James Hkay Interview & Exclusive JDnB Mix

James Hkay is a Producer & DJ from London, UK. He is also the founder of Retribution Audio and the Label Manager at Axon Records.

As a musician, he is fluent in many styles and genres. However the framework is surely always a dark form of Drum and Bass, frequently peppered with Tekno and Crossbreed flavours. From early 2011 onwards, he started earning a name for himself on the free party, squat rave and club scene across the UK. Often making noise on the mighty Requiem Sound system!

Stylistically, Hkay's production and live shows contain a blend of powerful drops, energetic rhythms and atmospheric breakdowns. He believes no matter how heavy a song or mix sounds, it should always contain a strong element of melodic content.

Most weekends across the UK & Europe, you're likely to find him rocking a dance floor. Be it a club, warehouse, forest or festival. So far, Hkay has shared the stage with the likes of Ed Rush & Optical, Prolix, Billain, Cause4Concern, Optiv & BTK, Audio, Mob Tactics, and State Of Mind to name only a few.

Moving forward, Hkay is exploring new depths of production using modern production techniques and technology, enabling him to push the boundaries of his music further than ever. With ever more powerful sounds transitioning to the dance floor from the studio. Expect to hear a lot of noise coming from his direction!

I thought it would be a good idea to ask James in for an interview to find out what makes him tick. So I did exactly that, and I’m happy to say that he agreed!

Hello James. Thank you for taking time out to chat with me. How has 2019 been treating you so far?

Honestly, it’s been pretty interesting so far, and we’re not even half way through yet. I do feel like as I’m getting older, the highs and lows are becoming more prevalent. When I was younger I thought it would work in the opposite way, however I guess at least for now, this is not the case.

On the bright side, it’s been an incredible year for my music as a whole. I’ve kept up a pretty busy gigging schedule. NickBee and I have released some great music on our label Axon Records. Plus, I’ve continued to learn more about production, which is the never ending mission of life. Obviously there is a release of Sonic Warfare with Traced on Kill Tomorrow, which I am particularly proud of, as it has had a great reception from many different people.

The reverse side of the coin; I am becoming increasingly aware of the mental health of my peers and society as a whole. It might all be well and good to tell someone to ‘cheer up’, but a little bit of care goes a long way, especially in a modern world dominated by screens and ‘social’ media. Look after each other out there; otherwise it may be too late when you try.

It’s good to hear you’ve been having a good year so far, and yes; Care and compassion for others! Even just a little kindness with a few encouraging words can go a long way!

Can you go back a few years and tell me a bit about the music you liked and listened to while growing up, and what first attracted you to drum and bass?

I’ve always been someone who listens to an array of genres, which I keep up to this day. At a younger age I was listening to mostly band music, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and similar.

My first encounter with underground electronic music and drum and bass came from hearing it blasted by my brothers. After hearing the old One Nation and Innovation tapes through the walls, I eventually managed to commandeer a couple, which I listened to on the bus and during school hours, playing them on my Walkman. It was a proud moment when I finally had them handed down to me by my brother recently, even despite the fact that most of them are missing, likely nabbed by someone else along the way.

The sound of drum and bass was like nothing I’d heard before. I guess it was the experimental electronic style, plus being a similar tempo to the band music I was listening to which appealed to me. Looking back at it now, I’m sure the Reanimation Album by Linkin Park had a big part in me being interested in music production. There are similar production technics used across that album and drum & bass as genre, but everyone likes to borrow and call it inspiration right?

Ah, One Nation and Innovation tapes. Real Old-School! I used to have a few of them. I used to listen to them with my mates when we were on our way to World Dance just to get us into the right mood. Great music!

Do you have a favourite drum and bass genre? If so, what are some of your favourite tracks within that genre?

It’s hard to say. For me, whatever I listen to is entirely mood dependant. In the past I have dabbled with production and mixing of all sub genres of drum and bass. Obviously I am known for playing and creating darker styles, but that’s due to it sounding the most appealing to me when I am out. There’s nothing quite like hearing the sound of a modulated Reese bass line blasting out of a good sound system, no matter the setting. With that said, I do really enjoy a liquid or jungle on a nice day, or out on a walk. The resurgence of jungle has really caught my attention recently, keep it up guys!

I’m pretty much the same James. It’s very mood dependant! Having said that; I can always listen to a good jungle tune, no matter what mood I’m in. I love the bass and breaks!

What made you want to produce your own tracks?

