Example:  Who/what is Submerse?    

Submerse: Submerse is myself, Rob Orme and Nate Dodd. We’re a 2 part Duo from the North West of England. We produce Future Garage and have been doing for just over 2 years now. Every Thursday we play on  Sub.FM and play various gigs around the UK.

Example: Sweet. How did Submerse start out and how long had you been producing before Submerse?

Submerse:  At first myself and Nate played house parties in Leeds every couple of weeks or so. We knew the same sort of people so we would always go back to back and just bash out tunes in student diggs. After a while we gained more confidence and wanted to tackle some big nights around Leeds. Meanwhile i would spend my days sitting in front of my computer producing music. I have been making tracks since I was 16 years old (now 22) and have many influences from Garage, Dubstep, Drum and Bass etc. there wasn’t a point where I thought that production was going to be a main part of my life, it seemed more like a hobby. I finished a track called Nevermine and thought i would get some feedback off friends etc. But  people really seemed to take a shine to it. By this time We would meet up during the week nights to throw some ideas around and see what came out. After finishing a couple of tunes we decided to keep things going as they were and form Submerse, we both had similar tastes in tracks and knew the kind of sounds we wanted to produce so from then on we have been playing gigs together and producing music.     

Example: Aaaah, cool beans. So, right at this very second, what should you really be doing instead of this interview?

Submerse: Haha, I’m on my lunch at work at the moment! I got my degree in Creative Music and Sound Tech at uni the summer just gone. So now im back home (Near Liverpool) regrouping, working on more tracks and sorting out an action plan for the future. From here we still play gigs, run our record label (Night Audio) with co owner Kingthing and be as productive as we can but i hope to get back to a city very soon becuase i miss the vibe!

Example: What's been your best city to play out to and after the show what do you prefer; burger or kebab?

Submerse: I love Leeds becuase that was the place that gave us our "break" so to speak. But the best city so far has to be Bristol! The Vibe down there and the people are amazing. There is so much going on and the broad range of music/producers is top notch haha. Nuff respect to the Soul Motive gang and Andy at Byte for putting us down there the first time. Was a night i will never forget. Being able to play along side people like Steve Gurley, Groove Chronicles and Benny Ill Definitely one of the most welcoming citys i have ever been to.  And im more of a Burger guy i think, give me a double cheese burger after any gig and i'm a happy chappy.

 Example: What about chicken nuggets?

Submerse: Haha i do enjoy a good chicken nugget  20 box from McDonnalds with some tubs of BBQ sauce.. sorted!

Example: I'm a red man myself and I can't stand Maccys; only when drunk!

Submerse:  Haha

Example: What do you make of the Dubstep scene at the moment? I missed the uprising of it all, and only got wind of it a couple of years ago. What's your view on Filth vs Non-Filth?

Submerse: I am a fan of dubstep and always like to throw a bit in at a gig or on radio etc. but the key type of dubstep for me was always the early stuff like early El-b, Skream, Horsepower, Menta etc. i think because at the time when this came out it was my first time hearing it and it was so fresh a new it totaly blew me away!  As far as the new stuff i love stuff from people like Vaccine, Scuba, Burial, Joy O etc. if you put that in the Dubstep catagory. I totaly respect people who make Filth because iv seen it destroy raves but its not my personal taste but at the end of the day its all dubstep so what ever helps the scene to grow is cool with me!

 

Example: Do you think growth is good? For example, a guy on my Facebook the other day posted "DUBSTEP!" I replied with "Who you in to?" to which he said "High Contrast!".   I informed him that HC was Liquid DNB to which he said "They sound the same"    These people surely can't be good for the scene?

 Submerse:  Haha! Well as i say its each to there own the fact that people are starting to take notice is a good thought because if we can get the big labels involved it means that some people may be able to make a living out of doing what they love. But i see what you mean its nice to have smallish community where you can feel special about the kind of music you like. I think thats why i love Future garage so  much the stage it is at now is a small community of producers who share tunes and have a great passion for the thing we all have in common  But as you say Dubstep seems to be the flavour of the month so there is going to be a lot of people you wouldnt expect listening to it and most people will move on with the trend but true fans will be there to see it through.

Example:  What would you consider to be the difference between Future Garage & forward thinking Dubstep? In my opinion Future Garage is much like what Dubstep originally was; an umbrella term for experimental/forward thinking bass music. I consider producers like Joy Orbison, Burial, Untold etc to be Future Garage but people I've spoke to consider them Dubstep.

Submerse: I dont really see future garage a genre so much, i see it more of a community like i said before but we tend to use old school garage sounds cut up vox and skippy beats. Some older producers like Duncan Powell havent made dubstep but a new form of UKG. I think this is what future garage is. I agree its very much like like old school dubstep, but again that was influenced by garage with a twist to make something new and personaly i agree i think Burial, Joy, Brackles etc. are more garage becaues the beats and samples they use but if Future garage is paired with dubstep thats not a bad thing at all.      

Example:  What's your set up at the moment?  In regards to DJing  what's your view on the whole Vinyl/Digital/Even more digital debate?

Submerse: At the moment i use 2 Technics 1210's 2 Cdj 800's and a djm 800. KRK sub and 2 Alesis m1 monitors. i dont tend to buy vinyl because all the future garage stuff is all on CD's but i do love a good bit of wax! and think they should keep stuff on wax too because the sound is warm and its like a tradition but the fact that you can get so much stuff on digital is amazing because most of the digital label stuff would never get pressed so its giving more music to the people!  

Example: Do you mix the genres up in a set or keep it pretty rigid?

Submerse:  The main focus in a set for me is Future garage but i love mixing it with Old Skool UKG, UK Funky and Dubstep maybe the odd bit of tough bassline if people seem like there feeling it its nice to keep things fresh i think so they never quite know what to expect from you in a dj/radio set.

Example: Right quickly before you bail what is FortyFour and where can people find you playing out?

 Submerse:  FortyFour is my brand new side project. just me this time on the buttons. been producing stuff with a bit of darker,  deeper twist.  you can check out all my FortyFour stuff at "http://www.soundcloud.com/fortyfour"  look out for fortyfour tracks being released just in talk with some labels at the moment but cant give to much away at the moment but it looks like FortyFour is going to be a big focus for me this year!

Example: Sweet man, one more before you go Cheryl Cole has recently moved Megan Fox from number 1 on FHM 100 Sexiest Women to number 2. Your thoughts?

Haha i like Cheryl more than Megan i recon! somthing about her haha but at the end of the day i think Ferne Cotton is the hottest Celeb and a bit of Lillt allen! but just for the record i think my girlfriend is the hottest!   haha! .... before you say it yes the whip has been cracked!

*insert whipping sound here*