Your artist name: Brizion
Your real name: Brian Zanchetta
You live in: San Diego, California
Title of your last album: A Hundred Tones Of Dub
What is your personal definition of dub?
- An alternative version of a song that emphasizes the bass & drum parts.
- A musical form of improvisation where the mixing engineer alchemizes the song using the application of space and texture in the mix process.
- A practice of transformation and transcendence within the realm of sound.
What makes a good dub?
A heavy bassline, solid drum pocket, big reverb and some stimulating fader throws into the echo chamber.
Which aspects of dub music fascinates you the most?
The aspect of dynamics and improvisation. How a seemingly very simple and repetitive instrumental track could play out in an infinite number of ways by the dynamic mixing moves and effects combinations. It's as though the dubwise treatment to a song sends it into a kind of perpetual motion.
How did you discover your passion for dub and how did you develop yourself and your music since then?
I always loved Reggae from when I was a young child. I discovered Dub as a teenager while digging deeper into reggae music and instantly became obsessed. It became imperative that I find a way to create my own expression and interpretation of Dub. Already being a musician, I sold some of my equipment to buy some basic recording gear. I always had an aspiration to record engineering and mixing just as much as being a musician. So I developed with those two passions in parallel.
What does your process of creating a dub track look like?
- Building a raw rhythm, drums, bassline and chordal comping.
- Then adding embellishments, and melodic parts.
- Balancing the mix of these elements.
- Then finally sending it off into the dub Realm and doing multiple improvised takes with variations, usually in a sequence of versions, typically the first version is the straight instrumental, two is a typical dub path I follow. Then each additional chapter of Dub becomes more and more nuanced.
Live performance is such an enjoyable experience. But I'm truly fulfilled by studio work.
When you are satisfied with a dub track you produced?
When I hear it back and it gives that physical sensation of excitement or emotional reaction. When for even just a moment you are lost in the motion. The two most satisfying feelings of producing for me are: Hearing the track playback on vinyl record and hearing the bassline of my tune drop on a proper sound system
What is most essential when producing dub music?
Uninterrupted attention and a persistent attitude.
What is your special strength?
Working quickly ... perhaps.
Which one of your albums do you consider your best work up to now?
I released an album with one hundred different tracks compiled from the last decade called “A Hundred Tones Of Dub". I think it is gives a kind of all-encompassing sense of the different styles I've worked through over the years. But my personal favorite album 'series' I've done is called “Deep Space Dubplates ”which currently has 5 chapters.
Are you able to make a living with music?
Attempting.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I love creating the most, if I can play my role of being creative. It is truly fulfilling. However I really enjoy helping people as well. I love mixing projects for artists and bands. I also really love teaching and education. I truly just enjoy anything music related.
What do you do in the studio?
Computer problems.
When you're not working on dubs, what is your favorite thing to do?
I love to cook. My other passion besides music.
What do you listen to besides dub music?
I have a deep love for jazz music.
Jah Shaka is my role model. One of the most humbling occurrences in my musical career was to see Shaka play tunes I had produced in his sessions.
If money and time didn't matter: Which project would you like to realize?
A difficult question to answer in a broad sense ... But since we are on the subject of music, I would love to develop an organized program to inspire youth to create music and give them an opportunity to see how music can be produced. Having a creative outlet was so vital to me growing up, I would love to develop more channels that allow for youth to discover their own creative outlets in music.
Are there any sound system events that you particularly like to attend? Why?
There are some local events we do here in San Diego, where a few sounds gather at a park near the bay and play all through the day. It's always an uplifting community vibe.
What do you prefer: Studio work or sound system performance?
Live performance is such an enjoyable experience. But I'm truly fulfilled by studio work.
What is your greatest musical role model and why?
Jah Shaka. So many aspects of his musical endeavors have been deeply inspiring to so many worldwide. Jah Shaka wasn't the first dub music I heard, but it was the music that made me want to make my own dub. One of the most humbling occurrences in my musical career was to see Shaka play tunes I had produced in his sessions.
Is there a sound system that you particularly appreciate?
A sound system here in San Diego called Blackheart Warriors HiFi were my earliest supporters as well as mentors in Reggae music. They were the first sound ever to play Dubplates I had produced (all acetate cuts). I truly admire all their contributions, vision and vigilance of musical endeavors.
What are your personal top 5 dub albums?