Sound and its manipulation have always had an appeal to me. I come from a more traditionally trained background, and learned to play a number of instruments as I was growing up. After discovering UK hip-hop via Skinnymans Council Estate of Mind, I wanted to be able to make some beats. This was back in 2004, FL Studio was a whole different ball game then, it was pretty rudimental. Getting over its limitations allowed me to bring in music theory and blend that with sampling and synthesis techniques, something which carries over to my production style to this day.

Skinnyman - Council Estate of Mind is a great Album.

‘Sonic Warfare’, your debut release on ‘Kill Tomorrow’ and a collab with ‘Traced’, is pure quality mate! Could you tell me a little about this track, how long it took to write and what production techniques you use at the moment?

Really glad you’re feeling it!

I think our styles combined nicely. It started life as a track I had started a while ago, but then picked up again. I had the basic first drop and intro ideas together there, around the same time Dan and I had been speaking. We are both from the same local area and create a similar sound, we thought it would be a good idea to work on some music. I sent him over what I had, he sent it back and then after a bounce back to him, he put on the final touches. A little while later he said Kill Tomorrow were interested in the track, and the rest is history as they say.

At the moment I am delving more into synthesis and re-sampling techniques, I think this seems to be one of the never ending battles for a drum and bass producer. I’ve created a few templates in Fruity Loops using a couple of instances BiFilter2, splitting frequencies, playing basses into there, messing about with the filters, recording it out and doing the same again a few times. It is yielding some pretty interesting results. The same kind of theory behind a z-plane filter I guess.

Interesting! Synthesis and re-sampling techniques, along with the rest of what you’re doing, sounds intense! As a mere novice, I’m learning about re-sampling bass at the moment. Nightmare mate!

‘Kill Tomorrow’ have some pretty hefty names on their list of producers releasing tracks under their name. How do you feel about now being part of this team?

It is definitely a big honour for me. I’ve been playing out tracks from them for a while, so to join the ranks of this team is a great feeling. It’s always nice to see labels that push both established artists and the new guys.

I couldn’t agree more James. Everyone has to start somewhere, so give the up and coming artists a chance too!

What aspects of producing your own tracks do you love the most, and what keeps you going?

For me I personally love creating melodic and harmonic textures, which I guess is linked to my traditional music training. I love to experiment with chords and stabs, interesting harmonies and progressions. Plus there’s the love of a great bass line, which I think is probably the driving force behind most electronic music production.

I do love a gnarly bass line!

What do you find is the most challenging thing when making your music?

That’s an easy one – mastering! I’ve been doing mixing and mastering for a number of artists for a couple years now, however I always find it a challenge on my own music. I think it’s more of a psychological aspect more than anything. It’s hard to be objective and want to bring an element up or down in the mix when you’ve slaved over it for hours, you have an emotional attachment to that part and the track as a whole. Thinking about it now, it might be worth sending off my tracks to someone else to mix and master, ha!

I’m with you on that. I’m not sure if I could ever be a mastering engineer? I have some serious perfection issues!

Which DJ’s and/or producers out there do you get your inspiration from?

I tend to draw my inspiration and drive for music and live performance from a number of places. Electronic music is currently at the highest calibre it has ever been. More powerful computers for less money, plus the ease of access to DJing equipment has brought in many people who it would have been inaccessible to a few years ago. Increasingly I am finding myself impressed and inspired for production from relatively unknown artists.

Yes, unknown artists can often bring a new feel to sound.

As for DJs, I find myself drawn towards turntablism and hip-hop DJs for inspiration. For my live sets, I try to incorporate the chopping and cutting style from hip-hop as much as possible. Big apologies to the sound systems who I’ve lost the tops of faders from in the past. One story from a party in South Bermondsey involves the top of a fader flying off the mixer and landing in the crowd half way through a set on Stinky Pink, needless to say they weren’t too happy. During the pack down later Pathogen found the fader in the second room upstairs. How it got there, who knows? Guess it’s one of the unsolved mysteries of life.

Lol. The mysterious fader travel diaries?

If you could collaborate on a track with anyone, apart from ‘Traced’, who would it be, and why?

That’s a pretty big question. I find it easier to stay on track when working with other people, which I guess stems back to my days playing in bands. I find that each producer, musician or generally any person in the studio will bring different energy to the final product. Working with someone else will help you think in new ways you haven’t before, such as using plug-ins in a different chain, or taking a chord progression in a different direction.

I’m always down for collaborating with a musician or producer from any background. As someone who makes a vast array of genres, I have open ears to anyone who feels like they can add something to the music. If you’re reading this and you feel like it applies to you, please feel free to get in contact!

Wise words James!

To those that are new in the music industry, and may feel the struggle when starting to produce their own tracks, what advice would you give?

