
With over 40+ releases, General Malice continues to pave the way for the hardstep b-boy jungle sound, dubstep and hip-hop. Bringing to the table a combination of raw hip hop and dancehall flavours mixed with hard crashing drums banged out on an MPC. Recently we had the opportunity to speak with General Malice and here is what he had to say.
What got you into music in your younger years? What was your musical background before ragga jungle?
I grew up in a very musical house. I just naturally picked up a guitar and started playing along to all the music my parents were listening to at the time. Around 13 I had an Alesis QS6, guitar, and all kinds of crazy FX I found at used music shops. I started playing in a band with kids in school covering everything from Nirvana, NOFX, Skinny Puppy, and KMFDM. In junior high I met some kids that were listening to Phantom 45 and Danny The Wildchild mixtapes and when I heard that I was hooked.
What sparked your interest with ragga jungle?
When I got into the scene, I pretty much caught the tail-end of the jump-up movement and really got into the sounds that had happened right before that. In Minneapolis at the time, it wasn't too hard to pick up a grip of classics from people who were set on the new sound coming around.
How do feel you were received just starting off? Also, what did you feel you did to gain a edge or advantage with other DJs/producers out there?
At first it's always hard, especially during the pre-internet era of the scene. I basically made old skool jungle cassette tapes with one or two of my tracks at the end and handed 'em out at the shows and got 'em sold at the record store. Paul (DJ Easyrider), The D.O.C. , DJ Virgo, and Catalyst among others really helped me out along the way. Eventually in 2002 I landed a deal with N2O Records LA after mailing out about 200 demo CDs.
Where does the name General Malice come from?
I was DJ Malice for a long time and just added the pre-fix to it. I got General from all the classic lyricists... General Levy, General Pecos, etc...
How do you differ from the musician you were when you first started out?
By encompassing all my influences instead of just focusing so narrowly.
What past projects are you particularly proud of, or most known for?
Big Cat Recordings # 1-5, Slipknot - Pulse Of The Maggots VIP RMX, N2O Final Takeover LP, New Era LP, and my Outbreak UK releases with Mumblz under Basis.
You've been pushing hard on the dubstep front as of late, what about the genre grabbed your attention?
I was skeptical at first, but I really appreciated the slowing down of the sound. Everything was getting too fast and it took away from the movement of the breaks.
Do you have any releases coming out that we should look out for?
Check a close eye on www.digitaldubbed.com. I have a new dubstep EP called Trunk Music along with an LP featuring unreleased tracks from different eras called The Lost Tapes Vol.1.
Do you have any upcoming tours or festivals that the fans can check you out at?
You can get up to date tour info on my MySpace and Facebook pages.
Any final words?
Big ups and thanks for the support throughout the years to all my fans. Love out to my wife Sara and our three kids, N8, and all my family and friends...
As a special treat, General Malice was nice enough to provide our listeners with an exclusive mix of over an hour of ragga, hardstep, and dubstep for the Kmag and Revoltcast series.
Tracklisting
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