Xilent Interview
Words: Rev. Kathy Russell

EverydayJunglist: First off, what's your musical background? What were some of your early influences?
Xilent: Ever since I was a little kid and back in Poland, I was being fed the classics of 80’s pop/funk/soul by my parents, who are and have been professional musicians; mum – qualified conductor, violinist and pianist, dad – drummer, singer in various bands since the 70’ and guitar player. This means I wouldn’t be able to escape from music from artists like Michael Jackson, George Benson or Kenny G even if I wanted to. As years went by, me and my only older brother got into Trance. This was supported by our parents who would buy us more and more CDs of that genre once they noticed we started to like heavier sound. For me, this heavier sound would also be supported by artists like The Crystal Method, The Prodigy. Throughout the time, after a couple of years in a primary school with a musical profile playing piano, I was also influenced by my dad to play drums, which in secondary and high school made me join various hardcore/punk bands and get well noticed on that scene. I still play the drums, but I’m band-free at the moment.

EverydayJunglist: How and when did you first get into Drum & Bass? What are some of the tracks that you'd say were instrumental in you getting into the scene?
Xilent: As it turns out, the CDs that my parents would buy back when I was 8 or 10 weren’t only Trance. The first Drum & Bass CD I got my hands on was ‘Future Grooves – Essential Drum & Bass’ which was a VA of some Jungle artists from back then. Yes, year 1999 must have been the first time I’ve heard music with BPM of more than 150. This was a hit in the face, which later would result in me listening to John B, DJ Rap, Future Cut, Adam F, Calyx (yes, GTA3) only to find myself in Neurofunk. Naming the specific tracks will be difficult, but let me try... starting with jungle – Silverbeam with ‘Weightless’, DJ Rap with ‘Switch’, Adam F with ‘Circles’ – ending with some first neuro/tech stuff that I’ve heard – Black Sun Empire with ‘Bombrun’ for its dark sci-fi sounds, and many more. Some of the influences from 2007 were a major production package from Spor, and also Noisia and Miss Redflower. As the months went by, the list grew too big for me to be able to mention every producer here.

EverydayJunglist: What other types of music do you enjoy listening to?
Xilent: I’m getting more and more fascinated with all sorts of different genres day by day. Some of the recent fascinations would be the Dark Ambient genre of Lustmord or Robert Rich. Also, other than all sorts of electronic music (well, there are some exceptions) I recently got myself into old-school Funk of The Bar-Kays for a couple of weeks so much that I wanted to grow an afro. Still, the biggest thing to mention would be the hardcore/punk/metalcore mixture of genres, which I have been hammering with my best friend - Petro - ever since we found ourselves in bands.

EverydayJunglist: When did you first start producing? What were you trying to accomplish when you wrote your first few tracks?
Xilent: I started producing when I was 8, when I got my first PC. The only thing I was using back then was the Propellerheads’ Rebirth RB-338 synthesiser set, which back then for me was a fun thing to play with and make loops. It was essentially a simulator of the Roland classics – TB-303, TR-808 and TR-909. This piece of software is now an artefact and a special website was developed just to serve its memory. Recently I was able to find floppy disks with patterns and loops I built in Rebirth back in 1999, which would only barely fit the Acid Techno or House genre. Back then I really had no idea what I was going to do with all those projects or why was I spending so much time on perfecting the sound of every Techno beat I would make. I remember recording them on cassette tapes through a microphone by putting the PC speaker close to it and pressing ‘play’, only to show them later to my friends at primary school somehow. From years 2000 to 2007 me and production had to break up, since it was then when I started drumming again.

EverydayJunglist: Describe your personal studio setup..what hardware and software do you use for music production? Do you use any particular plugins? Mac or PC? What kind of Monitor setup do you use?
Xilent: As for software I use Cubase 5.1 with plug-ins like the well-known NI Massive or Absynth, and as for hardware – and people are usually surprised by this for some reason - I use a Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz laptop and (newly bought) Sennheiser HD555 headphones. No studio monitors. The only thing that helps me are a set of Creative 2.1 speakers at home to occasionally check whether volumes of specific synths are fairly equal, etc. This kind of setup enables me to produce wherever I want to, you know, and I don’t feel like having a huge studio.

