We believe that it is important to speak out about the war in Ukraine that is taking place now.

We, like many Russians, are against bloodshed. We did not cast our votes in support of the aggression by the Russian government.

There are many Ukrainians among our friends, for whom we are worried. We ask everyone who is not indifferent to this situation not to bring down their hatred on ordinary Russians.

Hello Champion Sound guys! Would you please briefly introduce yourselves?

S: Hey! My name is Serge aka General Koondoongoo, I am a sound engineer, producer and bass player.

I’m really happy that we could make this release for you! It is always a pleasure to welcome such exciting and fresh sounds as yours!

N: Hi! I’m Nikita aka Neekeetone. Producer, DJ and finger-drummer.

I’m really happy that we could make this release for you! It is always a pleasure to welcome such exciting and fresh sounds as yours!

I: Hello. I am Igor also known as Distant Roots. Producer, DJ and the youngest of our trio haha

Can you please tell us about your musical roots?

S: I listened to the first recordings with a childhood friend. We had two cassettes. Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Bob Marley’s Catch a Fire. I liked the second one better, but the first one was good too. So since I was a kid I love reggae and psychedelic rock and wanted to be a rock star. I made a rock band at school. I played bass and the PE teacher played drums. I had a pirated CD "Best of Jungle" and played it so many times that the paint on top was gradually worn off and over time you could listen to less and less tracks. It was a disaster. Once I turned on the K-Jah radio in a GTA game. I didn't play the game anymore, I listened to DUB!..

N: I started digging music when I was a little boy, because I have an older sister and she was always listening to music. First thing that blowed my mind was Nirvana. I was collecting all their records, watching videos and even read books about them.  One day, my sister brought a CD of the Prodigy and it was the thing that changed my life. I also collected all albums, bootlegs, videos, searched information about them and always was searching for samples and originals, and that’s how I found the roots - Reggae, Dub and Hip-Hop) Then I started b-boying and also found the roots of funk.

I: Same story as guys. I listened The prodigy when I was a young. Then I started to play GTA 3 and there I first heard dub and dnb. In the middle of 2000 I listened to different music – Hip-Hop, Breakbeat, Rock and Nu-Metal. I can still listen all The Disturbed’s discography. After graduating from school I listened electro/electro-house (yes yes, Tecktonik times) and hardcore/hardstyle/jumpstyle. But I ended up going back to listening dnb and through it already to dubstep.

Where did your production name ‘Champion Sound’ come from? Is this related to the old jungle anthem?

S: This is what Igor suggested. I like this name.

N: When we was thinking about the name, Igor proposed the Champion Sound, so I think he can tell more) But there was one thing that I remembered from an old Russian cartoon «whatever you call a yacht, so it will float»

I: After Dub’Raw festival, where the guys used this phrase constantly, I realized that this is the most suitable name for us.

You are making jungle, rave, garage, dubstep and dub tracks. How can you concentrate on so many genres at once?

S: I want to combine all these styles into one! HAHAHA!

N: It’s because we really loving it. We also make a cinematic and commercial things sometimes, just for a money. But our real love is the hardcore continuum genres and reggae.

I: We do what we listen.

Do you think is important to keep the physical format alive?

S: Undoubtedly! It's nice to hold the record in your hands, look at the cover art and all that.

N: Of course, because we are vinyl addicts. But nowadays I don’t understand how independent artists can earn money from vinyl. The situation with factories and queues, high cost price.

I: Yes Vinyl is the roots.

Where did you release before FZP?

Dub’Raw, Bassweight, Dub Communication, Defrostatica, Kniteforce, Unchained, Through These Eyes and more.

When did you start doing music production?

S: I was 13 when I wrote the chords for the drummer's song (does this count?) The first DAW was two military two-track tape recorders in the school radio room.

N: I started when I was over nine years. My first DAW was «MTV’s Music Generator» on a Play Station.

I: I was 17 when i started making music

Can you lift the lid a little on your production methods? What tools do you use for making music?

S: First of all, this is Ableton Live, several vst synths, a bass guitar with C4 synth from Source Audio and a Line 6 processor. I record some sounds on Zoom, there are a lot of interesting sounds around.

N: - I use Ableton Live, Roland MC-909 and Akai MPC 1000. I love to use natural sounds made with Zoom recorder. If needed I can record guitar or percussion samples live. And when we were making «Igor’s Acid Trip», i was scratching samples from vinyl, and it was putted it through delay in real time. But sampling is what I love the most, everytime I steal something for my tunes)

I: I use FL Studio for production and Wavelab for cutting samples and speeches.

