Bass Interview #45 : Prolix (Eng)

During the last Blackout party with Regarts in Toulouse a few weeks ago, we had the chance to meet the man of the night : Prolix. He accepted to answer some questions with us.

Hey Prolix ! Thanks for having us tonight. You were there four months ago for the closing set of the last Dirty, and you smashed everything. What are your feelings today to be back here ?

I kind of feel like privileged actually because i usually play here once a year or two years and to come back so soon, I kinda feel like i’m doing something right. The lads enjoyed me enough, I did a good job last time and they bring me back again. It was a really good line up last time and when I saw the booking coming I thought «I’m fucking back to Toulouse» ! I love coming to Toulouse.
I think it could possibly be the center of Drum’n’Bass for France, this club have such a good reputation, the people who come here religiously every DnB event and even if you are playing the last set, you are really playing the best set of the night because people are staying right to the very end. Everyone is going crazy. So it’s a great feeling to be back.

But you are living in UK, it’s quiet the place where Bass Music emerged, so do you think it’s easier to play or rise in UK ?

I don’t actually play that often in the UK you know. But recently in the last year, I feel like there is a bit of resurgence in London. There are always areas in the UK where the have really good scenes like Bristol or Manchester or Newcastle, but London is kind of up and down. There are a lot of clubs that have closed.

But sometimes they could reopen like The Fabric…

They do, it close and then reopen, but lots of clubs have been closed because the area is being regenerated or turn to train stations but last weekend for exemple there were a Blackout in London on one street and 200 meters away Andy C was playing on the same date. They were both sold out! That’s kind of amazing.
So the scene is actually very strong in London and I feel like it’s getting better. It was a time that I thought maybe things were going down, all events were closing but actually it seems to picking up. It’s quiet good.

So there are some waves…

Yeah, I think there’re always some waves. In the scene you think there’s a popularity from few months and then it dies down a bit, but like I said this weekend there were two events in one night and next month there’re another two big events. Everything seems to be very strong at the moment.

And when you were younger and started to play music and to do drum’n’bass, was there already D’n’B music or were you inspire by other kind ?

Yeah, i mean I love Rock and metal and stuff like that. I guess I got into drum’n’bass by listening like The Prodigy. And I got into more electronic music. And then I went to my first drum’n’bass event in 1997 and started to listening to kind of Jump-up back then, it was a different kind of Jump-up as today.
And then i got into Ed Rush, Optical, the early RAM Records future. They really inspired me, and inspire the drum’n’bass I’m writing now. Of course things have changed, production has changed, the sound is kinda change but I always try to keep the vibe of 1980, 1990, 2000 in my music.

Speaking of that, you have been a little few quiet in terms of production recently, your last track with DC Breaks was in October… Can we expect something ?

Well, I’m doing an album, that’s what I’m working on now, doing an album for Blackout, a breaking news for you guys ! So that track with DC Breaks was one of the tracks wich is a single.

Then «Drop bombs» wich just came out, and there’s a new single which is coming out I think next week wich is called «Feel Alive», and that is a collab with The Qemists, they are friends of mine from Brighton and they are kinda like drum’n’bass rock kind of group and I mean for me, loving kind of rock music it was great to collab with them. They are great musicians and very talented and for me to put my spin on…

Mizo in the room asking if there will be live performance

No live performance but it was one of those collab I wanted on the album.

We are impatient to hear that

Yeah, I’m gonna play it, first track of the set.

We can’t miss that ! We will be there, right in the front.

So just two quick questions to finish, do you have any best memories on scene ?

I’ve done a lot of traveling, I’ve been lucky enough to plays in places all around the world, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, America… Biggest memories I guess probably playing like my first big gig was Renegade Hardware at the end. I was just terrified for a couple of days before playing, just like so scared, but that was great !
I’ve played EDC Las Vegas in froint of 15000 people, playing Let It Roll, this kind of really big gigs, that is kind of memories

We are in the beginning of 2019, you will have your album coming out…

Yeah in the newt few months hopefully

So what can we wish you for the rest of the year ?

Like I said the album, yeah, I just need to finish it, we’re very close. And after that we will see what happens, I’ve got my own label Trendkill Records, signing some new music by some french guys, you know The Clamps and he’s doing another Ep.
Also Opsen, he’s doing a single or two for me. And there’s also a special project coming up soon wich is kind of secret for the moment, but I’m very exciting about that to.

It will be a big year…

Hopefully for me and for my label too

Perfect ! Thank you so much again for your time, and we are so impatient to see and hear all the new stuff.

Photos Credits : Fo’Tom, Sophie Harbinson, Julien Chazo

BASS IS LIFE, BASS FOR LIFE