Pre Grietfest 2014 Interview || Hyphen

In Conversation with Drum & Bass Trailblazer Hyphen

Having been at the heart of the Drum n Bass uprising in our fine Republic of South Africa, Hyphen has been dosing the South African D&B congregation for years. Every strain of venomous beat that tickles his fancy is slotted into the sets that he spins at more parties and festivals than your blackouts would allow you to remember.

The D&B faithful have grown to know and trust this selekta who’s been hosting the 89.5 fm Bush Radio Drum n Bass show since 2002, which continues to be the benchmark for Drum n Bass culture on the airwaves in SA today. It is, of course, well documented that talk is cheap, and Hyphen has no problem backing it up when he fills his resident spot at the longest running and consistently packed Drum n Bass party in the country ‘Homegrown’ in his native Cape Town on the first Saturday of every month. Through ‘Homegrown’ and his numerous travels, he has managed to rub shoulders with the likes of Counterstrike, Dieselboy, Pendulum, Break, Raiden and other such stalwarts of the scene.

Now held in high regard for his spine-bending D&B and dubstep sets alike, Hyphen is more than just a DJ. He’s making his own material, having released his first vinyl offering “Visions” alongside SFR on the world-renowned European label Zombie Recordings, a claim that not many a Saffer producer can make. You can also find his track “Tribes” on the African Dope compilation ‘Cape Of Good Dope 2′, and you can feel free to scream when you watch him play.

Hello, Hyphen for taking time out to do this interview with us . Its such a huge pleasure: )

To start of can you tell us a little  who you are on a non-musical front?

Born and bred Cape Town guy , who got lucky enough to turn his dream job into a reality. Im just a music nerd really .

How did you break into the music scene and why did you pick a career in music?

Hard work , patience , help and advice along the way . I live and breath this culture 24/7 , since I was a kid , all i ever wanted to do was share the music I loved with other people . Being a dj was a natural progression . I got lucky . This is all I ever wanted to do , and thank the stars that things turned out the way the did . I’d be doomed if it wasn’t for music .

From the perspective of a drum ‘n bass DJ, what would you say makes this particular genre different from others in the electronic category in terms of the scene and crowd?

Drum & Bass has had a core following since day 1 , once it grips you , you’re hooked . The people that love it are super passionate about the music and the scene . The thing with drum & bass is that it’s not about being seen or dressing up and being at that cool new club with the champagne and red carpets and vip rooms . It’s about the music first and foremost . Another redeeming feature of dnb is that it’s super versatile and draws inspiration from across the musical spectrum . 

Cape Town has always been known for its massive drum ‘n bass following, with many drum ‘n bass nights dating back to the early 2000s, would you say the new generations coming through are holding up the drum ‘n bass torch in comparison to those early years, and what are some the changes you’ve noticed over that time period?

Yeh , it’s super healthy , when I started , you could count the guys making the music on 1 hand , and it was also very centred around Cape Town , now there’s a wealth of talent coming out of Durban , Pretoria , Joburg and all over the show . I listen and get sent loads of amazing new music from guys just slogging away in their bedrooms , it’s awesome . The internet has also made the planet a lot smaller , so the access to labels and information and help has been a real positive .

We’ve had drum ‘n bass legend dBridge blasting critics in a recent Tumblr post about the myth that drum ‘n bass has gone into purgatory in the last decade, as something of an insider being intimately involved with the scene, would you agree with his sentiments?

Yeh , people are always quick to say a scene has died when you start hearing about it less . Just because it’s not in the media or on everyones lips doesn’t mean there aren’t amazing new sub genres being explored and the scene now is healthier than it’s ever been. The thing with drum & bass is that it will always exist in some way , shape or form . It evolves and changes with the times , and thats what keeps it going.What’s great about drum & bass is that it’s wide open . Back in the day it was all about the UK and the British sound . Now anything goes .

 Having played in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, what would you say are some of the subtleties and quirks of each of the cities you’ve played at?

Cape Town is spoilt , there’s awesome stuff happening every day of the week . For you to grab your share of the Cape Town market when 1000 other cool things are happening on the same night as yours is a tough task . It feels like every time I play in Johannesburg , people are partying like this is the last gig they’ll ever go to . I find Cape Town crowds are a little more open to new things , while up country , people like what they like , but once you latch into that they’re fully with you . I find the Joburg crowds very loyal , and they put their money where their mouth is . Also the level of production and talent coming from that side has moved forward in leaps and bounds , so that being said , people are responding . If you build it , they will come .

This year you’re playing Grietfest which is something of a unique event, catering to genres that don’t often get to be paired with production, stages and lighting of the scale we’ve come to expect from the Grietfest brand. How would you describe Grietfest to someone coming through for their first time in 2014?

A big loud sea of awesomeness . Come get some culture .

Do you have a crazy Grietfest story to share?

This is my first one , but I watched the live stream last year and had serious fomo . I’ve played other Griet events in the past and they’re always on point in every way .

What is the one thing about Grietfest that stands out for you?

The people involved genuinely care about the music and the reasons for doing the event come from a good place . It’s super inclusive and the production is top quality . I’ve got nothing but love for everyone involved . It’s definitely one of the yearly things to look forward to .

Which international artists are you most looking forward to sharing the stage with at this year’s event?

Well , it’s gonna be great to hang out with my JHB and CPT people again , it’s not often we’re all on the same lineup these days . Also Black Sun Empire is going to be a game changer .

If you had to the opportunity of playing to a genre-neutral crowd without fear of judgment or being booed off the decks, what are some of the songs you’d jump at playing that you’ve always been afraid of trying out?

Im never scared to take a couple risks during a set , I like the element of surprise when I’m playing . Everything is fair game .

 

What are some of the tracks in you record box that never fail to get the crowd going?

Drumsound & Bassline Smith - Close , Dub Phizix - Marka , Konichi - Field Of Vibrations .

You can catch Hyphen playing at Grietfest 2014