Stakka - Voyager - 1998

Biography of Stakka

1. How old are you?
30

2. Where are you from?
originally Brighton UK but now i live in Brooklyn, New York.

3. Do you think your location has affected your success in Drum & Bass?
i don't really know about that.

4. What is your first name?
Shaun

5. Where did the name Stakka come from?
Not a very exciting answer to this one, basically my girlfriend a few years ago, about 13 or so years ago wrote me a list of names to choose from because i couldn't think of one and that was the one that stuck out. I really think i need to make an answer up that sounds a little more interesting.

6. How long have you been producing Drum & Bass?
since before drum n bass

7. Do you DJ, and how long have you been mixing for?
i do DJ, quiet a lot here in the states, I've been djing for about 14 or so years.

8. What are your Drum & Bass influences?
There are a lot of producer that i get influence from, basically any tune that i hear that i think is bad has an influential effect

9. Do you have any other musical interests?
yeah i listen to quiet a lot of other music, there's a lot of good music out there.

10. How did you become involved in the Drum & Bass scene?
basically producing with K. Tee, we started working together just as jungle exploded and then rolled along with the changes as it turned into dnb.

11. What did you do before Drum & Bass?
i used to make hardcore, basically pre Dnb rave music

12. What is the Drum & Bass scene like in your area?
strong, in new york there is drum n bass every night of the week. i run a club in Manhattan called 'heavy duty' and its been solid from the off.

13. 2003 looks to be a good year for Drum & Bass, where do you see it heading?
i think that we'll be seeing a lot more in the charts and there

14. Do you have a web site?
www.cargoindustries.co.uk

15. What are your favourite Drum & Bass web sites?
i think the best sources are dnb arena and dogs on acid

Skynet - Voyager - 1998

Biography of Skynet

The UK acid house movement in 1987 was the catalyst for the dance music revolution that was ahead! Skynet, aka Nathan Vinall, found himself sucked into the thick of it. Skynet recalls how early acid house changed his life forever, I was totally transformed over night. I remember going to the local clubs like Savannah and Zap and was like, what the hell is this? A few weeks later I found myself going out Thursday, Friday, and the whole weekend. At the age of 17 I was ready to blast, so I did and never looked back!

Sixteen years later Skynet is more deeply rooted in electronic dance music than ever he could have imagined.

After a couple years spent listening, Skynet felt growing desire to DJ and produce. In the clubs he found himself gravitating to the more straightforward techno sounds familiarized by the works of Lenny Dee and Loftgroover. With his love of the music and his appreciation of its intricacies, Skynet felt that it was time to create his own sound and put it out there for others to enjoy. With that, Skynet purchased some studio equipment, despite knowing nothing about music apart from what he loved and turned him on. Whilst discovering and learning about the production of music he was exposed to a new sound that was evolving in the electronic music scene; it was called Jungle. It wasnt long before Skynets talents in the studio began to unfold parallel to the increasing sophistication of the Jungle sound he loved so much.

After spending some time meeting new producers in his hometown of Brighton, England, Skynet was introduced to Shaun Morris, aka Stakka. Shaun had been producing for a few years and had already released a few records. Shortly after their introduction, the duos partnership began to take shape. We started working together more and more. We found ourselves at a point were we had a couple of tracks that were really different from anything on any other labels, so we decided to start our own imprints, Audio Blueprint and Underfire. After years of hard work the duos releases began receiving recognition from many of the major players in the scene, including Fabio, Grooverider, Andy C, Randall, Ray Keith. But it was Skynet & Stakkas Voyager LP (Audio Blueprint) that really stamped their mark on the Drum and Bass map. The LP received rave reviews and is still regarded by many as a breakthrough for the drum and bass sound. The due soon followed up with Blazin, an LP released on their sister label Underfire. With its next level production and innovative sound, Blazin set a new musical standard in the scene. The milestone LP contained the tune Side Effects which instantly turned into an anthem familiar to drum and bass enthusiasts around the globe. In fact, it was that song Grooverider called, One of the biggest tunes of Glastonbury during a broadcast on BBCs Radio One.

Not contented with two killer LPs, the duo went on to produce one final LP together, entitled Clockwork. The Clockwork LP, loaded with dance floor anthems, became an all time drum and bass classic. The album gained the duo worldwide recognition and respect while continuing to solidify Skynets stronghold as one of the hottest and most innovative producers in the drum and bass music scene.

Despite its success, Clockwork marked the end of the Stakka / Skynet partnership. We had moved to Seattle for a year after the Clockwork LP and during that time we discovered that we were on different pages. Five years in the studio together can take its toll on the best of friend/partnerships. Skynet recalls, It was like a marriage without the love. I felt restricted and needed to move on.

In the years that Stakka and Skynet worked together they released a total of 40 twelve inch singles, three albums and five compilation CD's.

After returning to the UK, Skynet spent much of his time touring in order to showcase his sounds and skills as a solo artist. Alone for the first time Skynet hit Australia, Europe, and the US. He also spent a lot of time in the studio, creating an arsenal of new work and making plans for a new way to expose the public to his paramount sound. Alone in the studio, Skynet began to feel more inspired by the work he was writing. It was just me now. I loved the freedom and it showed in the music I was creating.

Back in the studio having crafted a nice cache of music Nathan decided to kick-start his own imprints: Skynet Recordings, Discrete, and Nvision. Skynet Recordings was the first followed closely by Discrete Recordings. These were both labels for me really. I needed them both because of the sheer volume of tracks I was producing. The music I have been making seems to take on two different vibes. Skynet Recordings is set for the heavy more dance floor material whilst Discrete Recordings was created to birth the deeper more soulful sounds. After many months of hard work, Skynets hard-line solo career began to raise eyebrows in the global drum & bass community. The releases on the new labels have led to continued requests for tour dates all over Europe, America, South Africa and Australia and high demands for original and remix work.

Recognizing the need of an outlet for other artists music, Skynet established Nvision. A bombardment of demos from around the world kept coming in. Skynet heard a good few tunes and he noticed serious potential in these artists, with that Nvision was born!

The future is bright for the man from Brighton and the global electronic music scene is better off because of his contributions.