SLOGUN
Heavy Artillery / Artist Recordings - Los Angeles, CA
Words by: Tom Strayhorn aka Medicine Man
Slogun is Nick Handman from Los Angeles, CA and he is a Drum N Bass DJ/Producer with Heavy Artillery Recordings
With musical roots ranging from Punk Rock to Hip Hop to Reggae, Slogun is at the forefront of a new generation of stateside Drum & Bass producers. With catchy hooks, high energy rhythms and devastating baselines, his massive dancefloor sound has quickly distinguished him as one of the few Americans pushing Drum & Bass into the 21st century. With performances geared strictly towards the dancefloor, Slogun brings the heat to every live set.
Nick Slogun first started to make moves in the DnB world with a pair of releases in 2010 and the inception of his weekly Bass Music radio show “The Red Eye Rewind” Monday nights on www.indie1031.com. Signing to Heavy Artillery Recordings in 2011, the successful release of the "Siren EP" established him as a contender amongst both new and established producers in the bass music world. He has shared the stage with the likes of KJ Sawka, UFO!, Calculon, Captain Panic!, Divine Elements, Kelly Dean and many more. With several releases forthcoming, be on the look out for big things from Slogun!
EverydayJunglist: When and how did you first become a fan of Drum N Bass music and what made you decide to become a DJ? A producer?
Slogun: My first introduction to DnB came when I was a little kid, back in the mid-90s when electronic music was first starting to get big in the states. The media here was calling all of it "techno" back then so I didn't really have any concept of what I was listening to, but I picked up on little bits here and there, like Roni Size's "New Forms" and Adam F's "Circles", which were some of the first CDs I bought with my own money. As I grew up I got involved in other forms of music, mainly playing in punk rock bands and eventually trying to produce hip hop. In college I started raving and listening to more electronic music which led me to rediscover DnB, and I fell head over heels into it. I've always wanted to make music my life, and finding Drum & Bass felt like the natural fit that I'd been looking for, both as a fan and an artist. Once I tried my hand at producing it, I found that I was much more comfortable and productive making DnB then I'd ever been with any other style before. I eventually got my first pair of decks and I haven't looked back since.
EverydayJunglist: Please describe how you got involved and started releasing DnB tunes under Heavy Artillery Recodings. ("Urban Assault" Faust and Shortee's label)
Slogun: I've always been a huge fan of Urban Assault and have looked up to them as one of the few American groups to make massive, dancefloor Drum & Bass and be successful with it. They're also some of the best DJs around, which was always an inspiration as well. When I started to really take my production seriously and look for potential labels to submit to, it didn't seem like there were many stateside options out there that were both legitimate and catered to the sound I was going for. Heavy Artillery seemed like a great choice, but they were only releasing their own tunes at the time. Once I saw them post online that they were opening up the label to submissions from outside artists, I sent in some demos of a couple early tunes of mine. I got a response in a couple of hours from Faust, saying they were interested in releasing my stuff. I gotta give them major respect for taking a chance on me at that point, cuz those early ones were pretty rough!
EverydayJunglist: Do you have any side projects you are working on that you would or could share first with us now?
Slogun: I'm trying to stay away from too many side projects at this point since I'm really just starting out and still making my name in the scene. Nowadays I'm primarily producing and releasing tunes as a duo with my Splat Media crew-mate iOh, as Slogun & iOh. We've got several releases lined up for early 2012 and we're putting our main focus into that and pushing it as far as we can. I'll still have some solo releases here and there, and am working on some other collabs at the moment as well.
EverydayJunglist: How would you describe the Drum and Bass scene in Los Angeles? (from a local's perspective)
Slogun:For the most part, we're very lucky in LA because the Drum & Bass scene is large and growing. We've got several weekly and monthly parties that draw major names from around the world, as well as one-offs. We've got shows in bars, clubs, massives, raves, all kinds of venues. There's also a large amount of local talent that keeps the scene strong and vibrant. For awhile there, the Dubstep craze took some of the attention away from DnB, but the trend seems to be reversing. In the last year or so we've seen an increase in DnB at the major bass music events, and a lot of the kids who first got into Dubstep have discovered jungle and started becoming a part of the DnB scene as well. People like their share of both styles in LA, which I'm cool with. On the other hand, there are a lot of local DJs but far less local producers focusing on DnB here, making much of the LA scene oriented towards live shows without a real strong foundation for showcasing original work. However, as the scene grows and things change, it seems like more and more people in LA are starting to get noticed for their work which is nice to see.
