SLOW
MOTION
WORDS
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RAHUL
VERMA
PICTURE
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COURTNEY
HAMILTON
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))SLOW MOTION
Over the last decade dance music has been For Gambit, 24, aka Zula, it’s the tightness of the we have put out so far it’s quite different, but with the
assimilated into popular culture to such an extent that crew that has forged an environment in which his same element of being for the dancefloor. It can be
multinationals are a part of it - witness the Ericsson creative potential has begun to be realised. “I’ve been dark, noisy, jazzy but it’s got to have that dancefloor
Homelands festival, Orange’s sponsorship of national producing for seven years, most of it on a home set-up edge that gets your hips swinging,” reckons T Lite.
club tours or Emap’s ownership of Mixmag. On the and wasn’t fully confident in my own stuff. You need to
human side of this symbiotic relationship are scores of be surrounded by the right people. I’ve known Tarik for Clearly, T Lite and Snypa form the axis upon which
people who have been so inspired by their experience years - we were friends before any of this. So there’s no Slow Motion is built, but what is their day-to-day
of underground dance music that they are dedicated politics, we’re all on the same level and I treat it as involvement? “We have a hand in production. Cab-E
to its advancement - it’s what they live and breathe. my home.” Similarly, Cab-E has had a history of might be in the studio and we might go down and he’ll
involvement in producing d&b with Bizzy B and Smokers see what our input is. The main engineers for the label
Slow Motion is a relatively new label in the drum & Inc, before settling down to production and engineering are Bug 9 (Reinforced) and Cab-E (formerly of duo
bass scheme of things, with their first release out duties with Slow Motion. THC). What with managing the shop, label and
October 1999. In the 20 months since, the Slow website, production has taken a back seat. We’ve both
Motion discography has grown to six. A mature, slow Talking of being surrounded by positive and got things coming out on Reinforced (Reinforced 159:
and steady mentality seems to be at work behind the encouraging influences brings us to the involvement of ‘Mysterious’ by Snypa and Genotype and Reinforced
label, which is why it is surprising to discover that the a certain Reinforced Records in the Slow Motion story. 166: ‘Lo Riderz’ by Genotype, Snypa and T-Lite).”
combined age of the duo behind Slow Motion is 42. T-Lite cannot thank them enough, “I must say a big, big
shout out to 4 Hero and all of the crew at Reinforced. The seventh Slow Motion release, ‘Platinum’ by Alpha
T-Lite (aka Tarik) is a ripe old 23 compared Our studio is directly above theirs, which is the best Omega, will be out by the time you read this, along with
to Snypa (aka Dom), 19. “We started up the label thing that could have happened to us. We used to hear the Reinforced cuts, and will be followed by an EP with
when we worked together at Camden Records mad beats going on so we knocked on the door and work from Gambit, T-Lite, Snypa, Cab-E and some
(www.camdenrecords.co.uk), the market stall we now it’s fucking Reinforced! Just the maddest thing.” remix pressure from the Undiluted boys – Brockie,
run ourselves,” explains T-Lite. “Basically, enough of Kane and Ed Solo.
his and my friends were making tunes and just not What have been the benefits of being based above
getting anywhere, so we thought ‘fuck it, let’s put out Reinforced then? “Linking with those guys has opened And the motivation for getting involved in the whole
our money together towards a label.’ our eyes and ears. You know the circle [popular d&b shebang? Money-making or labour of love? “Back to
labels], Reinforced are out of that circle and they are as jungle, that’s what I want,” says T Lite, “the vibes were
“We set up at the tail end of 1998, when we put our successful as anyone - if not more so, in terms of sales. better then. You used to go raving and it used to go off
collectives together. But it wasn’t until late 1999, what You go in their office and they got MOBOs and it drives and it doesn’t anymore, just want to try my bit to make
with getting a distribution deal, sorting out our you on and shows you what you can achieve in this it go off again. Everyone thinks they are too cool rather
promotion, our logo, sound and all the other shit that business,” says T Lite. than before when people would turn up in tracksuit bot-
goes with it, that we got our first release out,” toms ready to rave rather than a suit that cost £2000.’
enthuses T-Lite. They haven’t looked back since with Is the Slow Motion sound in a similar vein to
a host of producers contributing, including Cypher, Reinforced? “It’s not our sound now, our sound is – we For further information or DJ bookings contact:
Gambit, Cab-E and Genotype. try not to do the same thing twice. If you listen to what Makeda on 020 7394 0522
48 KNOWLEDGE
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