We caught up with Bristolian producer Mensah to find out a bit more about him...

Example: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into music?
 

Mensah: My name is Mensah and I'm me! Been doing music since as long as I can remember, weather it was mixing my 2 garage records and my mums 80's vinyl at a friends house at 12 or recording hip hop from the westwood show and cutting a pating my own mixtapes with the tunes I liked. I switched it up when I was 18 and started producing and that has been my main passion ever since.

Example: Who would you say are your main influences, old and contemporary?

 

Mensah: I just listen to as much music as possible but I would say that it is the work of Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, Gwen Stefani, George Clinton & and then uk and more recantly people like Fresh, Clipz/Redlight and all of Full Cycle, Skream, Joker ect...

Example: What do you mainly use for production and is there anything you would say typifies your sound?

Mensah: I use Logic with a lot plug-ins. I also use a few bits of hardware (which gives me a lot of my character & size). The main thing is the time I have spent in the studio since 18 (almost 7 years)

 

Example:  Dance music had some pretty rigid genres in the past, do you see the relaxing of these boundaries as a good thing, if in fact you do see that happening?

Mensah: Yeah there is a lot of boundaries getting broken and I think it's good and healthy. As a DJ/producer or listener you can move between genres real easy and it's great. I say the the ipod, internet & digital format music has played a big part in this.

Example:  What's your opinion on all this social media out there now, in terms of using it for promotion, do find it a useful tool? Or a red herring?

Mensah: I find it useful and have fully embraced it BUT see a lot of kids/wanna be artists going about it in the wrong way so I think like anything in life it's how you use it/what you do with it. Too much can be a bad thing...

Example:  Had any trouble with pirates? As in geeks downloading, not the ones that want your gold?

Mensah:  I luckily have not been troubled by Somalian Pirates of the Arabian Sea! I have had people download my music and then hit me up saying "that new tune is sik, I just got it!" It is part and parcel with the modern day and I don't have a solution to the problem. It seems to be a double edged sword because if you have more people listening/downloading then it still gets you bigger and playing to bigger crowds ect...

Example:  Your last single is out on Baobinga's label Build, how did that come about?

Mensah:  We met at Pinch's Dubloaded night in Bristol, We decided to do a tune and NSG is what came out of the studio session we did. I love collaborationg with artists who are a lot different from me, it's more fun and the results seem to be better in the end.

 

Example:  Top 3 Dj's/Producers/Tunes killin it right now?

Mensah:  Breakage Ft Jess Mills - Fighting Fire (Digital Soundboy)  

Julio Bashmore - Battle For Middle You (PMR Records)

Redlight - Source 16 (Dubplate)

Example:   Best Club night you've been out to recently?

Mensah:  Hit & Run in Manchester was OFFFFFF THE CHAIN! But Basslaced in Nottingham has been equally as good the two times i have played there.

Example:   Recommend a mix you've checked recently?

Mensah:  It's old but I still love it: Boddika's Mix for Benji B on BBC Radio 1xtra
http://soundcloud.com/esp-international/boddika-instra-mental-swamp-81-promo-mix-for-benji-b-on-bbc-1xtra

Example: 2010 must have been a top year for you, what would you say have been the highlights?

Mensah:  Playing abroad as much as I did was great but the main highlights have all been dj/producers I have admired and respected for YEARS, hitting me up for tunes/remixes and general praise. It really felt/feels good and helps me to Goon out in the studio!

Example:  What's in store for us from you in 2011 and where do you want to be by the beginning of 2012?

Mensah:  OK. Here goes!

release wise:

Drop The Lime - Hot As Hell (Mensah Remix) Out 31st Jan on Trouble & Bass/Ministry Of Sound

Melé - Trappin' (Mensah Remix) Out Jan/Feb On Sinden's label 'Grizzly'

Mensah, Sukh Knight & Squarewave - Quad Bikes/G Activity out on H.E.N.C.H Feb(ish)

Mensah - The Gambia Out On Mala's Deep Medi in the Spring

I am also working on two EP's at the moment so who knows where/when they will come out!

I have a ton of remix requests in my inbox so there will be a fair few of them this year!

Also working on some vocal projects. Expect a 12" from me & Foreign Beggars & also me producing beats for other artists

DJ wise I have a good diary at the moment with lots of UK & Europe bookings and also a New Zealand Tour at the end of Feb. Australia should be in the Summer & hopefully USA at the end of the year

Example: And finally...was 1986 the future?

Mensah:  It started on a Wednesday.

Sega released the Master System
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched with the first Hispanic-American astronaut, Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz.
Pixar Animation Studios was opened.

The 'Top 40' Chart format was started
The Clash broke up (marking the end of good Punk Rock) But N.W.A & No Doubt where formed marking a new era.
Kraftwerk released The LP Electric Café

Aliens, Big Trouble In Little China, Blue Velvet, Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, Ferris Buellers Day Off & Labyrinth all came out in the Cinema

AND. lol

Me, Skream, Benga, Megan Fox, Wayne Rooney, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen & Lindsay Lohan where born!

 

 

MENSAH ON SOUNDCLOUD

MENSAH ON TWITTER