My favourite studio food is crumbs from all the pizza I buy Malux which he drops on the floor. – Crissy Criss
HA! Love it! RAM Records does it again and releases another bad, bad, bad tune. Crissy Criss, Malux, & Erb N Dub team up on the latest Program Music release. Blizzard and Wonky stick drop to the dance floor music. We absolutely dig the Wonky track. This is swing-step at its best. If you are a DJ looking to keep the crowd flowing through the middle of your set. This is the track! You can literally listen to the whole think and not want to mix another track in. So much respect for the jump up feel on this one. The A-Side of this release is “Blizzard” which is that high paced neurofunk sounding badmanness. Seriously a great track and you’ll be glad to mix this in with some Inside Info, Mefjus, Noisia’s “Program”. Stick with it though. That switch in the drop is so good! We kinda wish that was the main drop. Ever spill, dope release and a massive big ups to RAM and their Program imprint.
Check out the track and the interview as found on RAMrecords.com:
You have a collaboration coming out together on Program – how did this come about? And how did you meet each other? Was there a certain track you’d heard from another member of the group which made you want to work with them?
Erb N Dub –
We met each other through other music projects we were already working on. We decided to start making dnb together at my studio in Kent. Straight away we started knocking out the monsters.
Malux –
I met Pete (Erb N Dub) through my other music projects and we’d been working together for a while before we started drum n bass. I’ve known about Criss for a while and was originally into his dubstep earlier on. I always like collaborating, so when Pete suggested we all get in the studio I was really keen!
Crissy Criss –
Yeah pretty much what Erb N Dub said, I met Malux through Erb N Dub who’d been working with him for some time. I heard some of Malux’s tracks and was blown away so I knew we all had to do at least one track together which has now being released on Program.
You’ve worked together before previously, on tracks such as ‘Krokodil’. How do you find the group’s dynamic works? And what do you think each member brings to the table?
Erb N Dub –
Malux is the sound design guy. He’s got some serious skills in that department. Crissy brings his dance floor head to the table. It’s easy to get lost in technical skills and forget about the dance floor.
I like writing intros, drums, arrangement and whatever else I can throw into the pot!
Malux –
We have written a lot of tracks together and each one is different. But generally I make a lot of the bass. Me and Pete work on drums a lot together as well as some of the bass. Crissy’s always got loads of ideas on his laptop so we’re always sending stuff back and forth. But when writing a track were all in the same room working together. We always take a bunch of ideas each of us have done and let the others mess with them.
Crissy Criss –
Pretty much the same again, I’m gigging every week so I point the track we’re working on in the direction I know is going to work if I play it out and then hopefully smash the dance floor. Malux is a beast at programming so when he hits the hot seat I can check my emails and Erb N Dub just makes tea that I don’t even drink.
You’re all from different parts of the world. Did you have a set way of working or a routine to make sure your tracks are finished? Were you all in a studio together, or were you sending files back and forth online?
Erb N Dub –
We all meet up in the studio and go in. We are not precious about any role or track. We are making dnb neuro bangers for the clubs. Club bangers are our focus!
Malux –
Always in the room. I find there’s a much better dynamic that way. Everyone pushing each other forward.
Crissy Criss –
Usually I find turning up in my bath robe my missus bought me for Christmas usually sets the vibe right and we get down to business from there. I’m basically doing everything, they just turn up to use the Wi-Fi and FaceTime their girlfriends.
How do you think your different backgrounds affected the way you produced together? And what were you doing individually before you decided to produce together?
Erb N Dub –
We all bring something different to the table. Individually we were working on music and gigging.
Malux –
We each have a different take on drum and bass and I think that comes across in our music. I work on a non dnb (but still similar sounds) project called Skope which is my first musical venture but launching Malux has been a high priority and I have lots more solo music I’ve written which is on its way.
Crissy Criss –
Recently I’ve been doing quite a lot of dance floor remixes and writing crossover / radio friendly tracks plus a lot of gigging across the globe so I get a real good taste for what goes down where. After I’ve done a few days of that I’m ready unleash some nastiness with the boys down at the studio.
Are you planning to work together again in the future? And what are your plans individually; anymore releases in the pipeline?
Erb N Dub –
Of course we have a great chemistry and a lot of music to finish!
Malux –
Yep. Lots!
Crissy Criss –
I can’t cope anymore, never again…
I’ve got a huge chunk of my own solo music which I’m currently finishing off for my own label ‘Machine Made’. I have a brand new single coming end of July which features ‘Wide Awake’ and then obviously a huge chunk of tracks with Erb N Dub and Malux which you NEED to watch out for because.. Mate, it’s absolutely slammin!
And lastly, what are your individual studio set ups? Could you shoot us a gear list? On an average day, how do you like to work and what studio snacks do you always have to hand?
Erb N Dub –
This is a long one lol. But I’ll just list the main gear.
Hardware –
Neumann Kh310a Monitors, Various Mac Pros, Apogee Ensemble, Ableton Push, Yamaha DX, Custom Acoustic Drums, Various Mics and Pre Amps, UAD Satellite, Novation Midi Keyboard, Yamaha DTX 750 Drums, Yamaha DXR PA system, Moog Prodigy, Pioneer Nexus CDJ’s, Pioneer DJM 850, Bluesky monitors and sub… I’ll leave it at that.
Software –
Cubase 8.5, Ableton 9, Native Instruments Komplete, UAD etc etc
I like to get in the studio from early and work long days. My favourite studio food is tuna!
Malux –
I run ableton on Mac. Use Adam a7x speakers with sub. Hardware – Sherman filter bank. Lexicon multi fx unit. Kaos pad. Yamaha dx synth. RNC compressor. Software – NI, fab filter, izotope, waves.
I like to work fast with lots of coffee!
Crissy Criss –
I have a few studios, one just consists of my Macbook Pro and my lap awaiting a connection flight in a packed airport terminal. The other is in the middle nowhere on royal land which I share with Unorthodox, Sammy Porter and Disciples so I get a good mixture of music around me at all times where I can draw influences from.
I’m mostly on board with everything I use, currently using Reason 9 with quite a few Rack Extensions and also CuBase 8.5 and a bit of Studio One here and there. Rokit 4s / 5s / 8s, Yamaha HS8’s, Saffire Pro 40, Novation Bass Station 2, Moog Phatty, shit load of Behringer rack gear and a load more i can’t remember jammed packed into my studio haha.
My favourite studio food is crumbs from all the pizza I buy Malux which he drops on the floor.
