Pinch is dubstep’s ambassador par excellence. As a DJ, producer, label owner and promoter, few have done more to take the emergent genre beyond it’s spiritual home of London. Through releases on Planet Mu and his own highly respected Tectonic label, Pinch has carved a niche within the ever growing dubstep movement. Flying the flag for Bristol, he is set to unleash his gut-wrenching bass contortions upon Australia for the first time.

Take us back just a little bit. What were the sounds which first excited you before the emergence of dubstep?

Jungle, 2-step, minimal techno, abstract electronica with a dub flavour – especially Rhythm & Sound style – I like a lot of different music, though those types have been my main influences.

How were you first exposed to the genre?

I first heard it in its proper context at FWD>> when Kode 9 played a deep set some years ago. Before that I’d only heard the occasional Tempa 12” in record shops – but not on a full weighted system, or such an upfront dubplate selection. It made a big difference in terms of hearing the sound and left a huge, lasting impression on me.

What is the key thing that distinguishes dubstep from other genres for you?

Innovation in sound and a production value for gut wrenching sub bass.

Much has been made of the notion that dubstep is music built to be played on massive sound systems – to the point that some believe it cannot be fully appreciated in any other context. How do you think this dynamic limits the genre’s potential to reach new audiences?

It is music that needs to be felt as well as heard to get the full effect, no two ways about it. All truly underground dance music is meant to be listened on fat soundsystem in the company of others. For this reason I was keen to work with vocalists for my LP – I think that helps the music to sound more complete in a home listening environment.

Just how important is the physicality of bass in dubstep?

Essential.

What was the motivation to start Tectonic?

To put out good music that needs to be cut to wax.

Moving Ninja’s ‘Formations EP’ was a very bold release in that it had no clear dancefloor agenda. How do you find the balance between pushing boundaries and making decisions which ensure the financial viability of the label?

I don’t think there are any particular rules – we’re talking about underground music here. I’m not putting out Tectonic records expecting to make lots of money – but no release has made a loss either. The Moving Ninja EP is just excellent soundscape music – especially ‘Uranium’, that’s a personal favourite, it had to come on wax.

Dubstep can be a tremendously rhythmically diverse genre, encompassing the swung beats of garage, breakbeats, the solid stomp of halfstep and the occasional four to the floor elements. How important is rhythmic diversity in dubstep?

Very important… Otherwise it gets boring.

Bristol obviously has a long-standing drum and bass history. How has dubstep been receieved by the junglists within Bristol?

It’s been better received by those who’ve been involved in the scene longer than with the younger generation of drum and bass ravers. Heads like Rob Smith, Peter D (More Rockers), Roni, Die, Clipz, they’ve all been receptive to the possibilities that dubstep has opened up – some have even dabbled with a few dubstep style beats. Rob Smith in particular has taken to the sound and is making some sick tunes!

Creating an album is a different undertaking to releasing a 12”. How how did your approach differ when creating your album, ‘Underwater Dancehall’?

I really tried to think about the whole project in terms of being a part of an album rather than a collection of tracks – that means picking tracks that fit a certain context, tracks that compliment each other – and of course, how the track order works is very important too in terms of the journey the album takes.

For people who might not have heard this genre before, what can Australian audiences expect when you play here?

Deep, highly infectious upfront strains of the dubstep virus – bass weight that will penetrate your immune system and develop symbiotic relations with your pre-concsious mind. Err… or failing that, some good tunes I have in the bag to run on dubplate.

Pinch plays Illegal Value at Uber in Brisbane on Friday October 26th and VOID at Phoenix Bar in Sydney on Friday November 2nd. Check guides for further dates around the country.