King Tubby: The Roots Of Dub
Jah Shaka & Mad Professor: New Decade Of Dub
Jah Shaka meets Aswad: In Addis Ababa Studio
King Tubby & Augustus Pablo: King Tubby's Meets Rockers Uptown
Roots Radics & King Tubby: Dangerous Dub
17 responses to "Interview with Brizion"
All right René!
A man a word ! And here we have the lovely interview with Brizion!
He even tries from Dub to live if I understand correctly. It does not yet appear from this that it will really work. Of course I would give it to him from the bottom of my heart.
I always find the interview partners' TopFive interesting. And it fills me with a certain pride that three of them have their place in my treasure chest at home. With “King Tubby - The Roots Of Dub“I'm not so sure right now. And with “Dangerous Dub“He showed me again that I have my opinion about King Tubby - Dubs still need to rethink. It is really great, even if there is a bit of “gecymbled” again. But roots radics are by nature already Dub.
JAH Shaka! Well, I really don't want to talk bad about him but than DubHe didn't convince me as a producer. I also think the ASWAD in the “Addis Ababa Studio” is really great, but for me it has always lived primarily from the grandiose reggae feeling of ASWAD. The reggae feeling of ASWAD was a matter of course for them, so that with their "Don't Turn Around Pop" they often put big brake pads in their way. But even tunes like “Shine”, which ran up and down on MTV, sprayed with reggae feeling and went really fast forward. May I “determine” and “hold” this here or have everyone switched off by now anyway. At ASWAD, opinions often differ. Anyway that Dub- I think the JAH Shaka is really great.
Yes, if he's even better off now Dub would like to live, he couldDubbing Up The Coast ”to sell as a disc worldwide. I would really like to have a copy, but I'm afraid that it won't pay off for him in the end, because in percentage terms there are still more handbags than DubBought discs. You can do that DubDisc, if you don't want to hear it, it's also great to "just hold it like that" ... if you know what I mean.
"Crux In The Business" ……………………………… lemmi
@ lemmi: Zenzile's "Wow" was exchanged on Spotify & works again. Thanks for the hint at that time!
Can you please check this Senior Allstars track - it breaks off after 30 seconds:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5VXseh4F8HGpxszeZV34hs?si=fd0ac13d3a604c5b
If it doesn't work for you either, I'll let Spotify know again. Merci!
Moin gtkriz!
It may be that I'm a little late but it works for me Dub without problems.
However, your link only took me to the “German Downtown II by King Size Dub"
cleverly. If he Dub also in the Deep In Dub I couldn't check the playlist yet. It could be that it takes a while until I find the one in the list ……. ;-) Or is there a "trick" how to do Dubs in your playlist. The functions and handling of the playlist was also better. In the meantime, technology is no longer able to do just that as reliably as it used to be Dub find back where you left the playlist, for example to get a brand new tip from the DubFollow up blog.
The IT fuzzies are constantly changing and are addicted to new opportunities. Unfortunately, they screw up functions that have already worked perfectly. They should also take a break more often when things are going and not break everything that has long been good through pure actionism in the search for innovations.
In addition, they advertise “She only had shoes on” and “A week awake” and son'zeuch. They could advertise Brizion, for example. (Oh no, Michi bribes them with money, I forgot).
The Dub from Senior Allstars is also great. Immediately sweetened my Monday morning mood and flushed the yellow out of my veins.
So long ……………… lemmi
Attention attention !
This is the internet police speaking!
Hey gtkriz! Believe it or not, I was on “Deeper In Dub“!
My conscience has plagued me and I really wanted to see if what I recently wrote about it is still true.
Of course not ! Even if I have and know half of the first six albums, that is by no means true for the entire playlist. When I scanned the entire list, I quickly noticed that I only really have a maximum of a tenth at home myself. A lot has happened since I took a look a long time ago. A lot of what I'm still missing, but I'm learning to live with it. I can also listen to it in the playlist if I ask for it.
But what did the Internet Columbo Lemmi find out against? ....
It may be that there are more such cases but Scientist “High Priest Of Dub“Is“ blacked out ”…. there is only one running Dub !
Mighty Diamonds "Leaders Of Black Countries" is all over.
You could say “come on lemmi, these couple Dubs can fall through the cracks, don’t be like that ”. Yes, I could say that for myself, but someone who kindly pays off his 10 euros every month and some kind of fuzzies who were in the right place at the right time and turns into billionaires again and the artists still fall by the wayside sees that maybe different.
