Balearic Dubstep? SPL Makes It Work

Balearic describes an eclectic brand of early house music played on terraces and in lounges in Ibiza in the mid-to-late '80s, back before the island became synonymous with foam parties, fuzzy bikinis, and superclubs. In other words, the polar opposite of dubstep. Or is it?

With his Balearic Bass EP, dubstep producer SPL combines the ultra-technical dips and drops of modern-day dubstep with melodies inspired by early rave and chillout room classics like Orbital's "Halcyon On and On" and Opus 3's "It's a Fine Day." Dropped yesterday on the mighty SMOG label out of L.A., Balearic Bass sees SPL adding soaring melodies and beautiful pianos to epic drops and wobbles; showing his background as a drum & bass head (check out his Hollowpoint Recordings label), there's even a shiver-inducing 170+ bpm club stormer called "Rain."

SPL is always dabbling in new sounds—his DJ sets are some of the most innovative and suprising in the dubstep world—so it's no surprise to find him trying new things. Download "Puerto Rico" above, and then see what the dude born Sam Pool had to say about Buddhism, Noisia, and the heavy bass Brady Bunch.

THUMP: Where did the initial idea for doing Balearic remixes come from?
SPL: I had grown up on a lot of Balearic-inspired dance music and I noticed that my early influences were coming through in my latest tracks. When it dawned on me that a lot of what I was writing was melodically-inspired and seemed like a hybrid of Ibiza anthems and bass music, it occurred to me to run with the theme and so Balearic Bass was born.

What was your first huge accomplishment as a producer?
It's hard to judge the scale of what a "huge" accomplishment is or isn't since as I grow as an artist my goals change. But what made a huge impact on me early on was my first vinyl EP on Tech Itch Recordings. It was around 2006 and I was heavily inspired by the sound of the label at the time. At the time, it was my ideal label to release on so I was really satisfied.

What do you find really really funny?
Mike Tyson

Who are you closest to in the SMOG crew and why?
I've been friends with John (12th Planet) for about 10 years or more at this point, so we have been through a lot together. I've also grown rather close to Drew (the founder and president of SMOG) and Flinch. Moving to LA has only strengthened these relationships. I've known Antiserum as well since I was first producing dubstep. At this point, everyone in SMOG is family really.

If you had to compare the SMOG crew to a famous TV family, who would it be?
Brady Bunch! Probably because the house we stayed at during SXSW looked like the Brady Bunch house.

What is your favorite track that you've made and why?
I really don't know how to answer this—many tracks have different meanings to me. I have old D&B tracks that I love for various reasons, as well as downtempo/ambient pieces that have never even left my studio, some of these tracks mean the most to me, they are highly personal. I also have really enjoyed working on "Hypnotizing"—it has probably my favorite melody that I have ever composed.

What is your current producer to play in your DJ sets and why?
Tough one. I play mostly original tunes these days. If I veer away from my own productions, it can be any number of producers—I like to try new things out in that case. Over the long haul, Noisia have been my all-time favorite dance producers but I don't always DJ their music.

What are your favorite sounds and tempos right now?
I'm really feeling a lot of house music and dubstep—anything in these styles that is unique in sound, power, or energy. Most tracks in the trap movement right now bore the shit out of me, so if it's trap it has to be unique. I've been getting back into drum & bass as well.

What are some things you listen to when you're trying to #turndown?
I listened to Otis Redding this morning. I have been getting back into listening to Air as well recently; a little Moby too. I also like to throw on some Neil Young or any of my parents' kind of music. I grew up listening to lots of music with them—that's probably what got me into music so much.

Who is one inspiration to you outside of the sphere of electronic music?
Too many to mention really. I love Elliott Smith in terms of his songwriting. Bach is amazing melodically.

What do you do when you're not feeling inspired?
There's always work to be done keeping up in todays musical economy. If I'm burnt out, I'll play videogames or hang out with my lady. She makes me laugh a lot.

Whats one thing you would like your fans to know about you personally?
I am really interested in Buddhism and like to read and study about it. I don't think I would consider myself a Buddhist—I just like the philosophy and values behind it.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring young DJ/producers?
Take risks and do something different. I don't want to hear any more demos that sound like a Skrillex or Bauuer copycat.

What has been the most helpful thing you've learned production-wise?
I asked one of my favorite producers how he got his tunes so awesome once and replied with, "I just keep messing with it until it sounds cool". So now if I'm frustrated or unhappy with how one of my projects is going, I just keep changing things until I hit something inspiring.

What are you best at production-wise and what are you the worst at?
I'm best at working quickly, which helps me develop a lot of ideas until something really sticks. As far as what I struggle with the most, I dread naming tracks. I feel like I could improve every aspect of what I do and that's what keeps me pushing my sound forward. If I was satisfied, I'd be pretty bored.

What did the first track you ever made sound like?
It sounded like a yodeling Speak & Spell.