INTERVIEW
Your relationship with music kicked off with bands like most of us during our teenage years. What was the importance of this stage of your life and what caused the transition to other genres of music such as hip hop?
“I remember listening to Nirvana while doing homework as a kid and I would always end up using my pencils as drum sticks on pillows. It was my first physical exploration into music and later lead to me playing guitar.
For the next 8 years I was a devout guitarist playing in bands and gigging. I learnt how the club scene worked at a young age thanks to that. My last band broke up after some mild success on radio and by that stage I was already messing around making beats on the computer.
I guess my transition from metal to soulful hip-hop and jazz styles came from learning the blues on guitar. I kind of got bored of heavy guitar music and synthesizers, samplers and drums became something I wanted to hear more of. It was perfect timing for when I discovered Jungle / Drum ‘n Bass.”
TehSynes is a name familiar with many Homegrown fans. What role did Homegrown play in your musical education as well as the growth of the South African electronic scene?
“Homegrown is the single most influential live music experience I’ve ever been a part of. It wasn’t just a party with incredible music that changed my perception forever, it was a community shaped by one thing, the love of dnb! Over the 10 years I was going to those events I met some really cool people who are still a part of my life, we all grew together as artists and friends. Homegrown was our school and our church. That first Saturday of the month was always something we looked forward to.”
You’re quite fond of mixing Jungle into your drum and bass sets. Which producers do you keep a close eye and what about their music sets them apart from commercial drum and bass acts?
“Well the term commercial bothers me because there are loads of ‘Jungle styled’ tracks that have been popular over the years. To answer your question guys like Fanu and Breakage really opened me up to modern jungle music. Other artists like Earl Grey, Tim Reaper, Parallel_[NSF] and Nic TVG are doing incredible things right now.
Labels like Rupture, Pinecone Moonshine, Omni Music, Lightless and Counter Intelligence Recordings are taking the sound from the past to the future, it’s extremely exciting! Also the whole Jungle Juke revolution is becoming a massive hit on the dance-floor thanks to guys like Fracture, Sinistarr, Calculon and Chrissy Murderbot. Even the new Rockwell, which takes the whole Juke element to the next level!”
You co-host an event called “Tempo” with DJ A33. Tell us about the concept behind it and why you decided to establish this event.
“Our idea was to push our favorite styles of DNB, the kind of stuff that we weren’t hearing enough of in the clubs like deep liquid, jungle and the more experimental stuff. We discovered very quickly how many up and coming DJ/Producers there were lurking on the dance-floor so we invited them in to play and together started to build a little scene.
We also added two awesome talents to our team who are both from the UK, DJ Tempo, who we ironically share a name with, and MC Tan. Both of them have invaluable experience in the game, they have really proved to be indispensable to our parties’ ethos and put on an epic show!”
TehSynes and mono_sono have teamed up to form Ghost Snare . What made you decide to start a project with this particular artist and what is the sound you create as Ghost Snare?
“Ghost Snare was born out of our sheer frustration. mono_sono and I share a lot of the same music interests and the only place we could hear a glimpse of the stuff locally was on Hyphen’s radio show on Bush and very rarely in the club. We used to complain to each other all the time, being a grumpy junglist does things to you, and we just decided to fuck the bull shit and start making the music we really wanted to hear. Initially it was just experimental break-beat driven jungle dnb, but it has evolved to encapsulate all styles at +170bpm that had a more musical nature.”
You have chosen an array of tracks for your mix. Which emotion did you incorporate into your mix and why this particular track selection?
“I’ve decided to give you a little example of what Ghost Snare represents to me. You can expect futuristic sounds and rhythms, half time dnb a bit of jungle juke, some choppy drums and a whole lotta bass! Hope ya dig, it’s quite different from what a lot of people may expect from me, but it is very much related to my roots as an artist and the kind of stuff that got me into drum ‘n bass.
The journey takes me from a place of peace and complicated thought to a dark struggle followed by an understanding that is beyond expectations yet accepted and felt in a way that it promotes a form of happiness. Even though there are still underlying challenges.”
TehSynes have over a decade’s experience in the music industry and only recently has the electronic scene experienced a massive growth. Where do you see the future of this industry heading? How will you use your talents and aspirations to make the most of it?
“The local electronic scene has been seriously healthy since the 90’s, while we have suffered moments along the way every year new artists break through and DJ’s and events are discovered. I’m very positive about the future, people are getting wise to the new sounds that are out there and are not just following trends.
When it comes to me, I would like to carry on making and sharing the music I love with people and try to boost the scene as much as I can. We have a lot of potential talent surfacing at the moment so it’s just a matter of time before another revolution occurs. I just hope that the people are ready for it.”
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RavingFox
TehSynes – Raving Fox (Ghost Snare Mix)
www.facebook.com/TehSynes | @TehSynes
Tracklisting:
01. Soligen – Imperfections
02. Marso, Gala – Whisper
03. The Last Hero – Into The Further
04. Loxy, Isotone – Ancients (Skeptical Remix)
05. Keosz, Mtwn – Drill
06. Andy Pain, Z Connection – Dive Ruv
07. Rawtekk – No More Vaccine
08. Heavy1 – Fear The Satellite (Sinistarr Remix)
09. Stray – Ginseng Smash
10. Cycom – Control
11. Lynx, Hellrazor – Feelin Me
RavingFox 