Red Bull Lecture

Seiji, known to his mother as Paul Dolby, is well-known for his booty-la-la-licious contributions to West London’s Bugz in the Attic posse. However, before Broken Beat or ‘Bruk’ appeared in the search engines of head-nodders worldwide, Seiji was already beat making, experimenting with U.S. style Garage and proper old school Drum‘n Bass. He’s recorded a Garage LP for Homecookin', and put out screeds of Breaks and Broken Beat on Bitasweet Records, 2000 Black, Ubiquity, Reinforced, Talkin' Loud, Sonar Kollektiv, and Versatile amongst others. Mr. Dolby first got his kicks from music as a lad, tuning in to hardcore Drum‘n Bass, House and the Neo-Soul of Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. From the age of seventeen he decided to expand his repertoire of instruments, moving from cello to the world of synthesized segues and clunky midi-clocks. The rest, as they say, is history. The Broken Beat sound, with which Seiji is associated, came about as the end product of like-minds getting together, smoking and jamming. But Seiji says that instead of being catalogued with a fleeting genre-definition or area code, he’d rather be known for ‘simply heavy music’. Seiji advises that fellow music makers should try and challenge themselves too – taking care not to become a paint-by-numbers remix factory.
»You have to have the balls to do something different and give people what they don’t expect.«

RBMA: »I’m here with a young man by the name of Paul Seiji.«

Seiji: »Hi Tony, hi everybody.«

RBMA: »How did you get into music?«

Seiji: »I’ve been into music since I was seven, when I started playing the cello.«

RBMA: »So, you’re classically trained?«

Seiji: »Yeah, about ten years. I started playing cello, I went to school playing the cello, and that was my life until I was about seventeen years old. And, as a teenager, I got interested in other sorts of music obviously, apart from classical. By that time I got interested in making music because I just got bored playing the classical repertoire and never creating anything. That’s when I started getting interested in making music and started fiddling about on bits of equipment, borrowed some equipment and just started making beats on crappy old midi sequencers and really terrible old Yamaha synths and just started from there.«

RBMA: »What were your first forays into the music making?«

Seiji: »Pretty much it was House, what I tried to make at the time. US-style House, which I was into, Garage. I did a couple of tracks, which didn’t come out, they weren’t good enough. And then I eventually did one, called 'Deeper’ – (smiles) just a very original lyric. But my first proper release was under the name Disorient, that was for Orin Walters’ back-then label Mousetrap. About the same time, I had met G-Force through a mutual friend and he was hooked up with the Reinforced guys. He had already done one production for the 'Enforcers’ picture discs and was producing Drum'n Bass and I got interested in Drum'n Bass around the same time and started to do some Drum'n Bass as well.«

RBMA: » Was it a conscious decision from making Drum'n Bass for Reinforced to what you do now?«

Seiji: »No, not at all. It was an accident really that my name got associated with Drum'n Bass because, like I say, I was also very much into my US vocal House. I was still trying to make that at the same time I was doing the records for Reinforced. I just think they didn’t stand out as much as my Drum'n Bass records did because my Drum'n Bass records were so weird that they stood out. The House things, I suppose, ended up eventually sticking all those various influences from Drum'n Bass and House together and ending up with what I got now. It wasn’t any sort of conscious decision to move away from Drum'n Bass, it was just a natural thing. And once the music started changing, I lost my interest in it. What got me into Drum'n Bass in the first place was the complex beats, breakbeat science, you know? I blame (Alex Reece) 'Pulp Fiction’ for being the tune that made everyone decide it was suddenly ok to just have a fast Hip Hop beat and nothing else. Whereas before that, there was always innovation in the beats and in the rhythms, the sounds and the programming.«

RBMA: »Do you still listen to Drum'n Bass?«

Seiji: »Yeah, I mean, I listen to it, if I hear it. Obviously, there’s some great tracks that’s been made out there. So, if I hear them, I appreciate those. And sometimes I like listening to Drum'n Bass from the period that I loved from, the period from ‘94 through to ‘97.«

RBMA: »First of all, what is Bugz In The Attic?«

Seiji: »Ok, Bugz In The Attic is a collective of producers. We’re mainly producers, as there’s only one serious musician, and that’s Kaidi (Tatham). Bugz pretty much evolved from when I met Orin. I had put my first record out with him, on his House label and we started working together and jamming around at his house. I think it was always his intention to build a collective; it was Orin who drove the whole thing, he is the daddy of Bugz. He collected people around him, that he got on with well and were making good music, as far as he’s concerned. It really evolved completely organically, just him inviting people over. You know, Cliff (Scott) bringing his SP 1200 around and Kaidi coming around with a Moog and started to jam over the top. It was just friends smoking and jamming, happy days.«

