Dave Basek on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

Since before I can fully remember I was force fed classical music by my over zealous parents, at first it was piano then soon after I was into the 'cello. This was until two albums that changed me musically arrived in my earful mitts, the first when I was about 10 years of age was Rock Steady Crew's LP ('digital boogie electric boogie, electric shock went through my block...) and the second was Iron Butterfly's extended version of 'in a gadda da vida'. I know it sounds like an odd combination and I can't explain it but this sums up my penchant for all things slightly left of center perhaps? Of course as I grew through my teens I became familiar with all sorts of interesting music notably 'the Soft Machine' early Pink Floyd, ELP and a bit later on some of the early Drum and Bass that had made it way into my local vinyl store.

While at school I bought my self a DJ rig and started playing gigs while at the same time I started my first recording experiments with reel to reel tape deck, guitar and distortion box's. As more and more electronic music found its way into my rapidly growing vinyl collection I became curious to hear this music in its element. After I had attended several raves and clubs in the city the urge to mix records was so great my friend at the time Anthony Dobson help me to modify my turntables with variable resisters on the motors to make dodgy but effective pitch control. Inevitably I made the move to Sydney in '93 and became absorbed in the massive dance culture of the day. At that time there was not too many drum and bass DJ's and through this I met long time friends Khy (DJ Kilo) Kenny (Twist) Peret (Mako) Gab (Wallopalooza) and George (Sadlik). Here the original junkbeats crew was formed, we started putting on a few gigs here and there and pretty much well jammed 24/7 for a couple of years. Amidst one of our music sessions Gab brought along an TR-808 and a classic MC-202, these machines changed my perspective completely and the urge to perform live beats pushed me to start collecting my own devices and begin a journey into programming land that still drives me today. At the end of '95 I moved to Byron Bay and attended SCU. By now electronic music had totally exploded into many defined sub genres so I started promoting parties for the Uni crowd with the DJ's playing different styles and included live sets that were crazy improvised electronic jams. From this emerged the 'Overdub' outfit and the 'ESM project'. The Overdub sound was quite techno but not restricted to four on the floor beats with Jimi Polar playing Synths, Adam Kadmon on the mic + FX and myself on beats. While ESM was and is essentially a collaboration with Rob Walsh and whoever we hooked up with and was focused on ambient and alternative electronica.

In early 2000 at the good vibrations festival in the Bay, I was introduced to Tiffany Judge from the then Berlin Bar and via the tribe187 crew and as overdub played a few gigs at the Berlin just prior to its closing. After Tiffany moved to 'Mybar' we were offered a gig, Jimi and I were hungry for a change in our sound so we took a punt and called Simon Baker (bass) Mark Spencer (Sax) Zonk (Horns + FX) and Slade Gibson (Guitar) and formed '20for7'. For the next five years we played this gig every Friday night and through this I have met and performed with some amazing musicians and drunk a load of tequila. As 20for7 we recorded a lot of material and currently have five vinyl singles out and about, and a host of digital releases planned for the future. In the studio we have collaborated with the likes of Hipp-e & Halo (H-foundation), Fred Everything, AlexKidd, Dano, Joey Youngman the Afrodizziact crew, Kari and although Mybar has closed its doors we still play the Beach Hotel in the Bay as well as planning a tour of the east coast for early '07.
Working from Byron over the last 10 years has been awesome musically, the Junkbeats crew took on many different forms with Ed Function, Phil Smart, Jimi Polar, Al Jay, Simon Baker all contributing to the enormous scope of electronic sound that we have projected over the last decade.

Of Late whilst still DJing around the Bay I have been working closely with DJ Kriece (Arabica, Kindred Sounds, Liquid Tao) with a view to getting the junkbeats sound spread further with our own digital release label and a new live set incorporating Basek and Kriece and full production stage shows. Also new live collaborations with Jimi Polar plus plenty of studio work have helped me focus on remix duties and new sounds. If you have made it this far you deserve a medal, I got bored proofing it about half way through so please forgive the typo's. I you are interested in more info or have gigs/remix requests just message me via myspace, oh yes, I forgot to mention, when I am not geeking out infront of the PC I am in the ocean merging with the planet and avoiding sharks... I have another page, www.mysurfingworld.com, enjoy. db

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