Interview(專訪) : Whistla (L2S Recordings/Sub FM)

今天做這個專訪其實有點緊張
因為請來的這份嘉賓是我相當敬重的音樂人
他除了身兼DJ及製作人外
亦是唱片廠牌"L2S Recordings"的創辦人
www.L2SRecordings.com
同時也是英國私人電台Sub FM的營運人及節目主持人
http://www.sub.fm/
甚至可說是近年興起的"Future Garage"音樂流派的"掌門人"
他就是來自英國倫敦(London,UK)的Whistla

1.Hi Whistla !!! thanks for taking some time to answer these questions : ) Firstly, How did you start DJing and producing music?

Hi Whistla !!! 感謝你抽時間回答這些問題 ：)首先可以分享一下你是怎樣開始製作音樂和成為DJ嗎?

I started producing kind of as an extension to playing in various bands back in 92 as I got more and more into dance music and moved away from guitar based music. I was building tracks for about 5 years before I got a set of decks and started djing in 97, beginning on London pirate Addiction FM (which I later went on to help run and set the foundation for running Sub FM) and then moving onto playing in raves like Dreamscape, Raindance, World Dance etc.. and the rest is history :)

我開始製作音樂時是參與在不同的樂隊中，而從92年起，我逐漸走進舞曲音樂的世界，並且慢慢離開結他主導的音樂。經過5年時間摸索後，我在97年開始當上DJ打碟，起初是在倫敦的私人電台Addiction FM內(其後我亦幫忙營運這間電台並為我日後營運Sub FM電台打下基礎)，以及在一些Raves音樂活動中演出像Dreamscape,Raindance,World Dance等…其餘的事都己經是歷史啦 : )

2.As we know , L2S Recordings is the most famous record label pushing the "Future Garage" sound. So what's the story about the beginning of L2S ？

正如我們所知，L2S唱片廠牌是推動"Future Garage"音樂的最著名廠牌，那麼開設L2S廠牌背後是怎樣的一個故事呢?

I had become disenchanted with the way Dubstep scene was progressing in 2008 and had already started making Future Garage tracks and putting them out on my label at the time, Ox Rider Records. It was from this period that I realised there were a number of other people doing similar changes in there productions and I thought to myself "there's all this amazing music out there that isn't getting released" and so I started L2S at the beginning of 2009.

Dubstep音樂圈發展至2008年時我不便再沉迷其中，我轉而製作Future Garage音樂作品以及在我的廠牌Ox Rider Records中推出。從這個時期開始我明白到有相當數量的人也在做同類型作品，而我自己在想"有這麼多出色的音樂但還未有出版過"，所以我在2009年初的時候就開設了L2S唱片廠牌。

Whistla - 420 Lockdown

3.Such as me , a music lover of late 90s to early 2000s "UK Garage/2-Step" music, feel so exciting to hear all the tunes of "Future Garage", they are really brand new sounds and guiding the bright future of Garage music. Beside all the brilliant releases from L2S, media (DJ Mag,Mixmag…etc) describe some tunes from producers such as SBTRKT, MJ Cole, Falty DL, Mount Kimbie, Disclosure, even Rusko(the tune "Hold On") are "Future Garage". So what's the true meaning of "Future Garage" in your point of view？ Is it a music genre ? a music movement? or…?

以我為例，作為一個90年代末至21世紀初"UK Garage/2-Step音樂愛好者，聽到所有的"Future Garage"音樂作品時都會感到相當興奮，因為這是全新的Garage音樂風格聲音，彷如給Garage音樂指引出一個光明的未來。除了L2S廠牌的出品外，音樂媒體(如DJ Mag,Mixmag…等)都形容來自其他製作人如SBTRKT, MJ Cole, Falty DL, Mount Kimbie, Disclosure, 甚至Rusko(如"Hold On"一曲)的某些作品是"Future Garage"，那麼在你的觀點會認為，"Future Garage"的真正含意究竟是甚麼?是一種音樂風格(Genre)?一種音樂趨勢(Movement)?還是...?

I get asked this all the time, you wouldnt believe how much! Future Garage is a movement not a genre, FG is just a starting point not the end destination. It’s a collection of DJs and Producers who wouldn’t fit comfortably in the UKG oeuvre or the Dubstep one. They are somewhere inbetween, and Future Garage is that collection of DJs and Producers. Who knows where it will lead? That is the whole point of Future Garage, to take the best of Garage and inject it with fresh ideas and production techniques to take it into the future! Previously, Garage had become tainted by its past, Future Garage has given it a new fresh chance to develop into the scene it was always supposed to, with the ability now to evolve new strains much like how House and DnB have multiple sub-genres, so too is Garage starting to.

這個問題我每次都會被問，次數甚至多到你不會信的那麼多！Future Garage是一種音樂趨勢(Movement)而不是一種音樂風格(Genre)，FG只是一個起點而不是終點。這是一些DJ和製作人不能恰當歸納在UK Garage和Dubstep音樂範圍內的集合體。這些作品都是在兩者的中間地帶，所以Future Garage就是這樣一個DJ和製作人的集合。誰知道它會發展到哪個地步呢? 這就是Future Garage的概念，帶來最好的Garage音樂，注入新穎元素和引入新的製作技術去把Garage音樂帶進未來！Garage音樂在過去一段時間變得衰落，而Future Garage就帶給它一個新的機會去發展成一個原本就應有的音樂場景，就像House和Drum n Bass這些音樂般有那麼多種多樣的分支類別，Garage音樂就應該這樣地從新出發。

4.As a producer/DJ ,Which atrists influence your music mostly?

