Five Tracks: Calculon

If you've followed the drum & bass scene over the last five years, Calculon is one name you should be familiar with. We first got wind of his talents

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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If you've followed the drum & bass scene over the last five years, Calculon is one name you should be familiar with. We first got wind of his talents via released on Rubik Records, which focused on the deeper side of drum & bass. He ended up taking over the label for Kubiks, and had helped bring the music of talented producers like Heavy1, Random Movement, and Sinistarr to the masses. As a producer himself, he's lately been a part of the emerging juke scene, highlighting his love of jungle with the innovative sound of juke, nurturing this back to the future flavor that has caught the ear of Chrissy Murderbot, who released Calculon's awesome Feel EP earlier this year.

For Calculon's Five Tracks, we get a special look into what's made him tick. Blending a bit of the digital hardcore sound with some more classic drum & bass vibes (with some twists and turns), we get a portrait of a producer that's dared to seek out the unique, and has no problem being unconventional. Here are Calculon's Five Tracks.

Shizuo - "Sweat"

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In my teens I really latched on to the Digital Hardcore label. They made the coolest, toughest, dirtiest music I had ever heard until then. They were punks with samplers and distortion and I loved it. This tune was strange and heavy and tough all at the same time, and one of my favorites off their Harder Than The Rest Compilation they put out in 95. That CD really started something that hasn't stopped yet.

DJ Krush ft. CL Smooth - "Only The Strong Survive"

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First heard this tune in some skateboarding video (yes I grew up in So-Cal haha!) and once I knew what it was I had to get a copy. This 12" was in the first batch of records I bought shortly after I bought turntables, and it was the start of a long-lasting love of melodic mellow hip-hop. I loved how back then Mo' Wax would combine hip-hop and drum & bass as if they belonged together. You don't see that as much these days.

Photek - "The Seven Samurai (Remix)"

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I used to do a radio show at my college SDSU and used to play mostly digital hardcore, but we had to play music from a particular shelf of promo CDs, and the Photek CD was there. I'm glad I put this CD on! It really grabbed me, with it's intrigue, soundscapes, drums, just everything about it. The sounds were so different, not what I was used to hearing combined the way Rupert did. Definitely drew me closer to drum & bass.

Kyuss - "Green Machine"

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If we're gonna go back, let's go to 7th grade in school…man I got this cassette from this guy Mike I used to take the bus with after school. He knew I was into metal/rock and wanted to turn me on to the real stuff. This tape he made me blew me away, it had Kyuss, Helmet, and Fudge Tunnel on it. They ended up being massively influential bands to me and my brother, I can't tell you how many times I've listened to Kyuss albums. It's only now you can look back and laugh at the way things turned out. That guy Mike is now known as Kid 606.

Kubiks & Lomax - "Find A Way"

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This tune is the reason ultimately why I got in touch with, affiliated with, and now own and run Rubik Records. Was out record shopping one day and came across this tune, and the vibe just hit me, with its rolling drums, chilled out sounds, yet it had movement to it. I hadn't heard anything like it, and I messaged the Rubik Records MySpace account (remember MySpace?) just to say I loved the record, and started chatting with Kubiks to find out they were coming on tour to America… the rest is history.

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