Agent L & Prajna

www.basspressure.com , Texas, USA

Breakbeat Featured Artist:

Agent L & Prajna - Bass Pressure Interview March 2004
Interviewed by Somsay

Profiles

Ages:
Agent L=27
Prajna = 26

Heights:
Agent L=6’
Prajna = 6’1”

Weights:
Agent L=190
Prajna = 200

Average heart beat per minute:
Agent L=119
Prajna = 120

Fingernail lengths:
Agent L=grows everyday til I cut’em
Prajna = Gnawed down to the quick.

Bed time:
Agent L=whenever I get tucked in
Prajna = 12am.

Colour of hair:
Agent L=black
Prajna = Brown.

Favourites
Pop Song:
Agent L= “bust a move” by  young mc
Prajna = “Age of Aquarius” by the Fifth Dimension.

Records:
Agent L= The Stone Roses “The Stone Roses”
Prajna = The Mars Volta “Deloused in the Crematorium”

Band:
Agent L= New Order
Prajna = Led Zeppelin

TV Show:
Agent L=
Prajna =

Monsters:
Agent L= Rodan
Prajna = El Chupacabra

The Interview


Hello Agent L and Prajna, how is it going with your DJing and production in Texas?
Agent L=otay
Prajna = We’re having fun with it.

How did you guys first hook up and how did you two get into breakbeats?
Agent L= we met a few years ago and started the station because we both liked breakbeat.
Prajna = Nothing really beats a good beat played hard on a drum set. I played guitar in some garage bands and found myself more interested in the drum line and what the drummer was doing.  I listened to a lot of rock and metal, but always had a good grounding in funk and the beats were more interesting when they had some swing to them.  I think that’s what appeals to me most about breaks - it’s just one big long groove.   

Where is your favourite place to DJ now?
Agent L= the studio
Prajna = Bern’s new loft.  That place is seriously ill – the sound is amazing there. Truthfully, I enjoy most of the places we spin at. As long as they serve drinks, I’m down. 

Tell us about Bass Pressure and how that is going, and how that came about?
Agent L=Bass Pressure is all about the music and having a good time with it.
Prajna = Bass Pressure is two guys spending Saturday afternoons drinking and playing records. We try to keep it loose and basically just enjoy listening to the music. In the beginning, we tried to find a way to get this sound out there as quickly and consistently as possible, and that’s where the internet radio show came up, Bern suggested it and I had just found out about Live365, so it seemed like a fit.

How many releases have you done so far?
Agent L=we’re workin on tracks.   
Prajna = It’s really been a matter of establishing the radio show first and letting the production come along on its own time. I think by this point we’ve both spun enough breaks to have a good idea of what makes a killer track, and we’re always finding cool shit to drop in. Sometimes it’s a matter of saying; “Damn, I wish I had a track that did such and such…” and then you realize that if you want to hear and play that track, it’s up to you to make it. What’s tricky is getting that sound out of your head into a song.

Tell us about your style of breaks that you are portraying?
Agent L= just the good shit
Prajna = I just want to spin straight-ahead, aggressive beats with some mean bass lines, but with enough funk to keep it interesting. I don’t want it to give you a chance to sit back and think; I’m not that subtle yet.

How is the Breakbeat scene in the Texas?
Agent L=small. There are some good producers around here…
Prajna = People seem to be picking up on it. You’ve got some ill producers here like Bil Bless, Starfire, and Burufunk who really are forcing people to take Texas talent seriously, and that’s cool. More DJs are looking into breaks and it’s slowly working its way into more and more outlets here.

Do see your scene growing in numbers?
Agent L=I think more people are getting into it for sure.  Dance music has been kind of stagnant lately… but there is some really good breaks coming out and eventually people will take notice.
Prajna = Clubs here in Dallas have been hit pretty hard with the downturn in the economy, so it’s been hard to gauge. Venues are being pared down and since people have less money, it’s harder to get them out consistently.  Now that the economy is looking better here, there’s a chance it could take off in a more prosperous time.   

What does your studio consist of?
Agent L=software, turntables, mixer
Prajna = I’m about to get my hands on the new Cubase release, so I’ll be leaning heavily on that.  

Do you see a bright future for breakbeat?
Agent L=I think so.  Breaks are beginning to mature to the point where different sub genres are starting to splinter off and gain their own followings. You have the techier stuff, the ruder bassline stuff, the proggier stuff, electro, etc… the variety is what keeps things interesting.
Prajna = Tons of potential out there in the scene, and you get the vibe people are pretty excited about it. Breaks has done a good job of establishing itself as an independent genre, and I think the fact that labels and DJs in other genres like progressive house and DnB are embracing breaks is a good sign for the future of the scene.  

