Soundtracksforthem

Who is Proximal?

Proximal is a Dj who isn’t scared to take a risk and put his balls on the line as a Dj. I’ve been Dj’ing in Atlanta for eight years now. I started playing at raves when I was sixteen, mixing seemed to be second nature for me, and taking chances in order to turn heads seemed to be something I was exceptional at. From the rave scene sprouted my interests in the experimental scene and now in the “post-rave” scene.

What were the first records that really made you go, “WOW” ?

For some reason when I was younger it seemed that the faster the track was the more I loved it. I have no shame in where I came from, and I am proud to say that I rocked the happy hardcore scene for many years when I started out. It’s sad that UK hardcore is dead, I had hopes for it, but it just faded. No one grew, the sound became stagnant, and without evolution you’ll just get swallowed up by the next big thing. The first records that made me go “wow” were off of Evolution records by Scott Brown and anything from Next Generation Records; those were the first labels that I watched the mail everyday for. I couldn’t get enough then.

Describe the sound of a Proximal Set.

My sets are eclectic to say the very least. I play whatever hits my mood, but I play it well. I think being a good Dj requires a certain balance of what the Dj wants, and what the crowd is feeling. Without this balance your selling both parties short in their experience. I can start a set off with some dubstep, work into techno or drum n bass and be in gangster rap before ya know it. 2007 was a great year for producers, but I felt Dj’s were more scared then ever to experiment with different mixing techniques and styles. Every scene seemed to pigeon hole itself into one category because of the comfort they received.

Where are you from originally ? Where are you based now ?

I was born in Akron Ohio, so I have that midwestern blood flowing in me, but I moved to Atlanta at a really young age so I guess you could say I’m a dirty south boy. I’m still based in Atlanta, but I have hopes to move to Brooklyn NY very soon.
How/when did you first begin playing music ?

I began to DJ when I was 16, since then I’ve picked up the drums, piano, and kazoo; I also attended Georgia States music program for an extended period. I’ve just started production in the past few years, I work in Logic Pro and Reason, and use assorted midi instruments.

Which current artists/records do you really love ?

Right now my brain is salivating for dubstep, so I’ve been probing a lot of what I feel is the best up and coming artists in the dubstep scene. Benga is one of my fave’s, but I guess you could say he’s on top of the dubstep kingdom right now. I’m really feeling what some of the stateside Dubstep artists are doing… Ultrablack (arizona), Claw (New Jersey), EMU (cali). I feel American producers could easily transform the sound into their own category.

Think about it, we’ve grown up listening to hip hop, rap, and now crunk, our palettes are refined just from the mainstream. Other than the dubstep scene I’m really on top of what the Trouble and Bass crew is doing in NYC. Drop the Lime and his side project Curses are making their way in the scene, and being experimental with it. They don’t seem to have anything holding them back as artist which is great.

Also the BASSLINE house movement coming out of the UK is crazy right now, and there’s one DJ / Producer I have been following for a minute that I think exemplifies what BASSLINE house is… Dexplicit. I think his remix of Curses “What I need” has been on repeat in my car for a long time.

What, for you, is the most important thing about music?

The most important thing about music to me is expression and freedom. Do what you want, express it by any means. Beat on a table, spend 40 days and nights working on a track, or even scream into a fisher price microphone. Just get it out.

What’s the most memorable DJ set you’ve ever played ?

The most memorable Dj set I ever had was in Panama City Florida of all places! It was in this little club inside the city, and there was about 100 or so people packed to the wall. I was only about 18 at the time, but they were banging my promo mix on the radio as I was pulling into the city. It was thrilling. Me and my long-time friend Kid Dynamite had just finished pressing his tune “Dj’s Dream” to acetate, and it was the opening track on the mix, everyone was walking around singing it, waiting to hear it live. I got up on stage and the setup was whack as hell, but if there’s a few things I’ve learned as a DJ its that you gotta rock it with what ya got. So I did just that… opened with “Dj’s Dream”, and the crowd went bonkers. Whistles and horns blowing, the crowd moving as one.

When I started to mashup hardcore and jungle I remember a crowd gathering around me; hands were thrown and curse words were shouted. A four four on top of a broken beat… I ended the night drunk on the beach and 100 promo cds poor…. can you ask for a better time?

Which of your remixes are you most proud of and why ?

I’m most proud of my re-edit of the mims track “They don’t wanna play.” It just worked, and perfectly. There’s so much potential for dirty south rap and electronic music ( dubstep and techno in particular) its amazing!

What’s the best night in your home town right now?

The best night I would say right now has got to be FUCK YES on the first thursday of the month, hosted by Treasure Fingers. And I’ve always enjoyed the FUZE events on friday nights, there’s always a nice collage of electronic music going on there. If you want a safe bet then you go to MJQ on wed. to just cut loose and have fun. And the occasional dnb show that 404 audio puts on are always packed out, plus you get to hear some dubstep every now and then!

Promximal Presents his Neo-rave Roast Beef Dinner – tracklisting

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