Bailey- bass to the bone

Bailey has been synonymous with Drum & Bass since his first days in the Metalheadz camp back in 1996.  Always a DJ over a producer, he's prided himself on being one of the best selectas in town and it wasn't long before he was picked up by BBC's flagship 'black music' station, 1Xtra.  Having triumphed over the various culls over the years, Bailey reigns supreme as a DJ & presenter who showcases all varities of Drum & Bass as well as bring through young, up and coming producers. Still a dedicated gigging DJ, he plays Technology's 7th birthday at FOUND this Friday and we found a slot in his schedule for a catch up.

Pulse: Hello Bailey, where are you right now?  Bailey: I'm sat at my computer in my house in South London at 1:42am after a long relaxing bath. Best way to wind down after a busy day.

Tell us a bit about how you got into d&b.  I was fully into Hip Hop until about 1989. I loved the aggressive speeded breakbeats of UK Hip Hop artists such as Hardnoise and Silver Bullet but things started to get too mellow for me with the rise of De La Soul and everyone who want to join the sound of the 'Daisy Age'. I got distracted by the emerging sound of House music from Chicago that was arriving in the UK. It was a faster paced electronic sound with a friendlier following compared to Hip Hop at the time and combined the speedy breakbeats I loved with the thump of a four to the floor beat. At around 1991 the breakbeat side of the House sound moved away from the 4X4 beat with more emphasis on the breakbeats which lead me to the sound that was known as 'Hardcore'. I basically followed that side of things more into Jungle and then Drum & Bass.

It's a genre now that's almost as splintered as house or techno- do you think that's a good thing for the scene?  I don't think it's doing any harm. At the end of the day, we all know it's all under the same umbrella. The naming of sub genres can help with basic things such as describing what side of the music you're into to friends. Also, the majority of Drum & Bass tracks are instrumental. Not the easiest thing to sing to the person selling you tunes at the record shop, so sub genres help there too.

Where would you say you sit within it?  I like all sides of it and play many different styles at many different types of club nights but if I was forced to picked a particular style, I'd go for the darker side of the music. I can never get enough of that dark sound. It's something I've inherited as a Metalheadz DJ.

What's your music policy for your BBC 1Xtra radio show?  The full 360 degrees of Drum & Bass. I try to show as many sides of the music as possible. It's mostly new music from established and unknown producers. Anything that sounds good to me basically. Drum & Bass is 22 years deep now too and there's a lot of history behind it that people may not know about so I try to showcase some of that aswell.

Who's doing exciting things on the scene for you at the moment?  I'm loving the majority of tracks that S.P.Y and Break are making at the moment. They're top choice for me. I also play a lot of tracks by Need For Mirrors tracks. They've all got that underlying funk that existed in the late 90s of D&B. Very cool stuff. There are lots of unsigned artists making exciting tracks too. I tend to support quite a lot of these artists because you get a real rawness of sound from them with no boundaries or limitations. They try to stand out rather than fit in.

Outside d&b, what kind of stuff do you listen to?  I mostly listen to stuff I stumble upon on my travels so I could be listening to anything from Rock to Orchestral music but I did have a phase of seeking out the instrumental Hip Hop beat makers such as J Dilla and Glitch Hop producers like Flying Lotus. I liked controlled chaos of the edits.

You're playing for the Technology 7th Birthday this Friday at FOUND, what can we expect from you?  A much darker selection than I'd play anywhere else. It's nice to be able to play tougher tracks and have the crowd just soak it up. That's what special about Technology. People are there to get as deep in the zone as they can.

Where else are you excited about playing soon?  Sunandbass Festival in Sardinia is always special. Really looking forward to that but I'm also looking forward to the Winter Music Conference in Miami, Shogun Audio and the forthcoming Metalheadz History Sessions Tour. That will be fun.

Bailey plays Technology's 7th Birthday this Friday at FOUND at Hidden Club, Vauxhall, London. 
For line ups and tickets, head here