When did you start djing?

S: I am not

N:  I started djiing when I end a school. I got a job at a bakery and bought my first turntables.

I: In 2012-2013.

What has been your most significant experience as djs?

S: Maybe when I become also a DJ like the guys)

N: I think it's still ahead.

I: It was my first Dub’Raw event. When I was playing, a person approached me and asked me to turn on other music, then another person came up and thanked me for the cool selection. The first guy looked like someone's father, so I didn't take him seriously. It was very funny.

Where do you guys live? How is the scene over there?

N: - I live near Moscow right now. And I think we have pretty big scene.

I: I returned to Volgograd after more than two years of living in Moscow. Nikita was born not far from here

How do you feel about the dubstep/140 music scene in your area?

N: Dubstep is live on no matter what and now it turns bigger than ever!

I: No scene in Volgograd. Club life is dead here.

When did you start listening to dubstep? What was the main thing that first got you into dubstep?

S: I was especially taken by the minimalism of dubstep and the massive sound.

N: Firstly I heard brostep, when everybody were calling dubstep like this. I loved mostly Rusko. Sometimes I heard deep dubstep, but I didn’t realize what’s the difference. Few years later I understood what is dubstep. It’s happened when I heard it on the sound system. So I think sound system is the main thing.

I: I love the dubstep vibe.

How do you feel about the dubstep scene nowadays?

N: It’s wonderful, how it growing up. A lot of new names, and new styles inside genre.

There’s so many ways of self-expression and all the borders are blurred. I think it become more experimental and free.

Do you have any forthcoming releases? What are your plans for the future?

S: The plans are to complete the construction of a production studio and make some crazy production there. Follow our social networks to keep abreast of what is happening in distant cold Russia.

N: - I mostly waiting for our 45Seven releases, it’s my favorite label and I like this sound a lot. We have some experimental tunes for our bandcamp, and forthcoming jungle at Kniteforce. I also reloaded my solo project with jungle reworks of dubstep tunes, it’s going to be available on bandcamp soon.

I: We are waiting for the next releases on Kniteforce sublabel, 45Seven and Dubcore. New records will not keep you waiting.

Could you please recommend for us a few djs, producers, labels, and sound system crews from Russia?

N: - First of all, I’ll recommend DUB’RAW, it’s a sound system, label and festival on the south of Russia. We have our own sound and crew, which called Pustyle, based in Puschino city. Our dj’s are Vera Chistova, Goobaltah and me).

I’m very proud of Leo Cap / Black Barrel as a producer, he’s a topper top. Also there are Oddkut, Moscow Legend, Kercha, Ninety, Hotcut, Head Space, Atom Dubs, Skotcha and many many more, sorry if forgot someone. Labels are Bassweight, Dutt-Dutt, United… That’s only what I remembered about dubstep, a lot of producers in other genres also are here too.

I: Praise Jah, Big Roba Soundsystem, A. Fruit, Vaden, FTRLT, Junky Palms, Judder crew.

If a basshead, from among your fans worldwide, would go to Russia, which club nights, bars, festivals should they visit?

N: - I even have a reggae song with my vocals on Russian, where I say that everybody should come to DUB’RAW) It’s a real celebration of sound system culture in Russia!

Also we have «Soundsystem Moscow» festival, and a lot of local parties…

Long, dark winters, vast distances between cities, industrial landscapes and an intimate knowledge of how to distill – and drink – vodka, are stereotypes that outsiders might associate with Russia. Do any of these things have an impact on your music and creativity?

S: I dont think about it. When I need new impressions, I just jump from a nuclear reactor into an ice hole and the balalaikas themselves begin to play in my head. And of course, I also have a bear.

N: - Haha, yes! When I don’t how to make a drop, I always asking my bear to help me). We also brew a beer with Serge sometimes (not a joke).

Please recommend five tunes and a dj mix that should be essential listening for every human being – the sort that would leave your life incomplete if you’d never heard them.

N: King Tubby & Soul Syndicate - Ethiopian Version, Mala - Alicia, Burial - Archangel, Theory - I Saw You Girl, Joker - Mad Night, and I can go on and on…

A dj mix by Liam Howlett - Prodigy Presents: Dirtchamber Sessions Vol 1

I:  Mary Anne Hobbs – Dubstep Warz (Skream, Mala, Kode9 + more) @ BBC Radio 1

Scientist – Dance of The Vampires, Amit – Red Flag, Skream – Pass The Red Stripe, Late – Voices From The Night, Morphy & The Untouchables – Thread This Land, Silent Killer – Savior