#j.sparrow

J.Sparrow - Near Dark

I am consistently amazed by the work of J.Sparrow. This remix of Annie Drury is particularly gorgeous.

J.Sparrow...ever since we heard a reprise podcast of his from a few years ago we've been pining to bring this producer/selector over to grace our sound system for a journey through proper dubstep. The wait is nearly over as Mr. Sparrow makes his DC debut at FORWARD 2013 on Saturday May 18th.

In this interview, one of our crucial buddies in bass Nick W. pulls together some great questions. Great questions w/great answers = great interview. Enjoy!

NW: Do you remember the first time you heard dubstep, or some of the first dubstep tracks you ever heard? JS: Of course! I was 22 and living with friends in a big old house in the student area of Leeds. I remember hearing "plasticman" and "MRK1" tunes and finally the "Paul Rose N4 mix". Hearing it really put my brain into action to start learning how music was made as i had been a major listener and buyer of vinyl for some years. Tracks like "caspa-homesick" "shackleton-limb by limb' and "distance-tuning'' were among my earliest favourites. NW: What is your production set up like now? What are your favorite hardware or soft synths to work with? JS: I rent a really big space in the centre of Leeds next to where Exodus/Dmz is held. It's a really great space with 24hr access and really gives me a good work ethic going there. I initially produce in the box then when I come to mixdowns I use external hardware like compressors, fx, exciters. I have a trust Waldorf blofeld I would never be without… the germans know how to build synths! NW: Do you have any formal musical training or is your knowledge of music theory and production pretty much self taught? JS: I am mostly self taught but have a thirst for knowledge even now! It may have taken me longer to achieve what I wanted in terms of quality of production and work flow but I feel maybe I wouldn't have arrived at my sound if I had been taught a certain way in college. You cant teach creativity in school it is very much within, the technical side is something that was deff an after thought to maintain the balance of vibe vs technical. NW: Does your approach writing tracks change when you are working with someone else, like Ruckspin? JS: When I am left alone to produce my own stuff I am over critical and enter into a hermit state seeking out sounds I like and themes for my music as I like to keep my pallet extensive and varied from tune to tune. When I produce the Author stuff with Dom we really relax and grow the tracks organically, I think this translates to honest original music. Everything has peaks and troughs when working with other people but me and Ruckspin really have a special relationship in the studio and thats hard to find. NW: What gear do you use to perform, as a DJ, and live as 1/2 of Author? JS: I used to play strictly vinyl and acetate but it became very expensive and in Europe we have silly budget airlines that make you pay through the arse for extra weight. I switched to cd's a while back which although is a little easier than vinyl it leads me to play with fx and using 3 decks etc. With Author we both have equal control over the set wether it be fx,loops and synth controls. We have a minimalistic setup for clubs and a an outrageous set up for festivals which includes live brass and vocalists. It is important to vary the setup to cater for each gig. NW: Obviously, performing live and playing a DJ set are a bit different, can you tell us a little about your approach to each? JS: When i am djing i am playing my own music along with other peoples music and everything is pre built and i know the tracks inside out. I focus on collecting the highest quality productions within the vibe I like to play. Author is completely the opposite. We have all our tracks broken down into "stems" and we can layer parts of one track over another to create a new track on the spot. People who come see us will be hearing something different every time and never before heard tracks that we might have built just for the live set. Doing "live" stuff really opens the creative mind and we btw enjoy it more than djing at this point i feel. NW: How are you involved with Outlook Festival beyond being a performer? JS: Outlook was born from my long time manager Simon Scott who held a 800 capacity event in croatia in 2008 which was called "Exodus to croatia'' it was dope! After that the Outlook Brand was born and I was a partial advisor to the "launch parties" side for the following years. Now I am managing the events worldwide and working with the best promoters from around the world spreading the brand and also playing these events. This year we have over 100 parties across the globe from UK/EU/ASIA/US/INDIA and so on. It's a massive community and I think it has helped promoters come together and of course make the sic available for music lovers everywhere. NW: You've said, "the epicentre of dubstep is in Leeds". What's the scene there like now? JS: The scene is healthy, Simon and Iration Steppas are celebrating 15 years of SubDub this year and exodus/dmz has been running since 2005! It really is one of the best nights out there in europe for vibe and selection of artists. Leeds has over 70k students and there is always new things happening in terms of club nights and styles of music being born, I do love it dearly. NW: You've played on some of the top sound systems in the world. What systems have really stood out? JS: This is a real hard question to answer but i think the list in no particular order would be: Iration Steppas, King Shiloh, Mungo's HiFi, Nueron Pro, Sweet Potatoe, Jungle Warrior, 20hz System so far NW: So is the the new Author album going to be your next release? Anything else in the works? JS: The next Author album "Forward Forever" will hopefully come out while we are in the states in May/June so we might be partying harder than normal :). I am working on a follow up to my 2010 Sparrow album. I am very much an album artist, i find it easier to make albums than say a 12'' single as i feel 2 side of a record cannot justify what i am feeling at that current time. I like journeys of sound. NW: The theme of FORWARD 2013 is "balance". Do you ever ponder about balance? If so, in what way? JS: Music/Life Balance, Music/Family Balance!. I am always concerned with my friends and family and if i am straying away from them and becoming to isolated. Once you put into perspective the travelling and studio time through the week/year then its important to make the time you have with people in your life "quality time". They were there before music and they will be there after music.