Odyssey Recordings is a newly formed drum & bass label based in the West Midlands. We spoke to owner John Nar (DJSid/Narkotix) and manager Chaand Bhagotra (Mr Moon) for the low down.

Tell us a little bit about yourselves…

We’re a pair of DJs/producers who have been following drum & bass and electronic music genres through our time.

I have been following the scene since the early 90’s i.e. Quest/Fibre Optic/Pandemonium following through the progression in to World dance, Dreamscapes, Progression Sessions(Good Looking Records). I started mixing at the age of 19 buying records from the historic local music store Ruby Red Records. My style originates from jungle through to atmospheric, jazzy and chilled out drum & bass. I am currently producing music for my label and organizing Odyssey events.

Mr Moon is one of the new breed of DJ and producers who grew up with a strong musical background playing violin from the age of 8. His style of music evolved from his classical background moving towards modern day dance and electronic music having grown up around some of the greatest dance music and clubs of our time. He focuses on the moreeclectic, alternate sounds of drum & bass and underground music beinginfluenced strongly by varying styles of techno, house, break-beat, hip hop andclassical music.

We have formed a collective of DJ’s,producers, vocalists and musicians from the midlands who have been shapedthrough the mutual love of music. The label will be showcasing all forms of electronicmusic i.e. Drum & Bass, Breaks etc. We have come from a background of musicranging from classical orchestral, jazz, soul, jungle, drum & bass, Asian, houseand hip hop. Amongst us we have a vast amount of experience as DJs, performers andmusic lovers.

I came up with the concept Odyssey OfThe Mind in the early 90’s jungle/drum & bass era and since then themusical journey has been an interesting one leading to work with so many musiclovers and finding a team of artists to showcase this journey through music,hence the name Odyssey. It’s more than just Dance music to me, it was what Iwas feeling and I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do.

We have a tight little family, everyonehas their attributes and we’re all working together. Nobody controls the musicof any other artist than themselves and we keep it relaxed.

The other members of Odyssey recordingsare Kesa: (Kasa Singh) Producer/Musicianwho released a track called Elements on Ray Keith’s label Emotive Records. Sanz, a producer having his workregularly showcased on Nihal’s radio show on BBC Asian network. Charlene McKenzie: an upcoming vocalistwe noticed at an open mic night where her voice instantly grabbed us and knewwe had found a gem for the label. Cyte(Simon Hill) and Squeekz (BethThompson) are both upcoming DJ/ producers of the more melodic and deeper drum &bass sounds. Slamdunk: (ChrisDunkley) is a talented DJ/Producer and very skilled in his craft with a keeneye to making music in the future. InnaFix: (Leigh Pachecho) who plays Guitar/ Drums and writes music. Mr Brown: (James Brown) is an up andcoming Dubstep DJ but recently started to delve into different Drum & Bassstyles. Stixx: (Andrew Howe) is aDrum & Bass DJ/Producer. Our master vocalist and host, MC Brink: (Jak Cosnett) is a true lyricist using lyrics as the keyto his performance, elevating the art of what an MC does. Essjayy:(Steven Wright) Graphic Design and Visuals. We also have an Australian artist Severity Zero (Leo De Oliveira) withforthcoming tracks to be released on the label.

What inspired you to start Odyssey Recordings?

Odyssey recording was established twoyears ago. In the last year working with different artists and on a local radiostation the passion and love for music that I found in some of the local DJs intrigued me. The drum & bassscene had become a little stagnate and flat, leaving behind its musical tasteand started to be seen as a little closed minded at times. This really inspiredme to get things rolling because the emergence of local DJs who had moreadventurous minds musically became more exciting and started to turn heads. Thisinspiration has led to the formation of the label and where we are today. Thereis a buzz for great music and the passion we have is the driving force behindit.

Tell us a little about the ethos behind the label?

In recent times we have seen thefalsity of many of the social, moral, economic and political structures we havebeen programmed to believe for centuries, this has left a nation dazed,confused and uneasy. In the light of such confusion, it is not surprising thatthe NU:GENeration is looking for a different way of life, something out of thenorm to give sense to all the mayhem in the news and their lives.