EverydayJunglist: I'm in a discussion with my crew about writing dnb tracks with Reason or Ableton vs Fruityloops. What are your thoughts, if any? What do you think a few pros and cons are?
Xilent: To me, when I first heard about Reason I was surprised that it has no VST support – that is a major flaw, which should be a warning to any producer, especially these days. Then I saw Reason in action and it looked like a huge mess of synthesisers, one on top of another one. Honestly, as much as I respect Propellerheads, I would never think of laying my hands on it. As for Ableton, I personally use it for putting together the so called studio mixes. I find Ableton very comfortable as it allows me to switch a couple of tunes in a mix at any time before I release it, but, again, I would never use it for production, even though I thought about it. I had little experience with FL, so it’s difficult for me to judge it, but as far as I know there are many happy producers who use it as their main DAW, like Spor for example, or am I wrong? Since I am and always have been used to Steinberg’s Cubase, I found it weird in FL that it doesn’t have a clear sequencer that would be visible once you start a project. Still, I think it’s just all a matter of getting used to a DAW, so I’m not really going to recommend one.

EverydayJunglist: How much time do you tend to spend making a tune? What is the process?
Xilent: In the recent months, I’ve been able to start a tune from scratch and finish it within a month. The tune itself I usually do within the first 2 or 3 weeks. After that, once the track is noticed by labels and I already have a release schedule or a contract ahead, I spend the last week on adjusting the mastering so that it matches the rest of the tunes (or the other tune) to be released in terms of EQ and loudness. My record time for making a tune was 4 hours (one sleepless night since 1:00am till 5:00am) – and it is called ‘Twice’, soon to be released on John B’s label, Beta Recordings. The tracks that take the most time to produce are, obviously, collaborations with producers through the net. Those can take even up to 3 months per tune.

EverydayJunglist: Of all your releases, which tune did you enjoy making the most? Why?
Xilent: The tune I enjoyed producing the most so far, was ‘Fallen’ featuring a female singer Agnieszka Myszkowska from Poland, a.k.a. Susiah. It was fun to hear the lyrics I wrote come to life. This, also, was my first experience in making a heavier Drum & Bass track and implementing a full-length vocal line with verses and a refrain into it. It amazed me how much you can do with a properly recorded female voice and It made me feel like I can go whichever path I want with it. A very ‘flexible’ tune from the production point of view, which still awaits conformation from Ammunition Recordings.

EverydayJunglist: What would you recommend for getting some of the sort of "choir-like" breathy vocal sounds say, on a track like "Secrets that Burn"? Would you recommend sampling or synths?
Xilent: Well, based on my experience, it’s a good idea to find a good sample and fiddle around with lots of endless reverb. Then resample it keeping EQ in mind at all times, which means boosting the highs up and middles down. After that it is just a matter of layering the sample with a synth and producing a melody by pitch shifting the sample, again, keeping in mind that the EQ will have to be adjusted every time you change the pitch. Tranquil music or Goa are best sources for such samples.

EverydayJunglist: If there is one tip on production you wish someone would have told you when you started, what would it be?
Xilent: Off the top of my head I can only say – do not be afraid. Some people are too afraid of trying out new things, like new synths, vocals or effects. Don’t hesitate to break away from the rules. For example, I recently noticed that Neurofunk, despite its dark nature, works well with uplifting catchy melodies and heart-warming pads. A point that arises from this is also the fact that there’s no need to stick to just one style as a producer, and it is much more beneficial to diversify your sound. Even if it means switching between neuro- and liquid-.

