The Hitman EP Review and Interview with T>I
Marvellous Cain continues his bid for World Domination with a monster remix of a monster track.
The Hit Man EP featuring Cutty Ranks has undergone some serious remixes.
This EP features T>I, Adam Prescott, Dialect and Kosine and Benny V & Halcyon.
We chatted to T>I ahead of the release (review below the interview)
What was the first record you ever brought?
wow, i think it was SS Lighter well that was my first Jungle tune i purchased, how ever i was playing happy hardcore an techno at the time also so it couldve been a SMD cut
What music did you grow up listening to?
Michael jackson was my fav as i was growing up.
When did you first get into production?
I used to sit in Studio with a good friend called Al Royal & DIMENSION who at the time probably had one of the biggest selling tunes around on Urban Take Over called “OLD SPICE” so i picked up how to use a sampler etc back in the early parts of 2000, i never really got into it then though, so moving forward to around 2004 i purchased my own sampler, desk an a handful of compressors an a Nord Lead Clavia 2 which then got me hooked into making beats, it took me a long while to figure out my sound though, but now i have, its all about perfecting it.
How have you seen your style and method of creating a track change?
I haven’t lol, i just got better at it i suppose.
When did you first start DJ’ing and what got you into it?
Early in 95 when i left school i wanted to have a crack at it, as my brother inlaw had a pair of decks, love what you could do with two records an again i was hooked, 1st pair i owned were from Tandy, bless them, they didnt even have an start stop button so i rewired them to a dual light switch..could only do what i could with what i had back then.
How would you describe your sound?
MINIMAL PERCUSSION-ED BASSLINE ROLLERS.
When did you first hear The Hitman?
At a rave in Bagleys called double dipped i believe.
How do you decide what direction to go in when you remix a classic?
I don’t really, i love what Bladerunner does to old tunes, he has a beautiful way of refreshing them down to such a high level, i thought i cant even start to try, so i go the opposite way with them an just do my own thing, to me a current rmx is to make it current to the kids raving in these times.
What other projects have you got coming up?
I have some more rmx work to do, but i am gonna slow down on them as i don’t wanna be known as the JIVE BUNNY of dnb/jungle lol and am going to concentrate on may be coming with an album, i already have a 6 track Ep ready to drop on Natty Dubz, another 6 track ep for Co-lab records for Heist along with an exclusive dub usb to, then a track of mine called “ALL I DO” is dropping on Randal’s imprint Mac2 for the summer, there is also the matter of when who what an if “Shot Down” by Upgrade an myself is gonna see the light of day to so this year is looking amazing already to be fair.
Review of E.P
The Hitman Remix – T>I
Starting of with an original dark sound soundscape, dark vocals drop in as the beats kicks in and we know we are in for a banger. After a slow dark build it and another vocal sample we’re off, clean crisp beats are punctuated with old school samples from the original. A subtle dark retake on the original with some crazy samples working their way through the whole track. It takes the original in a whole new direction, punctuating the beats with enough of the original to keep you happy. Sick!
The Hitman Remix – Benny V & Halcyon
Mashing up the Cutty Ranks lyrics into some early madness, Benny V and Halcyon take on the original with some big sounding results. A few Amen explosions and some classic samples “they’ve been playing that bloody Jungle music all night”. A dirty bassline that pops in from nowhere giving the track a big Wobble before smashing up samples and amens into some Hitman mayhem. Big
The Hitman Remix – Dialect and Kosine
Taking things down a funkier route, this one drops straight into some funky loops with a reggae twang. The flavour is a bit more raggatastic and the little sample loop keeps things moving. Big Remix
The Hitman Remix – Adam Prescott Remix
Soundsystem flavoured remix slowing things down to Reggae speed, reggae samples and keys pop in and out and the Dub goes on. Massive Summer reggae remix!
