DjBadmarsh
DJ BADMARSH = Scoundrel, Trickster (Hindi/Urdu).His music - dark breakbeats laced with sitars, tablas and experimental ambient beats is simply an authentic reflection of both his backgrounds, as an Asian kid growing up in the East End, and as a house DJ at Labyrinth in East London. In the early rave days Badmarsh was working for a reggae label that hired out sound systems and PA's to clubs. "I was never into the clubs or the music". he says. "Then one day I saw the DJ mixing and thought yeah that's it, that's what I want to do - it just clicked. So I asked if they'd let me have a go as a warm-up slot before the club got busy the following night." The next day he rushed out and bought some records. Five years later he maintains a regular slot at Labyrinth. From behind the decks he has witnessed dance music's progression from "rave to house, hard-core to breakbeat, happy hard-core to jungle", polishing his DJing skills on the way.In true old skool DJ fashion, Badmarsh and his older brother (he has five brothers and six sisters) ran their own pirate radio station, Ali FM, broadcasting live and exclusively to the whole of, erm.... Walthamstow.A tongue in cheek reproach, I am That Type of Badmarsh, was his first release for Outcaste - a label set up to harness " left-field Asian beats" - which he dropped during regular sets at the label's pioneering club-night at The End. Badmarsh has also mixed work of stable mate Nitin Sawhney and worked with him on his acclaimed album, Displacing The Priest.Prior to signing with Outcaste, Badmarsh released house tracks as Easy Mo on Pure Vibes, a label he ran from his bedroom. Recently however, Badmarsh has been doing his bit to break drum'n'bass in the States. After interest from Dorado records and the omnipotent Mo'Wax, he released an EP with Ubiquity. Stateside Badmarsh took his blend of hard step and ambient drum'n'bass on the club circuit, rounding off the tour sessioning with the likes of Soundlab.In a musical climate where it's in vogue to trawl the depths of Indian music and where nearly every new dance track comes courtesy of a 'Bombay Mix', Badmarsh has no fears of being usurped. "I think Asian sounds give music so much flavour," Badmarsh explains. "But until now it's been one of those great untapped, unexplored areas of music. As long as the music's good, I'm happy.