The best advice to anyone who is trying to do music as more than a hobby, is to never, ever, give up. Of course you need to understand your art, your plug-ins, your software, your instrument, your equipment. However the thing that will bring you success in the long run is perseverance. Try doing something positive towards your music each day, even if it’s sound design, practising a scale, writing a melody, admin for gigs, etc. There’s going to be times when you feel like packing it all in, which I think is a struggle for a lot of creative people, but as long as you pick yourself up and carry on, you’ll find success of your own measure.

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." - Maya Angelou

That’s solid advice, and a nice adage from Maya Angelou.

As it states in your Bio: From early 2011 onwards you started earning a name for yourself on the free party, squat rave, and club scene across the UK. Often making noise on the mighty Requiem Sound system!

What were you doing that brought you too this situation?

At the time I had been DJing on and off for a few years, but I look at that now as training. There’s a lot of people who gave me pointers in those days who I am eternally thankful to. Eventually, after being at the pub one evening, the guys bundled me in the back of a car to take me to a free party. This was Requiem’s first ever party in an Andover warehouse in 2010.

It was a pretty eye opening situation for me – previous to that I had only been to legal events and I hadn’t dreamed there could be an environment what was so free spirited. Unrestricted noise levels, incredible tunes, interesting locations and an anti-establishment ethos. What’s not to love?

It is a great experience, and as you said; What’s not to love? I’ve jumped around in a few muddy fields at not so legal venues in the past, with nothing but boundless freedom.

Can you tell me a bit about the free party, squat rave and club scene, and the experiences you had through them? They must have given you an abundance of knowledge to enhance your career in music!

There’s something about a free party which is hard to put into words. Even hearing the same music in a legally sanctioned environment will not have the same effect. There’s a drive behind the underground artists, DJs and crowd which you can’t capture anywhere else. It’s not just somewhere to dance, it’s a statement of rejection to ‘popular’ culture. I commend anyone who ever has done, currently is doing or will do the same thing.

The knowledge the underground has taught me is what I touched on earlier - Never give up. They can take your speakers, your records, even put you prison, but they can never stop that spark which drives you to do something more than live in a mental cage and to accept the shit they feed you. Don’t ever let anyone control your path, except for yourself.

That’s a sound statement! With doing things your own way, you are writing your own story instead of having the system write it for you.

Do you prefer festivals or clubs, and do you think each have different energies?

Every event will have its own energy, no matter the venue. This is down to the crowd. The people in front of the speakers are the one who create the vibe at the end of the day. For me, as long as people are happy and enjoying themselves, it makes it all worthwhile.

What are your goals for the rest of 2019? Can we look forward to any more releases from you?

The same as always, to carrying on creating and playing music. It’s been a great year so far, so I’m going to keep building on it. I have a few more tricks up my sleeve coming, so keep your eyes and ears open. Expect hard hitting stuff, and some from the other end of the spectrum as well. I have been known to have a pseudonym or two in the past, so who knows what’s coming?!

Nice one. I can’t wait.

Ok, last but not least! What three things do you love most about your life at the moment?

The drive to create, the opportunity to share, and the freedom to show compassion!

Well said!

Thank you for taking time out to chat with me James. I wish you all the best with your new release. Is there anyone you would like to mention? Any shouts or thanks?

It’s been a pleasure to have the opportunity, it’s actually really nice to process some thoughts and get them down for a change, rather than having them stuck inside my mind. It would be another essay from myself if I shouted out everyone who had ever supported me along the way, but they know who they are. Thank you.

James Hkay Exclusive JDnB Mix.

Mix Tracklist
1. Qo & Trilo – Push It To The Limit [Hoof Beats]
2. Traced & Hkay - Sonic Warfare [Kill Tomorrow]
3. Volatile Cycle, Barbarix & Blockdodger - Manifest [Lifestyle]
4. Kyrist - The Drifted [Addictive Behaviour]
5. Instinkt & Brain Vertex - Aurora [Methlab]
6. Calyx, Teebee & Noisia - Hyenas [Vision]
7. Meanteeth - We Hold On (NickBee Remix) [Mayan Audio]
8. Bold Theory - Insufficient Data [ProtoCode]
9. A.M.C - Courier [Titan]
10. Meanteeth - Badman Sound [C4C]
11. Dabs - Buntlack [Dispatch]
12. Esym - Elite (Instinkt & Victim Remix) [ProtoCode]
13. Data 3 - Stalker [Soulvent]
14. Gydra - Unhinged [C4C]
15. Ephyum - Black Clouds [Redlight]

Sonic Warfare is out now on Beatport

Follow Hkay:
Soundcloud / Facebook

Interview conducted and posted by Brenton Clerkin