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SEBA: AS LONG AS IT TAKES
 When you think Drum & Bass producers, the first thought that  comes to most minds is blokes from the land of the queen who have and still do maintain a monopoly of sorts in the community, like some sort of bizarre sole party regime that manages to exist within what is, really, a democracy. Producer Seba, who hails from Sweden (where the women are as great looking as rumored to be ''GOSH!!!... That is NOT an urban myth!'' he says), was and is amongst those who manage to reside outside of that majority and gain the necessary recognition and achievements which fans out there both notice and appreciate.
''It was a bit difficult to be taken seriously in the beginning'' he explains, ''I believe that today, it's more of a benefit to come from outside of the UK. You're not brought up with the UK scene, and can easily make your own adaption of the music. My music, for instance, is doing much better outside the UK than in the UK, so I guess DnB is becoming more global. You don't really have to look at the UK scene... and in some cases it's even good to look away.''
By pure chance, back in the mid nineties, he was DJing at an event and chose to close out with one of his own tunes which caught the ear of Good Looking Records owner LTJ Bukem. The result, after his first release with the label, was a long term contract which saw a slew of releases from '97 until '00 but also, unfortunately, a situation which made it difficult to release after parting ways with the imprint once the contract was up.
Still, Seba saw this as an opportunity rather than a road block and proceeded to explore his other musical interests, namely in House music. He teamed up for a number of releases with Jesper Dahlbäck and formed a working relationship based on their shared views on music which, in the end, he feels was only beneficial in the long run for his DnB production. ''It's a good thing. It gives me ideas that I want to include in Drum & Bass, and I get a lot of technical heads up and ideas from working with producers from other genres.''
He didn't stay away for long though and, with his focus once again on DnB, enthusiasts were on the receiving end of tracks that retained the core components of what they loved in the first place, but also with a lot more edge. ''I always liked darker and aggressive too. When I was working with Good Looking, I had to focus on more laidback music. But if you'd heard me DJ back in late 90's I would include Metalheadz, Dread Recordings, No U-Turn and such in my set.'' In the world of DnB, a bit more grit and bite in your sound will timelessly be well received and, if you're lucky, as will an update to your personal sound.
Back in the swing of things, he was about to release his track ''16 Stories'' ft. Robert Manos (more on him later) on his own label, Secret Operations, when Goldie approached him about using it for a complilation he was putting together, to which he agreed without hesitation. It was also around this time that a gig in Dublin via Rohan got him in touch with Bassbin Records, with whom he would also form a working relationship. Still, Seba chose to keep his options as an artist open and work with a number of labels, rather than signing exclusively to only one, and also continue to build up his own in the process.
''I decided to set up my own label, but to make it successful and not only self-sustaining was much more work than I imagined. I decided that I had to work with already-profiled labels to get my name back out there, and then draw people's attention to Secret Operations. It worked pretty well, and my label is doing much better now than it did about 2-3 years ago.'' He goes on to explain what he feels is beneficial for producers. ''I believe if you only work with one label, your music might end up going in just one direction. In this part of the music business, it's probably better to work on a short term with several different labels.''
His newest CD, Return To Forever, reminds listeners that sometimes Drum & Bass isn't always just about catchy diva vocals, hooks, chainsaw synths or drums that make your chest feel like it's collapsing when you stand next to the speaker. The end product is one which features tunes that are diverse, unique, soulful, melodic and remarkably engineered; Seba's tracks are among those that you really want to listen to, a factor that is sometimes ignored by other producers making Top Ten DnB with an occasionally overused formula, however effective it may be at times. His approach can almost be described more as composing, versus just wanting to pump out a short lived hit. ''I can do dance tracks (otherwise I wouldn't get booked as a DJ), but I don't do tracks that make a full 'jump up and down and scream' effect. I love making music more than being a DJ, and that really shows off in the music I make.''
Seba has been working with Carhartt Streetwear for a long time in Sweden, and Combination Records is a part of the Carhartt network. After doing two 12'' singles for them, the decision to release a full length CD was finally made. ''This was something I should have done some time ago, but never felt ready for. I was afraid that if I do an album, it would only appear on a minor label, or on my own. I know that Combination is not a profiled Drum & Bass label, but they've got an office, and staff that works with getting the music out. Combination Records is not a side project, operated out of someone's living room.''
Not one to slow down, Seba is as active ever, with some great collabs and remixes soon on the way. You can be on the lookout for a remix of Ulrich Schnauss, and another remix for Polar (Teebee's old brother in arms), which will be a part of an album released on US label Warm Communications. There's some more work with Krister Linder coming soon, and also with vocalist Robert Manos, with whom he has a longstanding working relationship. And of course, he's still working with his own label Secret Operations ''I'm trying to get the releases out regularly, and not one 12'' every 5 months or so. I will also try and get in to the studio with Paradox, since it was a while ago we did a new track. We should be working on an album right now. Other than that, I'm trying to get booked for DJing as often as possible, to spread the music I love.''
For Seba's career, the saying rings true that it ain't where you're from, it's where you're at. Sometimes, music isn't about just following what everyone else is doing, nor is it about forming alliances with this label or that person. Sometimes, it's far more important and rewarding (to yourself and your listeners) to simply express the things you feel you need to as an artist, rather than just do what is expected.
*GRAB SEBA TRACKS FROM DOA DOWNLOADS
Words: SOS |
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Dogs On Acid > Comments > SEBA: AS LONG AS IT TAKES
10-09-2008 03:58 PM