EverydayJunglist: What was it like getting signed to the different labels, and how did that come about? Did you reach out to them, or they to you? Was it by accident?
Xilent: As a matter of fact when I started with Drum & Bass in 2007 - or even earlier – a thought of my tunes being released on a vinyl record was a dream at best. Thus, I wasn’t really searching for one, until I got a message from a label called Shadowforces from Germany. I realised they also do vinyl and a couple of months later I had my first official release with my tune ‘Reason’, but only as a digital release at that time. This launched me up in the scene and it was my turn to apply to a label myself. I tried the first label I remember being crazy about for some time back then, which was Ammunition Recordings. They took me in and soon after that I had my tune ‘Terminal’ released on a digital VA release, which was immediately noticed by John B on the DOA forums. I contacted him and he offered me a deal for a 12’’ single on Beta Recordings. The fact of that vinyl being released started a chain reaction, which would result in dozens of labels hitting me up for unsigned tunes or whether I’m able to do a podcast for them. This is obviously very encouraging, but forces me either to spend much more time on production, or to give false hope at times.

EverydayJunglist: Are you producing any other genres at the moment?
Xilent: No. However, I’m planning on putting together some electro/dubstep breakdowns into my new upcoming tunes. I also thought about starting an alternative project that would be focused on deep, tranquil Dark Ambient sounds, but that is still due to happen.

EverydayJunglist: What other artists do you like to work with? What do you find are the pros and cons to collaborating?
Xilent: Ah, I knew this question would finally come up. At this point, I need and want to send huge shouts out to Chris from Austria, a.k.a. Wreckage Machinery, who has been supporting me for a long time now, and whom I collaborated with once to produce a liquid track called ‘Up There’, even though we originally wanted to work on an uplifting Neurofunk tune. Well, we did for a while. But it didn’t work out. It’s been a pleasure to work on ‘Up There’, which was his idea. I also loved working with Imprintz & Kloé, who are a couple from France producing massive Drum & Bass and Electro bits. After almost 6 months we managed to release the Unity EP on Ammunition this year. This was also a great experience. There are also a couple of collaborations I loved, which will come out this year, one of which is with Kung (Spain) and Mefjus (Austria). So far I produced one tune with each of them, which already got a huge response, even though there are no contracts yet. More collaborations with them are coming.
A great thing about collaborating is being able to hear your own ideas in a different way. At times it is very similar to remixing. It enables you to meet new producers, gain new label connections, show your name to an even bigger crowd. On the other hand, it requires some skill, hardware and being able to cooperate. Also, some sound compressing software would be nice, to be able to send exported wave tracks quickly. Fast internet connection is essential, unless we’re talking about collaborating with a producer who lives close, or, ideally, would be willing to fly over. The only disadvantage I can think of is time, as I said before. It does test your patience.

EverydayJunglist: From your experience, where do you think the current trends in dnb are coming from? Where is it "hot"?
Xilent: At first we have to face the truth, that Drum & Bass is still an underground or rather a niche genre. In my opinion, there are many sources people may get their Drum & Bass trends from these days, but it really depends on the sub-genre. I might be able to mention a couple, but I’m sure lots of people would disagree. To me, Spor and the whole Lifted crew gave the heavy vibe for the neuro-heads and we can see many young new producers arising every month, who try to sound just like him. As for the other sub-genres like darkstep, electrostep, militarystep, and all the other –steps that producers/promoters tend to create every year, I have no idea and I don’t want to say anything that’s not true, you know. I mean, on the other hand, I don’t have to mention the new Pendulum album, right?

EverydayJunglist: Do you think it's possible for someone to make a living in this current era as a dnb producer/dj?
Xilent: More and more Drum & Bass producers tend to agree on the fact that it is impossible to make a living on releases alone, so I would have to discuss DJ-ing only. Depending on how skilled, how good technically and how famous he is on the scene – he might be just able to. I guess he would have to be lots of bookings per month, each contracted to be for a decent amount of money, apart from the eventual flight/bus/train ticket coverage. However, this kind of lifestyle, to me, means being unable to maintain while being employed full-time somewhere at the same time – that is only when there are not enough bookings. If there are enough well paid bookings – ditching a full-time job would be a risk worth taking. At least I would take it.

