JDNB Interview: iV
One producer / dj you need to check out is iV, who is no stranger to the jungle / drum and bass scene with releases on 24 Karat Recordings, Camo Tribe and new liquid label North Town Records.
With his latest release ‘Vespa / Fractured’ out now on 24 Karat we thought it would be a good time to have a chat and find out more about the release and all things iV.
Hi, thanks for chatting with us here at JDNB.
Hello, thanks for inviting me to talk to you about drum and bass
Tell us a bit about yourself and where you come from?
I grew up and still live in Harlow, Essex and have always had a leaning towards music and friends who shared the same love. I picked up the guitar as a boy and was in a few local bands and mostly listened to rock, punk, ska and reggae. People I knew started buying these massive tape packs of mixes from raves and I will never forget a particular tape that just blew my mind, pretty sure it was a Randall and GQ set, my love for jungle and everything after, started there.
Around 94 I bought my first pair of 1210s on tick and the obligatory Tandy’s mixer and started buying records every week from Parliament Music in Hertford and sometimes Boogie Times in Romford. I was mostly a bedroom dj who just loved mixing these incredible records with his mates. I was lucky enough to experience Metalheadz at the Blue Note a couple of times but ultimately it was the record shops that gave me the connection to the music. This carried on until 2004 by which time I was playing at a lot of free parties and having the time of my life in the woods or quarries or wherever the van took us, big up the OBCT crew.
After 2004 music just moved sideways and I didn’t do anything creative for a few years after this (became a bit of an NPC).
What musical influences did you have growing up?
My first musical reference points were from my parents, an eclectic mix of Bach and The Carpenters. My dad was a hifi installation Engineer and he linked me up with my first turntable when I was 7 (it was one of those massive consoles with a radio tuner and record player built in). I wore a groove into Video Killed the Radio Star, Bohemian Rhapsody and one of my older brothers copy of Iron Maiden’s, Number of the Beast (sorry bruv).
In your own words, what is jungle /drum and bass?
It’s a feeling and the pursuit of excellence, it is the grandchild of Disco and the son of Hip Hop, which was inevitable after the emergence of B-Boy culture (break dance, graffiti) and BMX bikes. Looking back I saw some excellent stuff just appear out of thin air.
What was the first jungle / dnb track that got you loving the scene?
Levictus - The Burial
So how long have you been producing now?
I didn’t get around to making my own tunes until 2017. One of the first things I did was get in touch with Jim Heist and had some 121 tuition which really helped me get a solid foundation on the engineering knowledge required to make the ideas in my head sound right. Shout out also to Wreckless dnb who I also took some tuition from.
What would you say have been your 3 biggest achievements so far from making music?
- Being on the line up at Community DnB
- Signing Tunes to Labels
- People enjoying my music
What does your studio consist of, and what’s your fav plug-in or piece of kit to use?
I am very restricted in space (I don’t have a studio) so I do everything on a laptop with headphones. I rely a lot on visual tools, I use a lot of analysis tools like Span, Paz and YouLean. I am loving Vital and Track Spacer.
Where do you get your inspiration from when making tracks?
It can come from anywhere really, I always have at the back of my mind the intention to make something filthy which is quite hard to do, once you start adding musical content tracks can easily start to sound lighter.
Tell us about your next release on 24 Karat ‘Vespa/ Fractured’ which is out on the 28th February?
I have quite a few tracks with 24 Karat and we were deciding how best to release them. I wanted to bring back the format I was used to buying tunes, where a release was 2 tracks a side, b side. All the tracks have been paired and will be coming out at regular intervals over the coming year.
You also had a release at the end of last year on 24 Karat, tell us about that and how you got involved with the label?
The Azreal EP was a collection of tracks I had shared with Danny after being involved in the 2 Heavy Hitters albums. I got chatting to Danny on Facebook after we had both commented on a post, he was aware of some bits I had done and I joined the 24K family which is mostly Danny telling us to make better tunes.
If you could remix one 24 Karat track, which one would it be?
A remix of remix - It’s A Brainstorm (DJ Sappo Remix).
What's the best bit of advice you can give to up and coming producers to get their tracks heard by labels?
Get to know the label you are wanting to submit to, be self critical, take critique on board. Be polite and keep it to 2 or 3 tracks of your absolute best work. Not everyone will like your vibe, this is fine but by persistence one day the right tune will go in the right ears.
Name your top 5 24 Karat tracks?
- It’s a Brainstorm (DJ Sappo Remix)
- Bloodclart - Keith Patience
- Roots & Culture - Sasha Khan
- The Squeeze - Faysha
- Dem Ah Fool - Danny Styles
What are your goals for the future regarding music?
The goal is to make the best music I can, as long as I feel like I am improving with each new project I am happy. The dream is to be able to make music full time.
As well as working with 24 Karat I have also been working closely with another exciting label where we have another collection of music which will be scheduled for release over the coming year. Will say no more at this stage but like the releases with 24 Karat the tunes have been curated over the last two years from 100s of ideas distilled into a select few.
What would you say you like most about the www.jungledrumandbass.co.uk website?
I love the interviews and label features and the enthusiasm for jungle and drum and bass
Thanks for your time. Lastly, any thanks or shoutouts?
Thank you for having me and also for featuring my mix. Shout outs to everyone I have met and had exchanges with on this journey, you know who you are. Thanks to Danny Styles and Chris Walton, two veterans of the scene who have been pushing me and have belief in what I do and where it’s coming from.
Got to give a big up to DJ Kella who is a big supporter of my music, check out his page, wicked dj and all you London heads check out Community DnB, it’s a brilliant monthly dnb night hosted by 5 revered dnb labels (Rebel Music, Emcee Recordings, Trust Audio, Gold Fat and Inperspective Records).
'Vespa / Fractured' By iV is out now on 24 Karat Recordings: Download Here
JDNB Shadow Boxers Mix 026: iV: Listen Here
iV Socials:
Beatport / Juno / Soundcloud
24 Karat Recordings Socials:
Juno / Soundcloud / Facebook
Interviewed And Edited By: Chilla
Published: 01/03/2022
