Interview

 
(Photo by Aaron Clevenger)

TROUBLE TOWN
by Vivian Host

Hey, did you know that Trouble & Bass is celebrating our 25th release with a special reissue compilation? Well, we are. But I bet you knew that didn't you, Mr. Know-It-All? To celebrate, we all did a cracked out little dance because we drank too much Amp, then we asked Patrick Rood (a.k.a. TheCaptain666, Rood Rod, Rood Dog, etc.), Trouble & Bass DJ and label manager, a few questions the past, present, and future of the label.

What can people expect from the 25th release compilation? 
We thought it would be good to celebrate our 25th release by putting out a compilation that includes some of our best-selling tracks as well as some of the tracks that we love that didn't get as much attention the first time around. We've got 13 tracks on there that sum up the T&B sound and how it's grown in the past three years.

 
Tell us a little bit about the beginnings of the T&B label.
Trouble & Bass started in Jan 2007. Here's some trivia for you: our first unofficial release was a no-name white label in a purple sleeve that had a few DTL and Math Head tunes on there (look out for hidden classic "Bricks"!). But really, the first T&B release was the Turbo Charged EP, which has two Drop The Lime tunes, and a track each from Starkey, Mathhead, and Curses! It's a release that really defined and captured the T&B sound coming from Brooklyn at that time, with influences from the UK and European underground, and of course grimy U.S. sounds. If you listen to these tracks now, they were definitely ahead of their time as far as music coming out of North America, and some almost sound like they've been made in the past year. Certainly a timeless release. 



Tell us about Trouble & Bass' new Digi-EP series, Heavy Bass Champions of the World.
Heavy Bass Champions of the World is basically us getting back to our roots and delivering tunes strictly for the dancefloor. In 2009, we surprisingly only put out six records, so this year we are going wild and putting out a lot more tracks by producers we love. They're tracks that have our stamp of approval on them-certified and tested by Trouble & Bass, in a way. We're going back to our initial business model of putting out tunes digitally as quick as we can, just to get those dancefloors movin'.

A lot of people know you as your DJ alias "The Captain," but many people don't know that you're also the label manager of T&B Recordings.
"Label manager" is a pretty broad statement. I help with design stuff, oversee all the T&B parties, handle all the T&B merch (from production to shipping), produce our new podcast, and whatever else needs to be done. As far as label manager-type duties, this includes seeing every release from demo to finished product, drafting marketing plans for releases and artists, coming up with artwork ideas, getting remixers together, negotiating fees, and more. I listen to a lot of demos, drink a lot of coffee and energy drinks, and talk a bunch of shit on competing labels and people who don't reply to my emails.

What is your favorite part of your job? 
I'm really proud of the work we do, the music we put out, and the parties we throw. We get a lot of great feedback and reactions to T&B-it definitely feels like we're making an impact on other people, whether it be clubgoers, fellow DJs, or my mom. It's a real dream to do something creative, be successful, and be proud of everything I'm a part of.

What is the worst part?
Sometimes feeling like a one-man army, hahaha. There's always too much to do, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, and with a lot of the tasks that need to be done I'm literally the only person who is in charge of completing them. That can get... stressful.

What has been the best-selling T&B release to date? 
I think Math Head Turn The Music Up EP is our best record to date, or our Scion A/V compilation.

What is your favorite T&B release? 
Oh man, so many great ones! Little Jinder "Youth Blood" is a classic, Drop The Lime "Hear Me" and Mikix The Cat Movin' Around EP are both solid releases.

Trouble & Bass has got a lot of new projects and new artists coming out this year. Tell us what you're most excited about.
We've licensed this EP from Zombies For Money from Portugal for release in North America. I love every song and every remix on there. We've also got AC Slater's first T&B single (finally) coming out in April; it's called "Take You." Loads more Bass Champ releases from Calvertron & Rico Tubbs, The Boogaloo Crew, Acid Jacks, Flinch, Anton Triplet, Dexplicit, and more, plus the long awaited 77 Klash Ep produced by DTL and AC Slater!

If money and time were no object, what would be your dream Trouble & Bass project?
I would buy a loft or warehouse and build a new studio/office, similar to Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory. We'd have all of our parties there and all our artists could work there and make their music. Either that or a Trouble & Bass café & barbershop.

A lot of people don't believe me when I tell them that T&B listens to demos and Myspace links we're sent. What do you want to say to them?
Even if we don't respond, we still listen. I got all day to listen to music. Gotta give everyone a listen-you never know what you're going to hear. I think half of the artists we've signed are people we first heard or corresponded with through Myspace.

We know that you are a huge snack connoisseur. What are your necessary snacks and drinks to have at work?
We have a huge supply of Prometheus Springs at the office-it adds a  little extra spice in my everyday to day. It's nice to have some crazy drinks at the office (Amp or Jolt), and I typically have some kind of candy bar lying around for me to eat or some Cheetos. As you can see, I have a really awful and unhealthy diet for a vegetarian.

And finally, what is your all-time favorite expression?
ALL TIME or Don't snake me out.

Trouble & Bass' 25th Release compilation is available at iTunes exclusively for two weeks and then out world wide. And check The Captain's Promo Mix of Devils Eyes for the T&B Smashcast HERE.