52
BACK TO HIS BEST
You can’t keep a good man down, as they say, or should that be a Good Looking man! Such is the case with Tayla who’s
currently as busy as ever with several singles forthcoming including collaborations with Furney. He’s also hard at work on his
debut artist album.
Tayla, or Russell Taylor to use his real name, has Bukem clearly recognised the emerging Tayla Then a friend pointed me in the direction of a fresh
always been passionate about music. Born and sound as something special and a long-standing sample source which has given me new inspiration.
raised in Watford and influenced by his father’s relationship with Good Looking soon developed. I strongly believe I’m only really as good as my
Motown collection, he was soon checking out early “It just so happens that what I love and want to samples – if your samples are no good you aren’t
hip hop. By 1989 he was heading into London to make thankfully he loves and wants to release. It going to make someone fall over backwards.”
visit clubs like the Astoria where Grooverider was a just feels right coming out on the label and I’m
major inspiration. pleased they’re starting to release music again. The Hearing the latest Tayla productions, you can feel
scene misses their input and that style of music big a real sense of drama and movement in his music.
“Around this time the house music that was being time for me! It’s not represented evenly.” It’s fresh and exciting, and clearly he’s back on
played by DJs was slowly starting to use breakbeats top form. Some of his best work has also been in
as well,” remembers Russell. “Being in love with To backtrack a little, Nexus Records was set up by collaboration with fellow Good Looking artist
hip hop already, this was a big attraction for me. Russell over ten years ago and ran through Good Furney and both producers are enjoying a very
By 1992 most guys were just using breaks and that’s Looking. It provided the perfect home for Russell’s creative time.
how I got into drum & bass.” productions and acted as a sister label releasing the
same style of music with Doc Scott’s ‘Tokyo Dawn’ “I’ve known Furney for 12 years since he began
Not surprisingly, Russell was soon teaching himself their inaugural release. Other Nexus releases sending me demos. He’s a good friend of mine too
to DJ and when he was 17 met a young LTJ Bukem include ‘Jazz Lick’ from Peshay coupled with his and I met him through MC Conrad as they’re both
at a local youth centre. They were soon hanging remix of LTJ Bukem’s ‘Music’, and singles from from Aylesbury – that’s how we linked up in the
out together and realised they played in a very Alaska, Makoto and Tayla himself, while the ‘Soul studio and we’re very likeminded musically.”
similar style. “DJing definitely came first for me. Survivors’ compilation followed in 2000. Russell
It still does in a way, although in today’s scene you is currently relaunching Nexus and has some great The duo have just released ‘Jahman’ / ‘You Must
need to be making music to be booked as a DJ. I do music ready to go. Stand Still’ on Liquid V and both have solo tracks
really enjoy producing though; I just find it doesn’t forthcoming on Good Looking. In particular, look
come as naturally to me as DJing.” His other major project is his forthcoming solo out for Tayla’s ‘Turn It Around’, which is as fresh a
album. “I’m working on it now and it will be slice of drum & bass as you’re likely to hear.
So how did he learn his skills in the studio? “I coming out on Nexus – we don’t have a set date in
learnt through trial and error. Usually once I find mind yet but we’re probably looking at around the Finally, what do you hope you’ll be doing in five
a sample I can hear in my head what I want, it’s end of this year. I’m about halfway through and year’s time? “I’d like to have a couple of albums
getting it out that’s the trick. I’ve been lucky to have really pleased with how it’s sounding so far. I don’t under my belt, producing consistently and
worked with artists like Photek, PFM and Bukem; think the sound I’m into has changed that much, diary full.”
you can’t not learn from people with that amount it’s just evolved. I love how the music has come back
of talent, but I think I’ve learnt the most in recent around; how tracks are shorter in length so they’re
www.djtayla.com
years from Furney. It’s difficult to describe my much more straight to the point.
www.myspace.com/djtaylaglo
sound because it’s not just one thing. Overall I love
music with a solid groove, something you can get “For a long time I struggled to write anything
lost in, but I also love music that’s aggressive.” that I was happy with and got very frustrated! Words Matthew Duffield
Photography Mike Malfait
www.mikemalfait.blogspot.com
www.kmag.co.uk
K52_Tayla.indd 52 29/4/09 13:10:32
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