Aphrodite may be the reigning king of drum and bass, just don't call him the grandfatherAphrodite has been ruling drum and bass dance floors for more than 10 years thanks to his signature sound of frenetic beats, choice hip-hop samples and unrelenting bass. Whereas other drum and bass DJ/producers have chosen the path of the dark side, bringing the music ever closer to heavy metal, Aphrodite (Gavin King to his friends and family) has stayed true to the bass, keeping things nice and tight.
We caught up with Aphrodite to talk about his new mix album, Overdrive, and his love of Aston Martins.- Adam Douglas
Q: Back when you first started throwing parties in the late '80s, did you ever imagine you'd still be doing music in 2005?
A: Oh my God, no way near. Actually, what I'd be doing in 2005 was one of the last things on my mind. I was supposed to be a multi-millionaire by seven years ago and have a house in every country.
Q: Was there something you were on track to do and music sidelined you?
A: No, I just love music. Never at all thought it would end up being a career.
Q: Is there something you'd be doing if you weren't making music?
A: Yeah, I'd probably be in banking or working in the city of London somewhere.
Q: What is your secret to longevity?
A: You know, it's been nonstop and I didn't realize how long [I'd been doing this] until about two or three years ago when I suddenly realized that people were calling me the grandfather of drum and bass.
Q: Is there something that you do differently than other drum and bass artists?
A: I've never reached the heights that I've wanted to reach, and I guess that's one of the things that keeps you going. I'd like a good home for the family, financial security... just the normal things that everyone wants.
Q: Do you ever see yourself branching out into rock and roll or another type of music?
A: Maybe some different styles of dance music. I'm not going to start running a band [laughs].
Q: In America, drum and bass never caught on like it did in the UK...
A: Well, you've got hip-hop there; you've got your street music there already. You don't need an imported street music.
Q: Like grime, that's not catching on here at all.
A: No. The thing is, what'll happen is, like with drum and bass, you'll hear urban American artists that have been influenced by it, and then that will influence music everywhere else. Everyone influences everyone else. It's pretty difficult when you think about it, if you've got a street scene there, everyone's used to anything from between 100-120BPM, and then suddenly it's 180BPM, it's a bit of a step. People only get into different kinds of music through exposure.
Q: You're one of the few drum and bass artists to make waves in America. Why is that?
A: It's interesting really. Primarily, in the beginning, it's because it sounded like hip-hop, only with a difference. I remember the first shows I was DJing in America. I'd play some of the tunes and it might have a hip-hop-influenced intro. The crowd would dance around to the intro, but when the actual drum and bass started, they'd stand still and wait for the next intro.
Q: I've probably heard your tracks played more often by hip-hop DJs.
A: Really?
Q: Yeah, people like Z-Trip, turntablists who were less afraid to play with tempo. Especially because you used the same samples as hip-hop artists, like the Pharcyde. Z-trip would mix the a cappella of "Passing Me By" over your track, and it worked beautifully.
A: I'd like to have heard him do that. I never got the a cappella. I never knew of the Pharcyde's track. I heard [the sample of Quincy Jones' "Summer In The City"] on a French hip-hop track, with loads of French going on. Then I discovered the sample on an old sample record. Then I'd see people singing along to it and I'd think, what's this?
Q: What are your thoughts on the drum and bass scene now?
A: UK-wise, it's pretty healthy. The spread of the music is definitely global now. It's funny, because there's a hell of a lot of downloading going on. The downloading has helped spread the music dramatically. I find that, even if I go to a remote corner of the globe, there are still people there who know the music. The good thing is, because there's so much being made, there's a lot of different styles for people to get into. One of the reasons why there's loads of music being produced, is because everyone's downloading rather than buying records. The producers aren't making any more money, they're just making more tunes.
Q: There's a good and a bad when it comes to downloading?
A: Yeah. Your wallet, it's all bad, but the spread of the music, it's good.
Q: Are you DJing pretty much constantly?
A: I'm doing shows virtually most weekends. I'm taking weekends off now. I'm being a bit more selective about the shows I do, but that's because I want to do another album.
Q: Are you going to do a proper tour for Overdrive?
A: Yeah, I'm doing a few American tours for Overdrive. The amount of tours I do in the states has gone down. It started to go down at the end of 2001, and the scene has dipped there. I used to be DJing virtually two weeks out of every four in America, at one time.
