Drum and Bass Legend DJ Die Talks Bristol, DieMantle, and Blazing With Redman Ahead of Nov 10 Dada Gig

Kyle Mullin | Nov 5, 2017 5:00 pm | Add a comment | 1107 reads

DJ Die has come a long way from his early days of becoming enthralled with house and hardcore music in his hometown of Bristol. He's since gone on to be an innovator at the forefront of British club culture, winning the prestigious Mercury Prize as part of the drum and bass group Reprazent in the late '90s, before releasing music of his own on major UK labels like XL Records, Talkin' Loud, and then going on to form his own lauded GutterFunk imprint. Ahead of his Nov 10 appearance at Dada, the influential turntable star – beloved for the rapid-fire percussion and textured synth or horn samples on his instrumentals – tells us about his DieMantle collaboration with Dismantle, getting blazed before working with renowned US rapper Redman, and more.

Tell us about Gutterfunk's mantra: "It's all subject to vibes." How did you realize this was the right mantra for Gutterfunk, and why does it work so well?
'All Subject To Vibes' is a state of mind that music shouldn't have to fit into pigeon holes or genre boxes. It works for us because it gives us the freedom to make and play whatever we like.

How did you form DieMantle and why did that partnership work so well?
DieMantle was formed at Glastonbury festival where myself and Dismantle met in an infamous caravan called the Re-Tardis. We share the same passion to make music and explore different styles and flavors.

On the second Reprazent album, you worked with everyone from Method Man to Rahzel and Rage Against The Machine’s Zac De La Rocha. What was that like?
I don't remember much about these sessions, but I do remember going to New York to produce and track for Redman's album Doc's The Name. Redman turned up with a Rottweiler dog called 'Ma' or so he said. We smoked a lot of blunts and eventually made a bad tune called "I Got a Seecret."

What was life like for you in Bristol as a teenager, and how did that help shape you as a DJ and artist, especially as you began entering the music scene?
Growing up in Bristol was a diverse education. Through skateboarding and partying I got to meet and hang out with some really cool people like the Fresh 4 (DJ Flynn, DJ Krust, Suv, Judge), Smith and Mighty and The Tru Funk Posse. From there I got into making music with a dude called Jody and eventually made a name for myself as a DJ on the free party and underground club scene.

What's next for you?
Next up is all about DieMantle. We have our Gypsy Woman RaveYard Mix finally coming out on vinyl, followed by a four-track EP of more up-tempo dance floor bizness at the start of the year.

After that, we're doing a GutterFunk compilation album called Destroy All Terrain that covers a wide range of styles and features some very special guests. The aim is to keep challenging ourselves to do something different from the norm, and drop major curve balls at any given opportunity.