Driving towards Production House headquarters, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, having been a successful record label for some years I imagined egos to be big and attitudes rife. How wrong I was.
My first impression on arrival was how relaxed and friendly everybody was. The atmosphere there is like that of a close knit family (no trace of star-struck egotistical maniacs here!)
Floyd Dice, better known as ‘Dice’ appears to be the backbone of The Production House Crew. Having been with them since the beginning I asked him about his involvement with the label.
DICE: My main act is the House Crew, that is totally mine, as I engineer the studio and produce, but I am involved with most acts signed to the label, so I thought I would take one act for myself.
As well as engineer and produce Dice actually writes and sings as well, quite an asset to the label and modest too (his name can be found credited on nearly all Production House’s releases). Dice’s latest track, currently tearing it up around the clubs is called ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’ and although credited to Baby D, it was actually written and produced by Dice. ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’ is on a more mellow tip with a soulful feel to it.
DICE: Rave is changing, it’s becoming more vocally orientated, and these vocals are being sampled from old soul records. My strongest influence is soul music, hence the Baby D track, the vocals are soulful, and they have been put together over a hard drumbeat. Soul is still around, maybe in a slightly different form, like swing or mellow house, but it is still there.
During the interview there is a constant buzz of activity going on around us. Acen pops in to say hello, DMS is running around, his face split into a huge grin, waving a cheque. Friendly banter flows between everyone, Acen offers to make me a cup of coffee. I asked Dice his opinion on the media.
DICE: The trouble with having ‘fame’ 1s you are open to criticism, the media can be very harsh and the public believe it. The media can destroy acts and people’s egos. I hope the media doesn’t do to rave what it did to the acid scene. It would be such a shame to kill off rave now, as itis such a big industry.
The most astonishing thing about Production House is that they are self-distributed, no other label in the country can boast the success of this independent company. Off of their own back they sell their music on its pure class and having been around so long, only points to the fact that they are a rated amongst the top three dance labels in the country.
By Tash
Desire 92 – The Fourth Birthday Party
LABEL PROFILE – Third PARTY RECORDS
Back from their first 2 EPs all licensed to separate compilations including one in Canada, Third Party look to be going somewhere fast. Building their experience through 14 releases on the renowned Ibiza label, their operation has been established to communicate the musical mastery of the Noise Factory. Since the label began, it has been no accident that with each new release they have sold more and more copies. So with all this in mind, I took the opportunity to ask Tel, Jim and Kevin why their music was so in demand.
“T could talk through our tracks like a story. Our records build up and have lots of different things in them and then they breakdown so DJ’s can mix into the next tune. I think it’s also because our EP’s include a variety of styles so everyone is happy then”
How would you describe your music?
“Our music has always got a reggae element somewhere, it’s hidden and you might not hear it at first, but if you listen closely it’s there. However we’ve come away from sampling reggae direct because everyone 1s doing that now. People are simply sampling the raggae stuff because they know this will get their record played. Nowadays you hear a whole reggae track with a fast break behind it and this a sign of people getting lazy — this ain’t good for whats happening”.
Even though Noise Factory get distressed at the volume of poor quality material being released they do hope for the future of the breakbeat sound particularly on an international scale, “The breakbeat sound ain’t so well in the rest of the world yet, but it’s going to come through slowly. In LA, they’re going mad for British material and Canada is now getting into it too. They say we are behind but really they are the ones that are behind”.
So what are your plans for the future?
“We’re planning on using more live vocals than samples and including more melodies. We’re looking to the future in this way because I seriously think this music is drying down”.
As a final question I asked Noise Factory what advice they would give to up and coming music makers out There?
“Be creative with your samples and make your samples mean something. Don’t follow, lead the way, stay one step ahead because there’s so much competition out there. Never pirate, do it so it makes sense.”
ADVERTS
Up Front Totally Hardcore Mix Tapes From The USA
Double Dipped ‘An Underwater Experience’
Hardcore Zone @ Wax City Records
Labrynth T-Shirts for sale
Desire 92 – The Fourth Birthday Party
The Promised Land – Free Rave @ Lea Valley Trading Estate, London N18
The Promised Land – Free Rave
RAVE LISTINGS
Fantazia Friday 27th November. Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet
Rave In Holland 13, 14, 1Sth November
World Dance Saturday 5th December. Lydd International Airport, Kent
Heaven On Earth Friday 13th November. The Hummingbird, Birmingham
Armageddon Saturday 14th November. Enstone Aerodrome, 10 miles North of Oxford off A34, Oxfordshire
Middle Earth Saturday 14th November. Occans Night Club, Barbican, London
Raveworld IV Friday 27th November. Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre, Lytton Way. Stevenage, Herts
Universe Friday 4th December. Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Clyst St Mary, Near Exeter, Devon. (off Junction 30, M5)
Desire ‘92 Saturday 21st November. The Roller Express, Lea Valley Trading Estate, Edmonton, N18
Universe Thursday 31st December. Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Nr Exeter, Devon
Love Of Life Saturday 14th November. Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre, Gonville Place. Parkside, Cambridge
New Age Saturday 21st November. Stantonbury Leisure Complex, Purbeck Close, Milton Keynes, Beds
The Sanctuary Opening Night Friday 11th December. Denbigh Leisure Centre, V7 Saxon Gate, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Beds.
