From his award winning background as a DMC team champion to being one of the UK’s hottest club rockers, we thought we’d take the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the multi talented DJ, producer and blogger, DJ Cable, exclusively for Myboxfresh.
Tell us a bit about your background, how did get into DJing?
I was really into D&B when I was at school, and after hearing various mixtapes from DJ Hype, Scratch Perverts, and DJ Rectangle, I was fascinated by all that scratching malarkey and wanted to learn how to do it. After practicing at home I then progressed to playing at local Hip Hop nights in Essex, but it was only when I went to university in Bristol and from doing the DMCs that I started to get on the club circuit.
You’re a two time UK DMC team champion, how does your DMC battling background and approach to DJing influence your sets?
I come from a Hip Hop background, so if you see me play out, or listen to any of my mixes, you’ll most certainly hear a lot of scratching/juggling. To be honest, I play everything in the style that a Hip Hop DJ would, in terms of fast mixing, blends, etc…
You’ve been getting a lot of love from the scene lately – smashing up raves such as DJ Yasmin’s Bad Intentions, Goonies, Bigger Than Barry, Motive’s Birthday Bash and you’re now about to set off to play in the Far East. What are your favourite parties to play at?
All of the above gigs have been personal highlights so far. The Bigger Than Barry & Goonies crowds are ridiculously hype! They certainly love the Thugstep, Grime and Dirty South. Another personal favourite is Rusty Bucket Bay – they always put on a dope event, and they know how to look after DJs. I love Bad Intentions for the fact it’s simply about playing good music – everything from 90’s Hip Hop, to New Jack Swing, Dancehall, Slow Jams, 2-Step and more… The crowd are cool as well; no attitudes, no egos… Yasmin’s set to do big things this year too. Keep an eye out for her.
You’ve recently had guestslots on Mistajam’s show on 1Xtra and also Rinse FM – how do you find playing on radio as opposed to playing out?
I love doing radio. I’m looking to get back on air as soon as possible given the right opportunity. Thing is, when playing out, you’re fairly restricted to the type of crowd that’s in front of you…With radio, I find you can be a lot more eclectic, and play those tunes that you wouldn’t necessarily get the chance to play out live. That’s why I do the Podcasts; I get to showcase everything from Grime and Dubstep, to the more melodic, deeper cuts, to Southern Hip Hop, and random bits of Electronica.
You’ve been championing the Thugstep sound for a little while now too – tell us more about it, it’s origins and what drew you to it?
In a nutshell, it’s simply Dubstep with Southern Hip Hop (or Grime) acapellas over the top. The term was coined by a US DJ by the name of DJ Nappy. He put out a Thugstep mixtape back in 2007, which received a lot of online attention. I stumbled upon it, loved the sound and got inspired to put my own blends together. I think it gained a lot more attention when I put out “Mr. Muscle’s Hype” last summer. From there, people started playing my blends; there was also the mixtape I did with Rock The Dub & Ego Thieves which got a lot of love online.
Personally, I feel that Dirty South, Dubstep & Grime go hand in hand…they all have a similar energy, and are fairly similar in tempo. It’s fun to put Lil Wayne next to a Tempz tune, to a Sukh Knight tune, for example…
Grime’s been getting a lot of love lately – with Kano the face of Boxfresh and it’s strong support of the UK Grime scene, who do you feel’s really doing it right now and at the forefront of the scene?
At the moment, I’m rating P Money, Devlin, and this one dude from Essex – Dream McLean, he’s doing a lot right now, lyrically he’s on point. True Tiger are making some really good music right now too, I actually did the cuts at the end of the new P Money x Sukh Knight joint, “Slang Like This”.
From a more commercial perspective, Plan B and Tinie Tempah are killing it. It’s great to see a harder club record such as “Pass Out” get to #1. I can see UK the urban music scene doing well in the charts this year.
As an avid streetwear follower what’s your favourite piece from the current Boxfresh range?
There are a number pieces that I’m currently feeling. The “LAC” & “Lubra” tees for example, as well as the jacket. Some of the polos are nice too. In fact, clothing companies should make more polo shirts; they’re underrated… Everyone seems caught up with just making checked shirts, tees and crew necks.
As a DJ/Producer people often refer to the importance of having a strong ‘online game’ in the current climate, aside from writing for Hot One Ten, you also produce your own podcasts – how important is blogging/social media to you and what’s the key to staying on top digitally?
Very important. These days, you can’t just be a good DJ. You need to have a brand – something people can buy into. It’s kind of expected for a DJ/producer to have a web site, Myspace, Facebook page, blog, Twitter, Podcast, etc… People come and go really quickly in this scene, you need to work hard in order to stay relevant. Having original content and also a strong online presence is vital when it comes to building a fanbase.
The only downside to the internet is that we’re now in an age where everyone wants to be a DJ/blogger/musician/online celebrity. Kids think they can become a DJ thanks to Limewire and an iPod. The net’s made it easier for people in the scene to communicate with other, but it’s also made it easy for every wannabe DJ out there.
I know you like to keep busy – what can we expect from you in the coming six months?
More mixtapes, blends and gigs. I’m also off to China later this month for a mini tour which is pretty exciting*..hopefully there will be some more international gigs later this year. I’ve been producing a lot recently, working alongside Essex-based Dubstep outfit “Fused Forces” – they’re making some really good material at the moment. There are also a few other ideas that I’d like to put into action, but I’ll keep those quiet for the time being…
*due to the recent volcano eruption, I never made it to China… God damn that volcano.
Fused Forces & DJ Cable “Jack Russell” now out on Pesky Plates Digital from Beatport, iTunes and Juno Download.
For more info check out www.djcable.com and keep up to date with DJ Cable’s latest releases and rants on HotOneTen.
DJ Cable photographs: Josh MG
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