'The bass, and nothing but' would probably be an apt description of what Malta's Bass Culture organisation is about, but in reality, there is much more to it than just that. Bass is indeed at the core of everything they do, but every event they've staged so far has presented new sounds, styles, beats and grooves that are dominated, inspired and indeed driven by those low frequencies that most music would feel empty without.
Bass Clash is the organisation's latest event, and as was the case with previous events, there's an exciting line-up on offer this time around too. The FDM Crew will be venturing into the world of Dubstep and a touch of Drum 'n Bass while the Bass Culture Crew will serve up another set of positive Dub, with matching good vibes to boot. Sean Rickett will be playing a special Jungle set, spun entirely on gorgeous vinyls and the Island Rockers Sound System will be bringing the night to a close with some mighty bass sounds. Last but not least, Sempliciment tat-Triq's MC Żdong will be hosting and toasting throughout the night. Bass Culture's Miguel and Keith take a few minutes off from their busy schedule to answer some questions ahead of the event.
As the name suggests, Bass Culture focuses on those genres that are bass-centric and not quite mainstream. What attracted you to the idea of setting Bass Culture up knowing that this genre essentially only attracted a niche audience?
The idea of starting the Bass Culture events was to offer something different to the local scene. We didn't target only that niche market, as very few people knew what dub was before we started off, but we knew that a lot of people would love the heavy bass lines and positivity that this music creates. Our goal was to create events where people can dance their backsides off, and with a big smile on their faces doing it. The atmosphere we wanted to create was the high energy you find at a techno party and the positive vibrations of a reggae party.
Despite being around for less than 2 years, Bass Culture has successfully attracted a decent audience that seems to keep growing. To what do you primarily attribute this success bearing in mind the music is quite particular?
We believe that the success is mostly due to the one of a kind atmosphere one finds at our parties and to the fact that we always try to offer something different between each event. We're very happy and sometimes overwhelmed by the response we get from our crowd, which encourages us to take the time and risks to create more interesting parties.
At the end of the month you're staging your latest event Bass Clash. A word about the featured acts and what is to be expected on the night?
This month's event is a collaboration between the Bass Culture crew and fellow 'bassheads' FDM Crew, with the common aim of introducing the crowd to some diverse genres than what they're usually offered. In a nutshell, we'll be taking a journey through UK Bass Music, with Bass Culture handling the dub, FDM Crew taking care of the dubstep and drum 'n' bass and Sean Rickett bringing some cracking Jungle tracks, all on vinyl. Żdong from Sempliciment tat-Triq will be the MC, serving up some of his killer rhymes and verses, while the Island Rockers Sound System will be handling the heavy bass of the night.
What other plans are there for 2015?
Well, we've got some great things in mind, some of them already in place too, so it's going to be a good year for Bass Culture. We're planning on bringing some of the best artists from the international Dub scene, and we're also working on something super special for the end of June with some interesting collaborations. On top of that Bass Culture will also playing at some of the biggest events on the island to keep on diffusing our positive vibes.
Bass Clash will take place on Saturday, January 31 at the Stardust Club in Sliema. Doors open at 9.30pm and entrance is €5 at the door. For more information, visit www.bassculturemalta.com.