RBMA: »How many of you are there in Bugz In The Attic?«

Seiji: »Now there’s nine of us. It’s a bit of a funny thing when people say: "How many of you are there?" Originally there was six and we always talked about being the 'six original members’, but it’s always been this organic thing, so we might be ten next year.«

RBMA: »I know you produce records independently with Bugz. When do you decide, when you do a Bugz production, who does what?«

Seiji: »It’s quite an interesting question because there is no set way of doing things, which constantly amazes me, as well as that we managed going on like this, when there is no real method to the way that we do things as Bugz In The Attic. I think it’s just accidental that we can work together and we’ve always managed to find a consensus or compromise that everyone’s happy with. I think it’s just down to the personalities and the fact that we all get along as friends as well. So, when it’s a Bugz production, it’s like a free-for-all. If it’s a remix, for instance, the parts will get handed out to everybody. Everybody will jam at home on it or in the studio, come up with ideas and play each other our ideas and say: "That’s rubbish, that’s good." Like I said, we always tend to reach a consensus.«

RBMA: »What would you say has been the most difficult production you’ve had to do as a production team?«

Seiji: »I think it was probably the Da Lata remix of 'Golden’ that we did because that was the one we did straight after the remix of 4 Hero’s 'Hold it down’. 'Hold it down’ was such a immediate success that we suddenly felt this pressure to come up with something that would top it. Since then, we realised that it’s stupid to feel that pressure anyway. We should just carry on being creative and just not worry about what people are expecting of you from a marketing point of view or something like that. It just comes down to music and vibing off what you got there.«

RBMA: »What are we about to hear?«

Seiji: »We’re about to hear a remix I’ve just done of a Scandinavian Hip Hop thing, called 'Sensational’. This is what I just finished.«

(music)

»I’m not really crazy about the vocal, but in terms of production I’m just trying to mix up some Latin and Electro and whatever, and not do the standard broken beat dancefloor thing that people might have started to expect of me. Especially when you’re remixing, you get stuck in a bit of a rut. Where you’re just turning into a remix factory and turning out something that just sounds the same as your last remix. Creatively, that’s quite a bad thing, so you have to have the balls to do something different and give people what they don’t expect.«

RBMA: »It’s interesting that you play that first because for me the record you did with Lyric L ('Loose Lips’) was definitely a precursor to the way that’s going. Do you have her here?«

Seiji: »Yeah.«

(music: Seiji feat. Lyric L 'Loose Lips’)

RBMA: »For me that record definitely set a precedent in terms of the marriage of amazing, eclectic, really clever beats with an MC. But it’s also a record that’s really danceable, really captivating on the dancefloor. It’s great!«

Seiji: »Thanks! It’s a bit of a cliche about music, but I never really worked hard on this track to make it into a big hit or anything like that. This was just a (check Daz I-Kue’s definition right here:) rinse, basically. "Alright, this is a beat, it will sound good with an MC on it, so let’s try it out at Co-Op", which is the broken beat club. Just took the beat down there, Lyric L came and freestyled on it. She told me afterwards, that she’d prepared a whole set of lyrics to drop that night and as soon as she got on the mic, her mind went blank. And she forgot everything, so she had to start freestyling. Basically what ended up on the record is what we heard that night. The whole thing came together very accidental because the vibe it has created that night, we said: "Ok, let’s go to the studio tomorrow and put it down." So we did. And that was that.«

RBMA: »Great tune. It is often said about the broken beat scene that it is music you can’t dance to. Would you agree with that?«

Seiji: »No, not at all. I think there are a few different reasons that this criticism gets levelled. But I think, if people would see the dancing that goes down at 'Co-Op’, for instance, it is quite obvious that it is really danceable music. There is a heavy vibe at that club, when there’s lots of people dancing. I think the majority of people might not be open to think about it as dance music. It is complicated rhythmically, but it also sounds electronic. That’s two things that aren’t really that common in dance music. Something I always say about our music is that the rhythms in it are nothing new. Rhythmically everything’s already being done anyway over history. The rhythms you’re hearing in broken beat, be it African or Latin, they were all being done before, they just sound different. Even just Funk. Listening to Funk records from the 70's, you will hear a lot of the same rhythms that we are using. But, because it is in a different context, people don’t even pay attention to the fact that they’re hearing (human-beatboxes the drums of 'Loose Lips’). There’s a Funk guitar going away behind it and a vocal and the drums are in the mix, so you don’t even register that you’re listening to a beat that is not as straight with a 'two’ and 'four’ snare. If it is slightly more organic sounding, people might relax more and feel the music rather than analysing where the snare and kicks are and things like that. The one thing I find, when I’ve been to places and played the music to people that really have no education about electronic music or dance music or anything like that, they’re literally just feeling the same music that they’re hearing and not analysing in any way, then I find I get a much better response. For instance, when I went to Puerto Rico and the people there don’t really read the music press or have been educated into 'this is Hip Hop, this is R'n B, this is House’, and they haven’t all these categories stuck in their heads already. They’d hear it and for them it is all Techno music, you know? So, they’re just hearing, they’re feeling it and they’re dancing.«