EverydayJunglist: Has there been anything unusually funny that you can remember happening during a gig at some point?
Xilent: Hehe, I can’t recall any funny stuff happening, to be honest. Unless someone finds a power breakdown in the middle of my set funny. Or a 60 year old drunk guy dancing right below the stage forcing the others to step aside.
EverydayJunglist: What "classics" do you usually take with you when playing live?
Xilent: One of my favourite classics of the Neurofunk genre that I would play (which doesn’t really sound like a classic) is:
Evol Intent – 8 Bit Bitch (Spor remix)
Other:
Black Sun Empire & Noisia – Hideous
Break – Submerged (Teebee & Calyx remix)
Apex – The Yearning
I know some of them might not seem as ‘classics’ to many, but to me - they are.
I tend to think of tunes which are 2 years old – old.

EverydayJunglist: Did you move to Scotland for drum and bass? Do you feel that the move helped you in your career?
Xilent: I started with Drum & Bass production in 2007, which was a year before I moved here. Back then I wasn’t noticed by the labels that much yet, so I wasn’t taking into account my actual career and its future. I would just make Drum & Bass to check whether I still have the skills that I used to have when I was 8. I was trying to recreate some of the sounds and rhythms I heard throughout my childhood. So, I moved to Scotland in 2008 strictly to study at the university, nonetheless, I was amazed how many ideas for tunes I’ve gotten here. This is probably influenced by other artists/DJs I meet here, or the atmosphere at the parties. I have much more free time – you know, student life - and that means a much higher frequency and efficiency when it comes to producing. So for all of you who are amazed by my speed of production – don’t be amazed anymore, hehe.

EverydayJunglist: Can we get a current top 10 from you?
Xilent: Tough one as usual, but here goes:
Utopia – Diamonds Shine
DaVIP & Encode – Vamonos
Para - Thor
Imprintz & Kloé - Tzolk'in
Wreckage Machinery & Shem – Bring It
Noisia - Machine Gun (Spor remix)
Kung – Atomic Blondie
Kubrak - Fast Forward
Receptor - Girls
Netsky – Secret Agent

EverydayJunglist: Tell us (what you are comfortable sharing) a little about you personally.. hobbies, long term goals, what your day job was or is?
Xilent: Well, apart from production and DJing I am into reverse engineering. For some time for the past couple of years I was doing free, hobby-like webpage design for small companies and studios. It wasn’t until I started my years at the university that I learned to do this properly, still as a hobby though. I am also a bit into graphic design and simple 2D animation. My long term goal since a year ago, however, has been sound engineering, and that’s what I’m about to get into professionally after I get my engineering degree in software. As I said before I’m also a drummer, so I was thinking about giving private lessons again. I recently got myself into squash and I enjoy occasional skiing and jogging in the evenings. Online gaming is cool too, hehe.

EverydayJunglist: So what can the general public expect from Xilent for the rest of '10 and beyond?
Xilent: Until the end of 2010, there will be at least 3 confirmed collaborations. One of them will be an EP with previously mentioned Kung. The first tune from that EP – ‘The Proxy’ - is already out there on my MySpace and SoundCloud page if anyone wants to have a listen. The EP will be released by Ammunition Recordings. The second release to come is with Mefjus – a sample of the tune ‘Hypoxia’ can already be heard on YouTube or in one of the episodes of Mindtech Podcast i put together in April this year; we haven’t finally confirmed this with any label yet, though. The last planned collaboration for this year so far is with Exorcist, but no work on this has started yet. Apart from collaborations, there’s my second single to come out on a 12’’ on Beta Recordings this summer with ‘Step One’ and the flipside – ‘Irreversible’. Ammunition Recordings will also release my previously mentioned ‘Fallen’ along with a flipside which hasn’t been confirmed yet. I am being contacted by various labels all the time and am in a ‘production spree’ as we speak, so expect a lot of Xilent this year and the next years to come.

EverydayJunglist: Do you have any shouts to kick?
Xilent: I already shouted out the people I worked with so far, so that’s out of the way, hehe. Apart from a thank you to them I would also like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been supporting me so far, especially my best friends, my girlfriend, everyone on the stage and below it. Huge shouts to all the Polish Drum & Bass producers as well, people who booked and book me for live shows, and everyone who does something so that Drum & Bass gets noticed all over the world.

EverydayJunglist: Is there anything else you’d like to share before we wrap this up?
Xilent: Well, I think the questions you asked exhausted everything what I’d want to say about Xilent on an interview, hehe. Thanks a lot!