There is always cycles within drum& bass, there is noise, dark stuff, the atmospheric, jazz thing… One thingabout this music is that you can fuse so many other styles into it. This iswhat we are about. Variety is the spice of life.

What makes it different to what’s already out there?

However you look at it, currently a lotof new artists in the drum & bass scene are confined in their musicallimits and are missing out on a vast amount of great music while our DJ’s havemore adventurous minds and tend to be whole lot more interesting. Odyssey Recordingschoose to avoid the trappings to many expressions of electronic music anddemonstrating the nifty art of doing your own thing. With warm emotiveelectronics, easy, muscular rhythms and strange, understated soundscapes. Wewant to represent something that you can listen to in every differentsituation.

Can you tell us about the key artist’s that you have on thelabel?

The Key artists currently on the labelare as follows: Narkotix, Charlene McKenzie, Kesa, Sanz, Mr Moon, Cyte, Squeekzand Severity Zero.

When considering new talent, what do you look for?

Scanning through the existing community of artist and DJsfrom the drum & bass scene Odyssey recordings have already begun to developa refined network hoping to strengthen the underground music scene as a whole. Nurturinglocal talent and providing them access to the main stage, we aren’t afraid toget involved at the foot of the industry, supporting local artists pushing outtheir sounds and mixes on online media and alongside industry giants.

We are looking for artists who might be on a totallydifferent flavor from one week to the next, and to provide the new generationof DJs and producers a chance to break in to the ever difficult music scenewith their eccentric sounds. I have such a widevariety of music tastes and I am open to all kinds of thought out styleswhether it is techno, break-beat or whatever.

We want to introduce artists from around the globe as wellas the UK giving them the chance to showcase their production and musicalability.

Odyssey recordings expect to give agreat platform to give a global perspective of the scene. We intend to give aneducated insight into the urban dance scene in the UK and beyond.

Are you on the search for new talent? If so, where canproducers send demos?

Yes we are always looking for newtalent to keep pushing the vibe. Artists can send demos to odysseyrecordings@hotmail.co.uk.

What is your biggest goal for your label?

We intend to set up an imprint calledOdyssey Recordings specializing in more electronically-inclined ambience ofsound.

It seems like bad elements in the dancemusic industry have taught us to pigeon hole for too long and maybe if therewere not categories, all the clashing opinions I have encountered between otherpeople over the years would have been more easily understood. It may take awhile, but at the end of the day those who simply love what we can do onlybenefit from less conflict and more good music. This way different parts of thedance scene will be able to work much more closely to further its goals, ratherthan rejecting new and innovative music just because it doesn’t fit into itspre-stamped package. So look out for odyssey, we are going to continue toprovide more good music, whilst at the same time capturing a vibe that everybodyis crying out for, and to be able to push and support local talent. Basicallywe want to give the clubs and music lovers a taste of what is to come in thefuture.

You have an upcoming event, tell us about it…

Yes we have an event coming up onSaturday 24th March 2012 at the Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton. Thenight is called NU:Gen (NU:Generation) showcasing electronic beats 170bpm. Performingwill be Odyssey residents and guests alongside established artists Big Bud andMC Conrad. There will also be visuals from Essjayy graphics and a live P.A. ofour debut single Odyssey by Narkotix feat Charlene McKenzie in vocals. Also onthe bill is Sun and Bass 2011 DJ competition winner SRX another local talent,and CrazyB an up and coming DJ from Luton.

Our type of music is part of thefuture. There are a lot of different styles being showcased at the event fromatmospheric to deep, funky sounds.

Do you have any forthcoming releases?

Yes, we have our debut release bymyself Narkotix feat. Charlene McKenzie entitled Odyssey. Our other artist Sanzand Cyte & Squeekz have been working on new material soon to be thefinished article and released later this year.

What else are you planning for Odyssey in 2012?

Moving forward we wish to collaboratewith new up and coming artists and promoters. We will also be launching a newwebsite very soon. This will act as a central platform for the public to havefull access to Odyssey Recordings work. I am also hoping to have an onlinestreaming radio for the masses. Our ideas are limitless…

Any last words?

Odyssey Of The Mind…

Chance Favors The Prepared Mind…

Let your mind conceive and you willachieve…