NEWS
EVENTS
We talk Nottingham, blowing speakers and the upcoming album with Kumarachi
Drum and Bass | Monday 3rd October 2016 | Arren
This Nottingham based producer has a debut album just round the corner.
Going by the name Kumarachi, this drum & bass producer has been rattling around on the underground regularly dropping prime club bangers. Building on his records success, Kumarachi has been working on an album which is ready to drop this October.
Coming out on Audio Addict at the end of the month, his Flash Back LP will see him showcase his versatile production style. Two samplers are out already and are sounding big, so expect huge things from the full release!
We had a chat with him to talk about his upcoming album, Nottingham and working with Audio Addict.
Hey, how are you - what you been up to recently?
Hi, good thanks. I've been in the studio finishing off my album the past few months, it's finally all finished and ready to go!
Nice! For those that don't know, where are you based?
I'm based in Nottingham. It's all good, there's plenty of music going on around the city, from bands to club nights.
drum & bass wise there's nights put on by BassLayerz and Detonate, as well as the Detonate festival which always has a big line up. There seems to be more attention on acts coming out of Nottingham lately from all sorts of genres, which can only be a good thing.
Do you think Nottingham has helped shape your sound?
Yeah maybe. I think with making tunes with friends you'll pick up bits of how they work, but lately I've been locked away in the studio and not really heading out and about so much - so probably not so much recently.
Plastician's Dubstep Allstars, which featured Kumarachi's record 'Voyager'.
Am I right in thinking you're the same Kumarachi who made dubstep in 2011/2012?
Yeah, I did make a few tunes. I got introduced to dubstep by friends and just ended up having a go really. Was a nice switch of tempos from 170 to 140 for a few tunes.
I had fair bit of radio support on Rinse and BBC stations for the tunes I was making, and had a track featured on Plastician's Dubstep Allstars mixtape which was released on Tempa. That's probably the highlight of that period. I used to do a radio show on Rogue FM in Nottingham that would be 50/50 d&b and dubstep so I was still on d&b as well during that time.
There was a break between 2012 and 2014 in releases, what was happening then?
I was really busy with work, but was still making tunes when I had time just not getting so many releases together. I think that few years has helped me be much more productive with my studio time though, as well as appreciating the time I get to have making music even more.
When you did return, you were making drum & bass?
Well I actually produce drum & bass for a while before then too, I just hadn't had many releases out. Some of my early d&b tracks got some support from Komatic on Bassdrive back in the day in around 2009/2010. I've always been doing something musically from bands when I was younger to making d&b as well as producing in other genres/tempos.
The thing that I like about d&b is how open it is in terms of being able to draw influence from any other form of music in terms of sampling or instrumentation it will usually be able to be adapted into the genre.
I first started getting into d&b around, as far as making it, 2000-ish maybe a few years earlier listening wise. But then became more serious on the production side with some better equipment around 2005/6.
I was listening to the likes of LTJ Bukem and Roni Size to start with and had this old Atari with a GM sound module and started to try to make tunes then just went from there.
I think the first time I heard d&b on a heavy sound system was at the Bomb in Nottingham. I was shocked at the physicality of the tunes on that system, then trying to replicate that at home and blowing a few speakers on the way!
Haha, literally tearing it up in your studio! What were the first drum & bass tunes you can remember that inspired you to start producing?
The likes of the Logical Progression tunes on Good Looking were definitely an early inspiration, and New Forms by Roni Size as well. Then as I got more into it I started looking into all sorts of other tunes by the likes of High Contrast, Krust, Die and Full Cycle, to Metalheadz and the other usual suspects really. I had a friend who was at uni in Bristol who's flatmate would DJ out and send tunes over to check out which also helped get into other sides of dnb.
You've got a album coming out very soon on Audio Addict, how's this process been?
Yeah it's been good, cheers. I started it over Christmas last year. I wrote around 40 tracks, then narrowed it down to 20. Then sorted the final list with Alex (DJ Hybrid) from Audio Addict from there.
Hybrid mentioned about maybe doing an album as I'd had a few EP's out on Audio Addict previously so it was a bit of a logical next step really.
"4 AM Where You Are" with Liam Bailey is a personal highlight for me. I've known Liam for ages so to have him on there is wicked. This tune was also a bit of a problem actually! I had it written but couldn't think what to do with it next, then Liam dropped his vocal on it and that was that! Problem solved.
You've had quite a few bits out with Audio Addict and sister labels beforehand. What's it like working with them?
Its been really good, and with Hybrid being so involved with DJing and producing he has at times had some really good advice on tweaks or re-arranging bits here and there if something might need it.
He approached me over SoundCloud about releasing a few tunes initially a few years ago and we kept in touch from then.
The album is huge, firm roots in the older style with clear nods forward in the tracks. Was that what you were aiming for?
Thanks really glad you like it. Yeah that was exactly what I was after, you've hit the nail on the head!
You also seem to draw influence from other styles outside of drum & bass, was merging them into your own style easy?
Yeah I'll give anything a listen really especially if there's basslines in it! I've got friends who listen to all sorts so I've drawn from hearing bits from here and there from them as well.
It's all just practice and having a way of working I think. I was finding it quite easy as once I got into a rhythm of making the tunes. Plus a lot of the things I was referencing kind of cross over into d&b in one way or another so it wasn't too difficult to get them to work in that context.
Once the album is out, what's next for you?
Release wise, I've had another EP signed which will be out on Ghetto Dub early next year, a few collabs on the way and I'll be writing more tunes all the time. I'm hoping to do a few guest slots on a few radio shows to help promote the album, then any gigs that follow on from there.
Let It Roll festival, Europe's biggest gathering of drum & bass music.
If you could play anywhere in the world, where would that be?
I think the festivals over in Europe look amazing to play at. Its great to see the likes of Let It Roll, Innovation and Sun & Bass doing so well for drum & bass. But also the smaller ones with a variety of different music like Soundwave, Outlook as well as the rest of the Croatian festivals look like they'd be ace to play at.
What's the worst job you've ever done?
I've had plenty of jobs over the years, the worst was probably working in a factory putting gusset tape in womens swimwear when I was younger. Think I lasted a week there!
What's the most trouble you've ever been in?
Plenty! no further comment haha...
What would your super hero power be?
Flying..... who wouldn't want to fly!
Kumarachi - Facebook - Twitter - SoundCloud
