Smitten with subs since he was first immersed in dub culture while studying up north in Leeds, Welsh producer/DJ Martyn Kinnear has been grafting away at the bass coal face for years.
Emerging as an exciting talent to watch around the late 2010s, peddling fine lines in dubstep and bassline (not to mention a sterling line of the cheekiest of cheeky bootlegs and a fair few Welsh language bangers too), Martyn’s studio discipline, creative routine and interesting job as a television sound engineer have helped him develop a prolific work rate and consistency across the two bass styles he produces.
Don’t take our word for it, though. Check this mix. 100% comprising his own productions, remixes and bootlegs, over 35 minutes he’s packed in 32 tracks!
Get acquainted with the mix. Get to know the Camarthen man himself in this interview below. A bit local? He’s playing his first ever headline show in Cardiff this weekend. November 15, Bunkhouse, Subphonic. A landmark moment for the rising Welsh bass warrior, here’s where he’s at right now…
Sick mix! I didn’t know if you were going to go dubstep or bassline or both!
Thank you Dave, I’ve been concentrating on producing more dubstep this year so it definitely felt right to make a mix with a variety of my older stuff, some new bits and a even a few unreleased productions in there.
Let’s cut to the chase, this mix is running on this particular week as you’ve got a special gig coming up, right? Your first headline show! Big up!! How do you feel about it?
I’m really grateful to Ben from Subphonic for asking me to play. We’ve been in each other’s DMs for a while so I’m chuffed that I’m able to come and play in Cardiff, especially after I’ve been making so much new music. It’s going to be a great night and the lineup is brilliant – we’ve got your Cardiff regulars Grave and Sloth doing a big b2b and Ben has chosen some amazing Subphonic first timers like Dekz and Bim. I’m nervous but it’s gonna be class to vibe with all the DJs and MCs performing.
You’ve played at 1 More Thing takeover in Love Trails so we already know your energy live in the dance. You GO IN. How would you describe your style and what DJs inspire you personally?
I’m quite introverted so I try and let the music do the talking. I love being able to play my own stuff and having people come up afterwards and say “I love your sound” makes it worth it. Energy wise I love artists like BassBoy and Sammy Virji, they really get the crowd bouncing. Then on the other hand I love Coki’s DJing style, he drops some intense sounding tunes and just looks out at the crowd like it’s nothing. It’s so funny.
If you could curate a dream line-up in a dream location who would be on it and where would it be?
I’d have to bring back Sub Club underneath the old OTT’s in Newport. It was a proper underground, low ceiling, dark sweat box club with a loud and low sound system. It would have to be a mix of dubstep sounds so probably Joker, Trends & Boylan, Mala and Rusko (with me on as support please!)
Yeah! I’d buy a ticket! You just dropped Chwerthin and have dropped other Welsh titled tracks. You and Mr Phormula have release the only Welsh language bassline tune I know of. How important is your Welsh identity to you as an artist?
Massively important! There isn’t a big selection of Welsh language electronic artists and I’m trying to push for more Wales based producers to make remixes in Welsh. It’s a very niche scene but that’s only because it’s so small. We are lucky in Wales to have a small/tight community of club owners and promoters so it’s easy to make connections and help the scene grow.
You know I’m very passionate about our country’s music and the amount of talent we have here (wish I had more hours in the day and resources to continue making Cwm Dancing!) How can this be developed and how can we grow even more?
It’s amazing to see how many new DJs are on the scene now, especially since lockdown. So many people started live streaming from their bedrooms in 2020 and have gone on to create their own brands and put on nights since restrictions were lifted. I think it’s important for the scene to work together, I’m a big believer of less is more – I think having bigger nights less frequently would help to desaturate the scene and give opportunities to producers and DJs who want to play original music to new crowds.
Yeah I’m feeling that. You have an interesting job outside of music which is kind of in the same field… If you’re up for talking about your job I wondered if being a sound engineer on TV ever influenced you creatively or inspired a tune of yours?
I’m really fortunate that I get to meet and film a lot of Welsh artists through my work. There’s such a variety of styles an r artists that perform on S4C’s Heno, one week I could be recording a harp, the next it could be a band playing live with a backing track. I’ve learned a lot about how different artists craft their songs and use a range of instruments but still make something that sounds Welsh. The great thing about producing using a DAW is that if I hear a certain instrument in work that inspires me I can pull the instrument up on Logic Pro at home and get creative with it.
Oh wow that’s sick. It feeds your creativity! How do you maintain the endless juggle of music aspirations / work / life?
I think I’m at a place now with my producing skills that I can work really quickly. I’ve had the same MacBook since 2009 and know which sounds I like using in my tracks so if I’ve got a solid idea in my head (or in my voicenotes) I can get that idea recorded on Logic as quick as possible. That means I get more time for my family because I’m not spending hours trying to make something. I’ll only ever open up the MacBook when I know I’ve got an idea in my head, I never go in blind!
Oh that’s interesting. You’re efficient with your time! Let’s talk about your sound…. You do love that classic bouncy Coki or Rusko 2008-ish type of flavour don’t you? Was that your entry point into dubstep or a persy for you?
I first heard dubstep (I guess it would’ve been more Dub/Roots) in Sub Dub in Leeds in 2008. I didn’t know who was on the line up but I tagged along with my flatmates on the day I moved in and it was a life changing gig. I went to HMV the next day and bought the Rinse compilation “I Love Dubstep” CD. That’s where I first heard tracks like Mud by Loefah, Skeng by The Bug and Burnin by Coki. Those minimal sounding tracks have always stuck with me and hopefully show as an influence in my music. The trumpets in Rusko’s Cockney Thug have played a massive part in me trying to create that throwback sound. I wanted to play trumpet when I was in school so I think I’m making up for it now by putting brass hooks in as many of my tunes as possible!
Haha. Gotta love the trumpets! You love a bootleg too don’t you? You’re pretty open minded and tongue in cheek with some of your selections aren’t you? What’s your take on bootleg culture and is there a line which would be a step too far?
I love making a cheeky bootleg. A lot of people don’t know (but can probably guess) that I’m actually a big pop music fan. If I can make a wonky bassline version of Britney Spears and get a bunch of D&B heads to sing along then it’s mission complete. I think (unfortunately) bootlegs are a good way of getting noticed on social media but you have to have the originals to back it up.
Yes you do! So what’s coming up from you release wise?
There are a few tunes in the 1 More Mix that are unreleased. I’m looking forward to hearing how they get received at the show in Bunkhouse on the 15th. I gave myself the challenge of making a track a week this year. I’ve missed a few weeks but I’ve made 38 tracks in 45 weeks, so without saying too much, there should be a little treat for the next Bandcamp Friday!
Bam! Follow Martyn on Bandcamp
