BADMAN!
It brings me great pleasure to bring you this 1-on-1 exclusive interview with one of the world’s brightest Dubstep stars… DZ. This man has definitely left an impression.. a very good one. His work really reflects his character and personality as he brings you some of the most original sounding shit out there with basslines that will melt your face like a Salvador Dali painting.
Sean was nice enough to give me his full attention over the course of two nights to conduct this interview and it’s been pretty swell picking this guy’s brain. Join us as the man opens up and shares some deep and insightful thoughts with us. Read and learn!
ALSO… He’s given us a peak at Badman’s latest release Various Badmen LP which you can peep yourself at the end of the interview.
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Vancouver Sound Collective: How did it all start for you?
DZ: My aunt bought me Run DMC’s “Raising Hell” when I was 7.. I wanted to be a hip hop dj, a breaker, pretty much a b-boy to the max, but I grew up on a farm.
VSC: Where did Raising Hell take you?
DZ: I used to listen to the friday night hip hop show on the radio (CKCU, Ottawa) hosted by Tom Green. Sometimes I’d record it and fall asleep, and the show after that was called “Planet Rave” hosted by DJ Teknobrat – sometimes I would record into his show, and I ended up recording Acen’s “Trip II The Moon Part 2″. I was trippin’ on the fact I liked it, but was able to compare it to “Pump Up The Volume” by M.A.R.R.S. in the way it was built. By the time I hit decks and was dropping hip hop, I wasn’t feeling it though, the music was becoming street rap, and the faster party shit was my steez. Then I went to a rave in 94, and it was over – I knew I could still play oldskool breaks style & funky shit and have an audience for it.
VSC: Your label, Badman Press/Digital, how did it come together?
DZ: Badman Press started out as an idea in winter ’98 between myself and good friend Paul P. aka “Mush” (Threesixty of The Fix DnB outfit) to be our own record label to release our own music. many years later, I was given the opportunity to start a record label of my own, and you know what happened after that… shit’s for life.
These days Badman is perceived as a staple in the scene over here, and for that I am fucking grateful and appreciative to the max, but there is so much farther that we have to go still.
VSC: How did you get into dubstep?
DZ: ah this question…
I was hip hop, then breaks for the longest time (as a DJ). My man Mush and Roksteady (The Fix) went to London UK a few years back to play a Renegade Hardware night and hang out. Our mate Luke Envoy invited them out to a night called ‘Forward’ and introduced them to the sounds. Knowing me better than myself, Mush grabbed a copy of Skream’s “Lightning” and a tape with the Breezeblock “Dubwarz” show on it and upon his return skooled me out on it, proclaiming it to be ‘so me’.
VSC: How did the name DZ come along?
DZ: I started out under the moniker “D.Z.K.”, there were a shitton of “Seans” in Ottawa so ppl started calling me “Deezy”… when I started getting offers on releases for dubstep. I naturally chose “DZ” as my moniker.
VSC: Does it stand for anything?
DZ: Dustin Zachary Kane
VSC: But isn’t your name Sean? Are you trying to pull off a “Mike D / Matt Carl”?
DZ: My name is Sean… yeah. No Mike D / Matt Carl shit.
VSC: So what’s the deal here?
DZ: 1st love was catholic, thought she was preggo & was ready to have it. Being young, we started talking names – that was my choice for a boy.
VSC: You reside in San Francisco… how would you compare the Canadian scene to the American scene?
DZ: Well, it’s been a minute since the last time I had a taste of the Canadian scene, but they are very similar; young, well informed, dedicated, and pushing towards the ‘dancefloor’ sounds. the thing with the US is there are 25 markets to 7 in Canada… that’s it really. Regardless of where you go these days it’s fun, healthy, growing and there seems to be no end in sight.
VSC: That explains why you have been there for the last few years.. Now, this question I want you to consider VERY seriously.. I’ll even give you a minute to think about it…
How many 5 year olds can you fight at the same time?
DZ: Do I have variables involved? like can I come equipped with 3 items?
VSC: Ok I’ll give you a lead pipe… Remember you can use them as a weapon as well.
DZ: How about a lead pipe and a Moog Synth?
VSC: Sure, why not.
DZ: …….then i will say 11 – sounds about right for “DZ’s MAKING THE BAND” reality show.. I’ll be like Diddy in a motherfucker, find my lil’ “Dylon”have him spittin hot fiyah or he gets the pipe. Who are the five greatest rappers ever? Dylon, Dylon, Dylon, Dylon & Dylon cause I spit hot fiyah….. yeah, 5 years old, I’d give that lil’ bitch the pipe
VSC: 11?! That’s it? I expected nothing less than 20!
DZ: I hafta educate before I eradicate. 11 should be aboot right.
VSC: Alright funny man… it’s time to get into some seeerioussss business! Who would you consider to be your biggest influences? Any artist goes.. from the scene and out of it.
DZ: Definitely Run DMC, Premier, Maestro Fresh Wes, Jazzy & The Fresh Prince, Beastie Boys, De La Soul. Working in Kitchens for 13 years definitely kept me up on the radio tip as well, I love all music to be honest, save for country shit. I hear a break in everything, always have, always will I think.
When it comes to this, to dancefloor shit, it’s everything, it’s all, it’s life. I don’t listen to alot of what is out there these days simply because I am working on so much shit of my own, and I feel that everything happens for a reason, so for new music to make it into my daily grind, I think it was meant to be. sure seems that way.