RBMA: »Did you make some music while you were there?«

Seiji: »Yeah, I made a few tunes actually, but only one of them has come out so far. And that’s a record [I did under the name Oreja], called 'Vasilando’. All I really did, was record a traditional Plena and put a House beat underneath it. I felt a bit uncomfortable at that time about it, but I think the response to the record was good.«

RBMA: »Why were you uncomfortable?«

Seiji: »I was just a little uncomfortable with it because I was doing something that I thought wasn’t really me. Constant boundary pushing and all these kind of things. But actually, I was just making a fun, danceable record.«

RBMA: »Are you maybe going to continue to record over there?«

Seiji: »Actually, it’s quite interesting what’s happening over there at the moment. Orin Walters, the Afronaught, is out there at the moment and he’s developing further the links that we got with the 'Candela’ crew over there, which is a bar and a sort of festival. There’s now a music studio there, so we’re starting to work with some more original music, rather than just rehashing traditional music. I’ve got a little taste of one of the things that Orin has done recently on his last trip there.«

(music)

RBMA: »Is that an Afronaught record or a Bugz record?«

Seiji: »Actually, not sure yet (laughter). I don’t know what he’s going to call it.«

RBMA: »So how does it work in terms of income? Do you split it equally?«

Seiji: »Obviously, on a production someone does on their own, they take care of that themselves. We do run a sort of taxation system with the Bugz In The Attic. We have a company, which we all work within. Everytime someone does a production, generally the gross fee, or the royalty will be taxed. So a certain percentage will always go back to Bugz In The Attic to pay for studio, management, those sorts of things to keep the whole operation going. Because it is a collective, we’re all contributing to that and all benefiting from that. That’s all managed just by Mikey (Stirton). Generally, we’re not looking to make an income out of this because it is not making us lots of money right now. The idea is to continue to develop Bugz In The Attic. So generally, income from a Bugz remix will come in and be used to further Bugz In The Attic. And then everybody will do their individual productions to keep themselves going as well. Income is a funny one because, like I was saying before, getting stuck in doing a lot of remixes is definitely what happened to me. Because, trying to make a living off music, you are constantly hustling. And remix work is the easiest way to get short term cash. But I don’t think it’s the best, it’s something, I think, you really got to keep a handle on because it affects your creativity. The same thing with DJing as well. I mean, I don’t consider myself a DJ. I didn’t get into this because of DJing. I did mix records in my bedroom when I was sixteen or seventeen, like I said, I was buying lots of Garage records, listening to Benji Candelario on Choice FM. Listening to him mixing in key and holding mixes for three minutes and that sort of thing. I was into it, but I never really started properly, until I had the name from production, that I started to get gigs. It was actually Dego from 4 Hero , who first made me start DJing. At the time I wasn’t DJing and he was saying: "Alright, you come with me to Japan to DJ" on his next tour.«

RBMA: »So let me get this right. Apart from DJing in your bedroom when you were seventeen, your next DJ gig was DJing with Dego in Japan?«

Seiji: »My only DJ gig really up until going to Japan with Dego, was playing in my bedroom. And when I got out there, it was really a baptism by fire. I remember feeling really physically ill before I went on at my first gig. I couldn’t eat, I was rushing to the toilet, it was horrible. But that week I had to learn fast, so I managed to get over my fear. Since then I’ve been getting gigs off the back of my records. But I think, I’ve actually been DJing too much recently. The same way with remixing. Just the fact that I haven’t actually made an original piece of music in about a year or a year and a half. I mean 'Loose Lips’ was the last production that I’ve done for myself that I just knocked out for the hell of it.«

