Paul Masterson Interview

Paul Masterson interview image

As Paul gets ready to unleash his brand new alias 'Subway' to the world (via a complicated network of underground connections), we try to unravel the multiple personas of Mr Paul Masterson aka Yomanda, Amen UK, one half of Hi-Gate to name a few. We find out how even the professionals, need professionals, how Norman Cook loves his vocals, and why Japan is way more hip - than Birmingham (England), as if that really needed explaining!

Paul Masterson image What have you been up to lately?
"I spent about three/four months refitting my studio, just getting the acoustics a little bit better, it was sound proofed but not acoustically treated so I got an engineer in to look at the studio and he done a whole plan. It’s much, much better now - I didn’t know where to start so I had to get somebody in, it’s sounding really good now, I’m able to hear low-end frequencies and stuff, I’m really pleased with it."

He continues, "I was actually working at another studio while my studio was getting refitted and that’s where I done the ‘Subway’ record. That was the first studio out (side) of my own studio."

'Subway' is a slight change in direction from other projects, how did it come about?
"I’ve always loved my quality house music, stuff in that bpm (125-130), but for some reasons all the records that I had made over the years at 130 were the ones that got away really, I did have loads of demos tucked away in and around that tempo. I’ve always had a love for the Benny Benassi, Robbie Rivera, Daft Punk thing. I had this idea (a little 8 bar), and I thought 'I’m really into that and I’m gonna develop it'... It turned out really well, it was one of those things where it didn’t take a long time to do (the initial idea), the bassline was very simple (it took no time at all to put in), and a few days to work on the arrangements - if a tracks very simple then the arrangement’s very important, if you’ve got lots of elements of the track maybe it’s not as important. Just one of those things but I've always been in to that style of music really."

Knowing you pseudonym M.O, do you have anything else from Subway in the pipeline (excuse the pun)?
"I do have a follow up in place, it’s almost ready, it’s not like your typical follow-up, it’s just so similar. It doesn’t sound like the follow up to "What U Got, What U Do". I imagine it’s gonna be next year, I haven’t played it to any of the guys at Southern Fried yet, I’m hoping if they like the initial idea then I’ll finish it hopefully next week and get it out to the DJs."

How come this project got signed to Southern Fried?
"When I finished the record, because it was quite a quirky unusual sounding record, we thought we’re not too sure who should we send this to, one of the fist labels was Southern Fried. The guys at my management company (Top Draw Music) they forwarded it to them on an MP3 and Nathan and Katie down at Southern Fried said yeah actually I think this is something Southern Fried would be into. They played it to Norman and then Norman got it.

The funny thing is the vocal was slightly pitched down, almost 3 steps in the pitch and Norman said it’d be a good idea to pitch the vocal up a little bit. The vocal on the record now is my own actual voice that hasn’t been treated, but when the demo went to them I’d pitched myself down because I wasn’t too sure of the sound of my own voice (so I disguised it by pitching it down). I says I’m not sure what you mean so I said "get Norman to call me" and get him to explain exactly what he means, he explained it on the phone to me and I said "yeah no problem", I was on the computer at the time so I was able to play him the adjustments while he was speaking to me on the phone, it’s my first vocal really."

How many tracks have you worked on and released over the years?
"Three or four out of all the alias’s, three with Jules as Hi-Gate, three with Yomanda, in the early 90s I was involved in Candy Girls and Amen UK...

I loved what was influencing me between 95-01, for me it was such an exciting time, I was listening to people like JX, Patrick Prins from Holland - he done the Artemesia (Hooj Choons) and Moving Melody stuff - I just thought the music was really exciting for me and that’s where I took all of my influences from. I was listening to music in and around that time, and those were the sort of records that really inspired me. And now, nobody seems to be making those kinds of records anymore, I just feel it’s all gone, not stale, but in a different direction really."

You’ve remixed Kylie, Geri and Sonic to name a few, out of your remixes which ones to hold closet to your heart and why?
"Probably one of my most favourite clubbier remixes was my mix of DJ Jean "The Launch", I really thought I done a really good mix of that, I didn’t stray away too much from the original riff and I just done a slightly more pumping mix, I still play it out everywhere and it still gets great reactions.

I did love my Geri Halliwell mix, I’m a huge fan of Geri Halliwell and the Spice Girls - I thought they were great, again it was a really really fun mix to do, because there was a lot of very interesting parts that were supplied, sometimes when you do a mix you maybe just get a vocal, and then you’re expected to do almost a brand new track around the vocal. That track in particular there were a lot of disco samples, stabs, vocals and little drum things, I was almost able to sample the original track and do a bootleg version (that’s how I done the remix) and Jules played the record a lot on his show and it was just so well received."

What’s your views on the internet boom and illegal downloading?
"I don’t think anybody should download it for free, if you go in to a shop and get a coat you have to pay for it, if anybody wants a track I feel that they should have to pay for it, I don’t see any reason to get it for free. I think in certain circumstances where, if you went to all the lengths to find it and if you’re really desperate for it maybe. I do it the old way, you know Amazon market place. I’ve never actually downloaded, I think I prefer having the CD and the cover you have the credits to read through. I’m pleased Radio 1 are starting use the playback feature and they’re also starting to use the download chart in their top 40. "

DJ Yomanda interview continued