Trus'Me

David Wolstencroft has become a worldwide sensation over the past few years. From the beginnings with 12” bombs like W.A.R. Dub, to two accomplished LP’s, worldwide DJ headline spots and his own imprint Prime Numbers, Trus’me has moved dance floors and headphone rockers respectably. Ali Macdonald had the opportunity to catch up, talk record shopping, studio equipment, influences and the future.

So, presenting David, aka Trus’me, aka Manchester soul boy and a genuinely nice chap:

Pulse - What are you up to lately?  Trus'me - Currently still touring In The Red my latest EP – it's been a long tour. I’m fresh from Ibiza where I visited the island for the first time. I fell in love with the place for it's beauty, Not it's music! August will be dedicated to the production of the forthcoming LP, as I work with new artists I have met along my travels.

What about home, is Manchester an important place for you? I guess the majority of what I know musically came from living in Manchester. Friends and club goers passing on their knowledge helped me to grow and become competent of what I do today. There is a strong musical root here, which I now appreciate much more after seeing how backwards other cities can be.

Are you still a regular record shopper? Yes I always buy my music on vinyl, unless it's a full length, which I tend to buy on CD. Vinyl is still an official statement of releasing independent music today, if I'm in the business of selling vinyl then I'm sure to buy my music on this format too.

Can we get a sneak into some of your top tracks of the moment? No particular top tracks but there are some strong labels I'm feeling right now. Modern Love go from strength to strength and Rush hour is back in the house, pure class all the way. I'm bias but I have some great music forthcoming on my label Prime Numbers from Linkwood and Fudge Fingas and Discrete Unit.
 

“Even I have had to try and find a new way of telling stories, without being so random, as my girl says. I tend to reflect now on the past, present and the phuture of electronic music, bridging the gaps.”

The “if it’s good it’s good” attitude to DJing and to Prime Numbers you champion is refreshing – and somewhat of a luxury nowadays. Do you think that the roots and the musicality has been lost a little (to style over substance) in the dance music scene? I too have had to reign in my freedom to tell a story when DJing. In this day and age the kids want 4x4 all the way and once I take my foot off the gas, I loose them. So even I have had to try and find a new way of telling stories, without being so random, as my girl says. I tend to reflect now on the past, present and the phuture of electronic music, bridging the gaps so that you can see where the music came from and where we are today and maybe in the future months.

Do you think it’s important that the young circuit DJ’s get into the record stores and embrace vinyl culture again? It's just not gonna happen, "period". As the Americans say. This is the new age and we are not going to go backwards in terms on the medium we play on. The other day I saw a friend perform a DJ set with his iPhone plugged into the mixer. He looked at me with an excited smile – but I couldn’t share his excitement at all!

When did the moment come that you decided you had to start making music? I just wanted to learn how Jay Dee made his beat sound like that. I was obsessed with how he made an Electronic beat sound so warm, free and real at the same time. I was always a music buyer, but it wasn't until friends told me I couldn't learn how to make a great track without first understanding what makes a good DJ record. This experience of seeing how certain records came alive in the club showed me how to make something for both, the listener and the DJ. I feel this was a valuable lesson I needed to learn in my production, you find that both art forms compliment each other.

Would you say that you are a “clubber”? Nope, I would say I was a music lover. I would much prefer to be in a room with around 150 people listening to an excellent sound system. All I want to hear is music from all over the world for its quality and not its hype, this is my aural pleasure.

Where do your ideas come from? Are you the type to walk around with a Dictaphone, or settle down in the studio and see where your mood takes you? I tend to think out a whole EP or LP first. I like to decide at first what direction I will work towards and what equipment I will use to achieve that. A painter would set their stall out the same way, with a concept and medium to which they would use. I like the music to appear like one big scene, this is important to me as the music must appear like one huge coherent piece. Deciding on who will guest vocal or perform on each piece is also worked out before the musical creation. I see the music and hear it before I even start to produce the final product. Accidents happen along the way, which create the magic, which all combine together for the final product.

What’s in the Trus’me studio? Have you got any favourite bits of equipment? Right now there is a Soundcraft desk 24 channel (need more) and always the Juno 106, Pro One, Nord Electro and a Rhodes MK1. I try to embrace digital as much as analogue and amalgamate the both. For me the soul is in the old equipment, you just need to turn these things on and it's like having professional musicians in your studio vibin' together and creating ideas. The digital world helps me to create and produce the sound much quicker and time is something in this day and age you can't turn down! So I embrace the UAD cards, Abelton, Logic and Spectrasonics, they're the best soft synths for me out there!

You have also worked with some great people. Is there anyone you would like to work with in the future? I've always admired the vocals of Leroy Burgess, Sal P from Liquid Liquid and Dwele, they're are all on the wish list. Fingers crossed you may hear them appear on the forthcoming LP. I try to work with people who have influenced me along the way and that opens myself up to a wider audience. I feel it's important to stretch myself above and beyond my comfort zone. The next LP I will be looking at creating a more classic Chicago sound, I love this sound as a DJ and currently just can't get enough of it when I play out live.

What is the link with Fat City Records? Fat City held out a hand when I first started. There were issues with the label I was working with at the time and I needed some support and guidance – and Fat City were there for me. We struck up a relationship and we have worked together to make what is known as Prime Numbers today.

What’s happening in the Disco 3000 camp? We're currently looking for a new home to throw a new festival for the music we love. A beautiful island not so far away is on the radar and we should be able to work something out for 2011. The agency website will be up soon, as we continue to look after Prime Number artists and friends of the collective.

Do you have any advice to offer budding DJs and producers out there who wanna be like you? Do it for love! Period.

Macdonald Ali

Check out mixes from Trus'Me here on Pulse.