Introducing... Kode 9

Kode 9, originally uploaded by chantelle.

He might be the only Scotsman to have taken over pirate radio, but that aside he's got a lot more to show than a funky accent...

Who is Kode9?
Not sure, but he's been a resident at Fwd>> since it started and has been hosting the Fwd>> show on Rinse FM 100.3 for over 3 years (Thursdays 7-9pm). He runs the Hyperdub label to release vocal dubstep and grime influenced riddims.

You've been in the game 10 years now, tell us your history...
Dunno. Jungle drew Kode9 to London. When he got there he got sucked in. The rest is psychiatric history.

Highs and Lo's of your career?
Highs: playin in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2005.
Los: the lush bass systems at Fwd and DMZ

Is the music you play different to what you make?
Kode9 likes to dj with alot more energy than he produces. His productions tend to be pretty laid back and full of dread.

Releases to date?
There has been a couple of tunes released on Tempa in the last few years, 'Fat Larry's Skank'/'Tales from the Basside' from around 2003 with Benny ill from Horsepower and 'Babylon' on the Tempa Allstars album. Also there were four tunes released on Rephlex's Grime 2 compilation in 2004, and a remix for a US label called Voltage back in 2004. On the Hyperdub label since 2004, there's been 'Sine of the Dub', 'Stalker','Spit' and 'Kingstown' with the vocalist the Spaceape. Hyperdub has also released music from Burial, Pressure and Warrior Queen.

Where do you get your influence from?
Core influence was early jungle in the way it brought every music i love together.

Difference between playing on radio and at a club?
I just do what i want on radio really. It can be pretty random, the things I'll mix up. But the core is about mixin the subbass of dubstep with the vocal energy of grime. When i play out, i'm looking to get people windin their waist.

Favourite club nights and why?
All time favourite was probably Metalheadz in 1995. Now it would be DMZ.

Top tunes in your world?
For the last few months i've been feelin most of the synthy tunes by Skream and Slew Dem's 'Joyride' - that tune is pure skank energy in the dance

How did you end up doing Dubstep Allstars?
Tempa asked me, and I said yes. I've released stuff on the label before, and alongside Hatcha, we're really the main dj's who've supported that label since it started around 5 years ago.

Describe your mix? Did you choose tracks?
For an Allstars mix, its relatively fast movin and diverse, knitting together unreleased bits of grime and dubstep with my vocalist Spaceape riding the first half and then I put him through the delay and reverb chambers in the second half. Yeah i chose the tunes. There was a couple of other bits I wanted but couldn't sort out in time when I did it late in 2005.

And who's Spaceape, never heard of him before?
He's the dubtronic poet i work with on the Hyperdub releases. He comes from another planet apparently.

Next release?
I've got a remix of 'Fat Larry's Skank' coming again on Tempa this year. We are about to drop the latest Hyperdub 10" 'Backward'/'9 Samurai' and the Dubstep Alllstars vol.3 mix compiliation on Tempa. Will probably release our own album after the summer.

Find Kode9 hangin out in the bassbin at Fwd or DMZ, Rinse Fm 100.3fm 7-9pm every Thursday.www.kode9.com or www.hyperdub.net