Q: If you're not playing so much in America now, where are you playing?
A: There's no new areas, they're the same areas. But where like in LA they used to be big festivals, now it's all club-based.
Q: How is doing a mix album different than an artist album?
A: A mix album's a lot easier in the sense that you go into your DJ box and find the stuff that you like DJing and mix it together. Whereas, for an artist album, you've got 72 minutes and you've got to make 72 minutes [of music].
Q: For a mix album, do you try to get exclusive cuts?
A: Yeah, that's what I've done. There are a lot of tracks on there that you won't hear in many other places.
Q: Do you do any digital mixing?
A: I am definitely old school. I like vinyl. The only reason why I don't like vinyl is because it weighs a ton when I'm dragging it around airports. To actually mix with, I much prefer vinyl. I do actually mix with CDs occasionally, but I don't like it because you can mix vinyl much quicker.
Q: What's the biggest show you've played?
A: Glastonbury Festival. A crowd of about 30,000. The system was just phenomenal. The noise from the audience, when they reacted to a big tune, it was awesome. I was smiling for a week.
Q: I understand you're into cars as well.
A: Yes, indeed. I've always wanted an Aston Martin. There are other cars that you dream of when you're younger. It's always like TVRs, Ferraris, but always my favorite was the Aston Martin. Test-drove it, bought it and then started thrashing it the same way I was thrashing my old car, which was a Toyota Celica, about 200hp, something like that. The Aston Martin is my first rear-wheel drive car. I was thrashing it around, thinking, this is great. I took a fairly tight corner at about 60mph and just completely lost control of it. From that day, I learned to respect the car. There's more power at the foot than you can handle. The kind of culture of driving in America is a little bit different than the UK, where people want to go fast, all the time. My first few cars, my foot was more or less to the floor, all the time. You can't do that with an Aston Martin [laughs]. It has such a nice interior as well, sometimes you don't want to go fast, you just want to cruise in this beautiful leather and suede surrounding.
Q: Do you take it drifting?
A: I tried it recently. I took it on the racetrack. I did some drifting but I found it pretty hairy.
Q: You have to really know what you're doing.
A: I wanted more track. I want to be able to use an airfield or something like that [laughs].
Q: How did you get involved with cars? Was it from day one?
A: I was always telling my mom to drive faster, faster! I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel of my first car. I passed my test, and then the first time I had to drive on my own, I had to do a show and load up the trunk with all sorts of DJ equipment, and drive up into central London. That was a real wake-up call, because driving in central London is no joke. There's no leeway involved up there, there's no room. You just have to keep going, driving really tight next to all the other cars.
Overdrive is out now on Feed Records.
CD Reviews
Aphrodite
Overdrive
Rating:****
Aphrodite has enjoyed a unique status as a drum and bass producer and DJ. Not only has he survived the genre's notorious stylistic changes with his signature sound intact, he's also one of the few UK guys to really make a splash in America. He attributes this to his liberal use of hip-hop samples, which is likely true, but there's a more straightforward reason: It's damn fun music to dance to. Overdrive collects 21 tracks that Aphrodite has been banging in his recent DJ sets and strings them together into a continuous mix. The result is an invigorating and entertaining trip through the current cream of drum and bass. Accidental Heroes' slick "Precinct 13" is here, as is S.M.O.K.E.'s ultra-hype "Cyclops," with its tempo-warping beats and nasty bass line. Aphrodite represents himself on 10 tracks and remixes, keeping the flow coherent and tough. As the title suggests, this is music for going fast, and with Aphrodite in the car stereo, it's almost impossible not to break a few speed limit laws. www.feedrecords.com -Adam Douglas
Cunninlynguists
A Piece of Strange
Rating:****
Some may think that the Dirty South is all about Crunk and other types of music for dummys, but Cunninlynguists (Kno and Deacon) takes that stereotype and stomps it to bits with their semi-concept album A Piece of Strange, which vibes you in a pimpy, jazzy, soulful direction. They go back to recapture the soul of the South in a fashion similar to the way older Outkast albums did. Kno created the best of all remixes to Jay-Z's Black Album with Kno Vs Hov: The White Alb-u-lum and he plants his genius in all 16 cuts of this one. The soundscape is so good that by the end of 2006 you should be hearing all the ranting and raving about a straight-to-DVD film release of this album. The Cunninlynguists with A Piece of Strange will remind you why you started liking hip-hop in the first place.www.cunninlynguists.com -Joel Marasigan
