Leo Samson: Interview
Cast your gaze to the musical horizon not just in the capital but across the UK. Music comes and goes, at a quicker and quicker rate, among the raucous cacophony it is to single out any one voice. Bas music in particular is in a prolonged state of flux, the bedrock for this rapid change has and always will be the foundations set by reggae music and the sound system culture that came with it. We spoke to Leo Samson about the way London is reacting to this change and about the importance of communication.
M:Can you introduce yourself for our readers?
My names Leo Samson, I run the Rebel Foundation show on Reprezent Radio showcasing Bass Culture Music, I also co-run Jack of All Dancehall & Love Kulture Project as well as part of Reggae Roast family.
M:Is reggae something you've always listened to whilst growing up?
Yeah, it was something my dad was into, not massively but i guess it was the thing that stuck with me the most. I grew up on a lot of older music Jazz, Soul, Doo Wop etc, music thats got a soul to it so I stick with that! But then I always have my love of Jungle/Drum & Bass & Dubstep, need the harder stuff sometimes haha
M:Of course! it's cool though ,I feel like having that base is really important when it comes to music
Definitely, that was my inspiration for Rebel Foundation, Bass Culture represents everything with that roots origin, Reggae music to Hip Hop, Jungle, Dubstep etc its all present and all should be represented
M:For sure man they aren't mutually exclusive , the way I see it all genres of bass music are so important to one another in some way that if one was to completely disappear it would be terrible for the rest.
Exactly! Its how music should be, the way the scene is now and has been heading for a while, all those genres are coming together much more, that tribal aspect isn't present as much. Although you still get the old militant heads!
It’s interesting you talk about Dubstep a sound that went from the underground to the mainstream and now seemingly has moved on..
For real, its quite nice to see that resurge of the classic dubstep sound the younger generations are starting to hop on it more, that bro step sound doesn't do it for people anymore. Gotta thank people like System, DMZ etc
M:Definitely can't beat the warmth of a good system , plain and simple
Without a doubt, the first rattle of the ribcage and you're hooked
M: Some tunes aren't the same until you've heard them on a system i swear, Mala dropped this at system and it still makes me shiver to hear it...
You never forget those moments man, takes you right back there to the drop! This is the problem Dub music has to people that aren't as into it unless you hear it on a system you don't feel that raw power, laptop don't cut it for Dub music. So people easily get bored
the dub of this is killer through a system, always take this out with me haha.
M:I guess another problem is that its getting harder to find places where you can get a system in to really play the sounds?
Without a doubt, a bad thing is happening to Londons night life at the moment, it’s being hit by all sides. Systems not being allowed to play anywhere, ID scanners, gentrification of areas meaning the price goes up everywhere. As soon as the suits arrive you know you're fucked.
M:It’s a sad thing thats going on in south
Very much so, with festivals too! The Avant Garden losing their license a week before the event
Theres just no common sense in any of it, theres this uptight mentality thats killing the scene, Channel One losing their spot at Notting Hill! The list goes on..
M:Do you think they will actually lose their spot?
It’s hard to say man, once the councils minds are made up its hard to change that! Saying that, they have a massive amount of support, and given their history in that spot it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. For me this fight is so important because it basically symbolises everything thats wrong with the scene
If they go, whos next? Carnival, London's biggest street party, world famous, its what we do best! And that is in jeopardy because of some mardy residents who can't put up with it for 2 days!
M: Some people will never be happy and unfortunately money talk volumes
it runs the world!
M: It does give me hope though to see stations like Reprezent pushing real music..
Yeah, what Reprezent do is a wicked thing, pushing the London sound is the true demographic behind the station
we as a city have so much to offer and our generation has so much potential, you see it at Reprezent, the young talent going through there...Proper positive movements!
Rebel Foundation 029 - Jack of All Dancehall - 29/06/2014 by Rebel Foundation on Mixcloud
M: How did you first start working with Reprezent?
