Written by Sean Little //
D.A.M.B., aka Shaun Slaughter and aka Leron Hubbard, is a producer from Sacramento, Calif., who I had the privilege to perform with recently. His style brings heat to the party, and his production is pushing a lot of boundaries with interesting samples and deep bass.
He’s signed to Tracey Recordings, Le Heat and No Brainer and can be found blowing up parties with Lights Down Low, Heater House of Bass every second Friday at Townhouse and Whip on every fourth Friday at Townhouse.
Showbams sat down with Slaughter to learn a bit more about him as a DJ/producer and how he’s evolved as both. We also spoke a bit about his brand-new That Tessa Track EP.
Showbams: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions. You both DJ and produce tracks, what came first? How did you get into each?
Slaughter: DJing came first. I started in ’98, mostly house music and from there I started making unsolicited edits, extended players, remixes in 2005 and eventually my old DJ partner bought me a decent midi controller and basically said “Dude, GO MAKE YOUR OWN SHIT!” From there I started making tracks and sending them to pals to criticize and give feedback ‘til I got it right. I sent my second attempt “Waiting” to my pal Larry Tee and he was WAY stoked on it, and he talked to Alexander Technique at DANR Records and got it signed. Sinden featured it on some Mag Mix CD and shit started rolling. Definitely was validation enough to keep at it.
Showbams: Being both a DJ and a producer, how do you feel that each affects the other? Do you produce songs with the crowd in mind hoping for a specific reaction, or do you use DJ sets as inspiration to go back and produce a track that you feel captures the vibe of the crowds you’re used to playing for?
Slaughter: I have a really weird process of writing music. I never come into a project with too much in mind. I usually just start building drums and find some random samples to use, and then I see where it goes. It’s kind of awesome creatively because it’s SO random, but incredibly hard when trying to build your sound and signature as a producer. I’d imagine my tracks are a pretty great example of how my brain works, hahaha, but yeah, I mean, I DJ house nights, and I will probably keep the D.A.M.B. stuff in that general arena.
Showbams: How did you get started in the DJ/production world, and what’s it been like to grow as an artist and producer at a time when it seems that so much is happening so quickly (personal production pace, other producers emerging, new genres popping up) in the scene?
Slaughter: I lived with a girl for a bit who was a trance DJ and had turntables at her place. I’d wake up and fuck around with them when she left for work, which is how the ball started rolling. Eventually I got the bug to throw parties AND DJ them….mostly all the French touch stuff that was really blowing up late 90s. Fast forward a few years and here we are today.
It’s been a pretty rad experience so far. I’m incredibly impatient, so honestly, things don’t really feel like they’re moving fast. The whole process of writing, mastering, label shit etc. has taught me patience for sure. In terms of how the production etc. is evolving as a whole, I guess it’s pretty amazing that any young producer with a laptop can sit down and hash out a track in the matter of hours without a huge, elaborate studio. In regards to new genres, most of that shit is kind of annoying honestly. So many kids are flipping styles SO much. Moombahton one day, trap the next day, deep house, then tech house then etc. etc. etc. I guess it all just seems so fleeting so I try and ignore it.
Showbams: You just dropped That Tessa Track EP, and I really dig a lot of the songs and sounds (even sneakers squeaking on a basketball court in March Madness) you used. It’s minimal, but has a unique style to it that I can definitely see blowing it up during a live mix. What track from it means the most to you, and which do you see getting the biggest/best response from crowds?
Slaughter: I definitely like March Madness the best. The samples worked out really well together. That Tessa Track came from a jokey booty-bass song I made for my pal Tessa’s birthday, but I ended up liking the drums so much I filled it out and shopped it around. The original song had a really embarrassing sample of me saying, “Tessa, its yer birthday” over and over on it. The track that does the best out for me is “Train Hopping”. It’s just a solid builder and sort of a gimmicky break (sounds like the soundtrack to Abyss) people seem to lose it the most to that one.
Showbams: When creating That Tessa Track EP what other producers or genres did you look to for inspiration? What was the creative process like for this EP?
Slaughter: Dirty Bird. They are like fucking scientists of bass. I do not get it! My creative process is as follows: Pot, Soda, Wasabi Party Mix, Repeat.
Showbams: What are you most excited about right now in dance music, whether it’s producers, genres or emerging scenes?
I really like the Dirty Bird stuff house-wise, but for me right now, Zombie Nation is genius production wise, like mind-blowing jams off his new record.
Showbams: What are your top five tracks right now?
Zombie Nation: “Level”
Ejeca: “Riddim”
Amtrac: “Metro”
Super Flu & Andhim: “Scuzzlebutt”
Dabin: “Awakening (Kwikfiks Remix)”
Showbams: What’s up next for D.A.M.B., both on the performance and production fronts?
Slaughter: I have the Alicia EP out on Tracey Recording in March and a new EP from my other project, Leron Hubbard, on Teenage Riot on February 12th. Performance-wise, I’m working on doing a really elaborate visual show to go with my set at a club here in Sacramento. Something more like an art installation and something more engrossing than watching me press play on CDJS
Check out D.A.M.B.’s new Tessa Track Promo Mix and his That Tessa Track EP preview here. You can also check out his Facebook for updates and show schedules.
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