Bassrush

When word went out that DC Breaks and Prolix were locking horns in the studio we knew we were in for a treat, but had no idea just how heavy the resulting sound would be. Now with speakers thumping “Infinity” and “Embargo” all around the world there’s no denying that this is a pairing that needs to happen again—and soon!

The dark and dirty dancefloor vibes on this single from Ram Records offer a glimpse into the vibe of the full-length album that DC Breaks are working on. Tossing the chest-thumping Prolix into the mix only sweetens the pot on this one as the technical precision on display is equally as breathtaking as the anarchic flex on the groove.

With that in mind, we thought we’d touch down with the crew and get them to take part in an epic b2b interview that already has us thinking about other collaborators we should be hitting up to do the same! For now, check the squad in action below and be sure to lock in your own copy of DC Breaks + Prolix “Infinity”/ “Embargo” on Ram Records here.

DC Breaks: Jelly for hands or marshmallows for feet?
Prolix: Having marshmallows for feet would make standing up—and probably walking—extremely difficult. Having jelly for hands would make my life a misery as I rely on them heavily for tasks such as tweeting, making beats, and tying my shoelaces. I wouldn’t need shoes I suppose if I had marshmallows for feet, plus If I ever got hungry I could toast my feet and eat them so I’m going to go with that one.

DC Breaks: Favorite non-drum & bass tune?
Prolix: Right now Deftones’ “Rocket Skates” is getting regular airtime on my boombox.

DC Breaks: Most useful bit of life advice ever received?
Prolix: Treat people in the same way you would want to be treated in return. Be nice!

DC Breaks: Most useful bit of music advice ever received?
Prolix: I just saw a video of David Bowie answering the same question and I think he gave a great answer. He said “Never play to the gallery,” which I think is very important to remember. It’s easy to crowd please but much more difficult to try to innovate and stand out from the rest. Do what you do, do it well, and you have the potential to go much further.

DC Breaks: What do you look forward to least about the music production process?
Prolix: Writing intros! It’s actually something that I’m trying to address. For me it’s much more fun writing beats and bass but then I find it quite difficult to go back and write intros to the beat. It may make more sense to get the intros and musical elements in early and then allow that to dictate what beats and basslines are written. I just don’t find it as fun!

DC Breaks: What do you find most enjoyable about DJing?
Prolix: Playing out a track you have written and seeing people enjoy it. It’s taken many years where I’m at a point where I’m not completely shit scared about playing my own productions and being worried that half the dancefloor will decide to go out for a smoke. Don’t get me wrong—I am still slightly apprehensive but I finally have a bit more confidence that my mixdowns will translate and that people will keep dancing!

Prolix: Okay, my turn. What’s the DC Breaks tune that you still get most excited about playing out?
DC Breaks: Probably “Gambino.” It still gets an amazing reaction and even a sing-along sometimes!

Prolix: Favorite distortion plugin?
DC Breaks: Ooh, there’s no doubting that Decapitator from Soundtoys is amazing, but actually the basic Logic built-in distortion is still the first we try out and does what we want nine times out of ten. For a lot of the bass sounds we made a few years ago, think “Swag” and “Lock In,” we used the Predator synth from Rob Papaen as an FX unit and got amazing growl distortion from some of the amp sims in there. Need to get that back on the go!

Prolix: What’s is your favorite meal and accompanying beverage combination [that isn’t] fast food?
DC Breaks: Chateaubriand, chunky roast potatoes, grilled asparagus, and a great bottle of organic Chianti.

Prolix: Musical heroes outside drum & bass—and you can’t choose me!
DC Breaks: Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, Prodigy.

Prolix: Do you think streaming will ever make up for low sales revenues?
DC Breaks: It might do but that doesn’t mean the money gets to the artist. There are various things the music industry needs to address in making artists more capable of getting money for their work when they sign to record labels. Streaming at the moment isn’t exactly “fair trade.”

Prolix: Best Bill Murray film of all time?
DC Breaks: Groundhog Day, obviously.