作為一個製作人和DJ，哪些音樂人影響你的音樂最深遠?

This is one of the questions I could list hundreds of artists for haha. Some of my original inspirations are; Satin Storm, 4 Hero, Larry Heard, Todd Edwards, DJ Ratty, Aphex Twin, Pete Namlook, Chris Mac, Steve Gurley... I'll stop there for now haha. Currently I get inspiration from all over the place, pop songs, sounds I hear just going around town, standing in a club not knowing the track at all and just getting the vibe from it, literally everywhere! Some current heads Im really feeling are; Submerse, ENiGMA Dubz & Para.

哈哈這是一個我可以列出幾百個音樂人出來的問題。某些啟發我的音樂人包括Satin Storm, 4 Hero, Larry Heard, Todd Edwards, DJ Ratty, Aphex Twin, Pete Namlook, Chris Mac, Steve Gurley等…我要停止啦。現階段我會從任何地方獲得啟發，不論流行曲，圍繞在城市內的各種聲音，又或在舞廳內不知甚麼名字的一首作品引領我進入氛圍之中，確實是任何地方也會有所啟發 ! 而一些我最近聽得很有感覺的音樂人就有:Submerse, ENiGMA Dubz & Para。

Whistla - Black N Blue

5. In many cities of Asia, the music scenes of Garage, Bass, Dubstep are still developing. Do you have any suggestions for the musicians to push things forward?

 在亞洲很多地方，Garage,Bass,Dubstep的音樂圈仍然處於發展中的水平，你有甚麼建議給音樂人去推動這些音樂呢?

Just keep believing in what you do! Never stop pushing yourself to do better and to do more!

要繼續相信你正在做的事! 不要停止推動自己去做得更好和更多!

6.Some music lovers in Asia notice the term "Bass Music" . It seem to be a term about some kind of music so hot in recently years. Do you thing "Future Garage" is under the umbrella of "Bass Music" ? Or is it no connection between both of them?

某些亞洲的音樂愛好者正留意一個音樂名詞"Bass Music"。這似是一個名詞用來形容某些近年相當熱門的音樂。你是否認為"Future Garage"可歸納於"Bass Music"範圍內?又或者兩者之間其實沒有關連?

Oh it definitely is, Bass Music is a term I dislike personally as it's SO broad and open, what bpm is it? what kind of vibe is it? deep? tearout? etc... But yes Future Garage definitely sits within the Bass Music spectrum, even tho we also use lots of vocals and melodies, there is always plenty of bass!

噢很明確地Bass Music其實是一個我個人不太喜歡的音樂名詞，因為它的範圍實在太廣泛了，它的歌曲速度是多少?它的氛圍是怎樣的?深沉的?激烈的?...不過Future Garage絕對屬Bass Music的範圍內，雖然作品中會有大量的人聲和旋律，但往往也包含有豐富的低音部份在內!

Whistla - Knosis

7.Do you( and L2S )have any exciting plans in 2012?

那麼你和L2S廠牌在2012年有沒有一些令人興奮的計劃呢?

Oh yes! I have an album forthcoming at the start of May which I'm really excited about, and will be touring the full length of the UK to promote it including touching down in Glasgow and Swansea both for the first time! L2S has heaps of releases for 2012 that Im sure are gonna turn some heads, we have a Monz full length LP, new music from Ollie Macfarlane, DYP, DLVRY, Fused Forces & M2J, JLR and literally LOADS more!

當然有!我會有一張專輯在五月初出版，我對此感到相當興奮。同時亦會舉行一個橫跨全英國的巡迴演出，包括到格拉斯哥(Glasgow)和史雲斯(Swansea)這兩個初次去的地方! L2S廠牌方面亦會有眾多作品出版，包括Monz的一張LP長度的作品，以及來自Ollie Macfarlane, DYP, DLVRY, Fused Forces & M2J, JLR等超多的新作!

8.Maybe someone is full of curiosity and wants to knock at the door of the world of "Future Garage" after reading this interview. So, do you have any recommend to all the beginners (Websites, Releases, Artists, Tunes, etc) ?


或者有人看完這個專訪後，會充滿好奇地想接觸Future Garage的音樂世界。那麼你有甚麼推介(包括網頁,唱片,音樂人,作品等)給初接觸的人?


Anyone interested in Future Garage needs to visit www.FutureGarageForum.com
and join the facebook page
www.Facebook.com/FutureGarage
Also make sure to check out
www.L2SRecordings.com ;)
The forum has a great selection of threads detailing peoples favourite tracks, artists, mixes, djs etc.. called "Round Up"'s which all newcomers should check.
I'd also say tune into my radio show every Tuesday 8-10pm UK Time on Sub.FM where I play the freshest Future Garage around.
Also check my personal site www.Whistla.com

任何對Future Garage有興趣的人都應該看一看網站www.FutureGarageForum.com，
以及加入Facebook專頁www.Facebook.com/FutureGarage ，
當然亦要瀏覽網頁www.L2SRecordings.com ： ）
在Future Garage Forum內有相當好的內容，當中談及到有那些受歡迎的作品,音樂人,DJ Mix,DJ等。對所有初接觸的人來說都是一個很好的地方獲得資訊。另一方面我亦要說請收聽我在每週二晚8點至10點(英國時間)於Sub.FM內的電台節目，當中會有最新的Future Garage聲音。當然也可瀏覽我的個人網頁啦。www.Whistla.com

www.soundcloud.com/whistla 
不論在這次專訪中又或平時聽Whistla的電台節目
也會發現Whistla是一位樂觀和情緒高昂的人
因此絕對相信他的音樂和L2S廠牌在他引領下
會有一個光明的未來 : )