CHAMPA B Exclusive Interview @ Strictly Nuskool Blog

Newcastle's Jungle producer/DJ like Champa B sharing his story so far and thoughts, while he has one more fresh release coming out, which is a limited 12'' vinyl of two new mental d&b vibes (This release is available to order now @ Criterion Records)


- Back to your early days... How did you fall in love with Drum & Bass/ Jungle music and what forced you starting producing and djing?


I started listening to DnB when I was at college (17/18), I had heard bits and bobs before but it never really struck me as something I wanted to get into.
At the time I was listening to a lot of metal, Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, that sort of thing.
A friend I was at college with was into dnb and he gave me a few minidiscs and we used to sit in his shed and listen to stuff.
One night he took me to a DnB night and that was it really, instantly hooked, hearing it on a propper system with the bass weight rattling my chest was something I'd never experienced.
I never really knew music could be a phisical thing, from that point on I never looked back.

I started buying lots of dnb cd's (mostly terrible ones haha), just going out as much as possible to all the local nights.
After a couple of years my tastes broadend and I got into breakcore, which at the time had a decent little scene in Newcastle. There were a couple of guys, who used to play at the breakcore nights that span jungle, but I never really heard a great deal of it played out, so on my 21st birthday, I bought a (TERRIBLE) pair of decks off a mate for £20 and started buying tunes and badgering people for gigs.

The production came a couple of years after that I just got bored after main hobby at the time, graffiti came to a sudden halt, and needed something to do instead of drawing outlines in my spare time.

I was making really jungly stuff, ragga vocals and all that. then In 2009/2010, I saw Equinox play, and that changed everything...mind blown. Back to the drawing board.



- Do you remember your first tune ever made and your first gig played out? How you felt by that time?


Yeah, I've still got 95% of everything I've made, it was OK to be fair.

My first gig was in a pub function room, 3 months after I started DJing, a friend of mine used to put on a little night called Speakerhug.
He asked me to pick a name for the flyer.

At the time I used to burn loads of that Nag Champa incence when I was DJing, so Champa add Badman (in true jungle fasion) was born...



- You've already released some proper stuff on labels like Scientific Wax, Meganeural, Green Bay Wax, Modified Magic, Lickshot, Dsci4 and Amen-tal, giving your own ID to the Drum & Bass and Jungle scene at present!

Your new offering, which is a 2track release on Greek d&b label Criterion Records, is out now on 12'' format!
How did you come up signing to this label and your deal with Alex and what can people expect from this release?


Basically, I'd seen a few names I was into on the label, I had some stuff I'd been making which needed a home and seemed to fit the bill, I hit Alex up and he was into them.

The two tracks are oldschool inspired atmospheric amen rollers, with a newschool spin.

I was really pleased with the way the masters came out too, so I must thank Sappo for that.





- Are there any other releases in the pipeline?


Yeah, theres some vinyl releases confirmed, some long over due stuff to finish/get mastered etc.
Few people asking for stuff for labels, and I've got a new project with Drum Cypha, which should be up and running in a month or so.

Can't really say anything more...You know the drill.
Just keep an eye on the facebook page, soundcloud and all that.



- You've already played out in various big events and there's also a great upcoming one like Bangface Weekender 2016.
Are you totally prepared for this huge event? Ever been or lived up live any Bangface experience before?


Nah I've never been, looks mental.

I will probably just prepare the same way I do every gig, spend the week running up listening to stuff, picking out tunes, finishing off stuff I want to play.




- Can you share your best gig experience ever and few interesting bits about that night?


I haven't really got a "best gig", but the Jungle syndicate events are allways wicked, good promoters, great hospitality, so I'm prety chuffed when they book me.



- How do you see Drum & Bass and Jungle scene at the moment?
Any producers or labels you rate these days?


It might sound a bit weird, but I dont really follow the scene, I dip in and out and just do my own thing.
I can see it's getting healthy again, lots of new producers coming through, loads of new nights and events.

In terms of people I rate, Equinox, Bkey, Dubone, Drum Cypha, Relapse, Nebula, All the Sci Wax crew, Subtle audio and all artists on there, Inperspective, Antidote (is a badman!) and also Rupture crew, Green Bay Wax are kicking out some wicked stuff, Return II passed me some good stuff not long ago, watch out for him.

Theres a loads I haven't mentioned, just anyone keeping the true
sound of DnB alive, Beats, Breaks, Bass and music from the heart, whatever the format.



- Any closing message to all your fans and all soldiers in the Jungle scene?


Yeah just big up to everyone who's supported my releases over the last few years. There's more to come.

Big shout to everyone who has helped me, all the labels and artists who have supported my music!

You can order your copies to CHAMPA B fresh vinyl personal release (out now on Criterion Records) by clicking the following link:

http://www.criterionrecords.org/product/champa-b-reform-past-n-present


CRTNPR010 - 12'' While Label
A Side: "Reform"
B Side: "Past N Present"






CHAMPA B
soundcloud - facebook - bandcamp

GL0WKiD Interview with Elliot Wright (CHAMPA B)
3rd March 2016