JDNB Interview - Toxin & Mammoth Muzik

Toxin is head honcho over at Mammoth Muzik and has building a solid repuation over the last few decades. I stop in and chat to him, see what's up and how this hardworking London based DJ and producer, now label owner is getting on!

Hey Toxin! Thanks for talking to me. You're in London right?

Hey no problem.Yes I'm born and bred in Croydon.

Mammoth Muzik · 'Bubble Bootleg' - Mammoth Muzik - Free Download!!!

Tell us about your DJ name, what it means, what it represents to you and your home town?

Back in the day, I went by the name DJ Smoove which I chose for my smooth style of mixing. When I started producing I decided to change my name to Toxin. I wanted something a bit more urban and gritty - a bit like Croydon I suppose. Toxins are deadly substances which come from deadly animals and plants - and I want my tracks to sound deadly.

When did you first start listening to dnb and do you like any other genres?

This is going to make me sound really old, but I got into it in 92/93, so I have followed the music since the early hardcore days, then into Jungle and dnb. Before that I was really into my reggae and dancehall, so I loved all the samples and influences that were used from these genres in hardcore, and especially in the Jungle era. Outside of DnB I listen to a bit of everything really, but I really like the build ups and energy in 150bpm trap music! And I still love my dancehall which seems to be massive at the moment!

Toxin DnB · No Killer

The internet has been crucial for you and your knowledge of dnb right? Do you miss the old school magazines?

When I started raving the internet was in its infancy. I used to go to the Wax City records in Croydon to get my flyers, or pick them up outside the raves. I still have a box full of ATM and Knowledge magazines in my loft which I used to buy religiously for the interviews and mix CD's. I even have a few copies of 'The Scene' as well which was Terry Turbo's rave mag. I do miss the days of printed press, but the internet is the future and I love the fact we get video now online. I no longer have to struggle with dodgy reception when tuning into pirate radio - I can just jump on YouTube and watch a club set, or stream a radio station.

What track got you into dnb?

This is probably quite cheesy but I have to say 'Let me be your fantasy' by the House Crew and Baby D. This is the tune I remember blowing me away when I was at school - the piano and vocals are so euphoric! There were so many great tunes coming out at that time though - Outta Space by the Prodigy is another favourite.

So you and SLB, great guy, big shouts, tell us about you and him.

I met SLB in Croydon one night as we were both booked to play at a jungleravers.com night and we were flyering the venue. We instantly hit it off and became great friends, It's impossible not to get on with Essel - he's always smiling and cracking jokes! He invited me to come and play on ukrumble.com - the first dnb internet station - which he was helping to run. I used to go with him to his DJ bookings, and pretty soon we'd start to get booked together. When ukrumble folded, he started Nakedbeatz Radio to go with his website nakedbeatzmusic.com, and I moved onto it and we started doing a few nights. The biggest ones we did were at the Brixton Jamm and the Factory in Vauxhall. We also did a show on Eruption FM together for a couple of years. I owe a lot to SLB because he works in the music industry, and he brought me in and introduced me to lots of people. He hooked me up with Saxxon for the remix on my last release 'Positive Vibez', so massive big ups to Essel every time. And Spoona!

Another top bloke yes yes Spoona, tell us about him.

What can I say about Spoona - he's a really interesting guy with a deadpan sense of humour. He's also a bit of a nomad and never seems to stay in one place for too long! We met through mutual friends through the rave scene, and he was working in Blackmarket Records running their website online shop. He started Cutterz Choice along with Rhythmbeater - Spoona was label manager/owner and Beater was the talent. Spoona would hook me up with Cutterz promos and I would support the label when I played out. Through that, Spoona asked if I wanted to help run the label, so I hooked up with Rhythmbeater and we ran the label together between 2009 - 2012 putting out 5 vinyl releases, and a further 2 digital releases after the distributor went bust. This experience gave me the insight and confidence to start my own label.

Toxin DnB · Killer Feeling

What are your top 5 tracks right now?

Stranger Danger - Hazzard

Butchers Shop - Rusko

Ganja - Sub Killaz & Profile

Countdown - Mozey feat Serum

Heavyweight - A.M.C remix

Tell us about Mammoth Muzik, why the name, whats the label doing.

I started Mammoth Muzik in 2015 mainly to put out my own productions. I choose the name Mammoth to represent the style of tunes I want to release - big, fat and heavy! My production skills have improved a lot since the early releases - but there's definitely room for improvement. I am only now reaching the levels that I am happy with. Release 16 is dropping now and is two tracks from myself which are receiving good feedback. Over the years I am lucky to have released tracks and remixes by Zero G, Kendrick, Saxxon, Pappa Gee, Manga, Rhythmbeater and local artist Probert. I also did a couple of vocal tracks with Thunda Banton and this is something I would like to do more of in the future. But we are still a small label, so my aim is to grow more, develop my sound, and sign great music from new artists to push the label forward.

Tell us about where you have DJed so far and your favourite DJ experiences.

