www.nootempo.net

Belgium is home for a multitude of well affirmed and upcoming artists from the most fringe and soon-to-be-cool genres. I discovered the Belgian Singularity myself, as soon as, 15 years ago I decided to call this flat country my home: one of the first cats I made music with was a monstrously talented 18yo drummer/producer who can swiftly switch between Stewart Copeland’s polyrhythmic figures and Clyde Stubblefield’s breakbeats. The cat was deep into his ROLAND MC303, busy distilling both raw drum and bass and smooth jungle and I clearly remember that I used to wonder where his talent could lead him.Find the answer yourself in his own (too modest) words, here below.You might have already crossed his path, if you danced your night away in the most steamy and raw dancehall of Antwerp, Tokyo, Osaka, London, Leeds, Bristol, Hanoi, Dortmund, Krakow, Warsaw, Beirut… or in any of the many many cities he lit with his own very special explosive formula. Might you not have crossed his path yet, please Ladies and Gentlemen:  let me introduce you to a fierce warrior coming straight from the Belgian underground, a real king of the beats, the real and only WAN BUSHI.  

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Quando circa 15 anni fa decisi di trasferirmi in Belgio, un amico mi consigliò di “ascoltare con attenzione” la musica prodotta in loco. Mi citò artisti e generi musicali di cui ignoravo bellamente l’esistenza e m’incuriosì moltissimo. Arrivato nel freddo nord, una delle prime persone con cui ebbi la fortuna di fare musica fu un batterista/produttore al tempo 18enne e dal talento smisurato. Capace di scorribande su territori sconfinati, pronto a bagnarsi nei poliritmi più indiavolati pur restando fresco e asciutto nel suo funk: le ritmiche di Stewart Copeland? A occhi chiusi. I breakbeat di Clyde Stubblefield? Ridendo. Già distillava indifferentemente drum and bass o jungle da una ROLAND primitiva e mi chiedevo dove sarebbe arrivato di lì a poco. La risposta è nelle sue parole, in inglese qui sotto e appena nascosta da una modestia franca e timida.Se ancora non lo avete incrociato in uno dei suoi live infuocati ad Anversa, Tokyo, Osaka, Londra, Leeds, Bristol, Hanoi, Dortmund, Krakow, Warsaw, Beirut… o in una delle decine e decine di città a cui ha messo fuoco, siete ancora in tempo per scoprirlo. Ladies and Gentlemen, dall’underground Belga un guerriero dai beat fieri e maestosi: WANBUSHI.  

Intervista a cura di Michele Ibba ak FunkyDrops  | interview by Michele Ibba ak FunkyDrops 

N Present yourself in one sentence.
Rave and breakcore madness from the only samurai who runs away from battle like a coward.

N A Japanese poem says that the best of all flower is from the cherry tree, the best of all men is the Bushi. What is your Bushido?
Where some people say “less is more” I say “more is more, fuck off with your less”.

N Labels are not our cup of tea, describe your setup, how it influences your music and how it evolved through time.
My setup is very basic. I’ve seen people using great machines but what they do with it is just disappointing. The greatness of music comes from creativity and inspiration of a person not from the tools they use. Although it can help of course. So in my great little studio you will find mostly laptops with powerful software, midi controllers, a mouse, a mixer, two soundcards with mic, a surround sound system, sunglasses (for live performance) and paper tissues. I used to have a mc groovebox 303 but it’s broken and I don’t really miss it that much. It has been my setup for many years and probably will be for the years to come.
link : https://soundcloud.com/wan-bushi/bushis-tipsy-balkish-mix

N We personally met 13 years ago and I know that for sure: you are a virtuoso who can play several instruments and are a sublime drummer. Do you still play traditional instruments, do they have a place in your production?
I don’t use my own drum playing in my own productions for different reasons. First of all I would need 4 arms and 4 feet to get the same rhythmical results and I would need three different drums to get all the drum sounds I use in one song. I could use an e-drum yes, but I’m already using digital recorded drum sounds in my drum samplers and that still wouldn’t give me my 4 arms and feet.
link : https://wanbushi.bandcamp.com/track/johnny-wan-bushi-remix
link : https://soundcloud.com/wan-bushi/wan-bushi-scavenger
But I do use a lot of traditional instruments in my music. The combination of hard beats with electronic basslines and real instruments is just awesome. You can play your own accordion with just a minimum of keyboard skills and with autotune even my voice sounds great. Oh thank god for autotune!
link : https://wanbushi.bandcamp.com/track/crazy-accordeon-conny-bitch
link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXmJ0t290-s

N How far did your music make you travel and how far did it travel by its own?
Music has brought me far away from my own borders. The music scene I’m in is not very big but it has passionate fans all over the world thanks to the online music scene. I’ve seen people dancing to my music, showing their tits (this doesn’t happen enough imo though) in big parts of Europe, Russia, Japan, Lebanon,…
My music definitely travelled further with the internet then I ever will and it has a life of its own now.

N Do you produce on the move and if yes, does that music have a special character to it?
Not that much. Travelling gives me inspiration but I need to be in my own environment with my own tools to really work on a song. I sometimes go to my old house in the rural area to get some inspiration, because the trees, the views and the smell of farting cows fills me with pleasure which improves the creative mind.
link : https://deidream.bandcamp.com/track/2faced-wan-bushi-remix

N Pick 10 songs.
Boney M – my baker
Venetian snares – hajnal
Nightcrawlers – push the feeling on
The police – message in a bottle
Dr dre feat snoop dogg – still d.r.e.
Pendulum – another planet
Royksopp – eple
Aaron specter – mordor
Stakka and skynet – decoy
Therapy? – diane

N How many hours of your day are devoted to music, considering both producing and casual listening?
I think on average around 30 hours a week. If I have a project (a new song or a set to make) it occupies all my available time until I’m happy with it.

N Are you part of the Illuminati or any other large conspiracy?
No. I’m too unique to be in a clique!

N Here’s a space bottle: send a message to the Aliens.
“Don’t come here our politicians usually close their borders to foreigners. But get on the human internet and go to www.wanbushi.com it will change both the way you rave and make babies”

N Where can we get your music?
Soundcloud, my site (like I said on your previous question), bandcamp, raggaterrorfront.com (my label), my youtube channel, and apparently you find it on soulseek too. But for the best sound quality just go to my site. Most of my music is free download (or donation if you’re feeling nice).
link : www.wanbushi.com
link : https://soundcloud.com/wan-bushi
link : https://wanbushi.bandcamp.com/
link : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQjCveoMlBU0hyrPx4N_GdA
link : www.raggaterrorfront.com

N Future projects?
I’m working on a new duo project that combines balkan/gypsy and circus music with harder electronic genres called circus brekovic. We already had a couple of gigs and a first ep release that’s coming soon. link https://soundcloud.com/circus-brekovic/sets/circus-brekovic-ep

N Where and when can we listen to your live show?
In dark and dirty clubs, some festivals, sometimes at private birthdays. Basically anywhere they want me. But for exact dates I suggest you go on my site or on my facebook to get more info. I do update them the days I’m not too lazy.

N Create a slogan to promote nootempo.net
Nootempo, stronger then expresso or Nootempo, beyond the creschendo