UK producer and DJ GotSome a man who has been on an upward trajectory since his arrival on the international circuit in 2014. In an amazingly short space of time, he has clocked up a series of achievements and career highlights that place him one step ahead of most of his peers and affirm his position as the leader of a new generation of talented British producers.
His skills have already spawned a slew of bass-heavy, dance floor destroyers including ‘Bassline’, championed by Radio 1’s B.Traits and Annie Mac and signed to Defected Records with a huge package of remixes from house legend Kenny Dope, Friend Within, Chus + Ceballos and Chocolate Puma.
Tell us about your earliest musical memory?
My Mum & Dad playing me Stevie Wonder & Gregory Isaacs when I was a kid. I kinda took it for granted at the time but now know to listen to those albums when I was a kid shaped who I am now.
At what point in your life did you have that moment where you said to yourself, “This is it. This is the type of music I want to create?”
I don’t really know… I’m contently listening to all types of music new & old. There wasn’t an exact point. I was writing Drum & Bass & Garage under other alias’s before GotSome and will properly write a different style after. You got to keep things rolling. that’s what makes it creative.
Please list some of the most influential albums on your creative outlook and output:
1. Stevie Wonder – Talking Book
2. Marvin Gaye – Whats Going On
3. Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse
4. Massive Attack – Blue Lines
5. Portishead – Dummy
6. RUN DMC – Raising in Hell
7. DR Dre – Chronic
8. Prodigy – Experience
9. The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die
10. Basement Jaxx – Remedy
What key pieces of gear/software are you using to define your sound?
I share a studio with a bunch of my mates so there’s always some new piece of equipment bumping around… On my latest tune ‘The Message’ I managed to borrow an old Roland TB 707 & 808 to do my drums on & an original Roland Juno 6 to write the bass on. You can’t fuck with the double chorus buttons on them… Other key bits in the studio are Elektron Analog four synth which I absolutely love atm… Oh and a boutique Roland SE-02 makes a mean bass and pad.
What inspires you outside of music? What do you turn to when the creative well runs a little low?
I’m obsessed with food & sneakers so if I’m not DJing or in the studio, I’m properly hunting for sneakers or eating or cooking for friends.
What is your opinion on the ever spreading sub-genre vine? Are there too many? Do you think there’s perhaps a sub-genre that doesn’t get the attention it deserves?
Good music always finds a way of getting out and for people to hear it…
Sub-Genres are generally a place for the press to put a label on it & put it in a box… I’m not a fan of the box… Good music is good music, whatever it is.
Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, what do you prefer?
I’m originally a DJ… I’ve been DJing since I was 16… I love it… so interacting with a live audience is where my passion lies.
As a music artist, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?
For the industry to be more accepting… Regarding sex, race, age…
Things are slowly changing…. but everything needs to be fully equal. Also, I would love for the entrance fees to get into club nightclub to be little cheaper so they would be more open to people that couldn’t afford to go normally go out. Going out and listening to music should be universal & open to everyone, not just people that have disposable incomes. That’s not what warehouse raves were about back in the 80’s it was just a bunch of like-minded people raving.
Any new or upcoming artists on your radar? Who shouldn’t the world sleep on?
Sn0w – He runs a label called more time
Dance System – Lvis 1090 new alias
LUCY – Bristol bass DJ also a member of the 6 figure gang
DJ Tess – Tribal & UK funky DJ from London
What can we expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
My new song is out now on Ultra… It’s called ‘The Message’. I teamed up with American vocal don Chuck Roberts
who most famously wrote ‘In the beginning’. I wanted to pay homage to the original 80’s sound so I went to the studio and started to write the song. I managed to get hold of all the original 80s synths. I used a Roland TR707 & TR808 for the drums and a Roland Juno 6 for the bass.
I felt the message that it brings… Love… is so relevant to this day it is so important to talk about especially in the times we are currently living in.
I’ve also got two releases due out at the start of 2020 – A collab I’ve written together with Chicago legend ‘Ron Carroll’. The song is called ‘Speaker Sex’. Also, a record called ‘Sing It to You’!!. So starting 2020 on a high!!!
Famous last words?
Listen more, talk less. Oh and go DL my new single: GotSome – ‘The Message’ ft Chuck Robberts (Ultra Music)
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