Touching Bass: Oscar Luweez

You may know Oscar Luweez as D1, one of the early originators of dubstep alongside the likes of Skream and Benga. Yet, since dubstep now sounds like Optimus Prime making out with a fax machine, he's moved over to house music. And what a treat he's sent our way this week. Here we have fifty minutes worth of party pumping house from the likes of Breach, Dusky and Oscar himself to help you rave your way through Saturday and beyond. When I belled him, he was on a late night Tesco trip. Read on to find out about his upcoming releases, Timbaland and Oreos.

So where are you man?

I'm in Tesco. I'm also just writing some notes down for making music when I get back.

You were talking about Timbaland?

Yeah I read somewhere that he always takes notes on tracks and I started doing it years ago for tracks.

Was Timbaland a big influence then?

Not really. I was always a fan of his music when I was young and you can’t not have taken notice of Timbaland.

You've got a track called "Freakin Out". When's the last time that happened to you?

I suppose it was when I got three points the other day. I was pretty pissed. I got caught driving with the phone. It was hilarious because I was on the phone chatting away and the police pulled up right beside me and they were just staring at me. When I looked to my right, they just told me to pull over. That reminds me that I need to get a hands free kit. Other than that, I’m quite a passive guy, I don’t get too mad.

You know that sinking feeling when you're late for something and know you won't make it on time? Yeah, that.

The worst thing is the one when you're going to meet your friend or girlfriend and you make a genuine effort to be on time but something completely out of your control happens and you’re late. Because then they’ll be all like ‘you’re late as usual’ but you went through so much to try and get there. That one is a killer. It’ll never get forgotten about either. It’ll get brought up six months later. Killer.

Now you had your mix with Skream and Benga over 7 months. Have you been in contact since?

I’ve known them since I was about 17 because where I did the whole dubstep thing as D1, we all knew each other from then. I had my first dubstep release when I was 16, but everyone is developing in their own way and doing their thing which is cool.

What releases have you got on the way?

I just had a release out on Rinse with Jamie George called “Butterflies”. Probably looking to give out another free track by November. I’m doing Battersea Freeze Festival and around that time, I’ll probably do a couple of free tracks. I’m just working with some vocalists at the moment because my aim is to go for a vocal track. It’s probably an EP release around February times but there’s gonna be a couple of free tracks between then.

People always appreciate the freebies.

Yeah, but you also cant do it too much because you can come across like some music whore just giving out free tracks. A bit of free is good, but you have to balance it.

What’s your favourite synth?

I despise that organ sound that gets used in house now because I hear it too much. It has to be Trilian, the bass synth. It’s very underrated because I get no problems with it, it doesn’t crash on me and I tend to use it in most of my tracks. You don’t really think about using it but that gets used pretty much all of the time. The guys that make that should send me a whole lot of free shit cos I just plugged it.

Best party you’ve been to recently?

Maison Sky had an EP launch the other day at Plan B in Brixton and I played there. The crowd was cool; a lot of diversity and people were really having a party. I've DJ’d a lot in London and with a lot of places it can be a bit snobby because London is spoilt for choice. If you want to go somewhere, there’s plenty of places to go. That party seemed like it was Bristol or something.

I’m owed one of those nights.

You know what, I'm just gonna be putting together some ideas. I’m literally loading up on Oreo’s. Going back to parties though, the best party I ever played was as D1 in Miami. That party was off the fucking meter. I’ve got stories that I won’t even begin to talk about. It was emotional for me, you know? When I think about it, it’s like I'm gonna well up.

You’re in Tesco man, get some tissues or something.

I know! Tonight I'm just gonna make some music. I'm in the studio and have got a couple of sessions booked in.

Sick. So on the mix, what have you gone for?

I’ve done mixes when I've done my own tunes and you want to promote yourself. With this one, I wanted to act like I'm at a rave and I've just done a party mix. It’s quite mixed up but it’s a good representation of where I like to go myself.

That’s what we like to hear. Thanks man.

Oscar Luweez joins Roy Davis Jr., Shola Ama, Sticky and others on the Sound History Tour from October 15.

Follow Errol on Twitter @errol_and

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