Please introduce yourself...
My name is Dave Minner, better known as AK1200. I worked for Moving Shadow for years, and now own a label called Big Riddim Recordings, and am part of a crew here in the USA known as Planet Of The Drums, which is myself, Dieselboy, Dara, and MC Messinian. We are the longest running electronic tour of its kind in the history of dance music, coming on our 11th consecutive year in 2010.

What have been the highlights of 2009 for you?
Seeing jungle music make its comeback... all the tunes really, such a wide open template with so many quality tunes.

What have been the highlights of the decade for you?
Every time I would get frustrated with the music someone would come along and completely change the rules and set new standards in production. I think the last ten years have been more competitive for people making tunes, especially as the process became more accessible than traditional studios in the past.

 

While I watched parts of the scene split off from one another and segregate, I saw a whole new resurrection of die hard purists who wanted to make sure the vibe and melody stayed within the scene. The amount of widespread sounds and styles made it fun again to follow.

 

Just as a lover of all things jungle / drum & bass, it was good to see people care enough about the history to actually go back to it and make it new again, in turn creating their own place in history for the future of this scene.

How have things changed for you over the last ten years?
Well, I think I have been greatly humbled in many ways. To see the effects of the economy and watch long time friends and colleagues have no choice but to give up and focus on a day job to provide for their family, or have to switch entirely to a more popular music form just to pay their bills.

 

Most of us, here in the States anyway, work twice as hard to make half as much as we used to, yet our bills have climbed with the ever growing inflation rates. I have seen the end of what once was a lucrative outlet, the mix CD.

 

I have watched as vinyl became almost non-existent, and watched as many shops had to shut their doors for good. I have seen this music become even more of an underdog than it has ever been, yet at the same time, I have seen people come together and try their best to keep it alive.

 

I have seen legends and founders of this scene work harder than ever to show the world that dnb is never going to be dead like magazines sometimes love to declare. I have been inspired by old dogs like Hype and Andy to new blood like Sub Focus and Brookes Brothers. People like this and many others make me want to carry on and give all I can give to the scene and keep carving the future.

What have you been doing recently?
Just wrapping up this year's POTD tour and trying to put out some quality releases on the label. As a DJ, I find I am spending well over 40 hours a week searching through YouTube for live mix shows, listening to podcasts and going through tracklists to make sure I know what tunes are coming and who to ask for them.

 

Then I spend another 40 hours begging these labels and artists to give the tunes to me, which sometimes is hard being an American, knowing people purposely put us on a bit more of a wait for some reason sometimes. Not everyone, but a few people still...

 

I still try to get in the studio when I can, but there are too many good artists to compete with out there - may as well leave it to the professionals and leave me to DJing. Also, I spend as much time as possible with the wife and kids, you know the score.

Which artists should we look out for in 2010?
On the real, look at who has been making waves in 09 and expect them to be bigger and badder in 2010. I'm a huge fan of so many artists at the moment: DC Breaks, Northern Lights, Original Sin, Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Tantrum Desire, Futurebound, Camo & Krooked, Culture Shock, Lomax, Xample, Zen, Jaydan, Taxman, Medicin, Spor, Noisia, Break.

 

I think that Original Sin will continue making tunes with such class that he will be unstoppable for many years. And again, anything on Technique, that's probably my favourite label of '09, and can't wait to see what 2010 has for them

What are your plans for 2010?
Big Riddim is gonna be coming out with loads of proper releases in 2010, and I'm going to try and get back in the studio with Gridlok a bit, we've done a few things now, and he is just amazing to work with, maybe get a bit of remix work done, and basically focus on developing some artists and do what I can behind the scenes.

What are you most looking forward to in 2010?
The comeback of jungle and drum & bass in the mainstream electronic press, when promoters realize you can't kill a music form of this magnitude, so you may as well embrace it and watch it grow again like it deserves to. Am also looking forward to getting out of the country a bit more next year, so any UK / European agents interested in sorting something out, gimme a shout, hehe.

Give us a top 5
Top 5 markets for dnb in the USA

1. LA
2. Baltimore/DC
3. Denver
4. Seattle
5. Miami (still got the love even though dubstep has taken over there)

**special mention for Puerto Rico, 'cause they still go nuts for dnb

Top 5 markets for dnb in Canada

1. Toronto
2. Calgary
3. Vancouver
4. Victoria
5. Tie between Edmonton and Winnipeg

Anything else you want to tell us about?
Check www.myspace.com/daveak1200 and www.twitter.com/ak1200 for updates on the label and other info

Related Links:

• Looking Back Looking Forward: Scuba
• Looking Back Looking Forward: Tes La Rok
• Looking Back Looking Forward: RAMP
• Looking Back Looking Forward: Sappo
• Looking Back Looking Forward: Optical

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