RBMA: »Have you started on some new work?«

Seiji: »It was in the last one or two months that I had made a conscious effort to start to make sure that I make music for myself. I’ve invested a bit more money in my home studio, I’ve just bought myself a Wurlitzer, I’m getting that back from the store next week. Teach myself harmony and stuff like that, started writing songs. Now I really want to get into songwriting. Not that you’re going to be hearing any nasty ballads or anything like that, but at least some vocal grooves.«

RBMA: »Any chance to get the cello in the picture?«

Seiji: »Yes, there’ll probably be some cello coming back, but I’ve got to practice first because I haven’t been playing in ten years. So I’m all out of tune.«

RBMA: »Do you still have your cello from school?«

Seiji: »I have actually played it, I was lying a little bit. Phil Asher is always encouraging me to play. A couple of times recently, he’s phoned me up and said: "Right, come down to the studio, bring your cello." I went down there and played some really minimal string part he has written for me on one of his remixes and it sort of gets submerged right then in the mix or something. But it makes me feel good, so...«

RBMA: »Can you think of any remixes off hand where you got some cello on one of Phil’s records?«

Seiji: »There is a Jody Watley remix he did recently. But, like I say, I’m solo in the mix, so you’re not going to hear me anyway. But it felt good to have my name on a record playing cello.«

RBMA: »What were your usual tools for making music?«

Seiji: »I started making electronic music on little bits of equipment that I borrowed. The very first bits I used were a really basic sequencer and synth, I can’t even remember what they were. It was like a DX-something and the Yamaha – this flat thing - I don’t know, I can’t remember. That taught me the basics. Then I actually met a guy, who is a good friend of mine now, who had a studio and I started to use that studio. And he had an Ensonic sampler, one of these really old ones and that showed me the basics of sampling on that. He taught me how to use Cubase on the Atari and that was the main thing. From there, after I got serious about the music, I got an E-Mu sampler, an E-Mu 64, and just used that and the Atari. For about six years I’ve just used an E-Mu 64 and the Atari to sequence. Any sort of keyboard sound or anything like that, I used samples in the E-Mu. My music was pretty much all samples at that point anyway.«

RBMA: »And you take what you’ve worked on and Daz (I-Kue) would mix it down?«

Seiji: »I started to do my own mix downs in the early days, but they sounded horrible. So as soon as there was a really good engineer around, I got him to help me. So since then Daz I-Kue has been doing my mixdowns. I do some basic writing at home, get some ideas together, develop the whole thing in terms of programming, do most of the programming at home and then take it to the studio to do recording of vocals or live stuff and then the mixdown. I’m the most creative when I’m alone in my bedroom at night. If I’m under pressure and somebody would say: "Do that beat in front of us", I can’t really do it. That’s why I work at home.«

RBMA: »Is there some kind of cueing system for Daz in terms of mixes. You guys are quite busy.«

Seiji: »He calls himself 'the hardest working man in showbiz’ or something like that, I can’t remember. But, yeah, he is very busy and if he finds the time to do my stuff, I’m happy.«

RBMA: »So now you’ve got yourself a few nice bits of equipment, including the (Wurlitzer) EP 200. What else did you get yourself?«

Seiji: »Recently I bought the Titanium G4 as well. I had to say goodbye to the Atari because it starting to flake on me, it was getting too old and I had to keep getting it repaired and all that kind of thing. But I must say that I really regret that now because there was something about the Atari I really loved. And I haven’t been finding the Mac as easy as I thought.«

RBMA: »Have you pin-pointed what it is about the Atari that you miss?«

Seiji: »One thing about it, it is very tactile. When you pressed the button of the mouse it went (loud) 'clunk’. When you press the button on the Mac it sounds (quietly) 'click’. If you’re making music with computers, there’s this interface between you and your music. It helps to have some sort of manual input or to have that tactile something. The thing about the Atari was, it was very immediate and the interface between you and your music didn’t seem to be that great. And then obviously, there is the clock aspect as well. There is this endless debate going on about the midi clock in the Atari is better than the midi clock in the PC, is better than the midi clock Mac as well. I mean, I don’t know because I’m not technically into that stuff, but there was definitely a feel to sequencing on the Atari that is difficult to get from more sophisticated computers and I don’t know why that is. They say it’s because it’s got a built-in midi port. And then others say: "It’s a little less sophisticated, the midi gets shuffled a little bit." I don’t know what it was, but there’s a natural feel to programming on an Atari that is hard to get now from a Mac. Definitely, you can’t get it from a PC, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve heard about some interesting bits of equipment, like ideas about importing your midi files into your MPC to get that old school swing back in your music when it’s all feeling a bit square.«