INTERVIEW 03 – VANDAL (english)

Hi Simon ! How’s life in the UK ? You’re alright ?

Hey! Yes I am very good thanks, life in the UK is pleasant, we have had some great weather recently !! Which makes a change.

Your Raggatek is getting harder and harder, bolder kicks, faster BPM, do you secretly want to make Raggacore ?

Haha. I like to try different things. Raggacore being one ! However I will still produce more Reggae / Dnb style tracks too. I like to have a good selection for all dancefloors ! During the process of making the ‘Roots & Culture’ album I was experimenting with harder, more powerful kicks. I really wanted to expand my sound to include elements of all the styles I love. Frenchcore and Tribecore being one of them..

In your opinion, which drug is really harming the rave scene nowadays ?

The rave scene has always had problems with different drug trends over the years. Personnaly I’ve seen ketamine destroy our scene here in Bristol for a while. However things always come and go and at the end of the day it’s the people who choose to use drugs in the wrong way. Music is what makes the scene survive !

You’re often described as the nicest person among the DJ’s, how come ?

I would say it is because I am a very laid back guy, not a lot bothers me, annoys me or gets me nervous. I love socialising and meeting new people and everyday I am thankful for the opportunity I have. I am also quite the optimist !

What’s your game changer VST in 2019 ?

Two of my biggest secret weapons I use every track are quite simple.

The first is a plugin called ‘Auto Align’ by Sound Radix. It lines up your drums samples with the correct phase and delay to make them thump !

The second game changer is just the SCOPE plugin in Studio One ! I only started using it last year and use it alot when making kickbass. Its so cool to see the waveform in realtime as you adjust the phase !

After all these years rocking the festivals, do you miss your past job and quiet life ?

I do miss certain aspects… Such as all the good friends I saw regularly and the great times I had running my own small business…

But music is my passion. It is the thread that has run through my whole life. So I have never really looked back and just concentrate on learning more and making more music !

Please, a kick-ass serie that you enjoyed !

Ancient Aliens !

Give us the recipe that you love to cook, a Vandal classic !

I am the one person at home the most in the week, so I do a lot of cooking. We like it spicy in this house. My favorite is chicken satay skewers, fresh salad and peanut dipping sauce !