DUBTRASH

A little while ago whilst compiling a track list for a Reggae Dubstep mix, I came across

Dubtrash, a 23 year old DJ and producer hailing from Ireland. He has spent the last few months creating reggae influenced dubstep tracks and is steadily picking up a strong fan base online. I was immediately hooked onto his different take on dubstep, and managed to ask him a few questions about life as a producer.

What got you into producing music and dubstep in particular?
‘I've always had a huge interest in music. As a young lad I used to play all those music making games for the Playstation (Music 2000 in particular). So that's where I began my producing. As for dubstep, it's only a recent thing. I love all different kinds of music, from House, Electro and Techno, to Metal and Hip-Hop, but I first heard dubstep roughly about two years ago. It was a set by Rusko called 'Bloc Mix’ that I got free with DJ Mag, and ever since then I've gotten more and more obsessed with it. It's all I listen to now!’

How long have you been producing for?
‘I started doing it seriously this year (2010) in May, and it was initially just an experiment to see what I could do. Me and my friends spent an entire college year not doing any work and we just sat around listening to dubstep. I wanted to see if I could make my own stuff.’

What software do you use to make your music?
‘At the moment I’m using Garageband for Mac, and Audacity. They’re great little programs, but I’m gonna upgrade to Reason soon. I also like record my own sounds for tracks, guitars, vocals and percussion.’

What are your thoughts on the tendency for dubstep producers creating mainly the 'filthiest drops'?
‘Ahhhh the good old 'filthy drop'. It can be so rewarding when you see people's faces after a good fat fucker of a drop haha. It has definitely become an integral part of dubstep now. Although for me personally, most of my own tracks don't have that 'filthy' edge, they tend to flow along with a chilled out reggae groove. So, I like to think that my music has a different approach to dubstep than most other producers out there.’

What gave you the idea to produce dubstep infused with Reggae and Islamic/Arabic samples?
‘I have always had an interest in original roots style dub music. I love it’s atmosphere. Dub was an instrumental sound that originated from Jamaica, what we often hear today in dubstep is a million miles away from that. Don’t get me wrong, that ain’t a bad thing, I love the filthy robotic stuff too, but I wanted to keep that old reggae style sound in my music. As for the Arabic stuff, I’m such a music nerd. I’m always interested in different styles of music from around the world. Arab music can be so beautiful and hypnotic sounding. I wanted to see if I could make that work within a dubstep structure.’

You seem to be getting a lot of support on-line, what do you think of websites, such as Soundcloud, as mediums for getting your music out there?
‘Yeah it’s been a great year for me so far. When you consider the short amount of time I have been producing, the support I am getting is quite phenomenal. Soundcloud has definitely helped me in getting noticed and gaining fans. There’s so many talented producers out there and Soundcloud provides a great way to hear what other people are doing to help push the scene forward. I would recommend anyone, and not just producers, fans too, to join up and find some themselves some great underground music.’

Dubtrash will be releasing ‘Zion EP’ soon on Monkey Dub which will be available to buy on major online digital music stores. Release date TBC.
You can check out Dubtrash’s tracks @ Dubtrash