The brand new MTA Records signee smashing it with ‘Love To Me’
Interview by Dan Prince
Welcome to DMCWORLD…where on planet earth are you right now?
“It’s 11.48am Dan, I’m in my studio and I’m having a little break by answering these questions.”
What was the first piece of music you heard today?
“It was Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, it was on the Breakfast Show on Radio 1.”
Dude – DMCWORLD are absolutely all over your new tune ‘Love To Me’…please talk us through the sound and history of the track…
“I was experimenting with my Roland GAIA and new vocoder synth I’d bought. I started with some chords and a full vocal arrangement but to be honest it just sounded awful. I started cutting the vocal back and using them as stabby chords instead, followed by the arrangement and writing that synth hook. Then it was just a case of building the track. I was then fortunate enough to be put in touch with Amy Pearson who came to the studio for a session. She did a great job laying down the vocal. It totally changed the tune, it gave it energy, memorability and it cuts through great when mixing with other tunes.”
Socials are obviously a great way to get feedback from your fans. Some of the comments on Facebook this week include…”reminds me of Wilkinson” and “track of the year”. Is it down to you to keep in contact with your fan base or have you got to the stage where management has taken over?
“Management have offered but I do it all myself. I’m quite specific about how things are done. You get these people who constantly feel like they have to narrate their lives on the internet or post viral stuff just to boost their interactions. I like to keep it to the music because that’s what I’m about.”
Annie Mac premiered the track on her Radio 1 show a couple of weeks ago. So come on…where were you listening to your tranny when she kicked it in…?
“No! I was at the Radio 1 building in London, it was a Special Delivery so I did a live interview with Annie to introduce the track.”
A big quote from you…”Of course drum and bass is my first love, but I’m not one of those guys that snarles at the idea of dancing to a different genre.” So take us back to yours…what other genres are you wobbling around to at the moment?
“I say this because I used to be exactly that D&B snarling teenager that I’m talking about. I do understand though, D&B is so unique and still has this element of ‘rebellion’ to it. Because the music is so unique it’s almost like you’re part of some special 174 club when you go raving, so people get pissed off when their favourite producer makes a house tune. That said, some of the abuse drum & bass producers get from branching out from D&B is not only unfair, but can actually have quite a negative impact creatively. Anyway, I’m really into the new Dream McLean album ‘Greyscale’, there’s a wicked new track by Philip George ‘Wish You Were Mine’ which is an awesome house cut. The new Foreign Beggars x Alix Perez ‘Deng’ tune is on fire as well as the new Culture Shock single & Knife Party album which is standardly big.”
Loving your remix work. How do you approach a remix when first sitting down in the studio? Some producers strip everything back and leave only a vocal, some are just hell bent on leaving ‘their sound’ ingrained on the finish article…how do you see each project – surely there must be a connection to the record in the first place for you?
“Remixing tunes at D&B tempo can be tough and sometimes vocals will refuse to work at such a high tempo. So you have to pick and choose selectively, that’s why it’s such a blessing when you get something like a big Chase & Status track which is already at drum and bass tempo. I normally take all the stems and time stretch them, I’ll then take the lead vocal/hook and write some chords to it and get a groove going. I’ll then normally work backwards and see which other stems work or will be of any use, make the drums and just go from there really.”
You have been championed by the likes of Chase & Status, Andy C and Friction in recent months. Big puffing your chest out moments!! Who though are the producers you saw as big influences growing up?
“It’s mad, I used to listen to these guys on my iPod on the bus to school. For me, I was a big Hospital fan – the Hospital Podcast was my ‘way in’ to the genre. From there my taste expanded, Chase & Status, Pendulum, Shy FX, Prodigy, Sub Focus, Zinc, Concord Dawn are just a few – then I discovered the synthesiser and it turned into my job.”
The tune of summer 2014…
“There are so many but it has to be ‘Sigma – Nobody To Love’. It works on the big festival stages and I find it quite tongue in cheek at the underground parties – you can see the heads trying to keep it cool but by the time it drops everyone’s belting it out.”
Okay let’s rewind for a moment. What is the record that…
…reminds you of your childhood?
“Mr Oizo – ‘Flat Beat’.”
…always gets you dancing?
“Gesaffelstein – ‘Pursuit’.”
…reminds you of having your heart broken?
“Pendulum – ‘Hold Your Colour’.”
—you wish you would have made?
“A ridiculously tough question!”
Proudest career moment to date?
“Travelling around and doing all these amazing gigs is fantastic, but for me, it’s the music that does the talking so it has to be signing with MTA Records.”
Your worst ever job…?
“I used to work in the Apple Store in Regent Street, London. Then I quit to pursue the music career but found I had literally no money so I worked as a labourer, putting fences up, painting sheds etc and I would stay up late writing.”
The best MC to have ever picked up a microphone?
“Zach De La Rocha – completely unique.”
The first club you walked into and though fuck me I want my music played here…?
“Matter at the O2 – was lucky enough to play there recently and it was the first D&B night I ever went to.”
A producer or singer you would love to spend a day in the studio with?
“Hannah from London Grammar.”
Studio work is a lonely business…how does Dimension chill out and relax when he needs to re-charge his batteries?
“Yeah, it is, I generally treat my studio time as a job – but you can’t force it. I try and keep it to normal working hours and completely disengage with my mates in the evening. I play sports, have big interests in food, runners, clothes, aviation etc.”
Tell us a great Ibiza moment…
“First time playing in Amnesia then coming out of the club and getting a full English breakfast with the sun rising over the Mediterranean sea was pretty special.”
Have you ever been starstruck?
“Honestly, not really. Occasionally you meet people that have achieved a lot in their careers but it just means they worked hard.
The last studio toy you treated yourself to…?
“Moog Sub Phatty. It is built like a tank.”
And finally…what is the next studio project you’re getting stuck into?
“I’m currently finishing up the next single. It’s going to be slightly less melody driven and more techno/industrial influenced, I’m excited for people to hear it!”
https://www.facebook.com/Dimension
https://soundcloud.com/dimension_uk
