There are quite a few places on Earth where you can find good dubstep and good beers at the same time. Czech Republic is one of those places. Not only from this reason the Havirov based WZ is among our favourite producers. His music has very unique characteristic which clearly comes from the matured state of the early ‘00s dubstep sound but upgraded and shaped to 2020’s demands. He is one of the guests of the next Frozen Plates party in Budapest at 17th March (see more info here). From this occasion we had a little chat with WZ about his production methods and musical adventures.
Hello WZ! First of all, you are not just a professional dubstep producer, but also a professional bartender as well! Which is your favourite beer? �
Hey Peter, thank you for having me for interview! Well, actually trying to be outside the bar-counter haha, rather I focus on workingflow, schedule and other things around the bar, but yeah I can draft beer for you haha. I wasn't big fan of beer for long time, but times changed and really love Pilsner Urquell and Unětice brewery.
Would you please briefly introduce yourself? Where did your production name ‘WZ’ come from? Can you please tell us about your musical roots?
Im just the guy who loves music, movies and still looking for new unknowns. Dont like a stereotypes except to drinking coffee and smoking green. Also love food so I started cooking little bit and at the moment trying to get some XPs over making of artworks, feeling really good in those new activities.
About the name, well buddy, this is a long history, I had a nickname Weezy Faith on my first socials ever lol, ppl knew me like that so I wanted to keep the name and I changed it for shorter one as WZ, but you cant spell WZ like Weezy in other countries, so it was confusing at the start, but now is okay I guess. Im using W-Z over the scene, but if someone call me as Weezy, is also right.
My musical roots are coming up from an early age, also my dad loves new things and one time, early 90s, he brought a TV satellite so we had channels like MTV, HBO and any others so I saw and heard a really lot, plus my father always had a good taste in new music, so big up to my dad, he has a huge influence on myself.
And second influence is the golden era of US hip hop music, that time I started going deeper and deeper and also started to be sure the music is my life.
Your dubstep sound has unique characteristics. How would you describe it? When did you start doing musical production?
Well, to be honest, im not sure if I can describe my music just as dubstep. Really love dubstep and the culture, but for me is more important a tempo 140. Trying to combinate different rhythms and generes into 140 and make them vintage, I hugely love a messy sound and making space around, Im not big fan of too much clear tunes.
And I started to make a music since 2012 I think, but creativity has come like 2017, Im not sure now.
Can you lift the lid a little on your production methods? What tools do you use for making music? When did you start djing?
How I said in previous question, whole my workflow is about make my sound vintage and messy, cuz also love old VHS movies and they are messy too haha. Mostly time Im starting with looking for a new bunch of samples and then I make drums and rhythms according to character of sample. Next steps are my classical process. I can't work without my most favourite VST Serum, there I'm doing most of my basses. I also use many of vintage VSTs like Korg M1, Juno and many more.
With DJing I started since 2010.
What has been your most significant experience as a dj?
Hmm, propably still waiting for the most one haha, but there is a lot of plays that I like to remember. I could mention Ghosttown party with Kuba93' in Munich, Sub:Teraz in Bratislava and amount of local parties here in Czech Republic. Also I played a few b2b sets with local DJ called dMIT.RY, specifically at Transforma Festival and on Livity Sound event in Prague and i really enjoyed.
You are part of Shakhta records. Could you please tell us about the label?
That's right mate. Whole concept is about support of local dubstep artists here in Czech and Slovakian Republic. Dubstep music is really difficult for ppl here and is necessary to show, how this music coulture working. We have lots of great artists here, but they dont have many opportunities to push their music out so we would like to connect all basshead here, help them to make a first steps and support their music across the whole scene. Also the region we come from is really industrial and minning area in the past time and most of our fathers, grandfathers, uncles was working there. There is lots similarites between dubstep and this minning underground world so we would like to represent like this. Shakhta means here something like Mine Tower, so its about the name of the label.
Do you have other musical side projects, or do you focus solely on dubstep?
Yeah mate, I also make music over my second alter ego DJ Snowy Buffet with focus on UKG, house, breakbeat and others. And I have a feeling this is not my last project. Also have a common rap project with a local guy known as Myca$h, I can't say more for now, but definitely stay tuned, it will be differnet! Besides dubstep, as WZ I'm working on the rap and other beats too.
When did you start listening to dubstep? What was the main thing that first got you into dubstep?
When Kahn & Neek dropped 'Got My Ting'. I liked few tunes from Benga, Skream, DMZ and heard others ones, but that time I've been listen more grime, uk funky, bassline stuffs.
