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TRAP_Of all your productions, you’re best known for ‘Pulse X’. How did the track come about? Did you have a specific idea in mind when you were making it? Pulse X came about by experimenting on an 808 music software program; there was no specific idea in the making of the track. TRAP_Did you have any idea of how big the track was going to be when you made it? No, I had no idea. It was saved in the PC for over a year before I showed anyone, but I realised how big it was when I heard it over 10 times a day every time I turned on the radio!
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n a climate in which music is hyped, consumed and forgotten at an alarming rate, it’s testament to the lasting impact of grime forefather Youngstar ’s productions that they can still regularly be heard reverberating through club soundsystems ten years on from their release, whether you know it or not. As the producer behind seminal grime anthem ‘Pulse X’, Youngstar is credited with creating what’s often considered to be the first-ever grime track, igniting a new wave of innovation out of the ashes of UK Garage as it morphed into something altogether darker. Its sparse 808 snares and iconic pulse-bass sound would go on to inform the direction of the nascent genre and spawn waves of imitators in its wake, a trend that continues to this day. All of this, though, is just the tip of the iceberg from a producer whose extensive back catalogue includes a slew of other hits such as ‘Bongo’, ‘Revival’, ‘Formula’ and famously Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Stand Up Tall’. While others from that era have since fallen off, Youngstar remains as prolific and hungry as ever. With a new EP of remixes of ‘Pulse X’ due for release via the Liminal Sounds label, Trap managed to grab a rare interview with Youngstar to discuss how he started making beats, the legacy of ‘Pulse X’ and the future of grime… TRAP_So when did you start producing and who was inspiring you at the time? I started producing in 1998. My inspiration then was jungle and drum & bass producers like Shy FX, Mampi Swift and Andy C, as well as house and garage producers like TuffJam, Todd Edwards, MDubs and Wookie. I started off using a Yamaha keyboard.
TRAP_Around that time, you were extremely prolific. Do you have any personal favourite tracks of yours? Perhaps ones that are not so well known? My personal favourites are ‘The Formula’, ‘Formula 3’ and ‘Bongo’. My other favourites that are not as well known are ‘Dimension X’, ‘Darkside Remix’ and ‘The Bongcat Riddim’. TRAP_The video of you showing how you made ‘Pulse X’ has racked up tens of thousands of views on YouTube. Why did you decide to upload it? Because it shows the real way behind how I first produced the track and the technique I used, which was only the first step. It was also to squash the rumour that it was made on a Playstation. TRAP_You’re most known for your instrumentals, but in the past you have worked with MCs such as Sway and Dizzee Rascal. Are you still working with MCs? Are there any that you would like to work with? I still work with the best MCs, and I only would like to work with the best. If there are any out there who I’ve not worked with and they like my sound, then they gotta holla at me. TRAP_The grime scene is very different to how it was 10 years ago when ‘Pulse X’ came out. Do you think that things are looking positive in grime at the moment? The scene is positive at the moment, all those tracks from 10 years ago can still be played and there are good vibes wherever and whenever they’re played in the clubs, on radio at home and in the street. TRAP_Are you working on much new music at the moment? Can we expect any releases coming this year? There will be lots of new releases coming out, keep a check on my label website www.ddjsproductions.co.uk - the links are there to my YouTube and Soundcloud page to hear the latest news and releases. Youngstar ‘Pulse X Remixes’ is out now on Liminal Sounds
www.ddjsproductions.com