Skeeta – The R.I.P EP

Hellfish and Skeeta ditch the Technological Terror Crew name for an updated version of their tune, The Ripper, plus they do everybody a favour and repress the two previous versions on earlier (and by now sold out) Deathchant releases.

Ripper (Final Edit) is indicative of what Hellfish, Skeeta and Producer were making at the turn of the century, a different approach to Hardcore Techno. Long drawn out but interesting intros, which definitely happens here. Distorted kickdrums galore and always something happening at every 16th beat. Also familiar samples from the original get put through the Hellfish meat grinder. The main breakdown in the middle is a weird off putting affair. Like in a forest all alone hearing all sorts of creepy sounds, which would be considered a win in Industrial Hardcore. When the banging beats kick in, the laugh sample is almost unrecognisible, mutilated and manipulated which is the mark of a good remix. A solid update by Hellfish and Skeeta.

The original version of The Ripper from DC02 is an interesting flashback to 1996 when the label was finding its sound, though heavily influenced by hard Gabber and Industrial Hardcore. Taking a well known sample from the 5th verse (!) of LL Cool J's classic, Rock The Bells. Some cool old school Hip Hop beats and some serious synth lines. I probably need to do more research, but the laugh sample sounds like Doug E. Fresh. Even though there's only a few elements, its all sequenced together at the right places, it's a decent little Hardcore Gabber tune.

Later in 1996, Hellfish and Skeeta decided to do a remix, and this version is my favourite. I'd like to think the boys were big fans of LL Cool J, the intro to this song samples the intro to LL Cool J's song, I'm Bad. The fast Breakbeats quickly reveals how fast the track is, and it's a significant step up in BPMs. There is something about the pace of this version that makes it's exciting from start to finish, maybe the bassline synth is to blame as well. So all the original ingredients are on display but much faster, and it just sounds better. The last bit takes a sample from Get Down by you guess it, LL Cool J. It's quite a big sea change in the style of Deathchant in a matter of months in 1996. This maybe is in part due to The Producer who was playing a number of different styles of Hardcore Techno. Or maybe I didn't see the 1994 on the B-Side..... Cracking remix by Hellfish and Skeeta.

This record really does highlight the change in sound of Hellfish, Skeeta and Deathchant Records. All three versions being distinct in sound. I think I bought my copy off Mark N at Bloody Fist HQ, back when it was at a reasonable price! Interesting to note that the record says 1994-2000, implying the original version was made in 1994 and pressed on vinyl two years later. So that journey from 1994 to 1996 to 2000, is an intriguing observation.

An interview with Hellfish and Skeeta from the old Deathchant website. :D

How did you get into DJing?

After a 12 hour hallucinogenic war with my brain I was sitting down upstairs at Dreamscape New Years Eve ’92/’93 trying to decipher why the DJ had nine fingers on each hand and why the fuck he was spinning a hedgehog on a stick! That night inspired me to get into mixing and by a chance meeting with Hellfish at the Cannabis Cup ’93 he introduced me to Diplomat & Beagle who were trying to retain their title for the second year running. They failed, beaten off by a transvestite from Belgium.

What are your views of the hardcore scene?

Well, I think there are no more than four labels releasing consistent quality hardcore tunes, three of those being Rebel Scum, Deathchant and Psychic Genocide which means when you go out clubbing you end up listening to a load of shite, but as for the scene in general I can see it going strong into the millennium as clubs like Rebellion, North and Skelter are always rammed full of nutters.

Any Favourite DJs?

Craze, Q-Bert, Shortcut, Tony Vegas, but the undisputed king of hardcore mixing is the The Producer.

What other types of music do you listen to?

Aphex Twin, Scratch Pickles/Perverts, Eminem, fucked up urban breakcore, old skool hip hop.

What's next for Deathchant?

Hellfish has just released two limited edition double CD box sets and DC 23, The Uridium Project, was released on 30.11.99 and we’re just putting the finishing touches on Deathchant 25, a two track E.P. by myself, Hellfish & Producer called ‘High Power Mutant’ and ‘Spitting Blood’ ... Prepare yourself.

Shouts out to: Paris, Tam, Hellfish, Producer, Melly, Diplomat, Beagle, Mike, Scorpio, Dolphin, Easy, Serious, Jinrock & The Almighty DJ Sherbert!!!

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE HARDCORE SCENE?

To shave a long story from an orange -

I was born on the second of July 1972 in Tokyo, where my father worked on an audio acoustic design team. The company he worked for had a three year contract with Panasonic, who at the time had several subsidiary companies. One of these being Technics.

Needless to say I was messing around on decks from the age of 12 months (Hellfish rippin it up age 18 months pictured below). For the next 9 years I lived, eat, shite and cycled to school on SL 1100's/1200,s and 1210's.

In 1982 my fathers contract for Panasonic ended and my family returned to Essex, Great Britain. By the age of 15 I was being driven around by my Granddad - Earl Cobb(Himself a mean xylophonist in his day). We would travel all over the South East battling sucker DJ's. Unfortunately Granddad cobb died from alcohol poisoning in 1988. Not being old enough to drive, I ed a Hip Hop crew with a bus - Molatov Sound Faction. DJing for them for a couple of years, I ripped through most of the small time U.K jocks. I had spells with several rappers including amongst others - Silver Bullet and Overlord X.

From then on it was history, I won the Southern Counties D.M.C, the U.K.T.C, countless smaller DJ comps and I eventually went on to represent Japan in the Ultimate Fighting Tournament where I was disqualified for rapping.

HOW DID THE DEATHCANT LABEL COME ABOUT?

Believe it or not II was involved in a serious turntable accident involving a goose in 1988. I don't like to talk about it but I will, or maybe I won't - "I tried to play God but I Failed". Anyway I was unfortunately diagnosed clinically dead for 7 seconds. In this moment of extreme clarity, I was touched by an alien technology uncomprehensible to non-fish lifeforms, I was to find out later that duel mind formatting had occurred which had implanted the name 'Bogwoppa' In my nural cortex. My first label was in effect - 'Bogwoppa Records'.

Bogwoppa eventually run into copyright grief with the P.R.S. What happened was that I got to the stage where I would be sampling my own records, copywriting them, and then writing off to the P.R.S complaining that I was sampling myself. they eventually refused to return any of my communications with them. Some say that I brought the whole episode on myself, but I'm still waiting for a payout.

One day during my stay,I was dropping some kids off at the pool (having a dump) when the penultimate turd to be laid made a distinct 909 kickdrum sound. This I thought strange, so I fished it out and though and behold, engraved on it was a word later to become a severe legend amongst both the sane and insane alike - DEATHCHANT.

The final word on TTC's huge, pounding assault of a track, with both previous & startling mixes included. A fairly essential late nineties hardcore techno record.