From your experience, is breakbeat really growing in the US?
Agent L=I think it definitely is.  Breakbeat is something that fans of it are very passionate about.  I like to think that bass pressure radio in some small way is helping to get the sound out to the masses. Just the sheer number of emails we get tells me we’re hitting a cord with people and that they are digging it.
Prajna = I think it is, but one disadvantage to living in the US is the sheer breadth of it, as I’m sure it is in Canada.  Towns can have a solid scene, but the physical distance to the next town with a good breaks scene really limits interactions.  I think it’ll get there in time, but it’s just taking a lot longer to penetrate everywhere in the US.

What was your favourite DJing gig ever and why?
Agent L= after all the free beer I tend to not remember much about our gigs… except that we have a really good time and we always throw it down, whether we’re playin to 10 people or 10,000.
Prajna = I can’t honestly say I have a favorite. I just try to have a good time no matter where I’m playing. As long as I can hear my records on a big fat system I’m just in a zone.

Whats up with the fun-fur kids? Would you touch their pants?
Agent L= only if they asked real nice
Prajna = No.

What was your worst DJing gig ever and why?
Agent L=I get annoyed when the equipment or the sound is sub-par. 
Prajna = We played out once at a place where the sound system was so flat that any bass in the track was barely discernable and it was annoying mixing treble and mids on turntables that were so beat to shit they couldn’t hold the pitch. It just sucked all the fun out of it - typical faulty equipment gig.

How are the ladies in Texas?
Agent L= they have 3 breasts and 2 vaginas down here.  It’s crazy!
Prajna = There’s a lot of people in Texas, so we have a nice cross-section, but if you’re asking if hot women come out to bars in Dallas, then yes. 

Do you ever dj drunk?
Agent L=I only dj drunk… see the Drunken Master
Prajna = There’s a fine line between drunk and wasted, and I’ve seen a lot of DJs spin wasted and it never sounds good.  You have to pace your intake like a set – slowly at the start and then work your way up to pissed by the very end.      

Would you ever recommend dj drunk to other djs?
Agent L= I don’t make recommendations to other djs.
Prajna = Depends.  A few beers or drinks can smooth you out before a set if you’re getting jittery and worked up, but as far as getting shit-faced and spinning – not if I’m paying!

Will you ever get into scoring for film?
Agent L=we’re talking with some people on the east coast about possibly doin some tracks for a film… so hopefully yes.
Prajna = I’d like to try as many things as possible. The idea of scoring a film is interesting, since you’re really creating atmosphere and providing emotional cues.  It would be a challenge, but I think being a DJ would give you at least a start on how to do it. I’d like to score a horror film and drop some big DnB basslines in the right places.

If your a breakbeat dj from out of town...would Texas-girls sleep with you?
Agent L= maybe… but it wouldn’t be because you’re a breaks dj
Prajna = Yes, skanky chicks exist in Dallas. Just don’t ask them to tell you what “breaks” are.

Are you using mac os X or Mac OS 9 or a PC?
Agent L=pc
Prajna = PC. I just got a new comp with a ridiculous amount of memory, so I should be fine for a little while.

Which djs inspired you guys?
Agent L=adam freeland in the early days… now I like listening to the Stanton warriors, Laurent garnier, lee burridge, Green Lantern, etc…
Prajna = Initially it was Sasha & Digweed’s “Northern Exposure” series that really got me into spinning, and Adam Freeland’s “Coastal Breaks” CDs were just so ILL. That shit really blew my mind.

Which producers are your favourites?
Agent L=bushwacka, blim, ils, Stanton warriors
Prajna = Future Sound of London, Jason Sparks, Aquasky, and Ils.

Words of wisdom to aspiring breakbeat DJs and producers?
Agent L=listen to bass pressure!!! (www.basspressure.net) and don’t imitate other dj’s… try to develop your own style and just do your own thing. 
Prajna = Be as bullheaded as possible and just stick with it.  Perseverance is everything.

Shouts:  Everyone we’ve interviewed for the site and all our local guests playing on the show. Everyone who has brought us out to play a party or club, it’s all been good.
And everyone that’s sittin at home chillin wit our beats

Links:    
www.basspressure.net