Shammanarchy At Whirl-Y-Gig Sunday November 22nd. Shoreditch Town Hall, London
Double Dipped ‘Trip Under the Sea’ Saturday 12th December, Labrynth, 12 Dalston Lane E8
The Promised Land Saturday 21st November Bass Box. Lea Valley Trading Estate, Harbet Road. N18
Urge Saturday 5th December Vox Club, Brixton
Ibiza Reunion Party Saturday November 21st David Lloyd Centre, Southall Lane, Heston, middx
Matt Edward’s alias Nu-Matic, has just completed his 3rd E.P. for XL Recordings. Previously known as Break The Limits his musical style has certainly changed since those early days.
MATT “When I was first making music (along with former partner Mel Tanur) the most important thing to us was to gain the respect of other people as artistes, we were making music solely for the hard-core raver. Now, I just feel that I would like my music to appeal to a wider audience”. As an early exponent of the Reggae-Techno-Groove on the “Hard Times” E.P. then to incorporate classical music for his “Spring in My Step” E.P. and now to be the first to use an old rare groove track on his next release, could we be right in thinking that Nu-Matic is trying to set some kind of trend.
MATT “I don’t see myself as trying to set any trends, I don’t care if I do or don’t. The ideas that I have used so far, I have had for years. In music I believe, there should be no boundaries that’s why you’ll find all aspects of music from Rock to Reggae, incorporated in mine”.
Nu-matic’s music certainly has that hard-core feel to it, but there are elements that could be interpreted as being “commercial”. Could this perhaps lead to losing the respect that has taken him so long to gain?
MATT “To be perfectly honest, if trying to be more creative and more original in the things I do is going to have me branded ‘commercial’ then I really don’t give a shit. I’m really just trying to make the kind of music that is still going to be around for years to come, not forgotten about after four weeks. As for the respect side of things, those people who matter will hopefully still respect me for not being scared to try something different”.
As well as trying to do things differently on the musical tip, the PA’s are certainly something to watch. Although some incorporate the clichéd Mc and two dancer’s they definitely have a more professional edge to their performance’s.
MATT “I feel that I have the best Mc in the business Mc Mc, and along with our dancer’s (Smila and Naz), we really try to entertain and make our shows value for money”. With his forthcoming release in mid November, entitled ‘Body Fusion’ Matt with the help of Mc Mc, has produced a more vocally orientated E.P. Is this a stab at proving his versatility as an artist to ensure he will be around longer than people think?
MATT “I am not trying to prove anything. It’s my genuine love of music that has enabled me to adapt to the changes in the dance scene for the past seven years, so I don’t see why I won’t be able to adapt in the future”.
Spellbound
ADVERTS
Sunday Dipped – Every Sunday @ The Soundshaft, Hungerford Lane, London WC2
2000 AD Productions in conjunction with Fascination – Spellbound – 31st October @ The Tasco Warehouse
Raveworld And Ravescene The Party Part II @ The Tasco Warehouse
Labrynth Productions present Every Picture Tells A Story @ The Tasco Warehouse
Cryptonite ‘Such A Feeling’ @ Peterborough Arena
Ravescene T-Shirts
RAVE LISTINGS
Double Dipped The Birthday Party (Ravescene) Saturday 17th October. The Four Aces, 12 Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8
Passion Friday 30th October. The Event, Brighton
Fantazia Friday 27th November. Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet
The Edge Friday 16th October. The Tasco Warehouse, 138-140 Nathan Way, Plumstead
Knowledge All Nighter Wednesday 28th October. SW 1 Club, London SW1
Every Picture Tells A Story Saturday 17th October. The Warehouse, Nathan Way, Plumstead, London, SE28
Living Dream Saturday 10th October. Roller Express, Lea Valley Trading Estate, Edmonton, N18
You have probably never heard of Ruff Guidance Recordings, but I am sure you will be familiar with the music. Mel Tanur, 24, the man behind Ruff Guidance, has taken an active part in the music industry for the past seven years. Starting out as a rap lyricist in 1985, he progressed with former partner Matt Edwards (now Nu-Matic) into making the kind of music that dominates our radios today.
M “We wanted to do an E.P. which contained hip-hop, techno and dance music, to break the existing limits of the music that was being made at that time. Bpm’s shot up in level’s which other people just weren’t doing, we didn’t make anything under 125bpm”.
With the launch of Break The Limits in the late summer of 1990, they established a name for themselves as one of the original hard-core acts. Some 10 E.P.’s later, their hard work paid off, and in December 1991 they were signed to XL Recordings. Unfortunately this didn’t quite work out as Mel had envisioned it, thus causing Mel and Matt to split.
M “XL released the Hard Times E.P. many many weeks later in February 1992, and by that time the tune had fizzled out. As far as I am concerned they made a mess of it. To tell you the truth I didn’t really get on with the people there, all those record company people really don’t appeal to me”.
Leaving the prospect of fame and fortune behind, Mel started up his own company. April 1992 saw his first solo release, simply enetitled “The Ruff Guidance” E.P. The second E.P. (Bay-B-Kane) caused quite a sensation on the hard-core scene, generating interest from DJ Micky Finn, who has included a track from the E.P. on Groove Connections soon to be released compilation/mega mix. Now, with the third E.P. underway, Ruff Guidance’s present venture comes as a bit of a surprise. Released on the 28th Septmeber, the “Icon” E.P. is not only a six tracker, but also includes some unusual elements.
M “I realise I may be taking a risk with this as it is an alternative dance E.P., though it still has that rough jungle feel to it. I have even included some Bolivian Hari-Krishna samples. I think that it is fair to say it’s certainly different’.
So, with all this going on and a soon to be released E.P. which he co-produced with DJ Token Pace on the Face The Bass label as well as current negotiations with none other than Reinforced Records, I can certainly see Mel Tanur being involved in the music biz for the next seven years.
