Teebee explains: “First and foremost, when we got signed to RAM Records, that was like a huge step for us. In retrospect, the move was totally the right thing for us to do, as far as the label goes. RAM is as big as it gets, and that for them is a testament to what they’ve achieved and what they’ve done for the drum and bass genre over the years.” Calyx adds: “To be honest, I always knew I wanted to be involved with music. Since I was really young, I’d been obsessed with playing music and knew I wanted to produce it. By the time I was finishing college, I was playing in my own band. I built my profile and when drum and bass took over, I had to reduce my involvement in other things and had to focus.”
Now, enjoying the spoils of their labour, the duo continues to spread their message everywhere. “Getting all or nothing out there after having worked your arses off for so long is what keeps us driven,” explains Teebee. “We knew [we’d] done good things over the years, but to get the massive support across the world when we play feels good; being appreciated for doing something that you love is even better,” he says.
Teebee also tells all about the Subtitles label. “It’s still going strong. The label did go through a slow stage for a while,” he admits. “But really though, that was merely because we wanted to do something that was distinct and unique. We’ve all witnessed the decline in vinyl sales – pretty drastic actually – but that was part and parcel of the electronic music scene in general, not just drum and bass. The digital thing hasn’t really done as well. So now I’ve been in touch with my peers and they want to be on there, so we’ve got some exciting stuff planned for sure.”
On the solo production front however, Teebee isn’t as committed. There’s Calyx, the label and a catalogue of music – his own and that of others. That doesn’t leave him a lot of time to focus on much else. “There isn’t much of a chance of that,” he laughs as he answers in jest. “Calyx and I are on the right path and in saying that, there is a lot of good music out there – both drum and bass and from other genres – so we’re definitely keeping very busy exploring [what’s] new,” says Teebee.
And more philosophically too, he takes another tangent: “for me the worst thing is drum and bass that is inspired by drum and bass; in the early days you would draw influences from reggae and jazz and techno. It was music from across the board in the 1990s. ‘Anything goes’ was the mentality. Even at the start of the millennium, it was a bunch of people inspired by drum and bass and it was starting to sound a little the same. But then you had movements like dubstep that I think was a great thing for us – it took a lot of people across from one genre to the other. A lot of great artists found their real home there. Others brought it into their productions or gigs. Some of those guys became real superstars. Others just enjoy making music and with that, they bring depth, so there is nothing wrong with that,” he professes proudly.
But it was mostly the first sons of drum and bass – artists with “no hidden agenda” as Teebee terms them – that influenced the duo in their own way. “For me, it was artists like Photek and LTJ Bukem; they brought the best of different things with them. That’s the reason that Larry and I have survived; we have always tried to find different styles of music with them. You can always go hunting for some samples or whatever from a website – those things are so accessible now. It’s big business. We understand that, but we’re about doing things without losing the essence.”
Finally, for a duo that considers drum and bass their very bread and butter, they remain committed to creativity and an insight into what their fans want. “We know they expect something big from us and that can add a little pressure. But we’ll always create the storm along the way.” They have to, right?
BY RK
