Kezza Brown and Matt Kyriakides are Contineum. Combining the successful solo careers of DJ Mif (Matt) and Razzek (Kezza), their deep rolling basslines, driving percussion and heavily psychedelic sounds aim to project you into a contineum of space and time. Suffice to say they’re perfectly suited to headline the main room at Astral Circus at Brixton Jamm on Friday 15 November alongside AMD, Dickster, Aphid Moon, Nick Sentience, Nikki S, Unitone and Renegade DJ.
With just a few days until the circus hits town, we managed to get the guys out of the studio long enough to answer a few questions for HarderFaster...
Hi guys, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to answer a few questions for HarderFaster.net.
Firstly, you formed Contineum in 2011. Where and when did you both meet and how did Contineum come about?
Kezza: Think first time we met was at some random outdoor squat party. I was trying to blag my way in (as you do) and Matt had a guest ticket.
Matt: One of those ridiculous squats where you have to walk for ages. Kezza wanted to get in and hey I had a guest.
Please describe the Contineum sound in five words.
Kezza: A psychedelic soup of sounds.
Matt: A spaghetti junction of liquid sound for the mind.
You both also continue to have successful solo careers. For those who don’t know you, please tell us a bit about your backgrounds and how you got into making music. What was your inspiration for getting into psy trance?
Kez: Well I’ve been a musician for as long as I can remember. I did classical music training at school and my original dream was to write a concerto by the time I was 25. Back in 2000 my parents moved to Goa and there I discovered psy trance and all the goodies that go with the scene. Psy trance can have serious emotion to it, just like classical pieces so it didn’t seem too far a step out to start DJing and then producing as well.
Matt: I started in more urban styles, mainly hip hop and a little bit of drum n bass. I’ve DJ'd and produced as long as I can remember too. Then I found psy trance and it just seemed the right choice to move. After 13 years of hip hop I needed a complete change, so here I am seven years later with two projects up and running and two progressive and chill out projects getting there at a pace.
What does the ‘psychedelic’ in psy trance mean to you?
Kezza: Liquid dribblings and hypnotic wibblings to wrinkle the mind.
Matt: Bubbles of sound emanating from a central core.
You’ve played alongside some of the biggest names in psy trance. Who would you say are your biggest influences and is there anyone you’d still like to collaborate with?
Kezza: Anyone making good music influences me, although I have followed certain people for a long time. Burn In Noise is one of my favourite producers. An album back in 2008, Passing Clouds, really defined the style I like the most, so I’m looking forward to the new album that’s coming soon. As for working with people, there are too many to name even if we’ve worked with them before – it’s all good, haha!
Matt: I get influenced by any good psy tracks these days. I’ve worked with so many people and continue to do so. Music is about pushing yourself to new horizons and boundaries so as long as I see compatibility I’ll work with them, whether it be light or dark, fluffy or sinister. Again, like Kezza said, Burn in Noise is one of them. That Passing Clouds album when it came out redefined the genre and also my style of DJing.
You’ve made some epic tracks together, do you have a favourite?
Kezza: Personally, our latest track ‘Num Num Nummy’ has to be one of my favourites. It’s not released yet but it’s nice and juicy. We’ll be playing it at Astral Circus so come check it out!!
Matt: Me too, I’ve gotta say I still remember the time when we nearly finished ‘Num Num Nummy’ and we both knew that was the shiznick. It was the first track where I felt truly happy with the mix of both our styles.
How does it work in the studio, do you usually go in with a set idea or plan in mind or do you explore and play around until something grabs you? Who wears the pants?
Kezza: Thankfully we both wear pants or two guys in the studio would be a little weird lol!! We both have sounds that we always go for and we both like deep bass lines and funky percussion, so I guess we start there and see where that takes us!
Matt: Well we both have our strengths. When we first started I was and still am really into sound design and Kezza is a wicked sound engineer. Now we are both crossing over. Also we both have our kinds of sounds – I’m into more fx and stab sequence-based music with well placed arps and melodies to accompany what’s there; Kezza likes more melodic (definitely not cheesy though) arps and sequences. It works a treat for the tracks we make together.
What’s your favourite plug in at the moment – or is it a secret?!
Kezza: Logic Bitcrusher. Ask anyone that’s worked with me on a track and I’m sure they can tell you, that is my favourite.
Matt: I would say combi filters and pitch delays. Tone2 BiFilter for comb and Valhalla Mod Delay or DMG PitchFunk for pitch sounds. (P.S. Kezza really truly loves the Logic Bitcrusher).
You’ve both been around music most of your lives, do you think more recent technological advances that make dj’ing and production more accessible to people have been good overall? Is formal musical training important?
Kezza: I think it’s great that everyone can access music and not only the elite select few, the only down side I personally feel is that people are trying to do too much on the cheap. It’s one thing to produce the music but it’s a whole other thing for example, to master. It’s always worth sending it to a pro for that final touch cos it makes a world of difference if you can’t afford all the top end gear and killer studio. Plus it’s always nice to get a fresh set of ears on a track as well!!
Matt: I personally feel that, like Kezza said, people are looking for a quick and cheap way out. Prime example: I started dj’ing with records, vinyl at the age of 13 and I spent 5–6 years forging a style and learning my trade. A lot of people these days buy Traktor then just throw together some tunes. On the production side, as Kezza said, if you don’t have an amazing studio sending you music to a good masterer is the best thing you can do. It makes the tracks much better, cleaner... and the list goes on.
