Interview with RAIDEN:

How did you get into music and making drum and bass music?

I first started playing bass guitar in bands and while recording demos I took an intrest in the music technology side. After while drummers were replaced with drummachines and the guitarrists with samplers. I started to make electro then someone played me No U - Turn and I never looked back.

I started playing music when I was 6 years old, I was playing trumpet at school. My first gig was playing musical New York New York, when I was 8.

You are said to be the father of technoid drumandbass, how did you "discovered" this kind of subgenre. Could u describe what so called technoid means?

I never intended to create subgenre as such. Ive always been surrounded by early techno music so its an obvious influence for me. When I started my record label OffKey there was no name for our music as time progressed people started labeling it as technoid but to be honest I have no idea what technoid means.

When we started making the music when it had no name there was no rules, when the technoid name was applied to it everyone started sounding the same and progressivly people tried to take the sound harder and harder till it became almost like gabba. I feel the techno sound has become a "runaway train". Sound has changed so much from what we started. I dont recognize it anymore.

My background in dnb comes from the Renegade Hardware sound with breaks, bass and Detroit influences. It was like a streetsound. It basicly became smth that lacks the funk, bass and just that street vibe I loved about dnb so much. In my opinion technoid nowadays has very little to do with what u would consider techno sound. Techno is a very broad term that covers a wide range of influences. But what kids are making today is only taking influence from hard techno. Actually in short it has become something I dont relate to.

So why do you find this new deeper sound interesting or/and what makes the new sound interesting for you?

It reminds me of the dnb music I first started listening to. Where it was great to dance to, u could mix it and in the club the bass would pin u against the wall. When u combine this with a nice moody atmosphere to me it makes the perfect combination. Over the last year this sound has been getting very big in London. Its very nostalgic to me. Its also very nice to see girls dancing again:D

 Im also finding this movement very exciting as theres just so much good music and artists appearing. I feel the harder dnb sound has stagnated over the last few years.

What are Offkeys plans for future (what tracks, artiste etc)?

Im taking an intrest into new artists at the moment. Such as Meth formaly from The Sect, Vicious Circle, Martsman and Audio. We are currently really into the minimal dubby sound with big bass. Im looking to sign some big artists. Im about to launch a new website that will feature interviews and news from across the dnb spectrum. Next year im hoping to release another LP that will push the sound that we are  into right now.

Next on Offkey is a single from me and Meth and after that Martsmans debut with myself and Khanage on the flip. We are also bringing mc 2Shy into the camp.

You have been playing all over the world, which are the most extreme places and  where would you go back right away?

Khazhkasthan - it was really interesting magical place, nothing like u would expect. Also Israel is a very cool place with great weather and amazing club scene. Next month im going to South America witch im really looking forward to. Japan is the craziest place I have ever been to. But  I have friends all over the world so everywhere is special.

If you could compare Estonian crowd with other countries crowd  - what is the biggest difference you have noticed (if there is any;)?

Estonians are very passionate about dnb music. Also Estonia is one of the fews places u can hear people playing dnb in their cars, ipods etc. It feels like dnb is everywhere here. I also think dnb is very well represented in estonia, theres many good parties and the fact there s weekly shows on mainstream radio.  I see more similarities than differences amongst fans around the world. One of the places that seems very different is UK scene maybe because thats the motherland of dnb everything is on the much larger scale. The music is more like an establishment coz all the big labels and big djs are based there. Huge lineups at the parties. The fans seem to know everything (every track) and all the dnb fashions are breed there. If u can break into the London scene u will break in to everywhere. Just feels like London is 2 years ahead of everywhere else.  

Where have you lived before Estonia and how come you are living here at the moment (for 3 years already)?

I lived in the USA for a year, then I spent some time in Amsterdam but I wasnt enjoing it very much. I was doing a tour of the baltics and Alex H from Mutated Forms suggested that I should move to Estonia and I love this so much I couldnt think of a reason not to move. He helped me to find a flat and 3 weeks later I was here. Now Estonia feels like home witch is smth I havent felt since leaving  from the UK.

You are going to a big tour (USA, Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia and the UK) after P.E.O.L party when are you coming back.? When could be the next opportunity to have  you playng in Estonia again?

Im on world tour all the way up till november. Im hoping to play Estonia at some point before the end of this year.

What can P.E.O.L guests expect from you this time?

Big dubby bass and funky drums, lots of cool new tracks from new artist u gonna be hearing about in the future. Aswell some more new tracks from big names. Because of the credit grunch everyone has been in their studious so there is so much good music about at the moment. The bottom line will be bassline funk!

30.06.09