I have played for various promotions including Definition, Total Hypnosis, One Nation, Kings of the Underground, and Nakedbeatz in London clubs like Hidden, Brixton Jamm, Mass, The Factory, Goldsmiths Uni and Goldsmiths Tavern. I also played the main room at the Fridge in Brixton twice for an event called Sub Zero alongside the likes of Andy C, J Majik, Drumsound, Baron, Nicky BM plus more.. However the best DJ experience for me was DJ'ing at 'Pass the Dutch' in a skate park in Eindhoven in 2011, which Spoona put on. I played alongside SLB, Benny Page, Zero G, Rhythmbeater and Twisted Individual. Me and Spoona both drove over there with some of the DJ's and MC's, and I remember I was on crutches because I was recovering from a fractured metatarsal I got from playing football. The night was absolutely firing, and the vibez were amazing! I have also played on various radio stations including OriginUk, Eruption, UKRumble, and Nakedbeatz So production, what are you using as a DAW, and favourite VSTs? I use Cubase 11. I have been using it since version 5 so I'm really at home with it. I have used Logic and tried Ableton - but I don't get on with them because I'm so used to using Cubase. VST wise I use a lot of the Native Instruments plugins and Massive is still my go to synth. I also invested in Serum about a year ago and I'm starting to use it more and more. You can make some amazing sounds on it! Other plugins I couldn't do without are the Fab Filter plugins - I use the EQ, Compressor and Saturator or every track I make. I also use some of the Waves and Izotope plugins.

Do you mix and master your own tracks?

I do my own mixdowns but that's an area I'm looking to improve with some proper tuition soon.

Mammoth Muzik · Positive Vibez

Tell us about Killer Feeling and No Killer. Have you thought about killing someone haha?!

Lol no don't worry. I love using old movie samples in my tracks and these 2 tracks both use a sample about killers so I thought I'd put them out together as they have the same theme. Both tracks are made for the dancefloor and I'm really happy with the way they turned out.

Which labels inspire you and why?

Playaz has always put out quality tracks - from the jungle days until present day. I was also a big fan of the Bristol guys on V Recordings - Roni Size, Die, Krust etc, and of course Ram records. Hospital records also led the way with the liquid sound and released some really unique music. At the moment I'm a big fan of Serum's Souped up label and Low Down Deep which is the king of jump up.

Do you like MCs?

I do like MC's and the scene has just lost the best one IMO - RIP Skibbadee! It was a real shock when I saw the news. I remember listening to Skibbadee on Kool FM on a Saturday night with DJ Wildchild when he was breaking through, and his style was a real game changer. Raves won't be the same without him.

He is going to be sadly missed. <3 So you started making music early. Tell us about that journey so far.

Well it's been a real hard (but enjoyable) slog as I've taught myself really. I almost gave up because I couldn't understand why my tracks didn't sound like the top producers - but I kept at it and I'm getting there. There's always more to learn though when you're making music. I started messing around with production around the year 2000 and I bought a second hand Akai S2000 sampler - which I still have. I was using an early version of Cubase to do the sequencing through midi, and recording on a minidisc - but I didn't really know what I was doing. I kept making music and learned more with each track I made, and the internet is a great place for learning - there are lots of great production tutorials and software walkthroughs on YouTube. I keep reading interviews with some of the new producers who say they have only been producing for a few years - and I definitely think it's much more accessible nowadays as you can produce with a laptop and headphones - which you couldn't do back in the day.

Mammoth Muzik · Afraid of the Dark/No Retreat

So Mammoth Muzik is on release 16? You should be stoked right?

Yes I'm really happy with the progress of the label so far. The output of the label has been quite slow, and I want to improve that by signing music from other artists as I'm slow at writing new music lol.

Do you like festivals?

Yes I do like festivals. Funny story, I was at my friend's wedding last September which had been delayed due to lockdown. It was at Beckenham Place Mansion - and Hospitality in the Woods festival was going on at the same time in Beckenham Place Park. It was a really hot day and the windows were open during the ceremony, and we had a background of drum and bass during the wedding! Luckily the bride and groom love DnB as well.

What do you think about the JDNB website?

I love it! There's so many great interviews with established and new artists. There's so much new music coming out each week it's easy to miss good tunes, and this is a good way to keep up with new artists and their music.

Where do you go for dnb news?

Obviously your good selves JDNB. I also check other DnB websites like Nakedbetazmusic, Love that Bass, and Kmag. I also follow lots of people on Twitter and Instagram so it's easy to stay connected online.

If I saw you at the bar, what are you drinking?

Early in the evening it would be beer, but later on rum and coke.

What would be your perfect line up?

Nicky BM, Brockie, Hype, Rap, Logan D & Majistrate, Upgrade, Turno, Harriet Jaxxson, Benny Page, David Rodigan, Seanie B, MC's Eksman, Evil B, IC3, Shabba, Harry Shotta, Azza & Grima!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

In 5 years time I want to have released more quality music, done some tracks with original vocals, and maybe branched out into some other genres.

What are your fav radio stations or shows in London?

I have listened to Kool since 1993 so I would have to say it's my favourite London station. Flex FM has some good shows as well. These days I quite often go to YouTube to listen to DnB. I really like Run Tingz TV at the moment.

Tell us about your personality traits, your good ones and your bad ones....

Wow, that's a tough one lol! I'm pretty laid back and easy going - except when it comes to football! I'm a mad, passionate Crystal Palace fan!

Do you have any favourite quotes or sayings?

May the force be with you - yes I am a Star Wars geek...