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Described by drum'n'bass specialists Liquid Funk as "a disko
doctor with a PhD in ferocious funk", Nicky Blackmarket is one
of the most sought-after drum'n'bass DJs in the country. "It
was all about being constantly on the scene, you know, just a logical
progression from there", he says about moving up the ladder from
his days on the decks at pirate station Kool FM.
He's
particularly noted for his effort in helping to establish jungle
music, where sampled breakbeats at lightning speed, bass lines and
hip hop rhythms are collaborated to produce a chaotic, intense form
of drum'n'bass. "That's not for me to say - I let the people
decide that", he responds however to claims that he was a pioneer
of the genre.
Nicky's
life seems to be the antithesis of a routine 9 to 5: "It all
depends - one night I may be playing at a few venues, the other
just focussing on one gig. That's the way the cookie crumbles".
This often means playing in three different cities in a night, starting
at 9pm and finishing at 5 in the morning, whilst running Black Market
Records in London's West End through the day along with the likes
of Ash-Attack and Profile.
Another
unique factor is the virtual absence of any playlists, instead instinctually
deciding what's going on the decks based on the atmosphere of the
night. "Every DJ has a small VIP mix of tracks, everyone has
that, but basing a night on an already decided playlist? That's
not DJing, you may as well just bring a CD".
On
Saturday Nicky will be bringing nostalgia to Oxford, showcasing
classics from 1989-91. "This was really the time when British
breakbeat music was just starting up, the beginning of what we're
seeing today" he says, revealing the likes of Dextrous by Nightmares
on Wax as part of his 'VIP list'. Well acquainted with Oxford's
clubscene, he's unable to name one favourite venue: "The Bullingdon
Arms, Coven II and the Jam Factory, they've all been great for gigs."
As
for the future of jungle music, "it's progressing all the time
- but also in a way it's not moving. Because it's a wholly British
musical movement, and it's staying here."
With
the night run by Simple, who last month brought Groove Armada's
Tom Findlay
to Oxford, Nicky's playing at Backroom at the Bully, 162 Cowley
Road, on Saturday 5th March, and will be joined by Oxford's old
skool DJ Remedy of Avid Records. Doors open at 9pm, and entrance
is £8 - see www.simpleproductions.co.uk
for more information. For clubbing events in Oxford this week, check
out our own clubbing preview.
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