You’re both involved with some of the top psy trance labels and events around, Kezza with Elixir and Alchemy and Matt as Mutagen founder and manager. What up and coming DJs and producers have caught your eyes and ears recently?
Kezza: James Noctopus has been making some killer tunes. Def one to watch for the future. Check him out at:
Matt: Spec 3 on Catalyst Records has released about five tunes, killer energetic day time sounds.
What are your current top 10 tracks to get the dancefloor moving?
1. Contineum – ‘Num Num Nummy’ (Unreleased)
2. Mechanimal – ‘Traveller’ (Antu Records)
3. Razzek – ‘Future Technology’ (Unreleased)
4. SpectraSonics – ‘Acid From Knowhere’ (Unreleased)
5. Nanospace vs Buckle – ‘Event Horizon’ (Mutagen)
6. Earbug vs Acid Lizard – ‘Tropical Desire’ (Unreleased, coming end of Nov 2013)
8. Contineum – ‘Who Are You?’ (Unreleased, coming soon on Magic Phangan Recs)
9. MindSweep – ‘Psychedelic Chamber’ (Unreleased, coming on Profound Recs very soon)
10. Paul Taylor vs DjNote – ‘Mutha Buffa’ (Aphid Records)
Did you dress up for Hallowe’en?
Kezza: I was lost in the studio finishing up a new track. Do boxers and a t-shirt count?
Matt: I also was lost in the studio. Does jeans and a bright blue t-shirt count?!
What super power would you like to have?
Kezza: The ability to turn thought into music.
Matt: Mind Control – it’s a hard choice, I’m really into Marvel and DC Comics for a start.
Whose greatest hits would you take to a desert island?
1. Burn In Noise – Passing Clouds
2. Rinkadink – Rabbit from the Dark Side
3. Beardy Weirdy – Squelch Monster
4. The Commercial Hippies – If You Can’t Stand The Heat
5. Antispin – Crop Circles
6. Headroom – Artelligent
What would your last meal be on death row?
Kezza: Boots meal deal! Got a budget to work to ya know lol!!
Matt: English Sunday roast dinner. It’s on them, lol!!
It takes a lot of passion, hard work and dedication to stay in the music scene as long as you both have. What’s the one piece of advice you wish you’d been given when you started out?
Kezza: Have fun!! Making music should be as much fun making as it is playing at a party. Forget about the end result and enjoy the journey. Your music will speak for itself that way.
Matt: Take your time and have fun. It’s all fun even though sometimes it can get grinding. Just do your thing and something will come about eventually. Take your time and think about everything you do.
What’s your favourite festival? Why do you think so many UK festies keep getting it wrong?
Kezza: Freedom Festival and Boom rock!! I like freedom cos there is less of the healing and more of the roll around in the dirt dribbling going on, but both festivals are amazing!!
Matt: Boom and the UK festival formerly known as Glade. I liked Boom for its entirety, I went in 2008 before it got truly big and mad and Glade for putting so many different music styles in one festival and still keep the vibe and spirit of our wonderful scene alive. RIP Glade.
You’re playing in the main room at Astral Circus on Friday 15 November alongside AMD, Dickster, Aphid Moon, Nick Sentience, Nikki S, Unitone and Renegade DJ. Why should people reading this make sure they’re down the front for your set?
Kezza: Cos it’ll be num num nummmmmyyyy!!
Matt: Cos it’s a huge wiggle and a giggle for everyone.
I’m getting more than a little nervous about my first set in the alternative room at Astral. What’s the stupidest thing you did when you were still learning to DJ?
Kezza: I got so high that I forgot to put the volume slider up on the mixer and I was dj’ing in my headphones cos there were no monitor speakers. All that the crowd heard was me slowly EQing the track that was playing, out into silence. It sounded epic in the headphones though, lol!!
Matt: I was totally high and ejected the wrong CD. What was more epic was the track I was dj’ing in and ejected was an unreleased track that an artist had given me to test out and they were in the crowd, lol.
What else do you have in your diaries for the rest of 2013? And beyond?
Feb 2014 Osiris Festival in Mexico is gonna be an epic one. We’re very much excited to be going cos it’s our first time in Mexico and at some point in the near future we’ll be starting work on our debut album. Already have a few bits a pieces on the go but all very G13 classified stuff. You understand… we would have to kill you if we told you!
Also we have a few festival enquiries for mainland Europe in the summer. We’ll keep you updated on the Contineum Facebook page.
Finally, if a fan sees you at the bar at Astral Circus, what should they buy you? Kezza: Just come say hello. We don’t bite (often)!!
Matt: Say hello. Drink not required but definitely accepted with a huge smile and open arms.
Thanks for your time guys! Looking forward to seeing you both on the 15th!
After 3 sell out parties the Astral Circus crew returns with another night full of psychedelic magic and creative energy.
Astral Circus is a realm of self-expression and mutual insight. We endeavour to cultivate an interactive experience that stimulates beyond the senses, and unlocks the innate creativity possessed by each and every one of us.
Let's animate our vision - together!
We are very excited to bring to you the next edition of Astral Circus, 10pm - 8am Friday 15th November at the Brixton Jamm, and we're very happy because we'll be running 2 hours later than last time!
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