Interview: UNIBOMB YO!
Recently I treked up to Louisville to shoot and met a bunch of crazy kids who love to party, run from the cops, and most importantly, support each other. The backbone of the Louisville scene was held up more by the resident dj’s and the ones who visit regularly from surrounding areas rather than the kids who come out to support. Inevitably, in the end, the strongest always will survive and no matter how thick and thin Louisville might be, blood always runs thicker. So here is one of the pillars that helps make this all happen to make this structure we call Louisville aka “Possibility City” a haven for great musicians and fans alike. It’s not about what’s possible, but instead what they actually already have that differentiates Louisville from other cities. Ladies and gents, we found the UNIBOMB!
SmileForCamera: Were you always from Louisville?
UNIBOMB: no, but I’ve lived here since I was 11 so I kind of consider myself to be from here. Before that, I lived in Dallas and I was born in St. Louise.
SFC: what made you decide to pick up the headphones and start djing?
UB: Before I started djing I did a lot of electronic music so it was hard for me to play out. I’ve always thought being able to perform live was a big part of being a musician so i started to look for outlets that could make this possible for me. What really turned me on to djing though was one time when I went to visit my friend who was attending Vaser College in New York. One of the nights i was there, Diplo did a set at the campus that completely amazed me. As soon as I got back home I got a pair of turntables and have been at it ever since
SFC: that’s pretty badass. being around good influential dj’s, would you say that living in Louisville has played a role around the music you put out or do you find it more challenging trying to be good while still being you?
UB: Louisville has definitely played a role both in the type of music I listen to and the type of music I make. I started out a primarily a hip-hop dj so because that’s the only thing most of my friends would party to. Because I was never into hip-hop as much as electronic and dance music, I constantly tried to bridge the gap between the type of music I liked and what people wanted to hear. Even now that I am much more of a dance dj there is still a prominent hip-hop element in the tracks I play and even in the tracks I make. I would say that I definitely have high standards for the music that I make and play but that doesn’t mean I’m above blending styles and sampling hip-hop songs to keep people interested
SFC: is that your niche (blending in hip hop elements) or are you always including new ideas and concepts?
UB: yea, I definitely try to stay as fresh as possible. I think right now the whole hiphop-over-dance beats thing is big so I tend to incorporate a lot of that type of thing in my sets. I’m also a really big fan of anything that’s sounds retro or 80′s influenced, especially if its early electro stuff (hence the Debbie Deb remix). I’m always trying to find songs that break the mold of four to the floor bass kick beats and typical bass synth sounds to keep things as interesting as possible.
SFC: so are you big into Russ Chimes and Yuksek who have a major step up on 80′s esque synth and dance?
UB: definitely, in fact when ever they get mentioned I always make it a point to name drop Sidechains and Shazam.
SFC: so I guess this means we should be expecting a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air remix haha?
UB: haha, maybe but I already know of a couple, so mine wouldn’t be anything blatant.
SFC: I guess that’s why you should make it blatant, but I guess you can’t take a track like that too seriously. What are some things you are working on right now?
UB: right now I’m trying to get done with some original tracks. I think remixes are good for getting noticed and getting played but you have to have original material to really get taken seriously. It’s all a big learning experience for me though because I’m used to doing really obscure electronic music that I would never put on a dance floor. Also, not having the reestablished outline that a remix provided creates a whole new set of problems when making something that is dance floor worthy.
SFC: are you still going to use hip-hop influence in your production?
UB: probably, I don’t really think I have exhausted that outlet yet, so the chances of some vocal blips or familiar sounds appearing in my music are pretty likely. In the end it’s what’s keeping me interested that will end up in my tracks.
About the whole dub step thing, a lot of people are into it and say it’s the next huge thing, regardless of that being true or not, I haven’t branched over yet which makes for one trend I’ve stood my ground against. I think that a lot of dj’s want to find the next best thing for its own sack and not because its what is best for the dance floor. I may end up playing dubstep at some later time but not until it goes along with the other tracks I have built up and tested on the dance floor.
SFC: any last words to Louisville?
UB: I probably won’t be here for that much longer so get your fix while it’s available.
SFC: where can we find you out and about next and where do you plan on going?
UB: since most of the venues in Louisville closed or have turned sour it’s hard to get anything decent other than the occasional warehouse party. But I have plans to move to Chicago in June so I’m looking at bigger and brighter everything.
SFC: hell yeah! Windy city it is. See you there!
UB: for sure!
[audio:http://www.myndal.com/smileforcamera/audio/d/Debbie%20Deb%20-%20When%20I%20Hear%20Music%20(UNIBOMB%20Bassline%20Remix).mp3 |titles=When I Hear The Music (UNIBOMB Bassline Remix) |artists=Debbie Deb ]
Debbie Deb – When I Hear The Music (UNIBOMB Bassline Remix) (direct download)
