn't put anything out that I wasn't excited about. The current release schedule is looking like this: Bullet Train Allstars ft MDH, Last Japan, Shift Key, Skanky and Kashii; Marco Del Horno – Courage EP; Shift Key – Left and Right EP; Last Japan – East EP ft. Trim and Stinkahbell – Losing Tracks EP. And then there is Bullet Train Volume 3 which will drop for the start of summer.

 

On a personal level, what have you been working on?
Mad busy. Writing wise I'm just trying to write forward thinking stuff which still rocks dancefloors. The next EP go from 130bpm – 174bpm. I'm also trying to make sure that the music still has soul and musicality – as we're at a point where everything is so noisey I wanna try and work as much emotion / vibe into bass music – not just screaming synths and over compressed snares. Plus I also co-own Go Music - and it's a really exciting time for the roster – especially since it's so varied. Between Bullet Train, managing the acts on Go Music and then touring that's me pretty much 24/7.

And what's the plans production wise for the rest of the year?
Another couple of EPs. Next artist album I'm already working on – but that wont drop till 2013. Plus I have a new project with Swerve called Riddim Commission for our grimey stuff – basically because 'Marco Del Horno v DJ Swerve ft' was so fuckin long! But I'm really excited by that. We already have a couple of bangers sitting there we're ready to vocal.

I hate to ask this in March but it's unusually sunny out and it's festival booking time already, what events are you playing this summer?
Festival wise Glade is what I'm looking forward to the most that I'm booked on!

Thanks again for the mix, can you tell us a little bit about it, what's the flavour and are there any tracks we should pay particular attention to?
2013 bass swag! I just try to be a broad and diverse as possible – but keeping the weight in the records so people wanna shock out in the clubs. Theres tons of exclusives from the whole label in there (and tons of stuff that isn't on Bullet Train as well). My favourite track that I've made myself recently is Call Out Your Name – because it has that garage vibe (I started as a garage DJ 13 years ago) but 2012 bass sonics – so it stands up against everything else in the clubs today.

Download Marco Del Horno's Kmag guest mix here

Tracklist

1. Kashii - Push (Bullet Train)
2. Kalbata  - Freetime (Greenmoney)
3. Skanky - Ghost (Bullet Train)
4. Pale - Worst Job of Good Luck (Bullet Train)
5. Marco Del Horno - Call Out Your Name (Bullet Train)
6. Last Japan - DayDreamer (Bullet Train)
7. Foamo - Sherlock (FAT!)
8. Jim E Stack - Lemme (Good Times)
9. Gorgon Sound - Clap Riddim (Black Butter)
10. Marco Del Horno - Last Night (Bullet Train)
11. Shift Key - Low (Bullet Train)
12. Stinkahbell - Losing Tracks (Bullet Train)
13. Marco Del Horno - Carry On Without Me (Bullet Train)
14. Shift Key - Close (Bullet Train)
15. Skream - Somebody to Love (Mad Decent)
16. Royal T - Inside the Ride (Rinse)
17. Stinkahbell - Professor Jerk (Bullet Train)
18. Marco Del Horno & Dj Swerve - Just Rewind (woz dub Remix) (Black Butter)
19. Stinkhabell - Overreactor (Bullet Train)
20. Foreign Beggars - Bank Job - Medison, Ruckspin & Durrty Goodz (Never Say Die)
21. Bong - Hostile Environment (atom records)
22. Tomba - Time to Kill ft Inja (buygore)
23. 12th Planet & Fytch - the end is near
24. Marco Del Horno - The Apprentice (Bullet Train)

Related Links:

• Bullet Train Mixed By Marco Del Horno
• Bullet Train Mixed By Marco Del Horno
• Bullet Train Volume 2
• Video: Marco Del Horno ft. B Live & McLean - Lose Myself
• Video: Marco Del Horno ft. B Live & McLean - Lose Myself

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