Introducing: DJ Skeptik

16 Sep 2011

Skeptik

Skeptik is a 23-year-old drum & bass DJ and producer from South London who has seen his profile grow massively over the last year. Working alongside Eksman and running 3Flow Recordings, he took some time out of his busy schedule to let us know some more.

Please tell us a little about yourself…
I've been listening to DnB for nearly ten years and it all started when my sister use to come back from raves. I started listening to her Helter Skelter packs and One Nation sets and found myself hooked on it ever since. I started to mix at the age of 18 / 19 when I met a group of mates who all mixed garage and drum & bass and decided to take it up as I had a passion for it.

What do you enjoy the most about mixing drum & bass? What is it about the genre that you love so much?
It's definitely mixing out at events and pulling off good mixes that make the crowd go wild and it always puts a smile on my face. My love for the genre is the fast uptempo beat patterns and dark and deep bass lines, they are unique to DnB and the genre has its own identity that is easily recognisable.

Who would you say has been the biggest influence on your DJing over the years?
I'd say all of the DJs who I used to listen to back in the day from all my old tape packs like Brockie, Mampi Swift and Nicky Blackmarket to name a few. But as I've got older I've found different influences along the lines as the style of drums is always changing and so many fresh faces coming through as well.

Which projects are you currently working on?
At the moment I'm working on the label, 3Flow Recordings, with Friskie and Carbon. We have just released our first vinyl release, Catalog Riddum by DJ Guv and Guillotine by Decimal Bass. We've got a few releases in the pipeline from 3Flow Recordings and have artists such as Jaydan, Jayline, Origin, Nu Elementz and Konichi releasing on vinyl this year. On the digital sides of things, we've got an EP of Roartex, two tracks from Dub Motion and Version as well as two tracks from Raz to lookout for.

3FLOWDIGITAL006 - B - RAZ - FINAL CONFLICT by 3FLOW RECORDINGS

What have been the highlights of your career so far?
There have been a few highlights this year I would say playing a set with Harry Shotta at Alberry's in Canterbury is definitely up there as the place was jammed. Also joining Eksman's Overload team was a big highlight, playing at his birthday bash at Fire and doing the after party as well with Harry Bizzle, Nutcraka and Razda at the Lightbox. A few radio sets have been memorable too like Kool FM with Guv b2b Logan D and Original 97.8 with Guv, Kre, Fun, Dreps, Liner and Spooka, have all been ones to remember for me.

How would your describe your style of mixing?
It's very fast and quick with lots of switches to keep you on your toes but always throwing a double drop here and there to keep the vibes going and let the set flow smoothly.

With drum & bass moving rapidly over into the mainstream, do you think we're set to see DnB take a new avenue in the way it's consumed and produced?
I reckon the big DnB producers who are in the charts are going to try and give that commercial effect to their drum & bass production to just to give it more exposure. There is a love for it in the mainstream side of things but I just don't think it will take on as well as dubstep as it has taken the commercial scene by storm and even has DnB producers making dubstep tunes that are reaching the number one spot so it's a hard one to say really.

Where can we see and hear you for the rest of the year?
You can catch me doing a few with Eksman for Overload and Low Down Deep in Bristol and Kent, a couple for Breakology events in Kent, playing Amsterdam in November and many of other events across the UK. Make sure you check my Facebook for all booking info and set downloads.

Anything else you'd like to mention?
I'd like to big up all my Potent Sounds fam, Liner, Rize , Ironlung and Friskie, watch out for the new mix tapes coming soon, also wanna shout out to all of team Overload, big things lined up from Eksman and co in the future and wanna big up all the artists involved and helped 3Flow recordings get off and under away.