5 Questions with Rags #29 - Featurecast (!!!)

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Featurecast is best. He’s held a stop spot on my listening list since my good friend and Guide to the Cosmos introduced me to the groovy sounds of the mighty Featurecast a couple of years ago. I’ve seen him live is a goddamned clinic. Featurecast embodies everything I love about an artist, DJ or otherwise – a willingness to try new things, to bring in new elements, a lack of regard for predefined definitions of their art and most of all, the ability to keep up a consistently high quality with everything they do. Dude is a breaks champion, rocks Ghetto Funk like no one’s business, even helped me start my journey in trying to enjoy drum ‘n’ bass. I always dig his drum ‘n’ bass. And even though he’s on the other side of the Atlantic, he’s a fixture over here on the Canadian West Coast. This past summer I missed him in my homebase of Victoria (I was in Vancouver knocking other legends off my list) and just the other day was opining of how long it’s been since the last time I shook my ass to the mighty Featurecast. Luckily for me, and all other Victoria funk-lovers, he’s going to be back here on Dec.3 with other awesome acts, and other 5 Questions answerers, Timothy Wisdom and The Funkee Wadd! I managed to get a few of Mr. Cast’s minutes in between his various DJ and dad duties, to get another round of delicious answers to the 5 Questions! Big respect to Featurecast.

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1. Do you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What format was it? Favourite track? Do you still have it? Anything else you may remember about it.

The first album I got was actually a Christmas gift and it was Run DMC's Greatest Hits on double vinyl and I have still shrink wrapped till this day. I must have listened to it like a 1000 times! I’m still a huge fan of Run DMC and find it funny that the Run DMC t-shirt has become a fashion accessory these days in the UK. As for the first record I ever bought myself....it was the Ghostbusters theme song that I got in a toy shop when I was a kid. I'm not sure I even knew what a record even was back then but I bought it with my pocket money just because of the amazing cover. 

2. When is the last time you did something for the first time?

Few days ago…going down a slide head first at a kids soft play centre with my daughter. So DJ, rock and roll, I know! Lol

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5 Questions with Rags #21 - Mat the Alien

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This was supposed to be the final in the 5 Questions in the run-up to Shambhala, but alas, as it was close to Shambhala, it kind of got filed away and lost in the festival hustle. But now, my chat with Mat the Alien sees the light of day and it’s a good thing too, because Mat the Alien is one of the best and most important DJs in the West Coast scene working today. He’s also one of the nicest. His English accent and calm manner of speaking belies the audio-killer that lurks underneath. You never know what you’re going to get at an Alien show…maybe heavy on funk? Drum ‘n’ bass, perhaps? Breaks? Dubstep? The homey’s got you covered. I was super lucky to get the local legend on the phone to answer my silly questions and you are even luckier to get to read it. Feel the luck!

Despite my awful timing, this works out perfectly as Mr. The Alien is going to be back in my neck of the woods in Victoria, BC, in September. Make sure to catch him before Longwalkshortdock on Saturday, September 19 at the Capital Iron Stage during Rifflandia.

And for your listening pleasure whilst you enjoy our brief, whimsical conversation (And for an hour afterwards) here is Mat the Alien’s winning mix for the good people over at THUMP. Listen and enjoy.

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How many Shambhalas have you been to? Do you have a memory that sticks out?

I think this is my 12th or 13th Shambhala. There’s a lot of memories, really. The first time I played there I played right before Bassnectar on what used to be the Main Stage, now it’s the Pagoda. That was a big one. Just being able to see it grow has been awesome. All of it is such a crazy experience.

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1. Can you think of a movie you saw that had an effect on the way you saw the world?

The movie Quadraphenia, with the soundtrack by the Who. That was a big movie about different music movements in England and people rebelling against old stuff. I don’t know, it kind of reminded me of rave music that I got into. That Who soundtrack was really good too, lots of good rockers. It seemed like a really crazy era.

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