Something new in the TRUSIK mix series, Another Channel is a proud disciple of the dub-techno subgenre, building on the foundations lain by artists such as Basic Channel (GER), Rhythm & Sound (GER) and DeepChord (US). Music that is always an odyssey; thick, sultry chords blended in the ethereal twilight of steady, driving techno pulsation, fat percussion and dubbed out reverberation; all bellowing through the veins of any soundsystem lucky enough to see his acetate laid down. We caught up with him for a quick chat about his influences, the relationship between dub and techno and his upcoming plans.
Hey Jonny, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, how are you doing?
No worries. I’m feeling pretty good today! Thanks for having me.
For those who don’t know you, or rather your alias “Another Channel”, could you briefly introduce yourself.
Hi everyone, I’m Jonny from Augsburg, Germany. You can usually find me producing dub, techno or dub-techno pretty much every day, under the alias Another Channel. That’s about it!
Don’t we know it! The music really speaks for itself. I’ve personally been a huge fan of the sound for a little while now, especially since gracing the clubs and raves of Berlin’s underground scene. It begs the question, how long have you been producing? As there are clearly a range of influences upon this specific style of techno, you must have explored different international influences and scenes to arrive at the dub-tech destination, no?
Yeah, I mean I started playing the bass guitar around the age of 13. And as I’m sure many musicians know, it’s not really too far a jump to make until you reach electronic bass music, is it? Although perhaps the biggest influence (or memory I can remember anyway) was when I was 16 and my big brother gave me a crash course in dub music for for the first time. I mean wow, it was a strong impression and really moved me at a critical point in my musical life. We’ve always shared a lot of musical knowledge growing up together. But additionally to my brother, there were the legends living in the world he showed me; Lee Scratch Perry, King Tubby, Mad Professor and of course, the mighty Rhythm & Sound.
Yeah, you certainly wouldn’t be able to talk about dub-tech without mentioning the Berlin giants; a legendary crew and for good reason (for anyone reading who isn’t aware of Rhythm & Sound, jump on YouTube). But speaking of which, how would you describe the ‘dub-tech’ scene, as it were, in Germany or maybe more specifically in your area? How do you personally navigate it as an upcoming artist?
Being more general, the techno scene itself in Augsburg is actually quite big (for such a small city) but then again, techno has become such a German obsession now anyway (laughs). As far as I understand, we’ve kind of become sensationalised for it amongst our international brothers and sisters, which is interesting, as the dub scene is not really represented as much – even though these are the roots of the music. For me as an artist in it all, I’m personally not a great friend of religion or fads, so I generally keep a low profile and at the moment I’m keeping it more subtle ‘in the scene’, so to speak.
Interesting. It’s great to see the development of these related genres intersecting at a particular junction of tradition, I mean, it just works so well to create a distinct mood and gravitas; both working in harmony together. For me, it’s one of my favourite styles of sound to hear on a huge system. But what do you think about it’s evolution, or rather, how do you relate to the cross-pollination between dub and techno music?
The old-skool dub as the root of techno music is for me the most important, organic part of this mix. On the other hand, I’m a friend of the new music culture and whatever transformations that happen as a result of this history. Therefore, I especially enjoy harnessing the combination of old and new influences and I’m always looking to create something that pays respect to both. But yes, I think the genre (or sub-genre?) got quite the boost in the last years. Well, I mean it was always there.
For sure. There’s a pretty rich history to build from, especially in Germany. But speaking of the contemporary moment, what labels or artists are currently influencing you right now?
Wow, there’s quite a few. I would have to say: Rhythm & Sound (always), Akcept, SOUKAH, Pugilist, Vril, Abdulla Rashim, Giorgio Gigli, Babe Roots, MORD Records, and of course, Basic Channel. All important to my music in their own right.
Some familiar names and newer ones for me. Speaking of which, do you have any more musical plans or projects over the next year, as Another Channel or otherwise?
It’s good you asked. I am actually planning to do an analog live-project with my brother “Prince Hasha”, which I’m excited about. We still work together every month, as much as we can, and I can say already it’s gonna be BIG! Apart from that I will keep making my music and I will always be looking to improve my skill set and production values as Another Channel.
Wicked. That about sums it all up really. Before we finish, any shout outs you wanna give?
For sure. Basically just a big shout out to all the people who have supported and are supporting me. And also another big shout out especially to Akcept and Soukah, who always help me out if needed!
Your favourite track at the moment: Junior Reid – Mini Bus Driver. Great tune!
A song you would like to remix: The complicated thing with remixes, is that it has to be at least as good or better as the original!
A dubplate you would love to get your hands on: Oh boy, there are way too many!
A track you wheel up everytime: Massa – Interference and Kraftwerk – The Robots
Another Channel has releases out on Transient Audio and Blacksoil Records.