But all my inspiration when building a tune comes from the 16 year old ‘me’ in front of a stack, raving my ass off, feeling the drop of the tune and getting ‘IT’.. Dubstep made music fun like that for me again.
What probably solidified my ethic was when I read an interview with Mala in “BigUp” Magazine. He believes in everything he does and enjoys it, making no sacrifices to his sound along the way, whatever that sound may be. I have been given an audience who enjoys my work, and I work my ass off for them, whether they be 2 or 2000. ‘We’ are those kids in front of the stacks when that tune drops…. I am simply a conduit and lucky.
Dubstep names such as Loefah, Benga, Rusko, Matty G, Sully, LoeTech and especially Vex’d, have the most influence on me.
VSC: What was it like getting great feedback on a global level?
DZ: For me, honestly, too much… I build alot of tunes, I know, but I have a social anxiety disorder and I didn’t handle it well. People just start hitting you up online asking you for tunes, new labels here, radio shows there, I wasn’t ready at all. It happened fast and hard. I always had hoped for that, who wouldn’t, but man, I am/was 1 person in uncharted waters, so even advice was scarce. But now, I have set it up for the long run – more my own labels, developing my own roster, and www.nood.ot succumbing to building one style of music. That’s the best part man, I can see down the road right now, and it feels VERY good.
This, dubstep, Badman, whatevs, has affected me alot. Lately, it all has made me very proud of being able to see the fruits of my labours in this, with the labels, exposure and new opportunities that I am getting from it. I am becoming the successful father I have aspired to be for so long, for all the right reasons. If you told me in 98 it would be like this now, I wouldn’t have believed it, But today I hunger for building on the foundation I/we have established and continue to make “Badman” the household name I think it can be.
VSC: Who are you feeling at the moment?
DZ: People I am all about at the moment are def Itchy Robot, B.Rich/Kastle, J.Rabbit, Taal Mala, XI, Spit Brothers, Bombaman, Downlink, Mrk1 – man, juss off the top of my dome, but that’s not even the tip of the iceberg…
VSC: Your thoughts on the dubstep scene in Vancouver or Canada as a whole..
DZ: Well, I have been away for some time, but I know through AIM & messages on the whole that it is doing well, steady growing, and I have luckily inspired many soldiers up there to push the sounds as far as they can take it. I hope to have a better answer after this summer! I’ve been reppin’ CAN to the fullest any & everywhere I go. No Max Graham bullshit like when he blew he was all of a sudden from “Montreal”.
Ottawa’s shit but it made me who I am, bottled an angst and let me define it through dance tunes.
Makes me really fucking proud to rep a whole country musically just by doing what I do, truss’ and for the right reasons, like, pre-9/11 when a Canadian patch on your bag gave you a sweet nod at customs.
VSC: In your opinion, who do you think owns the hottest sounds right now?
DZ: Man, I don’t listen or get to hear enough of what is ‘now’ to determine a ‘now’ – I think the charts are a decent representation of who’s doing what at the moment. Even if I had a solid answer, which I might, I just might spoil what killer surprise I (might) have in store talent wise coming on Badman Press very soon…
VSC: You’ve played in Vancouver and around the area what was it like for you?
DZ: It was off the hook – 420 ppl @ 3 AM brukking out to your shit – out to LIGHTA! on that one, memories for life. I think I am booked primarily with ‘dancefloor’ in mind, so every set no matter where is pretty fun… Vancouver is & was no exception
VSC: Any fav. tracks out of your own inventory?
“Hardkiss – Out of Body Experience (DZ RMX)”, “DZ – AWOL VIP”, “Virus Syndicate – Dunce Boi (DZ RMX)”, “Dr. Knobz – Purple Gangsta (DZ RMX)”, “Dillinja – Tudor Rose (DZ RMX)” & “DZ – The Roach” have all been going the fuck OFFFFFFFFFFFF!
VSC: Any Vancouver DJ’s or producers you’re feeling?
DZ: Taal Mala
VSC: Badman’s always on the move… any thing we should keep our ears open for?
DZ: Bombaman EP, working out the j.rabbit ep, Badman Remixed LP’s 1 & 2, an EP from me, Various Badmen LP just got released, Itchy Robot & Taal Mala & myself on wax coming up, umm, nuff free releases and remix contests coming up on BADMAN as well
VSC: Last words…
DZ: thank you to all supporting me & us, stay tuned cause we just gettin’ started, and if I haven’t been to your town yet. I will be this year!
And to Vancouver… I am coming soon, and expect nothing short of the RAW when I do!
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If you are interested in booking DZ get at either MJ or Brandon @ householdmanagement.org to arrange such a murkage.
Also, check out DZ at the following links and support him on your favorite digital/vinyl dealer.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
MYSPACE
JUNO
VARIOUS BADMEN LP feat. DZ, Dubsworth, Rozanski, High Deaf & Bowzer on JUNO
For a high quality preview of ‘Science Friction’, ‘The Tape’ & ‘Forgotten Moments’ off of Various Badmen LP and more… CLICK HERE
Thanks for sticking around gang… The blog wouldn’t be here without your love and support. Hope you have enjoyed checking out the interview as much as I enjoyed interviewing DZ and bringing this to you all.
One 1ove,
Speakerfly
Posted in Exclusive, Interview, Music, News, Promo
Tags: Badman, Badman Press, Bowzer, Dubstep, DZ, Exclusive, High Deaf, Interview, Preview, Rozanski, Tracks, Vancouver Sound Collective, Various Badmen LP
