Exclusive: Jubei Interview

There’s a reason why Jubei has worked with anyone who’s anyone in drum and bass. Since his debut back in 2006, the London-based Producer/DJ has taken his technical prowess from strength to strength, with timeless releases such as his 2013 To Have Or Have Not LP having secured his influence on the scene. Now a Metalheadz aficionado, Jubei continues to drop musical masterpieces; such as his recently released collaborations with the late Marcus Intalex. We caught up with Jubei to talk about the collab, how he creates his intimatable sounds and what’s in store for the rest of 2018. Hint: there's a lot.

'Lubbly Jubbly' and 'Fanny's Ya Aunt' demonstrate a harmonious blend of yours and Marcus' respective production styles. Was the production process as harmonious as the end result?

Yes, it was the same when we wrote Tip The Scales, very easy going studio sessions which were good fun. It was always good fun making music with Marcus becaue neither of us were particularly 'tech' based in our approach. We just kind of messed about until something sounded good. All the tracks I wrote with Marcus were at his studio in his house up in Manchester. Each session was centred around me playing his Soul:ution nights. I'd go up to Manchester a few days before the gig and we would go for food, have some drinks then try to get something written.

Produced in Marcus' home city of Manchester, was the release a conscious reflection of the energy of the city or was that natural with Marcus' input?

I'm not sure, I guess so. His music has a certain energy and a certain sound; more often than not you can tell a Marcus tune when you hear it. I'm not sure if that's a reflection of the energy of his home city, maybe. I mean - he was heavily influenced by some of the pioneers that molded the city's sound from the early rave days so I guess that energy inevitably carried through into his music.

Your distinct production techniques have caught the attention of some of the most prominent figures in d'n'b, do you have a particular ethos when making music?

I just try and make something that I like - as stupid as that sounds. Something that I can play in my DJ sets. I don't think about anyone else when I’m in the studio. When I was starting out I would, but those sessions usually ended up with me banging my head against a brick wall. It works better for me if I can sit down and just try to roll something out. Overthinking kills the vibe dead for me, if I over analyse something I’m working on I end up just going round and round in circles and the creativity stops. That's when I get bored, turn off the computer and leave... sometimes for quite a few months.

Your diverse colloborations have included the likes of Alex Perez and Goldie. Can we expect more crossover collabs in the future?

More collaborations yes but i'm not sure about crossover collabs. I work Tyrone a lot and will be working with him more. I have tracks in the works with Skeptical, Kid Drama, Ulterior Motive, dBridge, Total Science, a joint production with SP:MC, a D'n'B tune with My Nu Leng and a remix from Goldie's 'Journey Man' LP. I'd like to get back on some music with Breakage again, possibly Break plus my old buddies Nutone & Logistics.

What's in store for your fans for the remainder of 2018?

As well as the upcoming collaborations, I'll be DJing at a few festivals and clubs throughout Europe and possible tours back to Japan, America and Canada before the year ends.

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Follow the author on twitter: @HannahMWalford