Tunnidge's first impression on the dubstep scene actually came in the form of his artists' characters and the artwork for Mala's Deep Medi label. His second was his colossal Geddeon / Face Melt release on the same label, which received major acclaim from the biggest names on the scene.

 

Having been under the radar for around a year, Tunnidge came back at the end of 2009 with a release on Boka Records and now, in 2010, plans to create his own record label, Origin Audio, with the first release being Lights / Ding Ding, a collaboration with his good friend Cyrus. The label plans on bringing the sub-driven, somatic sound that Tunnidge has become known for and has a number of releases from fresh new talent in the pipeline.

 

On September 20th Tunnidge will be the first artist, other than label owner Distance, to appear on the celebrated Chestplate label, which marks its tenth release by incorporating other artists and potentially some heavyweight collaborations further down the road. We spoke to Tunnidge to gauge his response to this monumental release and explore his philosophies...

Where's the name Tunnidge from? Do you think it says something about what dubstep you bring?

It's actually a kind of mix of my real name, but yeah that was part of it, you know, the sub weight element to my production.

What was your first dubstep experience?

I suppose my first experience of dubstep was early 2004. Mala used to come round with Rinse tapes and early Digital Mystikz productions. He was really excited about this new sound that seemed to be emerging out of the darker garage sound. He'd stick on a tape and be like, "this guy is 16 - listen to the production", and it was early Skream, or he'd talk about the broken snare. I think at the time it was being described as broken dub house. I liked the music, but it wasn't far enough away yet from its garage roots to grip me. But he started sending me more CDs of this music and I could hear it emerging from the garage ties and evolving into a more interesting genre. For me it really became a genre in its own right around 2005.

My first experience was literally stumbling upon Plastic People around 2006. I hadn't a clue about dubstep. Where you got to hear it early and register the progression musically before it got big. For me, dubstep has always been an atmosphere more than it has ever been a music. It was the atmosphere that left its mark. It was dark, but there was a unity thing there – this is always tricky to explain: what I remembered most was the respect people had for each other's space.

For me the whole ideology that was running with the music was just as important. You know, we had grown up on jungle and early hardcore and in the early days it was a similar positive vibe. I could hear this transcend through the music and I found that very magnetic. Drum & bass had soured and garage had destroyed itself in ego and violence, so the underground in London was a bit lost. Then there was this music that just came from nowhere with a similar value to what I was about: positivity and progression.

 

So when did you first get to hear it out and where?

I first heard it out at DMZ at Third. I suppose it made a lot of sense to me because Mala was such an influential figure in the scene and we were about the same thing and listened to the same music for so many years, so that dubstep vibe just clicked. The big system sound was a big draw, but the subs were always a big part of dub and early jungle so they weren't such a revelation to me as they were to a lot of others. It was just, if we are going to make music, the bass has got to be massive. Standard.

Sorry to sound green, but DMZ at Third?

I meant 3rd Bass sorry. Venue in Brixton Mass.

Ahh, was that the name for the bottom bit before? What's it called now, Boogaloo, no, Babalou.

Yeah, that's it. The actual first DMZs were at Black Sheep Bar in Croydon! But I only went when they first moved to Brixton.

I was just there yesterday night, there's this newish night called Dub Kulture - free before ten sort of thing.

I was down there a few weeks back - LA Boxers were playing.

Yeah, I was there.

Ha ha, small world.

Now that night, that for me is difficult. You've got the rude boys who want something a bit more hype, the heads who want something a bit dark and the DJs who struggle to fit it all in and find a meeting point - it's a perfect microcosm.

For me, I never understand how people view the scene in such extremes. This is dark or this is filth. It's like two separate genres are existing, but under one name. If you are a good selector, and I don't mean DJ because there are loads of DJs, but a selector can put together a set that works, gets people banging and not play one tune after the other that sounds the same. Play a track with just vibes then drop something a bit more midrange. If the sub's there, it's not a problem to get the impact people crave at a dance. One of the best sets I ever saw was Cyrus back-to-back with Benga - each time one dropped one of their tunes it changed the pace, vibe, etc. and complemented the other's sound. You know Benga's would be dancey then bang, Cyrus would hit with some vibes. That's what I try to be, a good selector. I don't think we have enough of them.

So when was it that you got the bug: you thought right, this is what I need to do - I need to make this music?

Yeah, it was really refreshing to produce. Everyone has their own reasons for producing, I've thought about it a lot and for me it's the need to make a connection with the audience. I want to give people the feelings I get off music - epic euphoria and excitement. I just want people to go 'yes, this tune is sick' and have a good skank and maybe get some of those positive ideologies back. Too much darkness in the world these days. I suppose it became addictive when I saw Geddeon going off in dances  - I thought 'yes, this is me'. There is nothing like battering a dance floor with your own tunes.

What do you reckon has been your best experience as an artist so far?

