Founded in ‘99 by label boss and dance music icon John Digweed, Bedrock Records has firmly maintained its reputation as one of the most high-calibre electronic music houses in the world, channelling the authentic perspectives of both established and upcoming talents. Following an impressive start to the year with extended players from Franky Wah and Sasha Carassi, the imprint now welcomes rising Hungarian producer NorB and Toronto-based multitalent juSt b to the roster. Marking their respective debuts for Bedrock, NorB and juSt b’s “Different Places” EP s a celebration of innovation and originality; marrying the at-home and club-ready listening spaces. We had the chance to chat with the duo about the EP, working collaboratively and with John Digweed, their upcoming projects and more.
DMCWORLD grabs a world exclusive…
Tell us a little bit about the production process for your new EP ‘Different Places’…
NorB – The learning process started a bit difficult, because just after I enrolled in a production school in Budapest, covid started. But since I had all the tools at home, I started on my own from the basics after talking to b about her experience, and watched a bunch of YT videos. The first weeks were challenging, as I was just encountering Ableton 11 and production for the first time. I must admit at first, I thought it was going to be an impossible mission! I found it very difficult to wrap my head around at first. Then bon recommended John Monkman’s online course, which helped with a lot of tips and tricks. I discovered various synth plugins like Arturia cs-80v, Serum, Pigments 3, and Diva – b’s favourite VST which she introduced me to. The learning process was all about writing songs while learning how to shape the sounds to reflect my emotions. I started exchanging ideas with her and she recorded some vocals… that’s where Different Places began.
juSt b – NorB and I were already friends through him being an avid supporter and listener of my music, especially through my live streams, so when he approached me about learning production and collaborating, things just flowed so naturally. I initially began learning to produce with Toronto talent, Tim Penner, back in 2015 but had to set it aside for a few years as life was a bit crazy & I had a lot on the go, including playing quite a few gigs. I picked it up again in 2019 & always had a pretty slim studio setup with just my Macbook, Ableton 9, a micro Korg midi controller, my Roland piano, and a few favourite sample packs & VSTs like Diva, Vocal Synth 2, + Valhalla room/shimmer & lokoverb. NorB and I talked quite a bit about the story we wanted to tell, the feeling & style we most were drawn to at the moment, and what the lyrics would represent for each of us. We started exploring the huge array of sounds & melodies, developing the key and basic foundation for the title track. Once I had the full set of vocals recorded, we were able to mold the story in a way that really came to life.
What was it like working with John Digweed, Bedrock Records and tell us about your Transitions Guest mix?
juSt b – It’s been such an absolute pleasure working with John & the entire Bedrock team. They’re incredibly busy guys as you can imagine, so communication was usually quite smooth and simple. Having someone like John, who is so incredibly respected all across the industry, give their full support from the very beginning by playing our release out, before we even signed the contract, really solidified our confidence in this new journey together. And to not just have a release on Bedrock but also the opportunity to be his guest for his iconic Transitions Radio Show, are truly two of the biggest honours one could hope for on their musical path.
What made you decide to collaborate together & what is the story & inspiration behind “Different Places”?
juSt b – It was such a natural thing for us to collaborate as we already became friends through NorB’s avid support on my music. After starting to learn production, he felt really inspired by my sets and vocals and asked me to record something for him to play around with. We ended up doing our first track, before Different Places actually, which will come out later this year! After working so well together, we decided to continue and since we both had similar experiences of challenging dark times, we really loved the idea of a message that spoke to finding a way out of that dark place, into the light, and believing in oneself enough that anything is possible.
NorB – you started in the hospitality industry working as a personal chef and hotel manager, what made you decide to start making music?
I really loved my job and I had been doing it for a long time, but somehow I always felt that something was missing in my life. I always had this feeling that even though I was on the right path, somehow that path wasn’t quite right for me. I was a big fan of electronic music since I was a kid. During 2020, there came a turning point, a kind of darker period in my life, when I decided it was time to make a change and explore the world of music not only as a listener but also as a producer.
Where do you see your musical career going in the future? Any upcoming plans or ideas?
NorB – The fact that Different Places was picked up by such a respected label like Bedrock with such positive reception around the world is a big sign to continue on this path. My friendship and collaboration with juSt b will keep growing as we make a perfect team and there are so many more unique stories we want to share with the world. We are currently working on a new EP and eventually I’d also like to learn about DJing, as it would give me more opportunities to share my music.
juSt b – Well it’s been 8 solid years of developing juSt b, since I first moved to Toronto, and I’m really proud of what I’ve done up to now, but there is much more I feel I want and need to do. One of my biggest goals this year and beyond is to get back to play in Europe and the UK as well as Argentina and India, to pick up the momentum that I started in 2019 when I played 3 tours. I have a bunch of exciting releases lined up to coincide with that, including more collaborations with NorB & a few other artists. I plan to continue my monthly Undercurrents show which is now in its 5th straight year as it’s been one consistent thing in my life that’s really guided me through many ups and downs. I’d also like to further develop the community & collective Getting Deeper, which I’ve fostered quite a bit since starting in late 2020, and perhaps start an event series with some of the artists I’ve gotten to know and support. There’s no shortage of ideas flowing, it’s all a matter of intention, resources, and alignment 🙂
juSt b – you’ve performed with some big names like Cubicolor, Martin Roth and Sasha & Digweed at Montreal’s Igloofest to name a few. What is one of your most memorable moments and why
In the last 8 years, I’ve been fortunate to meet, play with, and become friends with some fantastic artists, including a few of my biggest mentors, so it’s tough to narrow it down! At the top of that list is opening for Cubicolor aka 16BL here in Toronto, who was always my biggest inspiration from the time I fell in love with electronic music. Playing the closing weekend of Igloofest in -27 weather + driving Henry Saiz and his band to Montreal for a show were pretty big highlights and most definitely, my first tour abroad starting in London, UK at The Cause with PapaLoko & later on at the Steelyard with Fox & Badge. The energy, the momentum, exhilaration, and pure appreciation I felt during those times reinforced my love for the music and my years of hustle & dedication to this path.
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects you’re working on for 2022?
juSt b – Quite a few exciting projects are happening….production wise, I’ve got a really special solo production with 4 remixes coming mid-year on another iconic imprint. NorB & I have a couple more releases scheduled in the next few months, including being a part of John Digweed’s Live in London 4-cd compilation with our vocal mix of Different Places out Feb.25th, but we’re also working on a brand new 2-track EP – one track is done. I’ve got a few new ones with Alexander Church who I released my debut EP with – one called Blackhole which is out March 10th on Life Scripts, plus a collab with Italian artist Ranka, Scottish artist Rosscoo, Argentinian artist Leon Capeta and at least 4 more on the list. On Feb.14th I also had my Transitions guest mix for Digweed hit on mixcloud – that’s a big one for me, and I have a special International Women’s Day event happening March 6th on AATM radio, hosted by Nathan Jones, alongside a fab roster of female talent. I also host a monthly show on DIFM called Undercurrents so that keeps me busy every month along with voiceover work, managing Getting Deeper, and planning to return to play in Europe, UK, possibly Argentina, and India later this year.
NorB – Thanks so much DMC World for having us, it’s been a pleasure chatting!
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LINKS…
- Linktree – ee/juStb_music
- SC – com/just-b-4
- YT – com/c/juStb4u
- IG – com/justb_dj/
- FB – com/juStb.DJ.1/
- SP: ly/juStb_spotify
- DIFM – fm/shows/Undercurrents
- BP – ly/juStb_beatport
- RA – co/dj/justb
