Section Interview + New EP

Section launch their new label ‘Locked Up Music’ with the ‘Give Us  A Break EP’ It’s out right now on Bandcamp followed by Juno Download from May the 11th and all good download stores from the 18th of May. Read on for an insightful interview from the Section lads….

Section – Give Us A Break EP by Section

For those who don’t know, tell us a bit about Section. How did you get into music production? What were the initial steps?
We are from Worthing, West Sussex (UK) and are made up of James Barclay (Jay B) and Nathan Solley (Solley). We have been mates for years and always talked about music and go to nights in Brighton. I used to DJ a lot in the early 00s and this inspired Nathan to make Drum & Bass. I was never interested in the production side of things but when Nathan showed me the process on Cubase I became hooked! In 2007 I got my own setup and things progressed from there. We formed Section in 2013 and we’ve never looked backed! 

How would you describe your production style?
Dancefloor rollers! We try to make music that has elements of the original jungle sound that we grew up on but it has to have an impact in the clubs. We use a lot of samples to maintain an authentic flavour but we hope that we are relevant to the younger crowd too, as we understand that they are the next generation of this incredible movement.
Why have you decided to start your own label and what plans do you have in store?
It was always the dream but initially, it didn’t feel right. In 2016 we spoke about it while camping, Solley came up with the name immediately and 6 months later we have our first release ready to go! We have our first three releases sorted; the first is our Give Us A Break EP which will be available on Juno from 11/5/17 and worldwide on 18/5/17, then we have a two track release from ourselves. The third release is the first part of the Alliance Series which features four collaboration tracks. We wanted to involve artists who have supported us over the past few years, and who we felt we could collaborate with effectively. We plan to continue the series and hopefully get more artists involved in the future.

Are there any major influences production wise that inspire you?
Jay B – This is always a tricky question to answer but I reckon the Bristol sound of the late 90s has really inspired the way I approach music production (Roni Size, Krust, Die, Suv, D Product, Surge etc.) I also think that UK Hip-Hop production is influential; sample driven, raw but with soul.
Solley – I think Pink Floyd have been a major influence on my sound since I started making music, I love those long evolving pads and anything dripping in reverb or delays. Drum & Bass wise I’m inspired by Paradox’s production; I love his drums! Such good programming and sound so ruff, they’re proper drums, none of this one shot shit!
Of all the tunes you’ve made, which is your favourite?
Jay B – Can I have two?! We released a track in 2014 called Beauty & The Bass. It is quite different from our normal stuff but love it! Solley sings on it too, which is a rare treat!

The second tune is one that is coming out very soon on Directors Cut called “Ten Tonne Sound” with our pal Junior Red. He smashes it! We have worked with him on a few tracks in the past and will continue to work with him in the future. He has so much talent, if you don’t know then get to know!

Solley – I really like Fear on the new EP. I think the track translates into a real emotion for me; it feels anxious and uncomfortable, in a good way! I’m happy with the drums on that one.
Where have you DJ’ed?
I (Jay B) do the majority of the DJing; it’s what I have done since 1997 and I still love playing out in clubs today (although my kids have scuppered too many late nights these days!). I have been fortunate to play all over the UK, including One Nation at Brixton Academy. I have played at the Winter Music Conference in Miami and in 2013 Nathan and I played at Remedy and Koncrete Jungle in New York.
Describe to us your approach to a DJ set, do you like to gently warm up the crowd or go for the bangers or more of a journey approach?
Unfortunately, you only get an hour in the UK (or 30mins if B2B) so you don’t have much time to create a journey. We mainly play at the Volks in Brighton and to be honest the crowd love it hard for 60mins so that’s what we try to deliver! Playing to that sort of crowd has definitely influenced our production; the first drop has to kill it or they’ll stop dancing pretty quickly ha!
Could you offer a bit of advice for an up and coming producer?

Solley – Mmm, my advice to up and coming producers would be, not to spend any time trying to sound like anyone else you would be doing yourself and others a great disservice. I know I wasted so many hours of my life trying to sound like Noisia or Pendulum, but in the end, all you end up sounding like is a shit version of someone better at being themselves! I would love to give my younger self that advice.
And if you could remix any tune of your choice, what would it be?
Jay B – Another tricky question! Two tunes spring to mind; Horizons by LTJ Bukem and Deadly Deep Subs by Dillinja. I suppose these two tracks got me hooked on Jungle. One part of me says remixing tunes like these would be incredible, another says don’t touch history!
Solley – I think I would choose anything by Simon Posford under his Hallucinogen alias, not because I actually want to remix it but so I can see how he puts his tunes together! He has such great sound design and intricate detail; I love all that!
So before we hit play on this new forthcoming release of yours on Locked Up Music, can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind it?
The EP is called Give Us A Break, which has two meanings. The first is obvious(!) the second alludes to the fact that we use funk breaks in our tunes because that’s the sound we fell in love with. All four tunes original funk breaks; answers on a postcard!
We wrote the EP with that concept in mind, something that we haven’t done before, but we are pleased with the results. So far we have had some really humbling feedback from artists we respect; Bailey, Need For Mirrors, Blu Mar Ten, Ray Keith. We look forward to releasing more music on our label as well as other labels that have supported us to get us to this point on our journey.
Any final words and shout outs?
Jay B – Yes! I would like to thank my wife Sarah who puts up with the long hours I spend making music. I love you!
Solley – I’d like to shout out to my cousin Clement White for getting me started in music production and teaching me how to use synths and software, and also to Ashley Jackson (DJ Mace) for giving us loads of samples when we were starting out. Big up!

We would also like to thank all the DJs, promoters and label owners who have helped us try to make some headway in a scene which is notoriously difficult to succeed in. We will try to not forget anyone but apologies if I do!
Ash-A-Tack, Tony Damage, Monita, Ray Keith, DJ Hybrid, Agro, Junior Red, John Physmatics, Ill Effects, Taelimb & Conscience, Stu Rogue Beatz, Ikon-B & Crisis, DJ Wise & Lipton MC (Dream FM), Xeropoint, Bailey, Need For Mirrors, Blu Mar Ten, A-Sides, LSB, Tyke, Trouble & Maniac, Rustycee, Lotskee, Richie Weaver, DJ Uno, Livewire, Threts, Cynical Gene, Brown B, Jaybee, XTC, Cabin Fever, D Funk, Kumarachi, Soul Intent, Madcap, Dazee, Verdikt, Mentah, Marcus Tee, Kosine & Dialect, DJ Mace, Margaman, Lifestyle Music, Jawa (Everyday Junglist Podcast), Kilo & Maz (Trickstar FM) and all of the Volks creatures!
We would also like to make special thanks to Dapz from Compound Audio who does all of our mastering, but has also been key in improving our mixes with his expert advice. Big up!
A final thanks to free breaks blog for reviewing our debut release. Hope to catch you all out and about soon!
James and Nathan

Section Interview + New EP