One of the bass acts we feel you should keep a close eye on this year is Bare Noize, who deliver post-dubstep beats that ooze sophistication and individuality. With their huge double-sided single ‘Dire/Reticulum’ dropping at the very end of last year, we had a chat with the pair to hear more about their tune creation.
How did you both first get involved with music?
Dan: At about the age of 15 I got my first pair of turntables. I was massively into all electronic music. Shortly after that, I got my first copy of production software which was Propellerhead’s Reason. And the rest is history really.
Ollie: I guess I realised that I wanted a career in music was when I got bought my first guitar in 1994. We were always playing in bands and writing music at school and my love for the creationary aspect grew and grew. I remember looking at the inside cover of Dre 2001 and seeing that SSL and thinking, “I want to know what all those buttons do”.
If you could name three of your biggest influences, who would they be?
Dan: Always a tough question as there are SO many for me, but if my life depended on HAVING to name three then I would probably say: The Prodigy, Amon Tobin and Bonobo. But there really are lots!
Ollie: Definitely can’t name just three! My early influences were people like Machine Head, Metallica, Muse, Radiohead. I loved the work that went into their records. I used to listen to Satriani and think “this guy is just superhuman”, it’s that extra dimension that really engages me. The expertise and creative skill of the musicians and engineers getting such amazing results often interested me more than the music. Drum & Bass from 1999-2003 had a big effect on me too. Tunes had their own identity, people didn’t just draw for the same snare as everyone else and producers had to stand out if they wanted to get noticed. That mindset has stayed with me.
What was the creative process behind the single like for this one? Did it come together quickly?
‘Dire’ was actually written a while ago now, we have never really known where to place it. It was only recently that we got a B-side ready for it and managed to finally get it out there. Creatively it was a very quick one though. The main ideas literally came together in a couple of days for both tracks.
What are the best and worst things about working as a duo?
The best thing about working as a duo is that two minds are often better than one. Can’t really think of the worst thing!
With the sounds of today’s electronic music changing so rapidly, where do you see your sound heading towards in the future?
As an artist, Bare Noize has evolved quite organically over the years. Therefore the most sensible thing to do would be for the project keep growing organically and just enjoy the ride. It’s impossible to see where we will be in the future.
What has been your top Bare Noize moment of 2014?
The top moment has been this release coming to light finally and watching the video for it come together along the way. Very excited to finally show it to the world as a package.
