May 3, 2011

The Morning After: 12th Planet Q&A

BY LACY MATSUMOTO / lmatsumoto@staradvertiser.com

Barely a decade old, dubstep is one of the newer genres that have taken the electronica world by storm. What some might describe as “dark,” I find sexy. Often having beat breakdowns, intense buildups and melodic lyrics, it’s one of my favorite sounds on the dance floor and can be one of the most complicated genres to DJ.

Although dubstep was born in the U.K., producers from around the world have begun to emerge. Based in Los Angeles, one of the most highly acclaimed is John Dadzie, who goes by the stage name 12th Planet and is known for his energetic sets filled with originally produced music. I was lucky enough to catch his set at the Digital Wonderland on Saturday, April 30, at Wet ‘n’ Wild and get a few answers out of him in between his North Shore and Waikiki adventures.

As he took the stage last weekend, the audience of at least 2,000 people screamed. Within the first 15 minutes of his set, he jumped onto the turntable booth to encourage the crowd. He was everything I had heard about him and as a performer he surpassed my expectations .

Q: Dubstep is pretty complicated if you think about the layers of bass and drum patterns. On average, how long does it take you to produce a track?
A: Dubstep is not that complicated when you think about it. There is a specific way to arrange the music, with very straight-to-the-point parameters to make it qualify to be that genre. The thing with me is, I don’t have an average time it takes to make a song because I am all over the place. Sometime it can be as fast as three hours, sometimes it can take weeks, some songs take months. It all depends on how I am feeling and how long it takes to catch a vibe on the track.

Q: You changed your name from Infiltrata to 12th Planet. Why?
A: Infiltrata was a Drum & Bass moniker and 12th Planet was my dubstep alias. The significant reason for that was to keep the branding centralized to the specific genres.

Q: Is this your first time to Hawaii? Is there anything that you’ve done or want to do while you’re in the islands?
A: This is my third time to Oahu and my favorite pastime is heading to Laniakea or Turtle Bay and swimming with the turtles!

Q: You’re currently based out of L.A. Do you do most of your production there? What kind of programs or gear would you want to make your dream studio?
A: I do most of my solo production in Los Angeles, but I do most of my collaborations in whatever studio or town I am in. My dream studio would have an iPhone app that read my mind and did whatever needed to be done, like emails, interviews, etc.

Q: Do you think that dubstep has crossed over to mainstream?
A: I don’t feel dubstep has crossed over to mainstream. The minute I hear dubstep on KIIS FM, and see No. 1 videos on MTV, then we can have this conversation.

Q: As a highly praised producer, where do you see yourself in the dubstep scene?
A: I see myself as just another person trying to spread the word of this UK music!

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you think the music will progress into another genre?
A: I see myself dead in 10 years from lack of sleep. If the music follows the same course its predecessor did, then it should be around another 10 years, easy.

Q: Which dubstep producer most influenced you when you first began producing? Has that role model changed?
A: Without a doubt, Skream. I studied his bass rhythms, drum patterns and learned the art of dubstep from his songs. I think the role has changed now. I think I just try and create songs in the image and likeness of whatever I am feeling now, as opposed to trying to sound like an artist I am not. I think I just came out of my shell after all these years.

Q: For many years, the dubstep scene in Hawaii was — how do I say this — very “hippie” heavy. Do you see a difference in the crowd attendees around the world?
A: For the most part, I feel the dubstep scene has gotten younger in North America and also Down Under. It has gone from a very high rate of 21-plus people at dubstep parties to the audience being majority high school and early collegiate people.

Q: Is there anyone who you’ve sampled from who you would want to meet in real life?
A: I don’t sample.

Q: Tell me about some new projects you’re working on. Any new vocalists or collaborations?
A: I just finished a song with KoRn and two songs with Skrillex. I am in the process of working on an album so expect some new stuff toward the end of the year.

Q: You’ve got a pretty heavy tour going on. How do you keep up with the traveling? Any tips on how you stay healthy?
A: I drink a lot of water and I learned the art of sleeping on airplanes.

Q: Do you have any words of advice to new dubstep producers just getting into the production?
A: Stay in school!