Boards of Canada
The Campfire Headphase
Rating:***1/2
After a three-year absence, this Scottish duo's third proper full-length release continues their track record of mostly ambient electronica with no need for vocals or traditional song structure. They incorporate more real-sounding instrumentation into their soothing, ethereal soundscapes this time around, particularly in the use of guitars and strings. However, the entire collection blends in seamlessly with the rest of their back catalog, which is great for fans of their sound but somewhat limiting for those hoping for some more artistic growth. Regardless, it's blissful and melodic experimental chillout music worthy of many late-night spins.www.warprecords.com -Steve Geise
DVD Reviews
DJ Rasta Root
The Best of A Tribe Called Quest
Rating:***1/2
All you DJs could possibly get close enough to ATCQ to get drops, interview clips and a firsthand recounting of the groups personal experiences, but you can't get any closer than DJ Rasta Root-he's Phife's manager and tour DJ. His 37-track mix tape includes the hottest cuts from five of ATCQ's albums as well as exclusive recollections from Posdanous (De la Soul) Tip, Jerobi, Red Alert, Large Professor and Phife's thoughts to his medical condition. Some of the recording rarities included here are the live performance of their 1996 Nashville show and a Tribe radio freestyle. Long before their first as-a-group show last year in San Diego, some have heard the rumors of a long-awaited return of the group for another studio album. But until that solidifies-and as their fans grows older and the kids know less about them-pass the word that Rasta Root has a required-listening, valuable, mini-documentary available for you to learn from. www.spitkicker.com; www.smokinneedles.com -Joel Marasigan
HyperR Street Racing Type B
Destroy Entertainment
Rating:****
Do yourself a favor and fast-forward past all the pointless gnome violence and Atomic Goofball skits, unless you like watching things blow up and dancing fools. Once you get past that, quality drift action can be found on the HypeR Street Racing Type B DVD. Though amateurs bring most of the action, the drifts are nice, long and smoky-something we all can appreciate. Whether it's on the track or on the streets, the action is nonstop. From primered beaters to dedicated team track cars, it goes to show that almost anything can be drifted. So what's your excuse? - William Klein
Gumball 3000 '6 Days in May'
Destroy Entertainment
Rating:*****
Since Gumballers provide most of the rally footage while at speed, it was a nice surprise that all the shots are in focus and the lighting is good. Among the most notable marquees of rally cars are Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, BMW, Bentley and TVR. The viewer gets to follow along, day and night, as the Gumballers travel across two continents and three countries over six days and over 3,000 miles. The party-filled nights are just as wild as participants swap stories, talk smack and fill up on food and beverage. The spirit of the rally is to have an adventure, not necessarily to finish first; except maybe for the bad-boy racers. If you can't afford to get to Europe to join the Gumball, this is the next best thing. You can ride along at break-neck speeds on public roads without the fear of getting tickets, as many of the Gumballers do, some even get arrested. High-speed hi-jinks and hilarity indeed.-William Klein
Game Reviews
NHL 2K6
PS2 (also on Xbox)
Rating:****
Now that the hockey gods have returned the NHL to active duty, 2K Sports and EA have solid games to keep you satisfied when you're not getting your fill of the real thing. Both NHL 2K6 and NHL 2006 incorporate the latest league rule changes this year, although only 2006 has mostly updated rosters. Both offer fun, detailed hockey experiences that will satisfy the most demanding gaming and puck fans. So how to choose between the two? Well, price point is certainly a valid factor for most of us, and 2K6 easily wins this with their continuing bargain pricing of $20. If pure simulation is your preference, then 2K6 skews closest to reality while EA favors a faster, more arcade-like feel. The core gameplay mechanics of both titles seem little changed from past editions, although both have added several superficial new features. 2006 has new left-analog deking and right-analog shooting to add some flair to your skate work, while 2K6's tweaks include an interesting concept in which each team has a clearly marked brute "enforcer" character who can impact gameplay by intimidating other players. You won't go wrong with either title, but 2K6 slightly edges the competition this season. -Steve Geise