Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Interview with Ross Fink - Mix n Blend

So Ross….Who are you?

Ross Fink Aka Dank, 1/3 Mix n Blend, Sedge Warbler (Dank and disco izreal—coming soon), Spit Shine (Dank and The Bakaman) and DankLiver


What are you all about?

Glitchy crunk style Beats Wobble bass and weird rappers at tempo’s between 75 and 110 bpm which tends to make heads bob sometimes.


Where in SA is home for you?

Cape Town CBD

What inspires you?

San Francisco bay side area style glitch or a nice sunset or maybe even the look on a rappers face when I give him a beat he digs.


Who do you aspire to?

No one in particular mostly my friends who make beats cooler than mine, it makes me either real lazy of mad motivated to do better...

What’s the first album &/ record you ever bought?

The First Record I ever bought was Danny Breaks Dimension 3d and I still play stuff from that album to this day, he’s awesome and is still a mad influence to me and my music. I can’t remember the first cd I bought but it was probably nix heavy petting zoo, I was mad into punk back in my junior school days.

What the latest album &/ record you’ve bought?

The last album I actually paid for was Sibot in with the old.

Do you even bother buying albums/records?

I don’t really anymore unless I can get it for free I know its bad and I feel guilty but I often give my music away for free so maybe that makes it sort of ok I don’t know you decide.

What’s your ALL time fav. track?

I will give you three coz one is too hard.
Edit—The Game is not over (but there are so many others)
Eprom—Bubble
Danny Breaks---Windscreen Wiper

SA Radio. How do we go about getting more local DJs broadcast?? It’s like a catch 22, there is this perception there will not be enough public support for it, yet without exposing the public to different genres, there will never be interest generated……

I think it’s more up to the station but if you push your stuff hard enough u might get lucky. The problem is that the music we make isn’t for the every day person so it’s difficult. If there were radio stations which catered to our styles of music it would be perfect.

The ideal crowd for you?

I think probably one with an open mind and they aren’t scared to get on the dancing floor but you know how it is, people lurk just off the floor and wait until you play something they know and then only get down. But that’s ok I suppose.


Is it all about taking the crowd on a journey?

I guess so, mainly because my music is very diverse in genre but still has a distinct sound. So the basic plan is to see how they react to certain tracks then work off that track or completely throw them off. I don’t know it depends how I feel or how much I’ve had to drink.

SA crowd VS Overseas - ? I mean each crowd must be different wherever you go – even in the same city – any particular difference though?

I defiantly think the majority of local crowds have been brainwashed by radio and TV and think that the music they hear on radio and TV is the only ‘kiff’ stuff out there. But overseas they actually have radio stations that play similar stuff to what local producers are making so minds have been opened over there, it’s awesome. There are still rad crowds here but more like a minority.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a DJ in SA?

Cash, money and requests for Lady Gaga and ‘house tunes bru’.


Any favourite partner-in-beats?

I have lots of little beat making crews and projects on the move most of the time. The biggest one at the moment is Mix n Blend. The crew members include me, Kevin Ribbons and Jon Arnold. They were originally mix n blend but dragged me on board about 2 years ago in an attempt to produce an album, its been pressed and is on the verge of being launched so look out for it its called ‘Look Mom no Hands’ and I think its kiff . Those 2 doods make some of the best stuff ever.


Do you have a weakness for buying electronic toys? What’s your latest purchase?

I’m a complete junkie for old analogue synths. I’ve got the bug which in turn makes me a broke guy most the time. My latest purchase was an ARP odyssey from the seventies they used it for r2d2’s voice. I have about 8 others I love to bits.

If you could get any vintage synth hand delivered by Isao Tomita, what would it be?

A Moog modular.

What does “pushing the boundaries” mean to you?

Making beats which make people’s faces ugly. Finding the hardest squelch to bring on the ‘bass face’ as I like to call it, I've got one have you?


Favourite festival?

My favourite local festival would either be earth dance or rocking the daisies. But I would still love to go to sonar.

Is improvisation important to you?