And since the time Kahn & Neek runed Bandulu records I started to be interest more on darker and deeper music. Then I found Karma's release 'Heal' on Innamind and since this time I was really into it!
You live in Havirov, which is a small city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. Is there a dubstep scene or bass music community there?
Could you please recommend for us a few djs, producers, labels, and sound system crews from Czech Republic?
If a basshead, from among your fans worldwide, would go to Czech Republic, which club nights, bars, festivals should they visit?
Originaly im from Havirov yeah, but currently living in Ostrava. If I could speak for whole region, here is lots dubstep and bass heads, but the scene and community are still really small.
Coulture in Ostrava is going better and better and I believe for some time it will be good place for these communities. But there is still a lot of work to do. Drum & Bass has very strong community here.
About dubstep thingz I should to mention Johney and their crew Soul Ex Machina, Johney is sick dubstep producer with flavours of jungle and with the label are releasing nice drum & bass, dubstep or autonomic music.
Also my G'sss from ÚL crew Myca$h, B.O.P & Dexxx, keep your ears on them! Definitely guy like EchoBoy, dub-soldier from Slovakia, releasing on Moonshine, Snd Systm Cltr and many more. Audio_Video_Bass is a crew from Ostrava, they do really nice and sick venues and parties, just opened their own studio "Faraji" so if you can, go there. Finally my bros from Shakhta Records Fizzy, K0jak, Metro and jdannou, no words needed.
Would like to mention next guys and projects like Dub Club Prague, Aeom, Ocze, Kletis, Vision of 1994, Lunchmeat, Krabs & Explicit Collective, Moskalus, uncxeme and lots of next.
Also sound systems like Black Diamond or Dub From The Grounds.
If you are in Prague, you should to visit Cross Club, Ankali, Fuchs2 or Bike Jesus for example. Here in Ostrava I'll recommend Etáž - here im working lol, Dock, Rapzzz Place.
How do you feel about the dubstep scene nowadays globally?
I think is still bigger, lots of sick new names or labels across the world but for lot of people still difficult to listen.
You are going to have a release on Frozen Plates, but where did you release before FZP? I know there are a lot of labels involved!
How you saying bro, Frozen Plates one is comiiiing. If we talk just about dubstep so from the Czech labels I have released one on mentioned label Soul Ex Machina and then couple on our Shakhta Records.
Across the scene i have three with FatKidOnFire, big up Wil and the crew! Two releases with eatmybeat, also greetings Ali and Chris! We did one record with Archie from Locus Sound and then one tune with Artikal Music UK, Pond Life Party, Strictly 140 and For The Heads. I almost forgot on one booklet release with guys from Green King Cuts and 9Rambos.
Do you have any forthcoming releases? What are your plans for the future?
Except for the Frozen one you mentioned above, I have one tune with Pond Life Party again, common dubstep release with Myca$h on Jah-Tek, and we also working on something with one of my most favourite label so far, but I don't want to shout it yet. Would like to say my debut album is finally on the way and it should be very quick. Its 14-tracks long project with focus on rap music and collabs with emcees like Stinkin Slumrok, Bisk, Axel Holy, Jevon Ives, Wish Master and Flying Monk. It will be different then my dubstep releases but still WZ sound and its coming out on Harmless Youth we run with Kuba93', digital and vinyl. With Flying Monk we also have common 4-tracks rap project produced by me.
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.
Well, this is hard question, so I will talk only about released dubstep music.
Tunes: Karma - Bluefoot (Innamind Recordings), Rareman - Tribute (Juan Forte), Truant - Untitled 4 (Y2) (xprs yrslf), Leftlow - Whispers (Juan Forte) and Las - Uuha (Innamind Recordings).
And about mixes, I'm gonna start with dBridge show on Radar Radio (2018), he played strictly 140 music first hour and the selection was beautiful, still listen. I should to mention DETU mix for Infernal Sounds (2018), it was my first time I heard about DETU, they played 100% production mix and the tunes there, just wow. Also still diggin Peaky Beats one for Juan Forte. Next one Rareman for ESO series and as last a first promo mix for Juan Forte again by Truant.
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions for us! Really looking forward to meeting you in Budapest at our dubstep night!
Thank you too Peter! Cant wait for the party and meet with y'all! Cheers.
Links to WZ
https://soundcloud.com/wzshakhta
https://www.facebook.com/wzshakhta
Links to Shakhta
https://shakhtarecords.bandcamp.com/music
https://soundcloud.com/shakhtarec
https://www.facebook.com/shakhtarec
The party:
https://www.facebook.com/events/754023145982978
