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  DJ First Aid Interview
deejay feature 0037 added
26.07.07
words:
Exzes
technical:
QED
Hoping to continue the success of his breakthrough track,
‘Devon Cream’,
DJ First Aid has seemingly kicked his life in to
overdrive. Aid took time out of his increasingly busy schedule
to let me know the story of his career so far, what the future
holds for Gettin’ Better Records, and how he’s glad to have
played a part in the legacy for a ‘local legend’.
“...it’s about the only thing I know how to do properly that’s legal...”
When was it that you finally began to feel your career kick
starting, what catalyst made you think ‘yeah, this is it’?
 First Aid: Wosson UKHH! Is this it is it? Get on! It’s kind of
impossible to pick just one defining moment because I’ve been
working in studios and making beats since I was 17 since so it’s
been a very gradual thing, but if I have to it was probably
meeting Blade for the second time in 2002ish and giving him a
beat cd. We’d met before in Plymouth in about 98/99 and I was
amazed he remembered me (I don’t think he ever forgets a face!)
but he took the cd and rang me back a few days later wanting 4
or 5 of the 10 or so beats on there. He came down to Devon a few
weeks later, tracked 3 or 4 songs over a couple of days in the
studio and we’ve been good friends ever since. The game’s gonna
miss characters like that, they don’t make ‘em like him anymore.
It was either that or hooking up with my manager Biff (legendary
promoter who runs nuskool breaks label Functional. Imagine the
West country version of Harvey Goldsmith/Russell Simmons/Frank
Warren and your getting there) and starting the label.
You’ve been around as a DJ for 10+ years now, and appeared
alongside many well known names in the business, from GOATs like
Ice T and KRS, to Jools Holland and Gangstarr’s Guru. What have
been the major highlights of your DJing career so far?
First Aid: Yeah guess it’s got to be KRS, Bambaataa or Ice T. I
reckon Ice T just cos of the size of the crowd and being a bit
nervous (not usually a problem cos I’m a cocky cunt!) but just
being able to play all my favourite records to the right crowd
(old people) and it goin off!
On a live tip probably doing Yoda’s LP launch party in the main
room at Fabric with Mantis (my old house mate Probe Mantis from
Aspects – now gone off to work for MTV in NZ lucky fucker!) &
Inja cos after having been a quite a few times it was the first
time I’d actually played there. That or the label launch party
in Exeter. Having 3 legends from London Posse, Demon Boyz &
Silent Eclipse on a tiny stage in a 200 capacity club in Devon
was pretty sick. Those and Glastonbury just gone!
How was your first year performing at Glastonbury? Are you a
follower of the festival or have you attended before as a
spectator?
First Aid: I haven’t been since they put the big fence up in
2001 or whenever it was and you couldn’t just crawl through a
hole on the fence anymore so it’s definitely not the same event
as it used to be with the travellers etc. Though what it’s lost
in some ways it’s gained in others. Me, Skitz, Million, Chester,
Humurak, Inja & Buggsy played as the Gettin Better sound system
but none of us were billed individually so no one really knew we
were playing but within 10 mins a nice size crowd had built up
and in the end it was near rammed and properly went off. As you
probably know it was a real mud bath but everyone was putting on
a brave face so respect to anyone that made it through the
monsoon. Theres no other place that I’ve been to quite like it
though and to be asked to play there is as good as it gets as
far as I’m concerned. I just hope we get asked back again next
year!
“...they don’t make ‘em like him anymore...”
You’re also quite well recognised for your skills on production
too, and have at some point been in the presence of just about
everyone in the UK game. Out of the very few UK acts that you
haven’t yet worked with, who would be next on the list if you
had the chance?
First Aid: Easy. Roots (Manuva)! Been trying to get him down to
do a show for a long time but he’s a hard man to pin down. If by
any chance you read this Mr Smith, HOLLA! The wild West will
show you how to party proper mate and theres beats waiting too!
Theres plenty really, too many to mention but I’m comin for em!
Other than that, you’re also working on your first full length
album, which I hear began life as a promo CD for a local store
nearly half a decade ago. Why the transition? How’s it coming
along?
 First Aid: Damn, half a decade sounds a lot longer than 5 years!
Well… I used to work in a Hydro shop (large up ProGrow!) and
started doing a mixtape for them as a kind of promo thing to get
the shop name about. That basically grew and grew (no pun
intended) and in the end everyone was saying I had too many
proper tunes to just give away so I decided to make it in to a
full length LP but saying that, no one seems to buy albums
anymore so it might just have to become a mixtape again after
all that!
I’ve been sat on most of it recorded and mixed for a minute now
and still got a few bits and pieces to finish off but its
basically there.
You recently released a big track by the name of Devon Cream,
which featured Rodney P, Million Dan, and MCD. Explain a little
about the track, where the name comes from, and where you go
from here?
First Aid: It started as another track for the mixtape meant for
just Rodney but I had Skitz down for a show a few years ago at
this club I was promoting in and he had Million and D with him.
I used to have my studio above the club and so after the show I
asked them if they fancied getting on a track for the mixtape.
