16/09/2016
We recently caught up with Charlie Martin, A.K.A. Ar**ha from Hexagon Dubs, to discuss charity fundraising, the closure of Fabric, and the release of his first solo EP...
Grape Ape: Tell me a little of your history, when did you start mixing and making music?
Ar**ha: “I grew up listening to metal and stuff like that but when I got to around 14/15 that's when dubstep was getting big and I started listening to that side of things, that sound, and my brother started mixing and I jumped on and that was it pretty much.
"I’d go and sit round my mate’s house and he had a midi keyboard hooked up to his laptop with a copy of Reason and we’d just sit there making weird sounds. I’ve still got some of the stuff we made back then knocking about and it’s just silly.”
GA: Nothing worth cutting dubs for? Would you say your style has progressed since then?
Ar**ha: “(laughs) A lot of it’s got darker and the production is better, but I also do a lot more than just dubstep now. I write footwork, a few hip hop beats, most of my attention is focussed on writing grime at the moment. I’ve tried my hand at drum and bass but I kinda find it a bit difficult, it is what it is.”
GA: Earlier this year Hexagon Dubs put out a multi-genre release, and you’ve just released your own solo EP on the label. How did the six of you get together?
Ar**ha: “I guess it was probably around the same time I started producing, really. I went to school with Umpah, Barran and Sheik, so I knew they were into the sound and they knew I was doing bits. One day we were just having a barbecue round Barran’s, having a mix and that’s where the idea came to us really.
"Where we are in Bromley, there’s not really much to do. It’s such a Tory hotspot that there’s never any nights. There’s two clubs in town and they’re s**t, so we just figured even if we just end up playing house parties and stuff at least it’s good music, you know?”
GA: You’re not just playing house parties anymore, Hex have got a fortnightly show on Mode FM. How did that happen?
Ar**ha: “(laughing) I’m not really sure to be honest with you. I just like writing music and I like mixing, and everything else in between is just sort of irrelevant. I mean we’d done shows on other stations before.
"We did one on Radar Radio when that was starting up, and we were on RoodFM for a bit as well so we had a collection of shows that we could take to the table and say, ‘This is what we do’. I think it was Umpah that approached them. I think so, he can take the credit (laughs) why not?”
GA: And now you guys are starting to gain some attention on the wider scene, do you think the show on Mode FM has played a part?
Ar**ha: “Definitely in the respect that we’ve met a lot of people through the station because there’s always people there, and we’ve met a lot of MCs as well and obviously they’re a big part of the grime scene so getting to know them and being able to get them on our sets has helped a lot in that regard.
"But I mean, we’ve met a lot of other DJs and producers as well, which is pretty cool. And being on a station like Mode kind of gives you a lot of clout when you’re shouting at people for tunes, because they want to send you stuff so you’ll play it on the air. It’s calm, y’know what I mean? It’s just nice getting sent dubs.”
GA: What with the recent closure of Fabric I thought it would be good to just get your opinion on the current state of London’s nightlife. As a DJ based in the capital how do you see the scene developing from this point onwards?
Ar**ha: “Obviously a lot of stuff is being closed at the moment so it’s kind of weirder niche venues which are becoming more of a thing. I’ve got a feeling that there’s gonna be people putting on squat raves, unsanctioned events and stuff like that, same as it was in the past where there weren’t so many clubs.
"People are still going to want to go and listen to music. It’s foolish to try to get rid of a massive part of British culture and not think that anyone is going to come in to fill that void. Sadiq Khan said he’d protect London’s nightlife but that turned out to be a lie.”
GA: You’ve got a new EP out, the ‘We Are Boo EP’ - talk me through some of the influences for that project.
Ar**ha: “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to anime and gaming, so a lot of it was influenced by game soundtracks and anime scores. In most of my tunes, when I’ve used a sample there’s a 99% chance of it being from a video game. I just like sneaking stuff in and seeing if anyone notices. I’d also just walk around charity shops in my area, find all the unwanted world music CDs, cut bits up from those and try to make some weird grime tunes.
"The way those far-Eastern sounds work, they fit a lot of the grime framework anyway. It was a definite sound for a bit, with lots of producers doing a similar thing so it’s quite a natural fit. The instruments that they use in those parts of the world, shamisens and wood blocks and stuff like that, work well with grime.”
GA: What else does the future hold for Ar**ha?
Ar**ha: “I’ve got a lot of stuff in the pipeline for a lot of different people, but I’m not sure if I’ll get in trouble by saying anything yet. It’s good to start getting more stuff out though. I’ve got tunes on my computer from three years ago and I always tell myself I’ll do something with them but I know deep down that I won’t, so it is nice to get more stuff out there rather than just putting them up for free download.
I’m doing a 24 hour Dark Souls marathon on 30th September to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Particle and I did an E.P. a while back with tunes remixed from the Dark Souls soundtrack, and I’ve remastered it to go on sale via Vault Comics’ bandcamp. All money raised from that will go towards Macmillan Cancer Support at the end of the marathon.
Shouts to Hexagon Dubs, the Mode FM family, Particle, Chameleon Audio, Simply Deep… er… I shouldn’t have started this cos I’ve definitely forgotten people (laughs).”
Find more info on Ar**ha's charity marathon here: facebook.com/24hoursdarksouls
'We Are Boo EP' is out now on Hexagon Dubs.
3 track album
