Jakub23 interview for Maxumi Magazine

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We interview one of the rising names in the UK underground Jake Micklewright, better known to fans of dark drum n bass, industrial hardcore and everything evil and inbetween as Jakub23.
By Chris Biggs

How did you get into electronic music and production?

Quite a hard one that.I got into electronic music quite late actually. I always had it around me from my brother and my father but I never actually enjoyed it at all. I was the odd one out of the family as everyone else was well into their dance music and I was really into metal, punk and anything heavy and filled with anger. Typical skater kid. I remember watching 'CKY2K' and hearing Aphex Twin's tune 'Come To Daddy' and I was blown away. Never before had I heard electronic music sound so heavy. It wasn't until a few years later though that I actually discovered the tune was produced by Aphex Twin. From then I started to get into electronic music, I was about15 years old.
The production came a lot later. I remember watching the music video for Venetian Snares 'Szamar Madar' and I remember saying to myself "I want to make music like that". Fortunately my brother (BLM) had left a copy of Reason 3 on my computer. I started messing around making really basic and terrible noise and breakcore.

You've come a long way since then, and have been picked up by some great up-and-coming labels. How does it feel to be on the same rosters as a lot of the bigger names in the scene?

Feels good, man. It's great to see a lot of hard work has finally started to pay off. I have literally dedicated my life to music. I wake up in the morning and straight away turn on my PC and start working on a tune, and pretty much crack on with it until the day is over. And when you see that other people are into what you've been working your arse off for...I can't really explain it .But yeah, it feels great. I never imagined it would happen to be honest. When I first started all those years ago it was just another way to kill time and have a laugh. I didn't know what I was doing, and to be honest I still don't really know what I'm doing now haha.

You've worked with a few other producers that are starting to make a name for themselves, including Dither, Hardlogik and Culprate. Do you like working with others or do you prefer to go at it alone? And do you have any other collaborations in the pipeline?

To be honest I actually prefer to work on my own most of the time. It is good to have that outside influence and input into the tune, but I also like to bang out my tunes. When working with someone else you're always waiting on someone or something. But it is always nice listening to someone else's take on what you've started.... it sometimes makes you think "Oh yeah, why didn't I do that?" .

I've got quite a few collabs in the pipeline actually. Just finished one with Macheen Boi (http://www.sustainedrecords.com/macheeen-boi/). Proper nice that one, really happy. It has an old Tech Itch vibe to it. Got some more collabs with Dither in the pipeline, Teck Nick, eRRe, Tugie, Malicious, Coma and Dylan (i've been waiting for him to do something with the stems for months now though). I just properly met Arkaik last night and we were talking about collaborating in the future. I even sent Culprate a message the other day asking if he was up for a collab like old times, but unfortunately never got a reply back. Shame.

A lot of terms such as 'Crossbreed', 'Hybrid' and 'Core & Bass' are getting used to describe a lot of the work producers like yourself are putting out, and there's been a definite increase in the amount of releases combining elements of drum n bass, hardcore and other harder styles of dance. What's your opinion on the state of the scene over the last couple of years??

To be quite honest I can't really answer that question as I don't really pay attention to "the scene" that much. There are a few artists that I keep an eye on and follow their work, but mostly I try and focus on what I'm doing and not what other people are doing. It certainly has become quite popular though, which is good I guess.

You're a lot more closely connected to the illegal rave/free party scene than you are the club scene. Why is this, and how do the two compare?

I dunno why it is. I guess its because I started playing at parties before I was playing in the clubs. And how do they compare? Well lets just say I'd much rather play a squat party than a club - better atmosphere, better people, better music - the list goes on really. In a club everything is regulated and expensive and you have to act how the club want you to act. In a squat or at a free party it's an autonomous zone. There is so much more excitement surrounding the squat and free party scene. Most of the fun I find is in exploring where the party is being held. It's always nice finding interesting things and putting together the story of what was going on in the location previously.

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Any final words? Information on releases and gigs etc?

Shout-outs to Jon, Laura and all the rest of the Sustained Records (http://www.sustainedrecords.com/) crew; The Sevillian tapas and chorizo salad tossing mafia; Kotlet; Kia; Django's Dad... he's still in my basement.

Eynsham site crew; Oxford dicks; Napalm Sounds (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002608934536); Unknown Soundsystem; Mischief; Rere Kumkum; Pokora Soundsystem; and all of the people pushing good underground music and not giving a fuck.

Things to look out for include my releases on Jigsore (http://www.jigsore.co.uk/), Meathook (http://meathookrecordings.co.uk/), Clueplant and Our Fucking Jungle for the vinyl people. Tracks on 'The Big Fuck-Off Knives' CD (Sustained), and digital releases on Tech Cycle; Lost Frequency; Future Sickness; Suspect Device; Raston Warrior; Darkbox; Overtech; Order in Kaos and Peace Off.

Playing at Hardcore Till I Die 'In The Sun' festival in June (Spain). And on the 21st of April I'm in Bristol for Drum Disciples Vs. Jungle Clone. Various free parties in and around London, indefinitely.

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