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SDDUBSTEP.COM Exclusive Mix #6 by Misk | (48:10) | 320 Kbps Mp3
A lot of people in SD have yet to see the elusive “Misk” grace the crowds of a party… but everyone knows the name. He’s the man behind a lot of dancefloor smashers that have lit up the local venues. Tunes such as ‘Uplink’, ‘Alabaster’, and ‘Facedown in the Muck’ have all made their appearance – and made the name Misk a must for any record bag or tune library. I’ve been lucky enough to know Misk for the past 5 years, and have learned a lot from this dude. He’s a pretty rad guy, and a hell of a producer.
-EshOne
Visit Misk’s Myspace
Tracklist:
1) Andrey Kiritchenko – Illusion of Safety – Off the Album “True Delusion”, Nexsound label
2) Kryptic Minds – Generation Dub – Swamp 81
3) XI – 32Eks – Unreleased
4) Puppykicker – New Guinea Voodoo – unreleased
5) Eshone – Austin’s Moog – Unreleased
6) Komonazmuk – VCO – Forthcoming Terminal Dusk
7) Cyrus – Space Cadet – Tectonic
8 ) Breakage – Higher – Digital Soundboy
9) Sully – Sleazy – Frijsfo Beats
10) XI – Vaccuum – Unreleased
11) Untold – Anaconda – Hessle Audio
12) Misk – Tarantula Mouth – Unreleased
13) Misk – Insects – Unreleased
14) October – Elephants – Immerse
15) Kutz – Glitchy Finger – Wheel & Deal
16) XI – Genesis – Unreleased
17) Starkey – Gutter Music (DZ’s Electrokk RMX) – Unreleased
18) Kutz – Twilight Zone – Wheel & Deal
19) Untold – Dante – Hotflush
20) Pangaea – Bear Witness – Hotflush
21) Subeena – Solidify – Planet Mu
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A Q&A with Misk
by EshOne
What is your musical background?
I don’t really have much of a musical background. I played bassoon in fourth grade band, but I hated practicing, so I’d just kind of fake it during school concerts. Come to think of it, i really dont know what compelled me to think that writing music would be a good idea.
Where did you grow up? How do you think this affects your music and creativity?
Well, I was born in California, but I moved around a lot when I was growing up. My stepfather worked in the oil industry, and he had an offer to work overseas. I ended up living in Saudi Arabia for about 3 years, and Kuwait for about 2 years. I did a brief 2 year stint in Louisiana as well, near New Orleans. I was exposed to a lot of different music when I lived in the middle east. everything from Iraqi folk music, Kuwaiti sword dancing, and traditional drumming, to turkish pop music, Klezmer, and many other cultures in between. Not to mention all the blues, jazz and zydeco music of the south. I suppose that on some level, all my music is created at that point in my mind where all these influences intersect.
What is your musical process?
My process is nice and straightforward to me, but probably pretty convoluted to everyone else. I usually start with some drums first, as they’re sort of like the backbone of the tune to me. Then I add more and more to those drums.. melodies, bass, counter melodies, whatever.
I tend to do a lot of sound design with soft synths and hardware synths when I’m writing a tune, as opposed to just sitting down and making a bunch of patches at a different time. To me, the whole writing process is very organic, and I’m more likely to write something that works in the context of the piece I’m working on when I’m in that creative space.
The most important thing I’ve learned about myself through music though, is to not second guess where the process is taking me. I try to just go with what I’m writing and worry about questioning it later. This allows me to actually finish music consistently, and shut off my mind so I can just be in the moment. It’s all very Zen-like apparently! I find my best tunes are ones that I don’t even remember making, like I’m done, and i listen back to it and wonder how the hell i made that… then I get to wonder if I’m going to be able to make something that good again.
Its a lovely never ending struggle that I don’t recommend to anyone. Some days I’d rather be like a zookeeper or something.
We want some secrets… tell us a bit about your studio setup.
Well my studio is pretty simple. I’ve got a computer running Renoise 2.1, a few soft synths, some decent monitors, a Roland super JV-1080, a Gameboy running Nanoloop 1.5 and some drum machines. I don’t really have any secret kung fu writing techniques, but I think it’s important to write stuff every day, never be content with anything less than your best, and constantly push yourself beyond your self-imposed boundaries. Oh, and drink LOTS of coffee. Good coffee, from a french press.
What music has shaped your taste throughout the years?
Older Nine Inch Nails. none of that new stuff really. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam. That whole grunge era, I’m kinda from that time, and listened to a lot of that stuff when I was younger. 90′s era Orbital, Dom and Roland, Photek, 8 bit Nintendo music, Meat Beat Manifesto, Dead Can Dance, Joy Division, Tom Waits, The Doors, stuff like that.
You are sighted at events around the same number of times as a Loch Ness sighting… How do you keep a grasp on what people want to hear?
Haha! Do I? thats nice to know! I dont know how i do that. I guess just put your ear to the ground anywhere and you can hear the bass rumbling from the depths. Apparently we’re quite the global community these days, I’ve heard.
What do you think is in the future for dubstep/bass music?
A lot of artists came together to create this new strain of music the media called “Dubstep”. I feel that those people, as well as the people they have influenced, like myself, have dispersed back into the night. I see a lot of little sub genres emerging, like “future garage”, “wonky”, “street bass”, and others. What I think is unique though, is that all these little pockets of artists are feeding off of the same post-dubstep energy, and it’s really exciting. You’ve got this new melting pot of different styles that seems to be coalescing around 140 bpm. I dont know exactly what will come of it, but it feels real, it feels independent, and it feels vibrant. I look forward to what the future holds.
What producers would you say to look out for these days?
As always, so much good music to look out for these days. The latest stuff i’ve heard from Both EshOne and Puppykicker is great. Groovekiller, that guy is incredible! Ultragamma, Richard Sweat, too. I’m sure I’m forgetting people…
Shouts.
Shout out to EshOne, Puppy Kicker, and the whole San Diego dubstep crew. I’ll continue to emerge from the mists of the loch to come to your shows once in a full moon. XI, Vaccine, Hera, Dub U, Kidlogic, Joe Nice, Two Oh One, Wes from Terminal Dusk, FSTZ, the Rogue Dubs/Plates Master! Also, out to everyone playing my tunes, I am humbled to know people appreciate what I’m doing.
Photo credit: EshOne @ Elev8 | Kava Lounge
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