CERTIFICATE
18
WORDS
:
GAVIN
WEALE
))CERTIFICATE 18
EVOLUTION OF SOUNDS, INTEGRITY AND DIVERSITY
ARE THE GENERAL MANTRAS AROUND WHICH LONDON’S CERTIFICATE 18
BASE THEIR STRIKING ARRAY OF ARTISTS AND RELEASES.
))
Not many labels can boast a musical span that extends Indeed, scene watching has never been on the “A lot of the twelves I release seem to fit better as part
from drum & bass boundary-pushers like Klute and agenda for Certificate 18. With Klute and TeeBee the of an album. It makes sense to put them on a CD
TeeBee through to the highly revered, yet totally stylistic lines have always been blurred. Although their because that way more people can listen to them.
reclined, leftfield beats of artists like Pilote. So when tunes are regularly found in the boxes of drum & bass’s Although I’ll always keep putting out the twelves for the
it comes to keeping the label synonymous with top top spinners, both have retained a single-minded more adventurous DJs who like to vary their sets a bit
quality drum & bass of all persuasions, as well as approach to their sound, not afraid to show a soft more. And there’s a lot of stuff that DJs are playing - all
encompassing a myriad of other styles, label boss Paul touch as well as a rough edge. This sense of freedom the Klute, TeeBee, and Lexis stuff - and that’s a broad
Arnold (pictured second left) has always relied on his is echoed by their label-boss: “People always make section of the music that’s coming out of the label.”
nose, sniffing out artists who make music he believes in: divides but I never pay much attention to them - I know
no matter what the style. that they exist. I can’t believe that people don’t want to The empire is now expanding and diversifying even
hear music with emotional moods and feelings! I mean, further with the launch of a new breakbeat label, Fat,
Many labels might see the mix of styles under one imprint Detroit techno is all about mood and feeling, and based around long-running Brixton breaks night Chew
as detrimental, but the Certificate 18 vision has it we’re looking at giving our own interpretation of that, The Fat. Certificate 18 have also just signed an album
differently. “Because all the stuff I’ve put out has been whether it is with drum & bass or in an electronic way. from Mexican producer Panoptica (“almost house-y,
worthy of identifying under Certificate 18,” Paul explains. I always go back to the thing where people say house very leftfield breakbeats with a Mexican vibe to it that
“I always refer to Warp Records, because that’s the kind is ‘a feeling’ or drum & bass is ‘a feeling’, and that’s the makes it very original”), and Paul continues with his 6ft
of reputation we’ve tried to build up over the last nine same thing for me.” Stereo project: a free-for-all club night where no DJ
years. Hopefully people will always buy a Certificate 18 gets to play more than six records. “That sums up
release because it’s quality, whatever style of music it is. So has house music been a big influence? “Again, it’s everything that I do under one roof. We’re trying to put
about the evolution of sounds. House music was the fun back into what we all got into music for. We all
“I’ve had to use some sub-labels, otherwise the Pilote around before drum & bass, so you can’t help but be enjoyed the music and that’s why we got into it, but
releases end up in the drum & bass section of shops - I influenced by it. However, now I think it’s coming unfortunately it ends up being quite a serious affair now
have to get around that sort of thing. Really, I’m just trying around full circle with people like Photek and J Majik that we’re all trying to make a living out of it. 6ft Stereo
to develop artists whatever style of music they’re making, doing house-influenced tracks...” is something where we can go down, get trashed - but
and it’s always been like that since day one. I’ve come anyone can turn up - and they can bring their records
from a background of all different kinds of music.” Whatever their influences, no one can deny the prolific as well! That’s what the scene should be like really but
output of Certificate 18: from their early championing of it just never turned out like that.”
But with much of their output being in the drum & bass Photek, Source Direct, Danny C and Digital, through
arena, is he ever conscious of having to gear his output two albums from Stuart Cullen (aka Pilote) and Klute, to But do all these commitments ever get too much?
towards the ‘headz’? “No, not really. Hopefully they just forthcoming second albums each from TeeBee and “I don’t really struggle with it, I just do it, and it just all
pick up on the quality of the releases, and if they’re not Polar. Why, then, have LPs been the optimal format for happens. If I do tear my hair out on occasion, I just go
playing it, it doesn’t bother me at all. I mean, I never showcasing Certificate 18 music? “It’s mainly because and get pissed! I don’t really worry about it, because I’m
really got heavily involved in the dub plate thing.” of the restrictions of the dancefloor,” explains Paul. enjoying what I’m doing...”
40 KNOWLEDGE
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