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REDEYES
   If you've taken a trip down to your favourite record shop (online or otherwise), you might have noticed something recently, the new release section yields more unfamiliar names than ever before. Check out The Board and a new label, a new producer, a new myspace link seem to be shoved in your face almost everyday. This has lead some to argue that the quality control within drum and bass is at an all-time low, that loads of tunes which should have stayed in the DAW somehow make it to the shops. On the other hand though, technology allows basically anyone with a computer to make tunes, send them out to labels or start their own. If you like drum and bass, it's almost harder not to take a stab.
This pretty much sums how Julien Salvi, better known as Redeyes, got into the game. Having spun for about a decade, “it was just a logical evolution,” he says, “It was somethin' natural, same as a band first playin' covers and then thinkin' it’s the right time to create some brand new, original music. For me, I was just waiting' to get a bit of money to buy my first laptop.” And that was that.
Sonically, Redeyes is best known for his 70's funk and soul influenced sound. Not unlike Danny Breaks, Calibre and High Contrast and countless others before him, the producer's knack for expertly grabbing a choice sample and breathing fresh life into its funk has gained Redeyes acclaim from across drum and bass. However, the Frenchman might be best known for a certain incident with a certain D&B don and the endless forum shit storms-that ensued. The past is the past. If this is your only knowledge of Redeyes, it's probably time to get up to speed, lest you want to seem very uncool every time someone mentions one of the producer's many forthcoming releases this year. Luckily, we're here to help you.
To start, how about a fresh new mix from Mr. Redeyes himself? It's pleasurable, highly pleasurable. And how about a few questions to help us get a better look into the methods and mindset of one of 2006's most talked about newcomers? Read on.
DOA: Alright, let's start with the basics, when/how did you start to get into music? And from there, what was your introduction to drum and bass?
I always been into music, listening' to hard rock when I was a kid, until the hip hop culture blew up in France at the end of the 80s. Then later I started to be interested in everything that was floating around hip hop, i.e. the label ninja tune, mo wax, jazz, soul, dub, breakbeat, etc. And naturally drum and bass came, first by the way of the dragon crew, one of the first D&B crews in France. They were on the radios in my town and were doing some damage in the famous local club, "le bikini." Then Reprazent were the ones who got me totally addicted to this music.
DOA: It's been well established that D&B is a global scene, however, French D&B never really gets much mention. What's going on over there? Break it down for us.
It's starting to get heavy here. We got some really good producers, like the Funktastics (shogun), Audio Unit (bingo/chronic) DJ Sweed, Peyo (bingo), some new like Dirtyphonics, some who have been here a long time like FX 909 (Defunked) and some others (sorry to not mention everybody). Then we got some big, huge parties like "I Love Jungle" or the black labels ones in Paris, and in every town you can see some parties every weekend. Jungle music has always been loved here, its just we didn't have any big producers here to be well know outside of France.
DOA: So we know you got into producing through DJing, like a lot of people. What does your set up consist of?
Very basic set up: my computer, Reason 3.5, a dying Evolution remote keyboard and two little BX5A M-audio monitors, that's all. But I won't lie; as soon as I get a bit more of money I will update my monitors. I think its really important to have a good sound at home, my first tunes ("find a way" for example) were made from hi-fi monitoring and my old laptop, so I'm happy with my set up now, but you always want to get your sound better.
DOA: With so many different things to work on when you step into the studio, from sample-digging, to cutting breaks, to actually writing music, how does your workflow in the studio go down? Or more specifically if you'd like, take us through writing a tune from start to finish.
First is looking for some good samples. The SAMPLE. It's quite a hard job, crate digging, always digging for good loops, and once you get it, its time to stretch/slice etc your loop (time stretching in Cubase is really good, then I use recycle to slice the loop) and try to work it with some good old breaks to get a groove, layer 3 or 4 breaks, add some kick and snare, play the bassline and you got a loop! After that you just got to let it go as you like, keep it simple... I'm doing it with my feeling, just trying to catch a vibe and let it play.
