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We spoke to the one, Mampi Swift ahead of Tranz-mission, the "cracker"
Drum and Bass | Friday 15th July 2016 | Arren
Mampi Swift has been in the game since day 1. He's watched and helped the drum & bass scene develop and thrive.
Mampi is as important as ever to drum & bass, regular dropping huge tracks, running his Charge Records and hosting his monthly show on Pryo. Despite doing all of that he still finds time every weekend to head to the clubs and festivals and lay down the law. We jumped at the chance to talk with him to see whats happening.
How would you describe your current state of mind?
Very well, very good. Musically in a good place, enjoying what I do probably more than ever. Learning a lot and seeing a lot of progression. They say you never stop learning and it's true!
What have you been learning?
I spent some time enhancing my musicality, the musical side of my music. I'm not known for doing that as much, dancefloor music is very stripped down, raw and in it's element. For me it was a progression, I wanted to progress as a musician rather than just being a drum & bass producer.
When did you first come across jungle?
Well, before it was jungle which stemmed from the early hardcore days, I was just someone who got into the whole rave scene from the 80s. In 83 as a child I was listening to electro, what came from the electro was house in the late 80s and then early 90s that house had evolved into hardcore and then obviously from hardcore came jungle then drum & bass. I've been very fortunate that I've got to see the whole birth of this drum & bass jungle thing.
So there never was a time when you said, okay this is jungle/drum & bass now?
No, do you know what I would love to know who comes up with these titles. I don't know where they come from and I think it's amazing if it starts from one person and spreads to this worldwide phenomenon. Who decided that it was jungle? Then that we'd had enough of jungle and we wanna call it drum & bass now? Now people are calling it just drums!
Might need to update our website now then! What would you say were probably the first jungle tracks you heard?
It's really difficult because there's stuff that was made before any jungle, or drum & bass title was given, but if it was played now you'd say that it's a jungle drum & bass record. We were all into American stuff until the 90s when you had the birth of hardcore. It was a very UK sound in comparison to what was happening in America. It was more of a movement, bringing people together of all colours for the first time - that was the rave scene.
If someone hasn't heard of you, where should they go back to and what tunes should they listen to?
Listen to The One, that was my first big track.
When did you start DJing out?
In 1993.
How did that come about?
There was a place called Lazerdrome, and it was one of the sickest raves at the time. I use to go down every week and knew a lot of the people there. I also has my big break through Kool FM which was a pirate station back in the day. I got my first gig in Lazerdrome on New Years Eve in 1992 - my first ever rave that I DJ'ed at 10 to 11.
Must have been great playing there?
It was, and literally that was the start of something I had no idea about. To come from that - it wasn't like a business in those days it was just ravers that loved the music. Some of us loved the music a bit more than others and wanted to DJ or produce. So fast forward 24 years to see what it's become now is absolutely unreal.
Is it more of a business now then?
Without a shadow of a doubt man, the basics that you have to do on the markets today just to be known is a business in itself. That's not what people had to do back in the day, it wasn't part of the job description. Today it's more of a business that's why it's so big - it was the only way to do it, having serious business people in the game. People use to do a rave just to get some money before and blow all the money the weekend after! Fast forward to now, it's serious - it's how people feed there families you know.
The passionate side is different. But as for the youngsters coming through that's still the beautiful side of it. Sometimes I'll be playing a rave and I'll just stand aside and look at the crowd. All these kids so off their faces but really enjoying themselves and it's mad because that was me, I was those kids! Some of these kids in those crowds will make names for themselves in this game. That's how it works and there's something very beautiful about that. That's the real side, that's the good thing about connecting with the ravers still.
So the DJing started in 93, you opened Charge in 97 what was the motive behind that?
For me I sorta felt that I needed a base. I looked around at the other artists that were doing well - you had Andy C who had Ram, DJ Hype who had True Playaz, Frost and Bryan Gee with V Recordings - I thought I need to create my own home.
You know it's mad, I didn't even think about it. It was just I'm starting a label and I'm gonna put tines out. There was no thought process behind that decision. It's unreal to have the label still going after 20 years, although there was a quiet period in that time.
Quite a lot of labels have a rest, people dont always have the time.
If you look at the labels like Ram, Playaz, Hospital - why these guys have been so consistent is because of the business side, they never stop! There was only a couple of people that had that knowledge back in the day to get a team and do this properly and seriously. There wasn't many that did it, so those guys that did had a massive head start.
Before ravers would be taught what is hot, the DJs would educate them in the raves, pirate radio or whatever. Nowadays it's changed, where people who are the biggest get noticed first. Even though there's a whole giant pie of drum & bass you go there first cos it's the high end.
You've started a new show on Pyro, how's that going?
Yeah it's good. Something different. It's really good fun and I like to talk to people so a lot of the shows will be chats. It's another way for us to give our fan base a chance to be a bit closer, rather than just when you're out in the rave - people like to know what's happening inbetween and this is just an extension of that.
Festival season has started, any dates you're looking forward to?
Yeah, I've got some great shows to look forward to. Tranz-mission is gonna be a cracker, the line up is incredible. I'm definitely gonna hover around the acid house stage. Will be a lot of fun, there seem to be more festivals now.
What do you prefer, a club or a festival?
As long as the crowd are totally amped I don't care. I just want a crowd. I started DJing in my bedroom and then my mates houses. There'd be loads of us huddled in a room trying to out mix each other! So as long as you have people who are up for it, it doesn't matter.
More details on Tranz-mission festival
What's the worst job you've ever done?
When I was 13 I worked in Budgins to but my vinyl. Then I upgraded and stepped up big time and worked in Sainsburys when I was 16. That was by far the worst thing, I use to work Saturday morning at 7.45 but I started doing radio on Kool FM on Friday nights. I'd basically get home at 5 and sit in bed for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Then I'd be at work all day on the till listening to bleep, bleep. But it brought me decks, my vinyl, it was just what I had to do to get it.
If you could fill a swimming pool with anything, what would it be?
Woah! Water? Would be nice to just have a swimming pool at the back of the house!
Who's the funniest person you know?
IC3, without a shadow of a doubt. Never a dull moment - anyone who knows, knows.
If you had to start a new life in a different country, where would that be?
Hmm, the world's looking pretty messed up right now... Probably Ghana. That's my heritage, it's home from home. My parents are from there, I have family there and everything. It's fantastic!
Mampi Swift - Facebook - Twitter - SoundCloud