I met a dude named ShyGuy years ago, and he brought me onto the show a few times when I was playing Jungle, after a while they brought me in and we ran the Jungle/Drum & Bass show on Reprezent for nearly 2 years.
M: In the last year you've had some great guests on the show, and built up a really strong following were you expecting the show to gain so much momentum so quick?
Not at all man, I'd been thinking about it for a while that I'd wanted to do it and when I got the chance I jumped at it, I had a lot of support from the people I'd worked with before James and the Reggae Roast crew, the Unit 137 family, JC Mr Lionbeat! Most thanks of all goes to Earl Gateshead, I owe that guy a lot, he effectively put me on the map because he knew I loved the music, so will always have respect for him!
And of course Rompa, these guys were all supportive in me doing it and working with them gave me that start
M:Definitely man and radio is such a great platform sometimes its easy to forget with so much crap out there
thats one thing reggae needs is the continual support on as many forms of communication as possible
Exactly, it needs platforms to keep the youts engaged with it. There are so many social networks and all that nowdays its hard to keep up but you get where its noticed and keep bringing new people in, its only natural! It’s on a sunday night so you always get that sunday fever, lazing about all day, then you get to the studio, start playing tunes and I come out feeling like I’ve had a run, only exercise i get!
M:for sure and you are rolling with one of the crews who have been taking the sound to new audiences for years
what's it like rolling with James and the Reggae Roast crew?
It’s wicked man, they're all good people and great to work with, they all share the love for the music and that translates when you come down to the nights. I used to listen to the mixes on soundcloud years ago, some Vibes Bar session mix I think, always loved it and wanted to working in that scene so to be there now is a nice thing for sure!
I remember speaking to James sometime last year when he mentioned he'd be putting together a reggae roast sound, a year has passed and we are days away from its launch have you lent a hand in the construction process?
Haha unfortunately not! Its a dream of mine to do that but its a very very distant one haha, the mastermind behind that is Charlie Robinson and the boys. Proper sound men, I can't get my head around how it all works, you can sit inside the fucking scoops!!
M:haha speakers are a scientific miracle!
that they are
M:Can you tell us a little bit about your night, Jack of all Dancehall?
Jack of All Dancehall is an event company I co-run with three other people. It was the culmination of all of us wanting to run things but never doing it until we linked up and things have gone since there. There's a lot of different influences in Jack of All and the name gives us that freedom to play around with different genres. My background is roots music but im getting more into digi dancehall etc and newer reggae all the time so I guess we kinda do it all!
We're running our first event this saturday at the Railway, with Vibration Lab headlining alongside Junior Dangerous and 2NICE on the mic, which will be a serious combination! Plus the JOA residents Chris Tindall, Jesse Flatline and myself we also have Roots Guidance, Kiko Bun and Sey G & Kayze
M:Sounds like a killer lineup man and what a location!
Yeah man I love the Railway, always a wicked place, but it wasn't our first choice (no disrespect to the Railway)
it was originally going to be a monthly session at a caribbean bakery on Rye Lane in Peckham
M: ah are you not doing it at the bakery anymore?!
Oh shit i didnt tell you! Daym yeah haha, the venue lost its license for a second time because they wouldn't get an ID scanner.....
M:allow it!
for a bakery....theres no logic in it man
M: ah man thats so shit...
There's hope it might be sorted, so we may return to run the Wake n Bake session, but until then we're looking for a venue to run regular events
M: Well that’s the holy grail for promoters isn’t it?
Exactly! Peckham feckin high st man, its a golden location at the moment haha
M: Right man that’s that! thanks so much for taking some time to chat to us
can you give us little intro to the mix you've recored for us?
Sure things, Heres a mix I put together, showcasing a bit of everything I'm feeling at the moment, different styles etc, listen out for the Aidonia one near the end, its killer! Roots through to Dancehall, Steppas and onwards
You Can Listen to Leo’s Mix here:
Leo Samson 45 Minute Mix for MisDigest by Misdigest. on Mixcloud