DOA: Just by looking at your myspace page and of course, listening to your music, it's obvious that you're very into the sound and feel of the 70's. What is it about that period that inspires you so much?
The groove, this old organic sound, the strings, the chords, those old vocals, everything to be honest. When you spent your youth listening to hip hop and then later you discover the source, the original sound, where it's all about. Soul and jazz from the 70's, that's what I love, that's what is running on my iPod, on Sunday in my car or at home, it’s just a way of life.
DOA: It seems like there are so many new producers and labels popping up everyday. Being a relatively new name, what's your take on this? Do you think that quality control needs to be stepped up a notch or do you welcome so much new talent?
The thing is with AIM, everything is easy now, everybody can get a basic cheap setup (like me, for example) and internet can send his own music worldwide in just 5 minutes, that's exactly what I did and its been working well so I'm not the best person to talk about it even if I reckon that there's too many release every week and tunes are dying too quickly.
DOA: How did you hook up with Bingo and Creative Source?
AIM. Zinc was one of the first AIMs I got, so I used to send my music to everybody. I remember, I was already signed to W10 (Danny Wheeler's label) and Intrinsic, and one day I got a mail from the Bingo office saying they wanted “ghost squad/about to change,” that was the start of a good story. Creative source came later, I remember asking Fabio’s aim from Jeryl and he was like "don’t tell him I gave u" hehe... 2 days after, Fabio was playin 3 of my tunes on his show on radio 1 and then he signed me a 12.
DOA: Tell us about the mix you've done for DOA. Do you have any particular approach to DJing, and whose tunes are you feeling at the moment?
DJ Food, that's the mans who introduce me to DJing. I've always been into hip hop mixtapes etc but the day I saw those 2 dogs live with 4 decks, smashing jungle with old soul…damn that's what I wanted to do, so with my background, that’s what I love to do : mixing all styles. Same things as when I'm making beats, catch a vibe and don’t lose it, play with it, go deep, funky, ruff but don't lose the vibe and keep it musical. This mix represents the way I feel the music.
DOA: What have you got in the works for the new year? What's your plan?
My EP "when will it ever end?" on bingo is out now, I still got some 12s to drop (W10, Prestige music, Good Looking) some remixes and I will focus on my own album this year, and of course keep travelling around the world for the DJ thing.
DOA: Is there anything else you'd like to say to the fine readers of DOA?
Thanks for being supportive of my music, cause that's why we are here, the music, isn't it?
Spread love
Interview by: Andy Barrett
Redeyes::DOA Mix
- Atlantic Connection Feat. Minds One, DJ Noumenon & Treason - Can't Destroy Love - West Bay
- Alix Perez & Zero Tolerence - Untitled
- Random Movement - The Things U Do - Innerground
- Calibre - Blue Top - Innerground
- Eveson - X Rated
- Marcus Intalex - Wide Eyes - Soulr
- Zinc - Casino Royale - True Playaz
- Redeyes & Alix Perez - Clone 1001 - Bingo
- Fat Freddys Drop - Carls Cray - Ai Remix - Kartel
- D Bridge - True Romance - Metalheadz
- Blue Sonix - Luv Me - Logitics Remix - Spearhead
- Nu Tone - Missing Link - Hospital
- Icicle - So Close - Med School
- D Kay - Your Soul - Bingo
- Drumagick - Unknow - Innerground
- Marky & Total Science - Red Kooga
- Rush Hour - Love Again - Innerground
- Redeyes - Pusherman - Bingo
- High Contrast - Everything Different - Hospital
- Zinc Makoto & Stamina - Thinkin Back - Bingo
- Michael Jackson - Human Nature - M & S Bootleg
- Marky & Bungle - Back Like Dat
Grab the mix here!
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Dogs On Acid > Comments > REDEYES
01-29-2007 08:00 AM
) and the Scriptteef ( 
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