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"I Buy All My Music": Catching Up With Reset Robot

Not everyone has had quite the journey that David Robertson has. From the failed promises of his then management that resulted in Robertson literally having to reset his production plans when they opted to go down the more commercially driven route, to the 5-track signing by the definitive Dubfire Records and a slew of vogue bookings, it’s definitely been an adventure for the big-room tech-house titan. But with a unique sound in one hand and an undying determination in the other, David has spurred the post-minimalist techno vibe, charting a steadfast string of critical acclaim and joining the likes of True Soul and 8 Sided Dice in full force. Now with a new label forthcoming alongside Alan Fitzpatrick & Rhymos and a highly anticipated fabric appearance this month, David’s in no doubt riding the surge to success. We caught up with him to chat about his new imprint, music downloads and his tracks of 2013. Hi David! Thanks very much for giving up your time to do this interview. For the sake of anyone new to your music, please can you give us a brief intro on Reset Robot and what you’ve been up to the past few months? Hello, no problem at all. I'm a 31 year old producer/DJ from Portsmouth. I'm into all sorts of music but mainly make and play house and techno. The past few months I've played some fantastic gigs. Drumcode/LWE Halloween event in London and Panorama Bar in Berlin being the standout nights. I've also been putting the finishing touches on my debut artist album which will be out early next year on Truesoul. You’ve been part of the techno scene for a while now. From a DJ/Producer’s perspective, how has it felt being part of quite a definitive wave in electronic and underground music? What has it meant for you in terms of your vision and direction as a DJ and Producer? It's been a great time to be involved in the scene and in my opinion it seems to be getting stronger and more diverse. I've always tried to stay true to myself and not jump from trend to trend. The ability to access and share music seems to be steadily growing - social media and platforms like Beatport and Juno must have contributed in some ways to your progression as an artist. Do you think there are other factors that we music bloggers tend to miss? Without a doubt. Beatport has had an incredible effect on the way DJ's and Producers progress which some people would say is a positive one and others a negative. I think my music has definitely reached people through platforms like Beatport so for me its been good. Once your music is signed and released you have a chance to progress but its also getting to that point that can be hard. Months or years of sending out demos is often overlooked. There’s always been this debate around illegal music downloads. One argument is that whilst music is being downloaded illegally – artists aren't able to earn the money they quite rightly deserve whilst others feel that if the music is being enjoyed, who’s to say how it is listened/obtained.... What’s your stance on this? I used to be so against it and get so angry but I don't think about it so much anymore. It's something that's not going to go away. My younger cousins wouldn't think twice about downloading music for free. I've been booked by promoters who have downloaded my music illegally so sometimes it can pay back. I would like to add that I buy all of my music!! :-) And what about the recent news on particular artists using sample packs to produce their music. What’s your view on that? This is really interesting. I've heard a lot of tracks using the same loops and samples recently. I think if you use the samples as they are then its no different to people who thought they were making music on Dance Ejay with the pre made music loops. I use a lot of samples in my work but try and mess around with them until they are unrecognisable and tend not to use any of these sound packs that are doing the rounds. I'd rather sample an old record or the sound of my daughter eating rice crispies. So I’ve heard you’re starting a new label with Rhymos and Alan Fitzpatrick. Can you tell us a little more about that and how it all came about? It's been coming for a while now. Aaron (Rhymos) is at the forefront of the label which is called Whistleblower Records. It's his concept and will follow his musical direction mostly. Alan and I are helping out with anything we can and doing the A&R with Aaron. Our friend Con Fraser is doing the admin side stuff and has been a massive part of setting it up. Aaron, Alan and I have been friends since school so it only seems right that we all do something like this together. Are there any artists in particular that you’d like to work with on the label? Firstly it's going to be a platform for Rhymos to release some of his music. We also have an EP from Hushed Voice and I've put a couple of tracks by for it as well. We will be looking for music to sign though. And finally – the end of 2013 is nigh. Please can you share with us three of your top tracks for 2013. Chip Jacks - Crunch Culture (This is a friend of mine who is also from Portsmouth. His album Wood's is some of the best music I've heard this year). Nyra - Solone (This didn't come out this year but I found it this year. Played it in almost every set since I got it). Redshape - Made Of Steel (This is an amazing track).
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