Dublin may seem just a bit off the track when it comes to the infusions of bassline house and generally chirpy chopped vocal carnage emerging from the UK club scene, but get this readers. From a bedroom somewhere in Dublin, a guy calling himself Detboi has been holding it down with some of the big boys. His remix of that by-now-irritating Beeper track with Kid Sister squeaking over the top has been getting airplay from Annie Mac on the Beeb, and pops up courtesy of Herve, the Count and Sinden, and NYC’s Drop the Lime.
Then some months ago, a logo claiming Machines Don’t Care started popping onto the Myspace profile pictures of dance producers across the net. Detboi was among those taking part in the viral babble designed to promote what turned out to be a collaborative album project. Detboi slices up comedy dancehall vocals, hoover and rave sirens and ADD samples from all over the shop that stomps all over you. And there’s no audience for this goodness in Dublin he tells us. Ah jaysus.
TD: With an EP title like Machines Don’t Care I was expecting an acoustic project. What’s the project all about and who else is involved?
Detboi: Haha… yeah maybe me, Herve and the boys should have pulled up a few beanie bags, got the guitars out and sang a few Bowie songs. Well, the project is Herve’s brainchild, he came up with the concept and name. The project is about pushing things forward in terms of club music. The players on the album all take from the same pool of influences: rave, dancehall, Baltimore, garage. But at the same time they have a very different sound individually, so putting all that together is quiet exciting.
TD: What don’t the machines care about?
Detboi: I’m the wrong machine to be asking about that!
TD:You’re sound leaves me wondering if Dublin influences your music at all. In one sense I can imagine your music playing while London yardies batter the heads off shirts outside Copperface Jacks.
Detboi: Right if any of my tracks ever has a video, I want you to direct it. Yardies bringing some heat to Copperface Jacks, that’s magic. Well I don’t let geography rule what music I make. If I wanted Dublin to influence me, what am I to do? Start running out buying Thin Lizzy albums? Everything I make mainly comes from my love of rave. To me, it’s fun music and it’s now in my DNA. So I guess no, Dublin wouldn’t influence me as regards to making music.
TD: Most people are naturally going to associate the Machines Don’t Care project with Herve and Sinden. Can you tell me how you became involved in the project?
Detboi: Those two and Trevor Loveys are the main players on this album, when you see the sleeve notes you’ll realise how much they did as regards to additional production and mixing down so they deserve the kudos. I got involved when Herve emailed me, he’d already heard my original Soundboy Massive idea and digged it. Then from there on I worked with Sinden on a track called Jugs and worked with Toddla T on a track called How Ya Like Me Now.
TD: What other projects, remixes and labels have you worked with?
Detboi: Well compared to other artists I’m probably quiet slow these days, but I’m putting that down to my nine to five design job. I’ve had a decent flow of releases, my Beeper remix went out on Domino Records, then I did a remix for an artist on Skint Records called Kidda. As regards to my own EPs I’ve got one coming out on Skint Records next month called Come Rest Up, then another EP will be Y’all Want More coming out on Herve’s Cheap Thrills label. I’ve a few secret collaborations I can’t say much about. Might put them out under a different name – it’s the fashionable thing to do these days innit?