 

I enjoy so many different aspects of it - it's hard to be specific. But off the top of my head, as a DJ, playing DMZ & DMZ Exodus and I really enjoyed the last set I did for Get Darker - the This Is Dubstep night. As a producer, seeing the music effect people, getting rewinds or just positive feedback from other DJs and producers I really respect. On a personal level, advancing my production skills or coming up with a riff that I know just works: sometimes a tune will just write itself - everything seems to click. But I think one of the most rewarding experiences is seeing your tune on vinyl for the first time. No one can take that away from you. When you have your music out there, it's forever. Especially now with computers, my music will hopefully outlive me... even if I am an obscure footnote, the likelihood will be that the music will always be accessible.

It's interesting, no one is old enough yet to appreciate just how reasonably some tunes could last – music just hasn't been recorded long enough to know. Who knows how long into the future some dubstep being made now will be played out.

Exactly - even in the last ten years the internet has changed everything.

On achieving immortality and breaking records, Chestplate 010...

Yes.

It's a massive step for Chestplate, as well as, you could say, the whole region, or the sound of dubstep you're a part of. Distance has chosen you and 7Breaths / Fear to represent the next stage for his label. How do you feel they operate within the Chestplate framework? How do you think they function against what's come before or what's in store with future releases?

 

To be honest, I think they are a perfect fit. Me and Distance have the same ideas on what the music is about. Big soundsystem production, dark riffs and deep samples. From my point of view it's a real honour to be the first to release on such a widely respected label.

7Breaths is certainly a big soundsystem tune – you feel that tune, it sort of becomes you. It is centre of the dance floor. I know it's been getting a lot of coverage on a thread on dubstepforum.

Yeah, it seems 7Breaths is the one on everyone's lips at the moment, but when Fear drops in a dance, it tends to go off!

 

Yeah, I actually like Fear more – it's faster moving. For me though, I don't know how you made Fear without the Lost monster in mind! That is the Lost monster to me.  Any words for those who have yet to hear them in the dance or for the release in general?

Yes - you're going to the wrong nights - haha. Seriously though... I don't produce for iPods and there is a physical element in my production, which is vital to the overall sound. So get yourself off to the nearest bass bin, and I hope you're feeling them!

 

 

Why do you feel Distance is now signing people to Chestplate?

I think he feels the time is right for the label. I know he is keen on presenting his version of dubstep. I am very excited about it, we chat a lot about direction and the future and I know he has big plans, plans that I am very pleased to be apart of. Distance to me is one of the best producers out there. On top of that, as a person, he has a lot of integrity. So, to have a release on such a huge label with someone who I know has the best intentions is fantastic.

It's interesting that this version of dubstep, I guess you could loosely say sub-driven, dark etc., may seem eyes down or whatever, but as you said before, the philosophy is to engage with positivity. I was gonna ask you something like, "What's your slant on life – do you see that bleed into your production?" But I think you've sort of answered that earlier. Sorry, I know that wasn't posed as a question...

No, I know what you mean. It is very important to me to have some of my personal ideology in the music. I try and be creative with samples and soundscapes to try and communicate it. You'll never hear gunman chat or badness in my music. I really think music can have an adverse effect on society and that negativity can creep through. I try and make beats that are strong and positive. I think that dubstep music can be potentially socially revolutionary, like I referenced earlier, that positive ethic in the early days I found very gripping. But a lot of people see my music as dark or brooding, so I suppose there is a certain conflict in association, but I think as a producer that is one of my strengths. I grew up in South London so I'm not someone who has no exposure to violence - I know that world – I'm not scared of it, but I choose to reject it.

I was reading this thing on BBC London the other week – another teenager stabbed to death. That day I heard this tune on TMF. Alright, these are the lyrics:

"If his status ain't hood, I ain't checkin' for him.
Better be street if ya lookin' at me.
I need a soldier,
That ain't scared to stand up for me.
Known to carry big things, if you know what I mean.
Gotta know to get dough and he better be street."

That's Beyoncé Knowles. I'm thinking, if this is the message from the 'sexiest woman in the world', then where does that leave us? She's saying this is what she expects in a man.

Exactly. Kids growing up think this shit is like normal or acceptable - especially ones with no point of reference. It's art imitating life imitating art! I think these artists underestimate the damage this sort of message does to the youth. There are a lot of people that listen to these artists; the eyes of the world on them; a generation of kids listening to them, hanging on their every syllable, you think they'd say something important.

Words: Ben Jacobs

 

You can listen to Tunnidge's recent Kongcast podcast here, which include 7Breaths and Fear along with a load of dubs and an incredible collaboration with Chestplate label owner Distance, Blame (surely a near future release). Chestplate 010 is released on September 20th. Do not miss it.

 

 

• Tunnidge

Related Links:

• Tunnidge Illustration Exhibition At LAVA
• DJ Distance Returns On Chestplate
• In The Studio: DJ Distance
• DEEP MEDi Releases Volume 2
• Ringo's Swarf Pot Compilation

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