When we got upstairs the beat I had up on the desk was P’s. Once
they heard that there was no going back and I just had to hope P
was going to be cool with me giving 2/3 of his beat away! The
name comes from the original title of the mixtape which was
named after a famous local strain that was going for over 15
years but is now sadly deceased (R.I.P) so I’m kinda glad it’s
been immortalised on wax. Plus it’s got the rep your ends thing
out the way from the kick off as my kind of little introduction
to the world. It’s also on Million Dan’s ‘Infrared’ mixtape or
I-tunes if vinyl isn’t your medium of choice but the shops are
dying off fast so go cop that shit! (plug, plug!)
“...the original title of the mixtape which was named after a famous local
strain...”
What other projects are coming up in the land of First Aid?
 First Aid: I’m currently building a 1/8 scale Deathstar out of
matchsticks. No just kiddin. I’m doing quite a few beats on
other peoples up coming projects, not sure what I can and cant
say about those but theres plenty in the pipeline trust me! I do
other bits of production/engineering work to help pay the rent
too like I just did some of the drum programming on the new
Alabama 3 album that’s out on One Little Indian in September.
They’re the people that did the Sopranos theme tune in case your
wondering who the hell they are but it’s got features from Damon
Albarn and Pete ‘potty’ Doherty on it so I’m told. You never
know it might even pay a few bills finally!
Which tracks have you been the most pleased with and why? Do you
ever get things wrong and decide to start over completely?
First Aid: Dunno it’s hard to say, every beat I write is my new
favourite which is how I think it should be. If on the whole
your not improving from one day to the next then whats the
point? Probably the one’s where we had a proper laugh in the
studio and the vibes were right (most of em really) but I’ll let
the listeners be the judge of that! I always make mistakes
(that’s where some of my best ideas come from), not nearly as
much as I used to but that’s just experience. I used to make 20
shit beats for every one that I was happy with but these days I
know when something’s not happening and ditch it before I waste
too much time on it. I always try and mix/finish things as i go
along as much as possible because if It doesn’t sound proper now
chances are it isn’t going to later either. Never ‘fix it in the
mix’.
And you’re doing all that whilst touring with Humurak.D.Gritty,
Million Dan & Inja. Do you ever get time to just kick back and
relax, or are you one of those crazy people that live for this
shit?
First Aid: I suppose I do live for this rubbish as it’s about
the only thing I know how to do properly that’s legal!
Shit, I just realised I don’t really do anything else other than
make beats, record, go to shows and spend too much time on the
net. I should probably sort that out…
“...I’m currently building a 1/8 scale Deathstar out of matchsticks...”
Just before the turn of the century you also started working in
promotions, and you have your own label, Gettin Better Records.
What facet of your operations gives you the best buzz?
First Aid: Promoting is a mugs game and I wouldn’t wish it on
anyone but it does have its plus points too! I’ve had some big
parties, met some good friends and think that if I’d still been
in London I’d of been just another kid with a beat CD to chuck
on the pile so promoting down here hasn’t been all bad! To be
any good at promoting you have to be a bit of a ruthless cunt
and that just isn’t me so I gave that shit up to concentrate on
the label my manager set up to put the first single out, which
is no less of a headfuck but infinitely more fun. There’s
nothing quite like playing your own stuff to a crowd you know
have never heard it before and see them react well to it though!
That’s the biggest buzz right there or hearing your tune on
radio for the first time is weird but cool still.
Anything else we should be looking at coming from the Gettin
Better camp?
 First Aid: Depends! Hiphop in this country is so hand to mouth
at the minute it’s hard to tell. One thing fuels the next in
this climate so it’s a case of wait and see really. Who knows
there might not even be a label in a months time! All I can say
is we’re aiming to push quality above all else so whatever it is
it’s got to be done right. That’s the labels basic philosophy
and get out clause – If you like it then you’re gettin better
records if you don’t then we always said we’re improving so
check the next shit! Apart from the LP I’m doing a second
mixtape and an EP with Gritty (more of a mix LP but if you ain’t
got the first one make sure you cop that too!) but this time
it’s all original beats mostly by me but with a few other big
boy producers on there as well like Skitz, Baby J and Secondson
so watch out for that one. There’s also a remix of ‘Nail Biters’
(a tune with Buggsy that’s been getting some major airplay
lately) with Lethal (Harry Shotta), L.Man & Million. As well as
that I’m just finishing off a remix for Million Dan’s new single
featuring Farma G that should be out on Million Dappa Records
soon and the next single off the LP is scheduled to be the
SkinnyMan, Gritty and Taskforce tracks but we’ll just have to
see what happens, things change so fast in this game that any
long term plans are sort of pointless…!
Bigups to all the people involved in and supporting the records
and that have let me get away with it this far, mostly my mum!
Catch First Aid with Skitz, Rodney P, Humurak.D.Gritty & Buggsy
@ Glade Festival, Reading on Saturday 21st of July and with
Million Dan, Humurak.D.Gritty & Buggsy in Bristol on Friday 31st
August @ Native.
“...every beat I write is my new favourite...”
Look out for First Aid and Gettin’ Better Records appearing
on mixtapes and albums in the near future, and be sure to check
out the Roots Tent at Glastonbury, home of Getting’ Better sound
system between 3.45 and 4.45 on Sunday 24th June. The as yet
untitled LP will be available through the GBR quick time.
-
Exzes
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