Yip if your tech on stage flips out you have to improvise and its happened loads of times. Once you’ve made it through the panic you have to just keep going. With the new Mix n Blend live set up its super easy to improvise, for instance we can throw one of our hip-hopish beats into drum n bass for a few bars or dub step into breaks. It’s amazing what ableton live can do. I still love hardware samplers and effect units but it’s more limited than the ableton setup.

How do you go about tearing up the dance floor?

You just have to have fun and play the beats you love and hopefully they love it to. Often if the DJ or producer looks like he or she is having fun the people will follow and if not who cares you’re still playing music you want to hear.

What turns you on?

Jon Arnold in a gimp suite

What turns you off?

Kevin Ribbons in a gimp suite and a ball gag

If you could play alongside someone – anyone – who would it, be?

The Glitch Mob. Flippin' kiff beats, check them out!

What does music mean to you?

I live music! Almost everything I do involves music

Where is the CT Music industry headed?

Global. There are so many doods making the hot shit here and they have already hit the international scene with nice success.

What’s the most insane thing you’ve ever done?

I threw a cactus at a girls face when I was about seven, but we are still friends and I wasn’t aiming for her face I was aiming for the tree house ladder.

What is local? Is local not actually global?

Local is local to us but global to every one else. Just give it time.


Colour – what does it mean to you?

The brown note. The note that makes you poo


Any particular DJs or artists you want to mention in CT? Why?

All my homies from African dope …Mix n Blend, Fletcher, Roach, Sfr, Hyphen, Phfat, Liver, Baka, Flo, Specta, 661, Honeybee.

Other homies include …Sibot, Markus, Mr Wilson, Niskerone, Adam Strange, Klinikal, Boogie man, Richard the third, Wilson fury, funafuji,

If I’ve forgotten anyone I’m super sorry, all these guys are the ill.



Where and when do you play?

Fiction, Waiting Room, Assembly, Julep, The mystic Boer, and some of the festivals like Oppikopi, Earth Dance, Rocking the Daisies, and other out door parties, Gin in Joburg as well as Tokyo Star when we tour or are in the cities. Times and dates are random.

Any travel plans coming up?

Hopefully overseas tours next year 2010 and other local tours up to Durban or Joburg and most probably G-town. But I really want to do some over seas tours with Mix n Blend to promote Cape Town producers; we are looking into maybe Scotland and Europe. As dank I really want to go to LA and San Fran.

Can we find you on the dance floor after playing?

Sometimes but I’m normally away from the sound in order to give my ears a rest because I’m going deaf from this job. I love supporting my DJ friends though, so if one of my friends is playing I will be there in support. With my ear plugs lame I know.


What’s your biggest vice?

Smoking, synths and Disco Izreal

What hangs on your walls?

Framed posters from past album launches. My favourite picture is a kid koala poster drawn by him and signed; I got it at his album launch in London from his ‘Your mom’s favourite DJ’ album.


Why do you love CT (if you do...?)

It’s the closest you can get to Europe without leaving the country and the producers generally friendly guys. (Most of them)

What’s lacking in CT? Aside from funds…

Good weather in winter and groupies ha.

Where would we find you on a Friday evening and Sunday morning?

Probably playing at some place in town on Friday and fishing on Sunday (weird I love fishing)

Are you messy?

My room is messy but clean if you know what I mean just clothes on the floor type thing.
My studio is super clean most of the time (Sticky Foot Studios above fiction) it’s my baby.

What’s one thing you would like to tell all those ambitious young artists and mussos out there?

There isn’t any money in this game unless you get into commercial ad work. So do it purely for the love and enjoy your life doing it. And watch your liver and lungs.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Fishing in Zambia ha ha... No, I don’t know hopefully making some money and touring the world and maybe with a girlfriend in the mix. If anyone’s interested my number is 083695460-- ha ha ha..

What’s your dream project?

To get remixes done by all my favourite artists for a remix album of dank.

What’s next for Ross?

Sedge Warbler it’s a secret. Keep a look out...


Contacts. ross@stickyfoot.co.za (only in a month or two)
www.stickyfoot.co.za


rossfinck@gmail.com
www.myspace.com/dankcpt

2 comments:

Unknown said...

dankie dankie dank!

Sarah Claire said...

hee hee! only saw this now! only a pleasure !

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