DJ SS
DJ SS, one of the Midlands and
the countries top DJ’s established himself as a
quality artist at a very young age of 15 as a
resident DJ at a top Leicester club playing
house music to the adoring crowd. Now, not only
is a master DJ, but he is half of the
outstanding Formation Records group and all at
the meagre age of 22. So lets find out how he
did it all and what he has planned for the
future.
So what’s your real name?
Leroy and you don’t need to know the other half.
When did you first start DJing?
Well I’ve been DJing since the age of 14. I went
out and brought my first mixer and decks and
then formed my own crew called Formation 5 where
we played at various school gigs.
So how and when did you first get your first
real break?
I got my first break through hard work and lots
of practising. The big break then came when we
(Formation) did our own parties around Leicester
called Total Kaos. The first large event I done
was Nemisis which was about 3 years ago.
What made you want to get into DJing initially?
I’ve always been into music and dancing. I used
to be a dancer especially Break dancing some
years ago. I was into music very strongly and I
wanted to keep in the music scene. So I just got
into the DJing side of things.
Who did/do you look upon as your role model?
I have two role models who I look at and
respect. They are Groove Rider and Carl Cox.
Which DJ’s do you rate at the moment?
Groove Rider for music, Carl Cox the No 1 mixer,
Ratty for his mixing technic, Top Buzz for the
deep underground stuff, Kenny Ken, Mickey Finn,
Slipmatt, Jumpin Jack Frost, SY, Mastersafe, LTJ
Bukem and Ray Keith.
Do you do most of your work in the Midlands now?
No, it’s all over the country.
Travelling around the country, what do you think
of rave events at the moment?
I definitely think it’s going down hill, the
atmosphere is not there anymore. Too many of the
DJ’s are trying to play the most exclusive
tracks which the public cannot relate to. All
the DJ’s are drawing exclusive dub plates and
the crowd think “what’s this”? This therefore
does not create the same buzz as would a well
known tune. It’s getting too competitive. Too
many DJ’s are just out to impress rather than
entertain the people.
So do you think this is why you’ve been
successful as a DJ?
Yes, as well as my mixing style.
What are your aims for the future as a DJ?
I’ve gone as far as I want to with hardcore
other than perhaps play down in London more
often. But saying that the Midlands are where it
is happening or so I believe. Now I’m getting
into a bit of house music, deep, deep grooves
and more basslines because I like this type of
music and also it was what I first played as a
DJ. I will still play my hardcore as well as
house, as music is music to me and I think any
good DJ should have that attitude. A DJ should
not dislike something because it’s different.
So then, what other types of music do you like?
I love Rap, Swing Beat and lots of other types.
I could even sit down and watch the Chart Show
to see what’s happening out there.
What do you think of the music being put out
there at the moment on the rave scene?
Most of the production now on the hard dance
scene is basically shit. Everyone’s using the
same breaks, everyone’s thinking I’ll make a
rave track and make a few grand out of it.
People just look at the money, they don’t look
at the music and don’t put any feeling into it.
They are all trying the one hit wonder. Also did
you know there’s an average of 200 tracks
getting released every week which is ridiculous.
Out of that 200, only about 10 are good.
What direction can you see the music going in?
It’s going to have to slow down, the music is
just too fast. I can’t see the hard dance stuff
dying out as it attracts too much attention. A
lot of people are getting into the progressive
bollocks, but I’m into the breakbeat stuff
myself. The progression scene now is the old
hardcore lot, the music is the same, but a
slower tempo.
So, your record label, Formation Records, when
was it formed?
Me and my partner Edris formed it in December
1991.
How many records have you produced on the label?
16 releases have been done.
What’s been the most successful record to date?
Probably Win For Reasons Remixes.
Do you make the records yourself?
No, I produce the records, they are made my
other artists. Basically the artist comes into
the studio.
So what do you do as the producer?
People have got the wrong interpretation about
producing. The producer (me), is the guy who
sits down at the computer and like an engineer
puts all the ideas from the artist together. So
the artists are the writers and we, Formation,
are the producers. We also do all the remixing,
sometimes in conjunction with other people such
as Tango, Mickey Finn, Jumpin Jack Frost and
hopefully Groove Rider and Carl Cox is the
future.
So tell us more about Formation Records?
Formation was initially started when I done a
white label. I went out on the road and sold the
record myself. I got a good response back so I
set up the label with my partner Edris Hassam.
Just to set the record straight the label is
called Formation Records NOT Formation 5
Records. From the first record, I then did a
remix followed by the Impact EP. Then we started
signing on people like EQ who’s an engineer. I
then signed up Mega Drive Crew, followed by
Oasis, Tango, Brainstorm and Mastersafe. We done
everything properly with the label, i.e. we
spent money on the covers, massive mailouts,
etc. We wanted to do it the right way. We didn’t
want just to put out white labels and do it
cheap, and that’s why we are now respected.
Formation wants to make music and still stay
underground. Now we are expanding and have just
opened our own distribution company called
Formation Distribution. In addition to this we
are staring new label’s including the F Project
for the artists who we felt were now quite good
enough for Formation Records. Before Xmas we
will also be setting up a house music label so
watch out Flying and that. Finally, Ruff Justice
is our fourth label. By 1993 we intend on having
all these labels up and totally running. One
step further for us, is the very recent
completion of our own recording studio
exclusively for the use of all our artists to
try and create different sounds for a new time
and new era. Finally, tracks to watch out for
coming out very shortly include my own EP’s
Break Beat Pressure EP1 & 2 which has taken me a
year to put together. I’ve also done a track
called Little Bit of Respect where I say all the
DJ’s names on the track who have made the scene
what it is today. At the end of the day, the
thing to note is we will never sell out.
You sound like a very busy person SS, so what do
you do to relax?
I don’t really have any time to relax, no rest
for the wicked. The only things that I do
outside music is Karate, Kick Boxing and I’ve
just started playing football again.
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