Ready for a pounding?

The latest Phatfunk party tonight is treating fans of drum and bass to the UK’s biggest sensation, Joe Syntax, in his Bangkok debut.

A prodigious new talent and recent Med School signing, Syntax is a 24 year old DJ and producer based in South London. Having carved out a niche for himself focusing on experimental drum and bass with a discernible dance floor edge, he started producing in 2007 and has since gone on to release on a number of labels, including Hospital, Med School, Allsorts, Blu Saphir and Grid Recordings.

In this time, he has also garnered the respect of some of the scene’s pioneers, with Fabio, Hype and London Elektricity among his legions of supporters.

As a DJ, Syntax is renowned for his creativity, often mixing his own material with work from up-and-coming producers, and he now has a DJ schedule that takes him around the world. His stand out set at Fabric in January 2011 was a far cry from his attempts to mix his dad’s old dub records with some hip-hop tunes on a set of Sherwood belt drives at 16. In 2011 he was listed as one of K Mag’s Top 10 Producers to Watch in 2011.

What are you working on now?
Recently I’ve been recording a new studio mix for the Hong Kong Podcast, Kongkast. This is in preparation for my forthcoming mini tour of Southeast Asia, where I’ll be visiting Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. Aside from that I’ve been busy working on my next release in the studio.

What are you preparing for us tonight?
I’m going to play a set that’s quite diverse and explore some of the various styles within drum and base, hip-hop and electronica. I think it’s a very exciting time to be invoiced with this kind of music due to the size of the scene and the amount of good music out there. I hope to bring something new the peoples ears and most of all give them a good time on the dance floor

What kinds of music did you grow up listening to?
I listened to a wide array of styles. My parents listened to everything from the Beatles and Van Morrison to more electronic styles like Massive Attack and Leftfield. My dad was also a big dub and reggae fan. This gave me a good grounding in life musically, as I still listen to lots off different styles, not just electronic club music.
I got into electronic music at a young age and I’m still completely hooked. My early electronic influences included the Prodigy and Chemical Brothers when I was 12, and then I discovered more experimental artists such as Coldcut and Amon Tobin from the Ninja Tune label when I was about 14. It was after this that I started DJing.

What was your first glimpse of drum and bass?
It was probably through its ancestral cousin jungle. Amon Tobin’s album “Permutation” featured the amen break (drum loop) in some tracks that’s so synonymous with jungle and drum and bass. I think the fast, syncopated drumbeats, deep baseline and the energy within the music were what captivated me. Artists such as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher were also influences early on. However when I began DJing aged 15 I started experimenting with more structured and club orientated music including drum and bass. People like Bad Company, LTJ Bukem and Ed Rush & Optical all featured in my record collection.

Who’s your favourite?
I’d say Hextatic from one my favourite labels, Ninja tune. They always produce a visual version of each track they make which is as important as the music itself. They do an incredible lives show, combining 3D visualisations, and their DJ sets are almost as good due to the visual aspect in their production.

You’re praised for being experimental. Where do you mostly find the inspiration?
It varies, but often from other music. However I find getting out of the studio environment and doing something simple like walking through London can inspire me in one way or another.

What other techniques or sounds would you like to incorporate with drum and bass?
I think I want to use vocals more. I’m always learning new techniques when it comes to software and workflow to help the creative process.

What do you listen to when you’re not working?
I’m really into folk, ambient music, techno and many forms of electronica. I like deep and moving music that I can travel to and create my own soundtrack to my life. It makes travelling through London more bearable!

What’s the hottest drum and bass spot in the UK right now?
It’s probably Fabric in London. They showcase a lot of drum and bass on Fridays as well as other styles. The label I’m with, Med School, does a night there every few months and it’s always fun to play.

How do you like the drum and bass scene right now?
Drum and bass is an extremely polarised genre. I think of it as a tempo because it has so much variety. There are tracks that sound completely different but are still classified as drum and bass.
Commercially it’s doing well, but I think the best drum and bass sounds nothing like drum and bass – it’s just good electronic music within the 170bpm sphere. I’m trying to incorporate as much non-drum and bass sounding materials into my sets as possible nowadays. It’s fun to mix and people seem to like variation on the dance floor.