Ill Blu are one of the strongest production duo’s coming out of London right now, and have their own fresh bassy take on UK funky. Straight off the back of their 2010 ‘Meltdown’ EP on Numbers, and tearing our second birthday party a new one, not to mention laying down potentially our best ever exclusive mixtape, I caught up with the boys to see what’s up.
I’ve hung out with them a few times but this was the first time they’d let on that while they’re not in the studio or doing their Rinse show they’re actually running youth programmes and giving the youth in their estates a real chance and a helping hand into music production. A selflessness that’s keeping potentially troublesome kids off the streets and giving them a focus.Pretty impressive I’m sure you’ll agree.
They have an EP due the end of the year on Hyperdub, and with their presence and name firmly established, things are only going to get better for the duo. Get to know.
How did Ill Blu come about? And who’s involved?
Ill Blu consists of us two Darius & James. We had been mates for ages but the Ill Blu began when we made Frontline back in 2008.
What role do each of you play? Darius don’t you play out with a different MC sometimes?
We both have roles within the production side of things. For example Darius might start on the percussion side off things and then James might add a synth line. Then we sit down and construct the right arrangement for the song we are creating. Sometimes it might be the other way round. This formula seems to work well and this combination gives us our edge. When playing out Darius DJs with various MCs depending on the night we are booked for, but its a selection of 3 MCs that we know and sometimes James takes control of the mic.
You have a weekly show on Rinse, how long have you had it for and how did you end up with that sweet timeslot?
Yeah the weekly show is going well, we have been on Rinse for just over a year now and it has opened doors a lot of doors for us; It feels good to be part of the Rinse family. We are mates with Scratcha and it started off as a conversion with him which in turn lead to a trial and here we are a year on.
What do you rate about the UK funky/house scene at the moment?
We rate the work rate and the ability to experiment without playing the safe card. Producers are going out and testing boundaries that will make the scene grow and sound original. The drum patterns are evolving and the melody lines are becoming less contemporary which bring that raw funky feel to it.
Your last EP, on Numbers, smashed it. Are you happy or surprised at its success and positive feedback?
Yeah the response from Meltdown EP was really good. When we started making the EP back in 2009 we were in a period of experimenting with our sound, at the time we were mostly known for a blend of RnB with funky house from our remixes, so we were looking to try something new and forward thinking. That was the beginning of it all, with Blue Magic which later evolved into Overdose. We are all about keeping our music inventive and interesting. In today’s scene music can date quickly.
The EP was finished in early 2010 and released a year later thanks to Jackmaster. We were happy that by it’s release the EP remained relevant sound wise, the success and positive reviews it garnered was a bit of a surprise and more of a bonus.
Have you got a new EP on the way? And is it signed yet?
Yes we have a new EP on Hyperdub on the way, it should be released end of this year or early next year. All we can say is expect something different from us, and if you go see Kode 9 play you might hear a track or two.
I hear you guys do youth work. What exactly do you do and what motivates you to do it?
We run a course that teaches youngsters about studio skills, song arrangement, and online collection societies. We run the course in 3-month blocks. It’s a great way to give back to the communities and help give un privileged people get a chance to gain an understanding of how music works. The motivation is the youth as we believe they are the future and there is nothing better than helping them to carve their own path for the future.
What’s next for you guys? And what would you like to achieve before 2011 is up? Whens you next show?
2011 has been a building year for us, sorting ourselves out so to speak. We’ve been working on our radio show on Rinse and we just signed with the Secret Agency. Before the year is up we should have a few new bits circulating. We have been quiet on the release front this year apart from our EP on Numbers so were gonna have some promo bits out to help gear up momentum for the New EP before the end of the year. We are also looking to play as many shows as we can so if you wanna book us get in touch with Tom @ the Secret Agency!
