Xrabit
A new collective has landed in the hip-hop world and they sound alternatively dope, catchy and stylish. XRABIT is a producer from Dalston, East London and the subject of this interview. XRABIT isn’t making beats that attempt to imitate the big names or recreate the style of other hip-hop sub genres, he’s doing his own thing and the people he works with are original too. XRABIT drops beats for Damaged Goods (aka DMG$), a duo of rappers from the Dirty South USA and are signed to Big Dada. The combination isn’t like anything else I’ve heard so I decided to try and get to the bottom of how the magic came about…
Introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?
I’m XRABIT, a DJ /producer…
Who is XRABIT as opposed to the person your family knows? Is he an alter ego?
Nah it’s more like a graffiti tag name thing…
What’s your musical background, how long have you been producing beats and how did you get into production?
I don’t really have (a musical background), except loving all kinds of music and having worked in record shops for about 6 years. I only started making music a few years ago. Before that I was mainly doing visual stuff like drawing, animations and film editing… I only got into music cause I played around with garage band on my first Mac and thought ‘wow’ it’s so easy. I had to learn the hard way it’s not quite that easy though ha ha.
How did you make the connection with DMG$?
I got a deal with Big Dada records a couple of years back and was looking for vocalists to work with and get an album together. I was browsing the Myspace universe for ages and came across their profile. They were only just starting out with a couple hundred views or so, but I instantly loved their humour, their flow and DIY approach.
Tell us about the Album with DMG$, what was the production experience like and what have you learned?
We made a couple of tracks together via the internet and I played them to the label and everyone was, like ’WOW’ they’re the ones. A little bit later they flew over and we recorded the album in 9 days in a friend’s studio near London fields. It was probably the hardest I’ve ever worked. We only had limited money and time to nail it, but we did it! What have I learned? I guess to be better prepared next time!
You must have amusing stories from recording with DMG, is friendship important for a good working relationship?
The friendship is very important to us anyway. It’s quite amazing that we got on so well, two very different backgrounds clashing but both trying to work things out. They both pull jokes constantly and we all laugh a lot. That helps of course. We all love good food, too!
The collaboration with DMG has really worked… Why is that, what gets you to gel?
Yeah it has definitely worked very well. In our case both parties have the same or at least a very similar vision of music that we want to make.
Although we’ve been brought up in different cultures we both want to work towards this common ground to create something new and forward thinking.
Who are you signed to and how do they help you do what you do?
Big Dada. They help with all sorts of things that come with being a recording artist, like dealing with the bookers, distributors and all that technical stuff that would consume all of my time if I was doing it myself.
You’ve been into hip-hop for ages; during that time it has evolved in many ways. What change do you see as progressive and what parts of it do you see as negative?
Hmm. There’s hardly anything really negative in hip hop. To me there’s just dumb music and interesting music. Whether that’s hip hop or rock or indie doesn’t matter, they all have their fair share. I do think hip hop is opening up a little and conquering traditional pop territory. This makes sense to me as its approach seems like the essence of pop music to me. I guess one negative thing is that there are a lot of hip hop purists out there, dissing everything that’s not ‘real’ hip hop. That makes me roll my eyes, because it was always about making something new and evolving, not keeping up with a defined tradition, like sampling only certain records etc.
A lot of people diss the digital new wave and conversely many have ditched analogue equipment and instrumental composition, what’s your view in terms of traditional vs. new school?
I think that’s what I’m talking about. It doesn’t matter what you use as long as you make music that reaches people. All the old ways of doing things, like analogue recording techniques and such are great and definitely have to be kept alive, but if you use it and the music is boring, nothing is gained at the end of the day. The idea, or what you have to say is important not how you say it.
Your sound is fresh, where are you taking it and how do you stay original?
Thanks, it’s changing all the time. We’re working on the second album and it’s gonna be a lot more mature and evolved on a lot of levels. How to stay original? Never look back, always forward.
Are there any artists you’re into that the rest of us may be unaware of who you’d like to tell us about?
I don’t know what you know! I could tell you about jazz artists I’m really into like Alice Coltrane and Archie Shepp… no?
You live in Dalston, so what are the best things about London for XRABIT?
Yes Sir, I love Dalston! Well, still love Dalston. It’s going through a huge regeneration process and you can already tell in a few years it’ll be totally gentrified and sterile like Islington, so I try and enjoy it while it lasts. To me it’s one of the centres of my world, my friends live here and most of my favourite pubs and clubs are here, and I’m a sucker for Turkish BBQ!
Anyway, I hear you dig some dirty Grime music, so who are your top grime heads?
Yeah, grime! What a shame it feels relatively quiet out there at the moment. I’m really into Jammer, Wiley and the whole Roll Deep Crew, Newham Generals, Dizzie, Tempa T, Skepta, so yeah I love all that stuff.
So what UK artists would you like to produce a track for?
Hmm, I guess there’s Cock n Bull Kid. I find her really interesting. I’d also love to produce something for Wiley and Dizzie.
Top DJ of all time?
I don’t have one. I like different DJs for different reasons, but I regard none of them as my favourite.
What keeps you awake at night?
Haha… my girlfriend, she’s the worst insomnia sufferer I know!
Stimulating creativity can be hard work, any tips for those with creative constipation?
Yeah it is tough sometimes. I guess the key is to recognize that when you’re constipated, it’s not because you don’t have any ideas, it’s because you have too many, hence the constipation. Once you accept that there are all these different ideas clashing in you, it’s easier to let go and pick one and follow that lead. It’s kind of like managing to ignore all the other voices.
Who or what are your 5 greatest inspirations?
Michael Jackson
Neptunes
Public Enemy
Prince
The Jesus Lizard
Bad Brains
Sorry they’re 6 of them
OK, so let’s say you’re stuck in solitary confinement with a decent system, what 3 albums would keep you sane?
Bad Brains – Rock For Light
Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda
Public Enemy – it takes a nation of millions to hold us back
What’s your poison?
Alcohol… cheers!
Now go and cop the album Hello World, by XRABIT and DMG$, and check out their Myspace page if you need a sneaky preview. The new album is currently in production and we’re very much looking forward to it blessing our little ears. Also see the blog for a veritable heap of information, links to funny videos and some gorgeous graphics.
Download “Dirty South” by Xrabit and DMG$ Here
Interview by Mark Thomas and Photos by Shane Connolly