With all the war dubbing, mic clashing and German whipping that makes up grime in 2014, it’s worth remembering that the scene was always more than aggy brers mainlining Maximuscle and shouting. From back in day, grime has had a strong, often under documented emotional strain. Introspective, nostalgic, even sentimental at times, think Dizzee’s Sittin Here, Ears’ Happy Days or the heartbreaking synths of Getto Kyote… The new track from Mr Mitch keeps the tradition alive –in the video he’s set his melancholic, sweeping pads against home footage shot on a childhood trip to the fairground. The flickering handy cam images of a beaming Dad driving the young Mitch around on the bumper cars, all whilst the synth lines burn minor key laments, is probably one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. Tbh I wish he hadn’t given it the dodgy punning title of The Lion, The Bitch & The Bordeaux, but there you go, can’t have it all. Here’s some words from Mr Mitch about the single, and his similarly heavy Peace Dubs project:
Where are you based and how did you get into producing?
Im from south-east London and I’ve been producing since I was about 13, after getting my hands on a copy of fruity loops. I’ve been doing it about 12 years now.
What were the tracks that made you wanna write music?
I don’t think there were any particular tracks that made me start but Ive always been a big fan of music from a very young age and it was always the beats that interested me. It was more my inquisitive nature to what to explore how I can create my own sounds.
Who came up with the concept for the video to The Lion, The Bitch & The Bordeaux?
The video is put together from home video footage of a young me. It’s a pretty personal piece that deals with a feeling of loss and works in line with the vibe of the track.
The tune seems quite mournful, and put against the images of fairgrounds & present opening it’s quite an unsettling contrast…it’s also a million miles away from every grime video I’ve ever seen – was this intentional?
I like to make videos based on the emotional presence in the music. It wasn’t intentional to be different to any grime video I just wanted to make a piece that worked for the song. What are we meant to call the sound your making? I’m not into the name post grime but it kinda seems to fit your stuff…
I call everything I make grime but I don’t really care what other people choose to call it. Grime to me is just progressive electronic music, so I will forever call my stuff grime as long as I’m trying to move forward.
There’s often calls for MCs on your tracks, but I’m yet to hear this happen – have you been working with any vocalists? Do you want to?
I’ve worked with MC’s in the past, I produced the
title track for Skepta’s last album and I’ve also produced stuff from Trim and Riko on previous mixtapes but it’s quite hard to get recognition as a producer in that world unless the song blows up (or you use producer tags which I don’t do). I definitely still want to work with MC’s though, I have stuff lined up that I’m trying to get in place anyway.
What inspired the Peace Dubs, and can you let us any other tunes you’ll be planning to put through the Peace process?
It was when everyone was making war dubs for each other last year, making uber aggressive beats in a bid to 1-up another producer. Those kind of aggressive beats don’t come naturally to me, so I decided to flip it completely the other way. I’m not sure what other tracks will be coming, I usually just get a sudden burst of inspiration get to work on something.
Whats the response been from the grime artists you’ve remixed? The Wiley Peace reminded me a bit of his old devil mixes..
I hadn’t received much response from the producers I remixed to be honest, but I did a remix of
Wiley’s ‘Born In The Cold’ on a similar vibe and he liked it. It’s always reassuring when Wiley cosigns a remix of his track.
The Beach Boys Peace dub is fking intense! Are you a secret Brian Wilson fan?
I love the harmonies and vocal arrangements with The Beach Boys stuff. Vocals like that can sit so well on their own so it’s a perfect tool for manipulating.
Are there any producers listen to and think ‘cheeeeazzzzzz I wish I had pulled that off?’
There’s many producers I listen to and think ‘fuck this is amazing’ but they usually have a sound that is natural to them that I wouldn’t even want to try and replicate.
Rabit sent me a track the other day called Red Candles, it’s the most beautiful thing but at the same time it’s very much a Rabit production.
When you go on the dodgems do you smack into people like a German whip driving badman ?
It’s funny because the only time I go on them now is with my son, so I’m pretty much carrying on from where my dad was in that video.