X E Dos on his new forthcoming album for Boomsha Recs

We caught up with the veteran Jungle/DnB producer X E Dos to talk about his career so far and his forthcoming album for Boomsha Recordings:

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m Chris, Aka Doc Maxey, Aka X-E-Dos. Originally from Bristol now living in Hertfordshire. By day a software programmer, by night butcher of break beats…..

How did you get involved with Boomsha Records?

An old friend of mine, Dredgy, listen to the station and often heard Daz Breakz, Boomsha’s owner, playing Ice Minus’ Zen, a track myself and a couple friends had written and released back in ’97. Daz then got in touch and asked if I’d be up for doing a few tracks. That’s where the New Era EP (my debut release for Boomsha in 2014) sprang up from. 

How did you get into music production? What were the initial steps?

I was lucky enough to get a Saturday job when I was 16 in a small independent record shop in Bath. I managed to feed my hunger for new rave records from there and from trips across to Bristol. Managed to get hold of an Atari ST and got myself a copy of a program called Stereo Replay, a very primitive 3 channel sample playback sequencer. That was my first step into any sort of music creation, if you could call it that.

I met quite a few DJ’s through working at the shop, starting DJ’ing in local Bath clubs and met a pair of guys who had a small studio. They were techno heads, so, when I asked them to record old funk breaks, cut them up into little pieces and then put them back together again they were slightly confused! I got them to teach me how to use the kit, mainly the Akai sampler, Cubase and out-board gear. A few months later I was away. Turned up in the morning with the rental fee for the day, a bag of weed and a loan of the Playstation, and they would happily leave me to it, managing to bang out a tune a day…That’s where the first X-E-Dos 12” was born, released on Basement Records’ Street Beats subsidiary.

How would you describe your production style?

Dark n heavy, sometimes strange. I’d like to think it’s something a little different from the norm….

Was there a moment or a tune or a DJ set that made you decide you were going to produce?

Not one stand out moment really. I love finding breaks. I’ve always listened to hip-hop and finding the original samples and loops is something that intrigues me (check my Friday night slot on Planet-Rave.com to understand!). I love the feeling of finding an original break or loop and chopping it up into something new. That’s what got me hooked in the first place and still does it for me today.

What your first experience of rave music and how did you get into the sound?

The first Universe party in Bath was my first proper rave, I was 17 I think at the time. I was listening to tape mixes, buying a few tunes and DJ’ing badly back then in a small club, but that party properly opened my eyes and ears to what was really happening. The music being played there was what I wanted more of, not only the Belgian techno but the UK break beat stuff that was coming through, now that really made me take notice.

Who were your major influences in terms of music production?

Too many to mention really. When you’re talking drum & bass, you’d have to look at labels like Moving Shadow, Reinforced, Suburban Base and Artists such as 4Hero, 2Bad Mice, Danny Breaks, Goldie etc.

In the techno world you can think of labels such as R&S, Hit House, Trax. The sounds they brought to the music are still influential today. Then there’s the real roots, James Brown, George Clinton, Bob James, Michael Viner, Bobby Byrd, now that’s a list that would go and on.

When would you say was your breakout moment when heads turned to your music?

It’s quite hard for me to say really, I didn’t go out that much to the clubs, the odd event in Bristol where either me or one of the ‘crew’ might have been playing. I have no idea if the track was being played in clubs at the time…we can be quite isolated down there in Bristol, it has its own thing going on, always has, always will.

I think we turned a few heads with our Served Chilled stuff back in the day. Some of it was aggressive and in your face, different from the normal steppers stuff that was coming out. But the Zen track released under the alias Ice Minus seemed to catch the attention of a few.

What is it about the current wave of drum & bass music that appeals to you?

It doesn’t really. I find most of today’s drum & bass quite stagnant, there’s too much of this kick and snare and NI Massive synth stuff around. Few are breaking the moulds, Technical Itch, BKey, Dom & Roland and some others are still doing stand out tracks.

I lost connection to the scene for quite a while, family & work things, but was quite surprised coming back in that the music is more or less the same.

What made you choose drum & bass as a genre?

I love to chop beats. I love to make crazy noises. I love the deep fat bass. There’s no other music that can’t accommodate that.

If you could work on a track with anyone from now or way back when, who would it be?

Mark Caro, Mr Tech Itch. The fattest Amen’s on the planet! (might happen). And of course my brother from another mother, Luke McMillan aka The DJ Producer, but that will happen at some stage this year if I can lock him down for a few hours!

And if you could remix any tune of your choice, which one would you choose and why?

Ice Minus – Zen, it needs a 2016 reworking!

Tell us about any other music related stuff you’re involved in

I have the new album on Boomsha coming very shortly. I’ve also done an EP for John Vinyl Junkie’s Ghetto Dub Recordings. There’s a remix on another Ghetto Dub EP before my EP drops. Also almost completed another couple of EP’s for Boomsha and Daz has also teamed up with Si from 2 Bad Mice for a compilation that I have a track on.

Later in the year I’m hoping to have something for a new Tech Itch compilation and possibly another album but this time of Bay B Kane’s Ruff Guidance label. That’s a reasonably busy year I’d say….

Tell us a few of your all time and current fave producers?

Would have to say Bay B Kane, years of quality, still going strong. Dom & Roland, looking forward to the new Headz album. Tech Itch, just so damn dark n twisted – EVERYTIME! The DJ Producer, serious music at serious tempo’s. In fact, the UK Hardcore (Techno) scene’s production values are off the scale! A lot of other producers could learn a lot from listening to the Hardcore Techno scene.

Are there any unfulfilled goals or aspirations of yours musically?

Not really, I like to take things easy. I just do what I want and hope people appreciate it.

Could you offer a bit of advice for an up and coming producer?

Stay true to yourself. Do what you think sounds good. And learn your kit and explore the possibilities.

Of all the tunes you’ve made, which is your favourite?

The next one…

What are the vital elements to making a tune that come into play when you’re in the studio?

Cubase, always did, always will. And the breaks. Most tracks start with me messing around with a break.

So before we hit play on this new forthcoming release of yours on Boomsha, can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind it?

Daz Breakz made me do it….he’s to blame!!!

Any final words and shout outs?

Thanks to everyone who makes music, good or bad. I skip through lots a tracks and every single one makes me think. Why? How? Really? Fuck…… Big shout to Daz for getting me to actually finish a track and All the Boomsha artists, keeping the label strong.

X E Dos “The Book Of X E Dos” is due out 15/02/16 via Boomsha Recordings who have very kindly let us have the exclusive premiere stream of the LP minimix, check it out below

X E Dos on his new forthcoming album for Boomsha Recs