Manchester’s best liquid drum and bass night Soul:ution night returns to Band on the Wall on Friday 31st October, celebrating the launch ‘Future Beats: The Album’ – the newest release on Doc Scott’s 31 records, and sees him heading a bill which includes Soul:ution regulars Marcus Intalex, Bane & MC DRS.
Doc Scott has been around since the conception of Drum n Bass, preceding acts like Goldie and rightfully earning a legendary status with those in the know. He’s responsible for producing such important tracks as ‘Here comes the drumz’ on the Reinforced label and then ‘Shadow Boxing’ to kick start his own 31 records. The night celebrates the release of a new LP on 31 records called “Future Beats: The Album” which contains material from various drum n bass producers.
Here’s an interview we conducted with Doc Scott ahead of the night, with some talk about Soul:ution and the new album.
This months Soul:ution night sees the launch of a new LP on 31 records called “Future Beats: The Album” which contains work from various producers. Can you tell us about the project and how the work was generated and brought together from all the different producers for this release?
I’ve always wanted to do an album project, an album based in the DnB word but one that hopefully appeals beyond the DnB scene. So, with that in mind, I asked a bunch of people whose music I admired, DnB and non-DnB artists, if they would be up for doing a track for this Future Beats album project. I have to say I was overwhelmed with the response and the result is a collective of artists and songs that hopefully appeal to dnb and non dnb heads. I just said, I would love you to be involves, I love your music, please make whatever you want.
Which producers worked on the album, and are there interesting collaborations happening on any of the recordings?
There are no collaborations. As of now, we can’t fully disclose the full running list as we are keen to keep some of it unwraps until just before release, but the ones that are out there are: Marcus Intalex, Nucleus & Paradox, Calibre, Commix, Jkenzo, Ruffhouse, Vromm, Hidden Turn. 6 of the 24 artists would be considered non-DnB artists, we are excited about this.
Soul:ution has been going for over a decade now, and the first night at Band on the Wall in 2002 saw Marcus Intalex and Doc Scott both play. What’s the reason this night has survived and is thriving when others have since ended?
I’m not exactly sure, maybe it’s because the night is genuine; by that, I mean it has never chased whatever is deemed to be popular, but is just itself, it invites DJs to play who are individuals and that have personalities as opposed to the latest hot thing or sound.
Many of the acts on this month’s bill have collaborated with each other, or with Soul:R records. Is collaboration important in Drum n Bass, and electronic music more broadly?
I don’t think it’s important, but it is a way that music and artists can expand, it creates new ideas.
What have been the biggest records for you this year? Have you been impressed by any particular artist in Drum n Bass, or any artists that are from a completely different music background?
It’s been an amazing year for DnB, there are lots of albums being completed this year, which is a really good thing, I’ve just listened to the new Ulterior Motive, Cern and Clarity albums and they are all stunning.