Interview with RudeOne

Ahead of Grietfest we interview DJ / Promoter / IT Manager / Dad, RudeOne, discussing his longtime relationship with Drum and Bass, the cult nature of Drum and Bass in South Africa as well as what can be expected from his performance at Grietfest.

What got you interested in Jungle, Drum and Bass and DJing at the age of 17?

I had some older friends at the time who were all into Drum & Bass, Techno and DJing. I used to hang out with them a lot and started going to clubs like 206 and Reality. My love for the music grew and so I became more and more interested in playing records.

You lived in the UK for a couple of years. What was interested or exciting about the Drum and Bass movement that side and what were some of the learnings you had?

London was insane. From living in a house with a bunch of Junglists to going out every night of the week to experience different Drum & Bass events, I was on a mission to absorb it all and to learn as much as possible. I played my first real show in London, learned about the culture and connected with the people. When I returned back home I was so excited and inspired that I decided to attempt doing a Drum & Bass event. 10 years later and we are still going strong with monthly events in JHB and CT and also two outdoor festivals.

You started before the advent of virtual DJ software and laptop DJing. Did you start with vinyl or CDJs and what are your thoughts on software such as Traktor and Virtual DJ and those who use it?

I started out on Vinyl but it got a bit expensive in recent years.  I then gave Serato a go and really liked it. I could still play on turntables but with all my music on my laptop. It made sense at the time and I continued playing on Serato for a couple of years. I recently moved over to USB and Rekordbox when I play short sets but still prefer Serato for longer sets. As a DJ, most of the work goes into finding, prepping and listening to your tunes. Playing is the fun part and how you play it is up to you, as long as you have your own style and keep it fresh. For me personally, I will never be able to do this with something like virtual DJ, it’s just not as much fun as playing on Turntables / CDJs.

What software and equipment you use for DJing?

I still use 3x Technics SL2010’s with Serato in my studio. When playing out I mostly use CDJ2000’s and still play a vinyl set here-and-there.

Have you ever dabbled in the production of music and are there any future aspirations to do so?

I would love to get back into making music, hopefully in the near future. Being a dad, full time IT Manager, DJ and running a couple events leaves very little time for producing music. I, kind of, made peace with the fact that I was born to be a DJ and Promoter. But yeah, would definitely like to give it a go again.

The drum and bass culture in Johannesburg can be described as something of a cult. How would you explain to an outsider what it is about the movement that is so exciting that some attend weeknight drum and bass events religiously?

It’s all about the music, the experience and the family. We’ve always tried to do our events at somewhat “different” and “exclusive” venues. We put a lot of effort into our events to make it special and not just another party. Chances are that if you come to our events, you will leave with new friends, feel part of the family and will certainly be back for more.

You’re something of a Godfather of Drum and Bass having founded Science Frikshun, Addictshun and Pressure.  Have you been able to economically sustain a career in the music or do you balance this with a full-time job?

Haha no… As mentioned earlier, I still have a full time job as IT manager in Cape Town. Events are really expensive to do and we hardly make any money from it.

What do you think needs to happen locally for more musicians to be able to sustain careers in music without needing to supplement them with full-time jobs?

Events play a massive roll but I think more importantly are the fans. Promoters have to do their best to create high quality events, people need to support these events and understand that without their support, there will be no more quality events and a platform for artists to showcase their music and talents.

Who are your favourite new artists in the Drum and Bass scene locally and can we expect to see them performing on the Science Frikshun stage at Grietfest?

Mr Green has been playing insane sets lately and I am really excited to see him perform on the main stage this year. Xane, who recently moved to SA from Estonia is definitely another artist to look out for with his smooth liquid and Estonian rollers. Then Ella G, she’s been doing big things. Can’t wait to see what she gets up to at the Official Grietfest after party.

What can be expected of your set at Grietfest and how do you ensure that your DJ sets take revellers on a journey of varied emotion and sound?

I always try make my sets as interesting as possible. It needs to tell a story. I like to experiment with different styles of Drum & Bass / Jungle. There are lots of insane new music out there and not to forget the old classics. Playing in a container yard in the middle of Johannesburg just adds to the vibe, the possibilities are endless, it’s all going down at Grietfest 2016!