The latest album by dubstep and drum and bass producers Joshua Steele and Shaun Brockhurst, aka Flux Pavilion and Doctor P, proves that, contrary to some people’s beliefs, dubstep isn’t dead.
Circus Records, an independent record label that Flux Pavilion and Doctor P helped create, released a compilation album titled Grand Central on March 24. The next day, the release was honored at the launch party, which was appropriately held at Miami’s Grand Central nightclub as a part of the Winter Music Conference.
The Miami Hurricane sat down with the British producers to talk about Miami, dubstep, drum and bass, whiskey and their views of the EDM scene.
The Miami Hurricane: You guys come to Miami at least once a year. Do you have any signature stops?
Doctor P: I literally always go to South Beach Studio every time I’m here. I’ve done two days there this week. The sound in there is unbelievable. I think it’s the best sound room I’ve ever heard in my life.
Flux Pavilion: It is pretty good I guess.
DP: Everything I’ve made in that room those two days already sounds perfect. I like going in there.
TMH: Any specific reason why you named the album Grand Central? Do you guys have any ties to the venue?
DP: No, we come up with a load of names and vote on them. It wasn’t my favorite name, but it’s a cool name. It’s one of those things. An album needs a name. That’s why we did “Circus One,” “Circus Two” for our other albums. It needs a name, so people can remember.
FP: I’ve always found it surprisingly difficult to come up with names. I think it’s pretty good. Our label manager was real addicted to the idea of doing a ‘Miami’ thing … I wasn’t really sold on the whole ‘Miami’ thing. I was like, do we really want to sell it to this one place? But then, being here, it makes a lot of sense.
TMH: How did you guys get into dubstep and drum and bass?
DP: I’ve been really into drum and bass for as long as I can remember. My uncle was into it and he would just play me tracks when I was about 12. But then Josh (Flux) came home from [university] and said, ‘check this out,’ and he played me Rusko [a British dubstep DJ and producer]. It sounds exactly like the music I’ve been listening to in a far more exciting way.
FP: I was always crap at drum and bass. It came out with rubbish, really wobbly sounds. It was never gonna happen, so I started making hip-hop music, then when I heard dubstep I was like, ‘Ah! That’s the sh*t I’ve been writing.’
DP: This is the music I’ve been waiting for!
TMH: Around what age would you say you started?
FP: About 18 to 19. I had been writing dubstep anyway –
DP: But he didn’t have a name for it.
FP: Yeah, I kind of stumbled into the scene. I never had an intention to become part of a thing. It was more of a ‘Cool, I’ll make this now.’ I was resigned to the idea that I was going to become a teacher. I was already at university, cause you can’t be a teacher without a degree. I heard dubstep and didn’t say, ‘Cool! This is my break!’ It was more of a ‘Cool, this will keep me occupied.’
TMH: You guys have collaborated with big names. Kanye West and Jay-Z sampled Flux for the “Watch the Throne” album. What are some of your big accomplishments?
DP: The track with “Method Man” was definitely an accomplishment. I don’t know how that came about. It was pure luck I think. Generally, touring America and doing big festivals like EDC is something I thought I would never do. Never thought I’d play to 40,000 people in Vegas.
FP: I sold out Red Rocks this year. It was the first time I performed without a festival. It was just my show, just me.
TMH: Do you guys prefer big or smaller venues?
DP: Big ones are shocking. I play and I can’t believe it. I do think the smaller ones are more fun just because it gets crazy and it’s right up in your face when it’s in a small venue. It feels more real. The big ones are surreal seeing a sea of thousands of heads and arms sticking out, but when you’re in a small club it feels like you’re fully involved in what’s going on.
FP: Both have their own merits. I prefer small after-party shows, it’s always more fun.
TMH: How important are visuals on your set?
DP: That’s something I’ve never really given much thought about. People always tell me they like my visuals, but it’s not something I got super involved with. I think sometimes it could be a bit distracting. I’ve noticed that when I’m watching DJs, I’ve caught myself watching the TV.
FP: But you can’t really watch a DJ though. That’s the point of all the dance music live visual setups, ‘cause it’s just a bloke standing there. Doing nothing.
DP: When it’s right it’s absolutely amazing.
TMH: When fans meet you are they surprised by anything?
FP: That we don’t really party. My ideal night is staying home and having a couple of drinks or going to a cocktail bar.
DP: People are surprised I don’t smoke weed. Especially with my personality, people think I’m stoned all the time.
TMH: Any interesting facts about you that your fans may not know?
FP: I collect comics and single malt whiskey. My favorite comics are Sandman, Constantine and Silver Surfer’s pretty cool.
TMH: Is there anything you don’t like about the EDM scene?
DP: It always shocks me what the scene is like. You get there and people got the gloves with the lights and kandi [bracelets made out of beads]. It shocks me every time.
FP: I don’t like being categorized and compared to my peers. Because then you get questions like, ‘This guy’s making tracks. Why aren’t you?’