Words by: Medicine Man and WeRm

EDJ: "All Blue" is the Number 1 Drum and Bass Arena download of all time. How did it feel when your song hit the #1 spot, and did you have any idea this song would be so massive when you wrote it?

Sigma: To be honest when we saw that it was number 1 on DNB Arena we were very surprised. We were obviously really into the track but never expected it to get such amazing support. To this day we constantly get passed phones at gigs with ‘play all blue’ written on it!

EDJ: Describe the moment you both first felt like you had been "discovered" and would now be moving up into the mainstream Drum and Bass circuit? Who would you say has played the most pivotal role in aiding to your successes?

Sigma: There wasn’t really a specific time when we thought we had been discovered. It has taken a very long slog to get where we are today and we are still going. Hearing our music on Radio 1 in the UK has definitely filled us with a sense of achievement; and receiving such a good response from our first single on Life Recordings has also helped.

There have been many people that have aided us on our way. Chase and Status have been really supportive. They saw the potential in All Blue and helped us mix it down. Hype, Swift, Adam F, Fresh and Pendulum have all shown us great club support and more recently, Mr. Jam, High Contrast and Annie Mac have been reppin’ us on the radio over here. Big ups to you all!!

EDJ: Tell us a bit about how Sigma came together and what has driven both of you to become the respected producers/DJ's you are today?

Sigma: We both met at UNI in Leeds. I was studying events management and used to put on parties. At that time, Wooz was big in the Hip Hop game, winning DMC. I booked him a few times and we got on well and discovered a love for lurking in front of screens for days getting a studio tan.
EDJ: Of all your releases, which track did you enjoy making the most? Also, which of your releases do you take the most pride in and why?

Sigma: Paint it Black was a track that was initially made pretty quickly and we just got on a vibe and rolled out. It was pretty effortless and enjoyable to write. We take pride in all our releases, hence the lack of them. However, we are most proud of our first release on our own Label LIFE RECORDINGS. We still aren’t bored of Something Special.

EDJ: What do you consider yourself first, producers or DJ's and why?

Sigma: Initially, we consider ourselves DJs. We both have DJed for years before getting studios and the production was a natural progression. We love DJing! However, you can not beat the feeling of playing a tune you have spent months making in front of a large crowd and seeing the reaction.

EDJ: How long have you both been involved in music? What other types of music do you enjoy listening to?

Sigma: For as long as we can remember, we have loved music. Only in the past 3 years has this changed from a hobby to a career. As previously mentioned, Wooz was massively involved in Hip Hop mainly scratching and spent years perfecting techniques and methods that helped him win DMC.

I was a DNB DJ and promoter prior to making music and used to put on massive parties in the north of England. As far as other genres, we draw influences from anything. Its important to be open minded.

EDJ: If given the opportunity to work with any Drum and Bass producer(s), who would you most desire to collaborate with and why?

Sigma: Rob from Pendulum for obvious reasons, and High Contrast. He always strikes a perfect balance between cheese and respectable music - a very hard act to follow.


EDJ: Was it suggested by anyone in particular or did you guys decide to make a VIP of El Presidente?

Sigma: No not really. We were doing a mix for BBC Radio one and we wanted an exclusive to play. We literally opened the project and switched up some of the elements, gave it a phat mix down and viola Andy C played it every set for 9 months!! We totally weren’t expecting it!

EDJ: Describe your personal studio setup. What hardware and software do you use for music production? Do you use any particular plugging?

Sigma: We both used Quad Core PC’s packed with plug-ins. Some of our favorites are the Sonnox, Sonalakis, Waves, Antares and PSP Nitro. In terms of Vst's some Sigma favorites are the Massive, Rob Papan Blue, KONTAKT, Zeta and V Station to name a few oh yea, the SSA BMUD kicks out some killa subs!!

EDJ: Walk us through Sigma's production process. How do you recommend starting a track (where to begin)? How long on average does it take you two to finish a track from beginning to end?

Sigma: There is no set method. It’s good to spend time working breaks and drum hits so you can pull them into projects. A good place to start is with a sample. This could be anything from an old hip hop tune or funk classic to house etc. It’s good to find a key to work in too. You will find that bass sounds best in certain keys. Generally E – A. Tracks always take ages. We often bounce parts across the internet adding as we go along.


EDJ: How would you personally advise driven young producers out there to go about establishing a positive and productive reputation for themselves and maybe get noticed along the way?
Sigma: Just keep plugging. Try not to clone others. Keep working away on production and don’t release tunes too early, they will haunt you!

EDJ: What has been the most interesting thing that has happened while touring the mainstream Drum and Bass circuit in Europe and around the world? Has there been anything unusually funny that you can remember happening at some point?

Sigma: We were playing in Porto NYE last, and it got to the end of our 2 hour set. The crowd was going mad, but the owner of the theatre we were playing at wanted us off so he could shut the venue. The promoter, our crazy friend Marco, stepped in and decided to fight the owner, who is an old man! This whole fight broke out behind us, bouncers, old man, Marco, fists were flying! Marco ended up with a black eye but we played for another 20 minutes!!

EDJ: What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of the Drum and Bass world?

Sigma: Wooz is passionate about plane spotting. He recently bought a pair of binoculars for 400 pounds so he could get a better look at the planes.

We are truly gangster!

EDJ: Are there any BIG things in store for your fans during the remainder of 2009? Would you be willing to share any hints or places to keep an eye on?

Sigma: We have a lot planned. We are focusing a lot on LIFE RECORDINGS our imprint. We have finished 2 tracks with Fresh that will be coming out on BBK alongside some bigger projects. We are working with Logistics on some tracks that will hopefully be coming out on Hospital at some point. Also look out for and Ed Rush and Optical remix of Hi Top on Viper.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!

We are starting a Sigma Pod cast series very soon so keep your ears peeled.
Paint it Black – in the shops now
Front to Back and Nexus, the second release on our own label.