| Magnificent Sevens
Russ Disciples plans to take his productions beyond the UK dub scene in 2006 |
 
I mention this to Russ as we settle down in the pristine control room and sit in front of the Backyard mixing desk. He's clearly not surprised by the compliments, but is never going to let them go to his head. "Anyone else's opinion is accepted and I'm grateful, but within myself I'm still striving to keep getting better. I've made some good, good tunes that have really spoken to a lot of people and I've been well supported. That's all good, but I've got no ego. I sit here and I struggle; think its not sounding right. I know there's a lot of producers out there who've got their sound and that's it; they're happy and they don't change for ten or twenty years down the line. But I'm always striving to get the best I can, even though its not always even necessary." Jah Shaka first brought Disciples productions to people's attention way back in 1986 and Russ has been recognised as the top UK dub producer for several years. He could be viewed as an obsessive perfectionist; constantly re-configuring his studio and agonising over every track, but in fact he simply knows exactly what he wants to achieve. " I want my vocal tunes to stand up to what I consider to be the best. The great tunes out of Xterminator, Penthouse and Digital B. If I can ever get the sound that them guys got, then I'm going to be nearer to being happy."
New producers in the UK dub scene would be happy to achieve the kind of sound that Disciples were putting out on the Boom-Shacka-Lacka label ten or more years ago and Russ is still best known for his dub-stepper productions. But its a Jamaican roots sound that he's been pursuing since he started the Backyard Movements imprint. "The majority of people still check for Jamaican music and we struggle with this thing of legitimacy in making UK reggae. Tunes I recorded with Prince Malachi and Prince Allah did get some good feedback. My tune with Candy Man was John Masouri's favourite of the year when that came out. He gave it top reviews! It's nice for me to know I can produce a tune that comes across to people who buy all the yard music. I remember being in Blackadread's shop one time, Blacka don't know me or anything, and he had the tune playing. Someone came in and he was going to the guy "wicked tune this, listen the bass line..." To get that kind of reaction from that side of people, away from my usual crowd, is good. It shows that they can see something in what I'm doing, that makes me want to keep doing it."
2005 hasn't been a bad year for Russ. He's maintained his profile with UK dub fans through remixes, licensing deals and co-productions with people like Cultural Warriors, Roots Youths, Five Rivers and Jah Warrior. However he hasn't actually released anything on his own Backyard Movements label. "I decided to work on the studio because my roof needed doing and I thought that if I was doing that, I might as well build an extension. Sorting all that out took up a few months and its only been since the back end of August that I've been trying to concentrate on my own thing." In 2006 he'll resume efforts to be accepted as a reggae rather than UK dub producer. His first move will be to revert to releasing records on 7". "I've been putting my vocal tunes out on 10", but I'm not sure if it's the most suitable format. My tunes are more of a Jamaican roots vibe and the DJs that play that style don't buy 10".The UK roots people will buy 7" no problem, we just aint selling enough to them alone. We really need to start getting it across to people that are outside of them boundaries. I'm in the process of putting out two 7", they're in manufacture right now. One features Michael Rose and the other is a singer named Anthony Que."
Visiting Backyard Studio involves a thirty minute train journey from Waterloo into London's commuter belt. It seems incongruous that reggae legends like Michael Rose and Prince Allah have made their way to this studio tucked at the back of a neat suburban garden. The surroundings are unlikely but once you are admitted to the sound proofed interior, seated alongside the mixing desk and surrounded by neatly framed flyers for Disciples sessions, it all starts to make sense. Russ began making UK dub here before people even started calling it that. "When I first started it was a very underground scene. Shaka weren't being talked about in them days. It was a hardcore little crowd going to them dances, but it sustained itself. Over the last five years its gone back to that kind of vibe." His tunes have always been amongst the most highly regarded UK dub productions and he's been able to build a small but loyal following around the world. " I'm secure right now and I can manage. The scene's not going to stop, no matter how much people decry it - it's not suddenly going to finish. I'm still positive about things and I suppose I've been through what people consider to be the bad times. If now is a bad time, I'm doing alright!" I asked Russ why UK dub is such an underground scene at the moment and why its appeal doesn't reach far beyond the hardcore of followers. "There's no media interest in the music in this country. There's barely any interest in reggae at all. A lot of us have got our profile on the internet but its still restricted because people like to be told what's good. When Manasseh and Joey Jay were on the radio and they played a tune people would go to the shop and seek it out. It's like tunes need legitimising. In the early nineties everything started booming up, it was a very positive scene. Manasseh were on Kiss FM, they knew how to deal with the media and had a high profile. People from outside of reggae were coming in wanting tracks for compilations and some of them were very useful. We were getting a lot of media interest; interviews and stuff. Muzik, Q, ID and magazines in Germany. For our scene it was a high profile at that time. But you just aint getting that now." Russ believes that the media spotlight and a subsequent renewal of interest in the scene could easily return at sometime. Particularly in Japan where Aba-Shanti has recently toured. However, having been through the experience in the early nineties, he knows that you shouldn't get too excited. "Don't get carried away if things start to pick up one time. Don't go off and buy yourself loads of gold and a BMW, because you might not be able to afford to put petrol in it next year. We might get three to five years of something good going in Japan for example, but it'll trip out again - you know what I mean? After a couple of years people get a bit bored and want a next style. I said that in the early nineties; you could see that they were that kind of people. They've not got the mind to stick with one form of music." His advice for anyone involved in the music would be to avoid relying on anyone else. Work to your own level, because other people can move on leaving you high and dry. "Take the good times when they come along and the rest of the time just keep going. What else are you gonna do? Give up? I know I'd rather be in here than working nine to five in Superdrug or something. God knows!" Artists, sound men and other producers would all agree. UK roots needs Backyard Studio to continue and if Russ's plans work out it will benefit everyone on the scene. Just say no to Superdrug.
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