S.P.Y

Brazilian born Carlos Lima aka S.P.Y is fast becoming one of the hottest talents in drum and bass. With over 28 different tracks forthcoming on a wide selection of imprints including: Soul:r, Innerground, Liquid V, Critical, Advanced, CIA, Spearhead, and Cylon Records, he is a perfect example of a truly versatile producer. His music is regularly supported by the likes of Marky, Goldie, Marcus Intalex, Total Science, Commix, C.A.B.L.E, Bailey, Bryan Gee, and Doc Scott to name a few, and his production techniques are also the topic of conversation on many message boards. Just how did his career in music begin?

Passionate about, and affected by, a mass of superlative music around him S.P.Y knew from the age of 12 he wanted to be a DJ. While his friends played football, S.P.Y was more interested in watching DMC championship videos and finding ways to get himself heard, DJ’ing regularly at local charity nights and school events, playing everything from hip-hop, to jazz, to disco.

In 1992, Carlos became a frequent fixture at an underage matinee club. DJ’ing every Sunday afternoon, playing acid house and techno to the crowds that wanted to listen, Carlos was completely dedicated to making people dance.

In 1996, the musical landscape had begun to shift in tandem with S.P.Y’s taste in music. Carlos moved away from acid house and techno and turned his hand to the dark and deep depths of jungle and drum and bass.

Working alongside a huge network of DJ friends, Carlos weaved his way to the top of many promoters lists, and before long, he was playing in a multitude of nightclubs, entertaining thousands with a selection of his most favourite drum and bass tracks.

Come early 2000, Carlos could no longer pursue his musical dream. The level of external pressures and responsibilities on his shoulders were grand. Instead he took a job as a full-time junior graphic designer. Carlos stuck at this for three years, fast moving up the ranks. But as good as Carlos was at this, it wasn’t enough for him.

In 2003, S.P.Y took the brave step of migrating to the UK to study English. Fascinated by the records shops of Soho, Carlos spent his afternoons off checking the latest releases and searching for the trendiest emergent styles of the underground scene. The buzz Carlos got from doing this affirmed that music was his calling.

Just one year later, and S.P.Y was impressing punters with his tune selections at a Camden Town festival: ‘Jam by the Lock’ after winning a prime time DJ slot in a mix competition. As a result, the manager of the club in which the festival was held in – Dingwalls - offered him a residency at their weekly drum and bass night: ‘Hotbeatz’.

Later that year, S.P.Y took the next step to achieving his dream by buying a Mac computer. Although this was primarily for his design work, he soon developed an affinity with Garageband. When Carlos heard about Reason he made the switch. Six months later, his debut track ‘’Til Dawn’ had been signed to Metalheadz and was released as part of the Winter of Content album.

In 2006, S.P.Y was snapped up by Hospital Records/ Med School and released two singles on the Med School imprint entitled ‘Black Flag’/ ‘Double Dragon’ (Medic001) and ‘Ghost Ship/ ‘Silent Sleeper’. Both tracks received strong critical appraise, and served as the perfect platform for DJ work, with Carlos booked for gigs worldwide including Hospitality in the UK, and Europe.

In 2008, S.P.Y’s contract with Hospital came to a close. This was the perfect opportunity for Carlos to experiment with new sounds, technologies and different music software, including Ableton Live. The switch to Ableton allowed S.P.Y to take his production to the next level, improving on the sound quality, and giving him the ability to work with audio. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength.

2009 marks the start of exciting things to come for S.P.Y. As the year draws on, we will see the slow trickle of the 28 releases he has signed on Soul:r, Innerground, Liquid V, Critical, Advanced, CIA, Spearhead, and Cylon Records but also the arrival of more collaborations under the Damage Inc moniker, and with artists Marky, Total Science, Kiat, Mosus, Miri and Riya. Carlos will be gigging a lot more UK wide and worldwide, so watch out for him in a town near you.

Words by Laura Pacheco.