EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Five Minutes With … Prangman

Dan Meldrum aka Prangman, will be wowing the Electric Brixton audience on June 23rd as a supporting act for The Bloody Beetroots.

Hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne, his teen years were spent rummaging through the racks at record shops, massing a collection of music across multiple genres and witnessing live performances at every opportunity.

A versatile producer, Prangman aims to “evolve his music and take it to unknown places.” His influences include UK Garage artists Flava D, EL-B, Killjoy and Mooney and drum and bass producers Calibre, Break, Calyx, Tee-Bee, Black Sun Empire and Noisia & Phace, although his music shows no imitation of the artists that have inspired him.

Alongside DJing and producing, Prangman is one of the main engines of the Sous-Sol Projet night, an event centred around promoting underground music.

We had a chat to him ahead of his performance with The Bloody Beetroots. Read on….

Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
I’m Great cheers, I’m about to have a BBQ and beers in the sun! Life is all good with grilled meat and cold beers!

To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?
Well, I guess its fusion of various bass genres such Garage, Bassline, Drum & Bass, House & Techno.

What are the 5 albums that have influenced you the most?
• Underworld – everything everything (2000)
• Way out west – intensify (2001)
• Bonobo – Black Sands (2010)
• The Cinematic Orchestra – Every Day (2002)
• Calyx and Teebee – Anatomy (2007)

Which other artists are you into at the moment and why?
Currently i‘m into the Bassline and garage sounds of artist like Killyjoy, Champion, Flava D, EL-B. I Go though phases of liking various different types of genre. Im currently in the Garage and Bassline line phase.

Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound?
I mainly use computer based virtual instruments but I also use a lot of live recorded samples and the occasional analogue synth

What would you say some of the challenges artists face today in the music industry?
The main challenge is being fresh in comparison to the rest. Creating unique sounds can take years of practise or minutes of trial and error.

Where do you gather songwriting inspiration?
Herbal essence.

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting your music together?
It’s almost impossible to answer this question as I tend to work on a bit of trial and error basis. I could set off to make a garage tune and it turns into a drum & bass track!

What’s the best gig you have ever done and why?
Horizons festival 2015, was amazing vibes and ended up play a 4 hour set in one of the main venues at the festival.

And the worst?
Wedding disco back in 1998. One of the drunk party members decided to try and pick a fight with me because I didn’t have his request. (I was 12)

If you weren’t a musician what would you be?
Either a publican following in my father’s steps or a full time mortgage adviser as I currently work in finance in the day

If you could perform alongside any other band or artist, living or dead, who would it be?
That’s a tough question! Id probably have to say Bonobo live! I would love to make some interesting music with him and an orchestra.

Do you have any particular gigs or festivals that you dream about playing?
I’d be very keen to play at dimensions festival and I’d love to go back to Outlook.

The Playground is giving away VIP tickets to the event, including a backstage passes and a nights stay in five star luxury. Follow our Facebook  page for more info. Click here for more details on the event and here to buy tickets.