In Conversation: Zed Bias & Marcus Intalex Discuss The Open Nature Of UK Music

In the weeks coming up, both Zed Bias and Marcus Intalex will be taking over our Room Three space for an entire Friday night, with each of them set to dictate the pace for a full six hours. Both accomplished and established artists - Zed with his decades of dancefloor hits like ‘Neighbourhood’ and his work under numerous names, including Maddslinky and Marcus with his Soul:R label, his drum & bass production and his excursions into house and techno as Trevino – we’re understandably excited at the prospect of both sets; but for completely different reasons, though it's mainly for the scope of opportunity each set provides and the possible tangents each DJ could follow considering their individual heritage and back catalogue. So, ahead of both events, knowing full well that Marcus and Zed both share a home city as well as a friendly kinship, we asked if the Manchester based pairing wouldn’t mind getting together and having a remotely prompted chat for us. Luckily, they both obliged and what they delivered to us is a positively glowing conversation that sheds a lot of light on numerous topics unique to their experience. Given their relationship, it turned out pretty long, so we've chosen to split the full conversation up into three parts which we'll publish in the run up to Marcus' appearance in Room Three on 14th November. This third and final instalment includes the two discussing their influences and the open nature of UK music... ZB: In terms of your transition to Trevino. Who were the people or the things that influenced you to get to this point? MI: First of all, the musical landscape – especially in the UK. The way it’s always changing and morphing itself. There are no rules. I think the melting pot of the UK has some created some of the most interesting music over the past twenty or thirty years. ZB: I think that creative freedom is so fundamental in everything. There’s a strictness in Berlin techno and Chicago house or anything derivative of a classic period in terms of what people are trying to do with it now. Everywhere apart from the UK are following a certain set of rules but we bastardise everything from food, music, TV and fashion. I think that’s something we should embrace and celebrate at every turn. MI: People ask me sometimes why I think the UK is like this and I find it really difficult to put my finger on it. I think the melting pot of different cultures really stands for that. Especially in terms of how we’ve been influenced by reggae and soul. ZB: I think the influx of the DIY attitude of the Jamaicans really suited us. Back in the day, especially when the cost of the studio was reaching £100,000 - that particular DIY approach and knowing artists like Lee Scratch Perry were making music out of anything really inspired us. I suppose it was a little different for us because we came through right at the end but we could still get a little drum machine and AKAI sampler or an S950. MI: Maybe the fact that you had to do it on a budget and you didn’t have all the drum machines just meant you fucking went for it. You found an old hip hop record to speed up and that’s your beat. You found an old rave record you found a stab and you stuck it there. You just made it up as you went along because that’s all you could afford to do. I think that made a massive difference in terms of our attitude and our approach to music and production. I don’t know why but I think at the time, that sort of thing was only happening in the UK. ZB: I think it just went hand in hand of the whole electronic scene erupting, you know that post ‘88 rave explosion… MI: Yeah that early fundamental electronic sound went from thousands of people making music in their bedrooms to potentially selling records. That DIY attitude made this whole scene possible. ZB: America didn’t really have that. MI: No they didn’t. I mean it’s a bit closer now in terms of how open minded it is but the majority of the music is shit. Like I said, the whole rave explosion gave those bedroom DJs a chance. ZB: Everything we’re doing or have done is what that kind of backdrop. You could literally have fuck all in terms of your equipment but you could get to the charts with your music if you wanted to. We have a certain confidence because the music is just as relevant to what’s happening in a million pound studio you know? MI: And it’s getting even easier now. The average guy can produce on his laptop. A few years back you would have had to spend at least a few grand on your studio… ZB: What about the people that influenced you then? MI: In terms of individuals. It’s always just been the DJs. The people that have the music that I haven’t got, the underground and cutting edge artists and the originals; Grooverider, Doc Scott Fabio and Goldie and all the early 90’s crew. The people playing fucking music. I remember Grooverider playing the beginning of what d&b would become in 1991/1992 and mixing it with Strictly Rhythm and noisy stuff from Belgium and so the era became about the mixture of it all. I think one of the best things about it was that you used to go out and hear tunes you’ve never heard of before. So for me, it’s always been about those people, whoever they are, they could be across the spectrum of dance music as long as they are willing to go out there on a limb and play all this fucking cool music that nobody else is playing. I think that’s what attracted me. Those are the people that I want to hear playing music. Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann seem to have that same mentality, I can listen to them all day. I don’t go out for the party but then I don’t get booked to make people have a party. Promoters who book me are they guys who are into what I do and want to hear something new. People ask me sometimes if I know when the end will be. I think it’s when I don’t have any new music...

"I love the idea of being able to do a six hour set. I’ve been hand picking tunes for months now." - Zed Bias

ZB: That’s pretty interesting as you’ve pretty much crystalized where I am right now and what I’m doing because I AM that party DJ now MI: Oh right, so you’ve become something you don’t want to be? ZB: No because it’s happened pretty organically. I still play a lot of my old tunes and I make a lot of specials that I know are going to tear the roof off. I’ve consciously gone down that route but I do feel I’ve hit my head on the ceiling because I don’t want to be associated with an EDM style. I don’t want to be any more commercial than I already am. I want to do something a little more respectable with the remaining forty or so years I have left in this business. I want to do what I love and not been seen as a glorified iPod shuffle. I’m constantly approached by people for requests. I get that people really do like hearing tunes they know, it’s a no brainer and it was my choice to get booked to play that particular style or I could have been booked less playing tunes that nobody knows because I could easily do that. It was a conscious decision to ride it until the wheels fall off. MI: Well I can understand why you’ve done it. You’ve got a family. There’s clearly good income that would be difficult to turn down. ZB: The only problem that I have with it is the age gap between me and the average punter. That’s quite a personal issue for me. I feel like, in fact, I know for sure that I am older than every punter and I’m older than 99% of the door staff and maybe even the club owner. MI: Why does that matter to you? ZB: I just don’t want to be the oldest guy in the club. I always said that I want to be the guy that leaves the party early, y’know? I don’t want to be the one straddling at the end. That’s a personal issue for me. MI: So this six hour set. You looking forward to it? ZB: You know the only other time I’ve done something like this was actually the other week when a DJ didn’t turn up and through the power of Jack Daniels my set went from three hours to five. Seriously though? I love the idea of being able to do a six hour set. I’ve been hand picking tunes for months now. MI: What can we expect? You going back to the vaults I guess? ZB: Instead of playing what I think people want to hear it’s got to be all the tunes that I’ve ever loved and pretty much every tune that I feel is significant in my career. They are all going on six different USB sticks so every hour I play will be dedicated to one USB. Have I done it before? No. Am I excited? Yes! fabric is like a church. MI: Yeah it’s going to be good to be back in Room Three. It’s a very comfortable room to play in. I like smaller clubs. I’d rather be in a small room in terms of being able to in a particular mind set. It gives you a bit more freedom to go to different places and reach different vibes. Part 1 of this interview is here. Part 2 of this interview is here.