5 Minutes With… Dubspeeka

Dubspeeka, real name Darren Beale, is the illusive Bristol based producer who, as of late, has been busy grabbing the attention of industry professionals globally. With the likes of Drumcode, Suara, Truesoul, Bedrock and Ideal Audio getting behind him, it comes as no surprise that he was labelled  “One of the best upcoming acts” by techno icon, Adam Beyer. Now renowned for the levels of pure darkness infused in his music, Dubspeeka’s expertly produced, pummelling beats are quickly becoming a force to be a reckoned with. 

Dubspeeka will be playing KOKO, London at the forthcoming Playground event, 22 August. We caught up with him ahead of the show to find out more about the man hidden beneath the hood. 

Hi, Darren. Where are you speaking to us from today?

Hi, I’m in my studio just outside of Bristol going through promos with the AC on full!

You’ve worked a lot with Oliver Huntemann including his ‘Five Years Ideal Audio’ release at the end of 2013 and this year in Barcelona, you’re going to be doing a VS with him. Is there any danger of a collaboration?

We’ve mentioned it briefly whilst chatting, so maybe. 

What are your main rituals whilst writing music?

Coffee breaks. 

Founder of Drumcode Records, Adam Beyer, described you as ‘One of the best upcoming acts’. How does a comment like that affect you? 

It was quite overwhelming really. Everything’s going really well at the moment; meeting up with some producers that I’ve listened to over time and linking up with some good labels. The support Adam has given me has been amazing. He’s been into the first promos and it’s nice to work with him. 

You’re said to no longer go on stage with Kosheen. Is this due to the increasing gravity of Dubspeeka and Skeleton Recordings? 

Yes, with my DJ schedule it’s impossible to do both. I also need to lock down studio time to keep my releases consistent as well. I find it hard to write whilst touring so when I’m not DJ’ing, studio time is precious. 

So when you’re not playing shows or in the studio, what are you listening to? 

I have a very varied taste in music; from electronic to skate punk to classical. I think you can find good (and bad) in every genre. It’s all about exploring and find what you like. 

You’ve been playing a lot in mainland Europe and obviously he crowd energy differs from place to place. What are you expecting the reaction to be like at KOKO August 22 with yourself, Oliver Huntemann, Juan Atkins, Gary Beck, Gregor Tresher and Agents Of Time on the line up?

Huge line up!! I’m so excited to be playing alongside these guys – I feel like a kid that’s just started school. It’s gonna be a big one.

Will you be playing a dark techno set or a more house orientated set like your guest mix on Rinse FM with Shadow Child? 

Probably both. I try to go to as many places as I can in my sets. I get bored easy. 

What release can we expect to see from you as we progress towards the end of 2015? 

I’m working on my next release for Sasha‘s ‘Last Night On Earth‘ at the moment. I’ve just finished a remix for OFF Recordings which is out next week I think, and there might be another Drumcode EP at the end of the year. 

Tell us about the Bristol music scene. Is it clubs like Lakota that keep the underground scene booming?

To be honest, I haven’t been out in Bristol in ages. I think Lakota is still going but Motion is probably the best place to catch good acts and DJ’s nowadays. 

What’s an absolute must before you get on stage?

Headphones and USB sticks.

Can you tell us your top five albums of all time? 

Massive Attack – Mezzanine, Autechre – Amber, Burial – Untrue, The Cure – Faith, Radiohead – Kid A.

Dubspeeka will be playing at KOKO, 22 August, alongside Oliver Huntemann, Juan Atkins, Gregor Tresher, Gary Beck and Agents of Time. Click here for tickets.