Dutta on Select The Elected and More

If you’ve been following drum and bass this year then Dutta shouldn’t require an introduction. But for those that haven’t, Dutta (who you can often catch performing alongside his Manchester-counterpart Bou) has, at just 21 years of age, already scored releases on the likes of Guv’s Dubz Audio, Levela’s Multi Function and Serum’s Souped Up. We caught up with sought-after Manchester producer following the drop of his latest EP on Digital Terror, Select The Elected, featuring collaborations with the likes of Stompz and Traumatik.

How long has this EP been in the pipeline?

I started making the tracks about a year ago when I moved to Macclesfield in June last year. There were some newer tunes that I put on there as well - It kept getting pushed back because I had other releases coming out.

Were they any differences in the creative process between Select The Elected and your previous releases?

It was more fun. I did an EP for Digital Terror a year before but this one was a bit more relaxed. This is just me doing my sound instead of working for Serum where I had to sort of keep the same algorithm. This EP is just fun tunes and my sound has developed a bit more. It really pieced itself together because I didn’t have any pressure of what style to make or what sound to go for.

How did the EP’s collaborations come about?

I’ve done quite a few tunes with Traumatik, he’s been hitting me up for my tunes for about three years now. I met Stompz when me and Bou did a booking in Leeds a few years ago - we were listening to his music and knew he had potential. I’ve made a good few tunes with him since. He’s gonna start killing it.

What qualities do you look for in the artists you collaborate with?

I don’t like things that are straight 4x4, I like it when a track has a swing to it. I’ve been making tunes with people like Taxman and a few others that I’ve been wanting to jump in the studio with for some time.

What Manchester-based music are you listening to right now?

Obviously I’m listening to Bou, but that’s my boy so I’m a bit biased. I think Motive is gonna start making some noise. Slater as well, he’s already making noise. I think there are a lot of people in Manchester that are putting in work but need to start tunes, like IndiKa. But it takes a few years to get good at producing – I’ve been making tunes for around 10 years, it doesn’t come overnight. You’ve gotta make it your life and get hungry for it.

Has being Manchester-based influenced the music you make?

I’ve been in and out of Manny over the last few years but me and Bou are making the kind of tunes that Sappo used to, so I have got that Manny sound, definitely.

What music outside of drum and bass has influenced your sound?

Dubstep has massively influenced my sound; artists like DMZ, J:Kenzo and SP:MC. That’s what got me into making tunes! I still make some dubstep – I’m gonna be putting out an EP with encrypted audio under a different alias soon.

What’s coming up for you in 2019?

I’ve got another single coming out with Guv on Dubz Audio next month, that’ll be my second single with them. January and February have filled up really quick and I’ve got a lot of shows in December. I’ve secured a few big bookings that were on my tick list - I’ve just been confirmed for Let It Roll 2019.

You can listen to the full Select The Elected EP HERE

Follow the author on Twitter @HannahMWalford