EverydayJunglist: Have you had a favorite moment playing out that you will never forget that you wouldn't mind sharing with us?
Slogun: I've had a few in the past year that have stuck with me and I'll always remember. Its a tough call to pick one, but getting the opportunity to play the legendary "Respect" weekly (LA's longest running) was a huge thrill and milestone for me. Also gotta include playing a primarily Dubstep show in Orange County and watching hundreds of Dubstep fans go wild on the dancefloor for Drum & Bass. And that one particularly hot girl stripping down in front of my decks before getting kicked out made it pretty memorable as well...
EverydayJunglist: What "classics" do you find yourself throwing in your sets for club nights and parties?
Slogun: I try to keep a range of tunes in my sets; I primarily play new tunes but I try and keep a healthy dose of major bangers and favorites of mine from the last few years at least. The disposable mentality about music in this scene is something I try to avoid, so if its a banger and goes off and happens to be a little older, I'll still rock it. As far as truly old-school tunes and "classics", you can find me double-dropping or teasing tunes like "Body Rock" or "Mo' Fire" amongst others.
EverydayJunglist: Who are some other producers that you one day hope to work with and why? Has there been anyone you have worked with so far who has kept you inspired that you would like to give props to?
Slogun:There are a lot of really groundbreaking and innovative producers out there that I'd love to collaborate with someday. Smooth (from Viper Recordings) has been a major influence on me, particularly on my more "stadium liquid" sounding tunes, so it'd be great to work with him. Receptor is another amazing producer with a sound that I think would work well with mine. I wouldn't mind making a smashing dancefloor banger with Tantrum Desire either! I've been lucky enough to have one my tunes "Siren" remixed by Urban Assault, which was a huge milestone for me. iOh and myself are working on our own remix of a new Urban Assault tune as well, and it'd be great to work on an original with them at some point.
EverydayJunglist: How would you like to see Drum N Bass music evolve in coming years?
Slogun: I think its key for DnB to simply keep evolving and not get stuck in one particular sound. Change is key for any genre to survive, and I think its because of DnB's ability to change that its been able to flourish for so long. I would personally like to see Drum & Bass continue to evolve in a more musical direction, which I think is where its going anyways considering the popularity of liquid and mainstream dancefloor sounds nowadays.
EverydayJunglist: What artists and labels have been your greatest inspirations in regard to your personal production and in general over the years within Drum N Bass music?
Slogun: Tough question, there are so many! The whole Viper Recordings crew and their sound have been a massive influence on me. Their melodic, funky take on upfront dancefloor DnB is the sound of the future in my opinion. Digital Soundboy is another label that's been been particularly influential across the board; I'm a sucker for all things Ragga and they never disappoint. On the jumpier side of things, Technique Recordings and of course Urban Assault helped me learn to make the massive dancefloor sound that I love so much. Can't forget to mention Camo & Krooked, they've been pushing the creative limits of DnB since I can remember and I'm constantly inspired by their work.
EverydayJunglist: Do you like to think of yourself more as a producer, or a DJ?..and why?
Slogun: If I had to choose I would probably say producer, although I definitely consider myself both. I would only choose producer because all my life I've been writing music and DnB production is the extension of that; its where I'm more comfortable naturally. However, that being said, I love DJing and continue striving to better my skills. For me DJing has by far been my favorite kind of live performance, there's nothing like the feeling you get watching a crowd react to what your dropping on them. So I would have to say I think of myself as both, with an emphasis on the production side.
EverydayJunglist: Please describe your production rig and any equipment or vst's you like to use (that you don't mind sharing). On average, how long does it take you to produce one of your original tunes?
