Bristol bass-head DJ Die ready to rock Bangkok

From winning the Mercury Music Award as part of Reprazent to tearing up dance floors all over the world, there isn’t much DJ Die hasn’t done.

Set to make his hotly anticipated Bangkok debut at 808 on Friday, Die says that after getting a taste of jungle music in early-nineties Bristol, southwest UK, it wasn’t long before he set about revolutionizing a genre with a few familiar faces in tow.

“When I first heard jungle music, it gave me new energy and seemed to connect with how we were living at the time in the UK,” he told CNNGo. “It was around about 1992 and myself, [DJ] Krust and Roni [Size] were going to a lot of raves and free parties and the sound was really starting to evolve.”

As trends in jungle music began to shift and drum ’n’ bass first reared its beatsy head, Die found himself hooked on a new sound.

“Something was happening and we were right in the middle of it,” he added. “As the music grew, we grew with it and I guess that’s why we stuck with it -- it was ours.”

After dabbling with house and hardcore beats, it was Die’s relationship with buddies Roni Size and Krust that laid the foundations for one of the most solid collaborations in drum ’n’ bass.

I make and listen to other types of music to keep my mind open. As long as I’m having fun it’s all good.

— DJ Die

The Full Cycle crew set up their own label to put out the meatiest tunes around. Die’s contribution to Full Cycle, coupled with monstrous releases on V Recordings, made him one of the most sought-after producers of the past decade. Then, in 1996, everything changed.

“It was a rollercoaster ride,” said Die about his experience with the Reprazent project, under which Roni Size, Die, Krust and fellow label-mates released "New Forms," the album that thrust the collaborative onto the cover of every music magazine in the UK.

“It was just such an amazing journey. I learned a lot and had a great time.”

With rock ’n’ roll status under his belt, Die says he still feels a connection with clubbers.

 “You never know when you’re going to get a wicked crowd, sometimes when you’re least expecting it,” he said. “I played a private birthday party in a tiny club in Bristol the other day and it was off the chain -- 50 people going nuts in a club the size of your front room.”

With drum ’n’ bass getting airtime on major channels such as BBC Radio 1, the popularity of the genre has soared, leading to some significant changes. But for Die, it’s all about the music.

“There’s good and bad sides to any genre so sometimes you’ve got to search to find the good stuff,” he said. “I make and listen to other types of music to keep my mind open. As long as I’m having fun it’s all good.”

Die’s latest project sees him working on his own label, ClearSkyz Recordings, which launched in 2007 as an outlet for talent like Break and Interface.

“The label reflects my taste in music and that’s it really,” he added. “If I like something enough I’ll put it out. I’m only on release five so it’s still early doors.”

The next release on ClearSkyz will be by "Total Science & S.P.Y." The A-side, "Testimony," features vocalist Riya while the B-side is called "Jericho."

“There’s also more music from myself, Interface and Break on the way,” said Die.

Jungleheads -- or those who are bass-curious -- can catch Die at RCA’s 808 on Friday, November 6. Entrance is 500 baht at the door.