IN-FOCUS: INCIDENT
Incident brings his own unique spin on drum and bass and is no stranger to poking around with how it works, he spoke with Matt Knight about his journey so far, how he got involved in it, and what Budapest is helping bring to the drum and bass community.
Incident, also known as Gabor Schmiedt, transitioned into drum and bass after being a hiphop DJ: “I was introduced to drum and bass as a genre a little late. I started my musical work as a hiphop DJ. I bought my first rap album in 2000 and I’ve been addicted to the golden age of the hiphop world for a long time, and I still admire it. In 2001, I got infected with the style and got my first mix CD from my friend, Dj Arre. I'm not telling a big secret, but I still listen to this mix many times to this day. This mix was LTJ Bukem featuring MC Conrad - America Live 2001 (Progression Session 6) and I still play the first song of the mix in my sets (Nookie – Continental Drift). There was no stop since then, devoting to collect and explore new music became my life.”
Gabor is a vinyl addict. When the opportunity is there, he will play vinyl live at the first chance: “I’m absolutely a vinyl lover and collector. When I started my DJ career, I played only vinyl sets.” His collection sees over 2000 records, “most of them are drum and bass, but you can also find a lot of other pieces: classic hiphop, 70s-80s funk and soul, and some great instrumental and electronic things.
“Whenever I have the opportunity, I usually choose vinyl. It is always fun to play from, although there are very few clubs that still have turntables. In the last few years the culture of fast mixes has become so fast that I have to use flash drives. I get a lot of promo music, therefore it's much easier and faster to play new music in digital format.”
I BELIEVE THAT AS LONG AS DRUM AND BASS LIVES, THE HUNGARIAN DRUM AND BASS SCENE WILL LIVE
Budapest has a forever thriving drum and bass community. With events like Bladerunnaz putting in hard work to provide quality drum and bass for the city, Gabor feels honoured to be a part of it: “I’m very grateful to be part of a culture in Hungary that is going forward and is world famous. I am proud to say that, even though I started as a bedroom DJ, I have climbed the ladder, and now I take part in the drum and bass life in my beloved country.
“Budapest is a fantastic city, lots of people, lots of different cultures, but music brings us together. Drum and bass life has always been strong here. Many Hungarian teams and solo artists have put their name down in the world. I would also like to highlight some of the legends who inspired me: Chris.Su, Jade, Mindscape, SKC, Tactile, Spinline, Gamma. I’m glad I have a good relationship with them, and I can call them my friends. Several young talents have recently appeared and I follow their work, and I hope we can work together in the near future: MVRK, Dub Personal, Liveon, Ninive, Sonic Rain and more.
“I believe that as long as the drum and bass lives, the Hungarian drum and bass scene will live.”
THE ANSWER IS VERY SIMPLE. I CAN BE MYSELF: I CAN PLAY WHATEVER I LIKE, AND MAKE MUSIC THAT SHOWS WHO I AM
As a resident for Bladerunnaz, an event which has seen the likes of Camo & Krooked, Roni Size, Andy C and a famously long list of impressive artists, Gabor has been supporting big names for quite some time now: “Bladerunnaz is a unit that has a vast history in the genre. There are so many legendary events behind them. We are talking about a complex team that has built a world-known brand and can cover every aspect of the genre, while maintaining professionalism and sophistication. No wonder Bladerunnaz celebrated it’s 20th birthday this year. I praise the organisers and honour their hard work.
“If I remember well, I played in Bladerunnaz about 11-12 years ago for the first time. It was a big deal that I was invited, but I was still living in the countryside at the time, so I wanted to take every chance to go to the parties where I could perform and try to do my best in the hope to get more invitations.”
After moving to Budapest around six and a half years ago, his relationship with the crew only grew stronger: “For me, it means a bit more than just having fun. I love the team, and these are big words, but I see them as a family. We are committed to each other, we support each other in need, we share our opinions and thoughts in connection with future projects. I feel appreciated.”
The location of the event, the A38 ship on the River Danube, brings a vibe that can’t be felt anywhere else: “The atmosphere of the parties is always great, especially before or after a foreign guest. When I step on the stage and look around, I meet so many familiar faces in the crowd. Their faces give me a feedback that they wouldn’t be anywhere else at that moment. You could know, for sure, that we prepare eagerly to every party with lengthy music selecting and with practice. It takes a lot of time, but for me every minute is worth it.”
A38 is in no doubt Gabor’s favourite venue to play out at: “The sound system is brilliant, and the ship's authenticity is indescribable. It's a great feeling when you are at a full house party, the mood is so good that even the boat moves.”
Why Gabor DJs is for nothing but intrinsic values: “The answer is very simple. I can be myself: I can play whatever I like, and make music that shows who I am. I love being excited before every show, even after so many years. I love picking music for an event. Every time, I see my set as a challenge. I work 40-50 hours a week, so it can be very hard to find some spare time to music, but when I start playing or twisting sounds in the studio, the world around me disappears.
“Quoting my favourite DJ is the best ending to my answer: ‘Music is not what I do, it’s who I am’. Respect DJ Jazzy Jeff!”
I SEE MY SET AS A CHALLENGE
With September now almost drawing to a close, the summer, sadly, is nearly behind us. Gabor had a busy one: “My summer was quite busy; I got married, I was on vacation too, though it wasn’t long enough. I played in our summer residency on the famous A38 ship almost every Friday with the whole Bladerunnaz crew. I had the chance to constantly test my music. Lots of things have happened around me that inspired my new projects.”
June the 20th saw the release of the Fevered EP: “I would like to thank Context Audio once again for paying so much attention to the EP I have made for them. I’ve got very good feedback from many parts of the world that encouraged me to keep doing it.”
The likes of Calibre, Break and Spectrasoul are amongst those that are forever inspiring his work: “Their music inspires me the most, both technically in style and sound. There are many artists I really like, but I would mostly highlight them. In every case, inspiration comes from a current emotion in my mood.”
Gabor’s next plans are strictly production collaborations and drum and bass motives: “Personally I'm moving into another apartment right now, professionally I have 6-8 music projects at 80% completion. I want to give Context Audio a new release, and there are some labels that I would love to work with in the near future. I try to shape my music a bit to their sound, keeping my own sound as well. I am collaborating with several Hungarian artists right now, and some of my very kind foreign buddies have shown their openness to collaborate.”
You can catch Incident with the Bladerunnaz crew this Friday, the 27th of September, at the A38 ship supporting LSB and Monrroe.
Matt Knight
September 24th 2019