Slogun: My rig has been in constant change since I started producing, but lately I've been using Logic as my DAW, with vst's like Massive, Blue, Sylenth and a few others. I still use Ableton for timestretching samples and whatever else Logic falls short in. In terms of how long it takes to finish a tune, it really depends on the tune itself. Anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months is pretty typical. For remixes, I've been able to bang them out in as fast as a week, but again it depends on what I'm working on and how inspired I'm feeling.
EverydayJunglist: If you had a chance to remix one of your favorite all-time DnB tunes, what would it be, and why "that" song in particular?
Slogun: I'd probably pick Bad Company's "Planet Dust" - if that tune had a proper modern rework it'd destroy any dancefloor on contact! Still one of my favorites hands down.
EverydayJunglist: What advice would you offer to a talented and driven artist trying to establish themselves in this business?
Slogun: I'd recommend really listening intently to the music you love; having a good knowledge of the structure and conventions of DnB is one of the key things that separates producers who get their tunes released and those that don't. Once those things are in place, the creativity you can allow yourself with DnB is limitless. Its also a good idea to really make sure that your tunes are ready before posting clips online or spamming people with them. Constantly posting your works in progress on soundcloud shows too much of the unfinished product and can make it hard to be taken seriously. Once the tunes are really polished, send them off to appropriate labels and make contacts. Nowadays it really is possible for a total newcomer to have their music released if its of the right quality. Lastly don't give up if you get shot down at first, if your work is good you will definitely get noticed at some point!
EverydayJunglist: What are your personal goals for this next year regarding production? Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years and what well known record labels would you hope to one day put out songs under and represent professionally?
Slogun: This year its my goal to have a continuous string of releases, and to constantly be learning and improving with my production. It'd be great to be able to break into the scene abroad, particularly in the UK. In 5 years I want to be playing massives and touring across the globe. Gotta aim high, right?? Its always been a goal of mine to get releases on one of the major UK labels like Viper, Ram, Technique, Hospital, you name it! However I'll always have my loyalty to Heavy Artillery and I plan on continuing to release with them no matter what.
EverydayJunglist: Please tell us a bit about your hobbies and interests outside of the music that most of your fans don't hear or already know about.
Slogun: I'm a huge Reggae fan; besides DnB its been my favorite kind of music since I can remember. Outside of music, I've been playing around with digital imagery and graphics recently, which is definitely something I plan on delving deeper into in the future. I probably could have been a halfway decent skateboarder if I'd tried harder too.
EverydayJunglist: Do you have any tours or gigs lined up that you would like to mention? Have any that bring you to (or close to) Texas?
Slogun: I'll be supporting Hive at next months "Timeless" DnB monthly here in LA, and I'm currently in the process of setting up my first out of state gigs! Hopefully I'll be making my way near you guys soon...
EverydayJunglist: Would you like to thank or send a personal props out to anyone specific for helping you on your way up in the DnB scene? Do you have any profile or website links you'd like to share with everyone? (please list below)
Slogun: Again, gotta give massive respect to Faust & Shortee for giving me my break and believing in my music. Also I wanna shout out my Splat Media and Signal Flow crews, who've both supported me since day 1. Major props also go to the Bass Dynasty Crew (who throw LA Beatdown and Timeless) for supporting the music of me and my crewmates. Last but definitely not least, big shoutout to MC Zezo One in San Francisco for giving me my first exposure to the scene!
EverydayJunglist: Is there anything else you would like to share that we didn't touch on in the above questions?
Slogun: Make sure to check out my upcoming releases as Slogun & iOh - early February we'll have a tune included on the first album for Artist Recordings, the free label run by GeneticBros which will be exclusive to DnBArena and a free download. We also have several remixes and an original EP dropping on Heavy Artillery in the forthcoming months, look for those on Beatport, and thanks for the support!
You can connect with Slogun at any of the following links:
Everyday Junglist Profile: http://www.everydayjunglist.org/Slogun/info.php
Exclusive Promo Mix: http://soundcloud.com/slogun/everyday-junglist-promo-mix
facebook.com/slogundnb
soundcloud.com/slogun
twitter.com/slogundnb
heavyartilleryrecordings.com