Torqux is an up-and-coming dubstep maestro living in the UK. R-Massive had a brief Q&A session with him. See the end of the article for some free bass wobblin’ tracks.
R: Let’s get the name question out of the way. Pronunciation and meaning for the uninitiated please.
T: torks, talks or torx, Check out the mista jam mix or radio 1 mini mix, its all over that ; ) My surname begins with T so came from that mostly.
R: What about Native Instruments – Massive VSTi is so appealing, aside from just wicked bass? Automation? Oscillators?
T: For me, it’s the synth I’m most comfortable with. I use it in every track at the moment. The layout is nice, the sounds the osc can produce are perfect for what I want really.
R: Workflow. Does Logic cramp your style or do you find it smooth and intuitive? Do you sequence drum or bass first? Do you always ‘in-the-box’ or do you play in the analog world [outboard gear, guitar pedals, etc.]?
T: Logic is perfect for me, being using it for a few years now, but again it’s just what you’re comfortable with. I know plenty of other producers that use programs I’ve used or hate and they get on fine. I always start with drums first! I do have a Roland drum kit and Roland drum machine but they just collect dust to be honest. I want to do a live thing eventually, so they can stay where they are. Apart from that, it’s all in the Mac, sometimes record melodies etc. via MIDI but that’s it.
R: With so many labels and imprints, why start a new one? Especially since you’ve already been released on other labels. Are there that many undiscovered artists that you know that need their break?
T: Don’t ask me about labels really, I’m trying to concentrate on me and my sound. I go though labels that I trust. Wicky Lindows, Rottun and Play Me are the ones at the moment. I talk to up and coming producers all the time. When I have the time I check their stuff out. There’s a few, but I’m liking Statelapse at the moment, but they’re not really undiscovered!
R: What special techniques did you use on the track Bass Test? It sounds like parts of the track have been ‘scratched’. Is this innovative? Is it a secret?
T: I’m not sure what you mean here really, if your talking about the bass, it’s just the simple wobble technique using the cutoff and LFO.
R: UK electro. Why is Brixton, London, etc. such a hot bed for these kind of sounds? Is there a continuing influence of Jamaican immigration, Yardies, etc.?
T: London is the capital, everything goes and comes out of there. If you walk around Brixton you can meet a weed dealer every 5 minutes if you want, think there some kind of Jamaican influence there.
R: Everyone says dubstep should be underground and special, but everyone wants to get noticed. How can dubstep gain popularity and develop icons / personalities while maintaining its original crowd? Or can it? Will it be copied and infiltrated by people that don’t ‘get it’?
T: I was talking about this to someone the other day, if something gets popular then it means loads of people are listening to it. Dubstep can’t help blowing up if this happen. I think the only way to do it is if everyone starts put samples of rape or people dying in their tunes. That’s not going to go mainstream right? For me, as long as the tunes good, I don’t care where it’s played or what genre it is.
R: Borgore. Thumbs up, or thumbs down? Who is ruling dubstep for you?
T: Borgore is a legend, I would put both of my thumbs inside him. At the moment for me, BareNoize, Chasing Shadows, Skism and Bar 9 from the UK side of things. Excision, Datsik, Downlink from Canada too.
R: Thanks for the interview Torqux!
T: Big ups!!
Torqux Websites:
Torqux on Beatport
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Torqux-Twist/130756716956122
www.youtube.com/user/TorquxMusic
www.twitter.com/torqux
www.myspace.com/torqux
Download Torqux’s Feel It Remix
Download Torqux’s Mista Jam Mix BBC 1Xtra
Send an email to torquxmusic AT live DOT com with the subject “R-Massive” for more free tracks.
