5 Minutes With…..Devious D (UK)

So D, you’ve got 6 tracks of pure fire Jungle out on Dub Plate Dread. It’s a full on collection of raw vibes. Please tell us a bit about the E.P and how it came about. What’s behind the E.P title?

Well for years, since 1987 I have been DJ’ing on the scene up and down the UK and around Europe, as well as various other parts of the world, and the one thing that I did not do in all of that time was to get into producing music consistently.  During all of that time I only had one focus, and that was playing out at events, from the early day acid parties, to old school hardcore raves and then progressing into jungle events in the later years of the 00’s. As I have grown from the old school foundation through to today’s jungle drum and bass, I thought the name Schoolage was a suitable name for my first E.P, as it represents my schooling, or my journey through the scene until now.

Tell us a bit about your studio set up!

At home I have a fairly basic set up. I have an up to date Apple Mac Computer with twin screens which I am working with Ableton Live 10. I have a small 15 Key keyboard attached to that and I use Yamaha HS7 Studio monitors. Then beside that I have 2 Mk 2Technics 1210s and a Pioneer DJM 800 Mixer, and then above the Technics Turntables are 2 Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus decks, which I play on from time to time.

What’s hot and what’s not for you right now?

Right now I have been playing a lot of Third Eye Records, Jungle Cakes, Lion Dub International, and Dubplate Dread tunes, as those labels have some of the strongest Jungle out there right now.

Tell us one of your favourite memories in DNB?

December 2020, I was in the crowd at Jungle Fever at Oval Space, and Kenny Ken was playing and he dropped my new tune Ease Up which is on this release, and to be in the crowd and see the reaction, that was a special moment for me as the tune got an instant rewind! That may not seem like much to some people, but when you think that I have mainly been an old school DJ over the years, to hear one of your upfront DNB tunes smash the dance its quite something, especially as this is my first DNB EP.

And one item for your DNB bucket list?

I don’t really have a bucket list as such, but right now it’s just about re-focussing and getting fully into producing jungle drum and bass.

And what’s next for the man like Devious D?

For years and years I have focussed on DJ’ing. I have played at nearly every event going and have been around the world. But now I am changing my focus and really getting down to producing music, as over all these years this is the one thing that I have not done but I am fully on it now.

Going forward my plan is to focus on producing music as in 34 years of DJ’ing, it’s the one thing that I have not put enough time into, and you will now be able to get Devious D tunes at www.djdeviousd@bandcamp.com.

Right now I only have one release on the site, but within the next two months there will be two more releases, and from then on there will be releases every 2 months on that page.

Thank you for your time D. Good luck with the E.P. We already can’t wait to hear the next one!!