Should I have exaggerated with the billionaires or the Internet oligarchs, I do not apologize. I'm just standing there again as an angry idiot. Anyway, I don't care.
I'm going to the darknet …………………. lemmi
Another thing about “Deeper in Dub“: I've neglected this playlist for a long time ... my heart is with the new releases. The few grayed out tracks are unfortunately no longer available, for whatever reason. I'll pull myself together and clean up the playlist ... come soon.
I would like to understand Spotify's business model, why which tracks are there for how long and then suddenly not anymore. I think that can also come from the labels or the musicians themselves. I can handle it well - the range is far too big for me anyway; I would like to have more time to listen to the individual releases more intensively. But what I like so much about Spotify and what is also important to me: You don't have to pay to listen to music, it's also free. I think that's great, because not everyone can or wants to buy a subscription.
Good morning lemmi,
I've taken the track out of the playlist in the meantime, but I'll investigate it carefully.
Unfortunately, in the Spotify web player you cannot sort the playlist tracks according to "Added on" - in the full version this means always having the latest tracks at the beginning of the playlist.
I myself am glad that there are ongoing technical developments in hardware and software - even if I don't like them at first. But I also like the status quo, standing still, taking a deep breath, resting.
And already I start to feel füloso :-)))
Hello gtkriz!
I could “feel the same way” again to continue the whole thing. It shouldn't get out of hand now, but just now I received a "break email" from Spotify about new terms of use. Another great advantage of vinyl and CD. Once you understand how to put these things on, you know how to use them forever and ever. It doesn't need new information every three months that doesn't interest me anyway and again just wants to rob me of my precious time.
I also like technical innovations very much, but especially in the computer area I have the feeling that many things that already worked well were simply "renewed", although they were already so good that they were even self-explanatory to me.
It seems to me like a company that just makes starters for cars. The principle is always the same, but a new starter has to be launched every year. The old model is then a bit “styled and doctored around” and sometimes a starter comes out that, after a short period of use, has to be helped on the jumps with a hammer. Certainly a bit exaggerated by me, but that's how I feel. A friend of mine said Google Chrome was better than Google. So far I only see disadvantages, if only for the management of the favorites lists. (But it shouldn't degenerate)
In the meantime I use Spotify more than I listen to my dear discs at home, but in terms of mentality they are just as on it as RTL and the like. You can hear a nice dignified one Dub, feels completely relaxed and hears at a - for the moment - right volume and then suddenly Michi or Icke Hüftgold comes and yells at you with "awake for a week" or "get me beer, you look like shit again" ... ... They always send their advertising in “FullHD” and wafe quality, you can rely on that. Unfortunately, you often have to get up from your seat very quickly so that the neighbors aren't really awake for a week.
And that's exactly how RTL and the like have always done it. Film very quietly, full commercials!
And unfortunately I can't see it as easily as you. I just imagine if the Richie Phoe EP was blacked out on my list. That would be almost my end ......
It would be like cutting something out of my soul ......
So, let's see if there are any new terms of use to "secure" my privacy. Let's see how long it takes before I tune / Dub always have to accept the cookies again and again before I even get to hear anything.
And I'm really curious to see if any such “china app” will soon send electric shocks into my underpants, because I might not be the most correct Dub heard.
Yes, sorry, sometimes I'm just a (forward-looking) choleric ……… lemmi
I didn't mean Google as a browser, but Firefox. I think Firefox is better than Google Crome ...... that's how it was meant.
So lemmi, now lie down again ......
I use Firefox as a second browser, for example to separate personal and professional matters.
Let me put it this way: A free Spotify like this does not come for free and is also not a mezzie; that is a business model that is financed through advertisements. But at least: It is, so to speak, your personal, free radio of your choice; You hear what you want - but also what you don't want (advertising). As in the old days, only without radio license fees and music compulsory happiness.
Keep on folosofüring, lemmi!
Mmmmh yes, am ma wida full offtopic but I could just do the whole thing again
Curse digital dictatorship.
You can't do that ...... I'm built very close to conspiracy theories anyway. Do the spies at Spotify read along here? Do they want to get me out of the digital "revolution" completely?
More and more of my playlists are riddled with holes and tunes are randomly deleted from the playlists.
Does that also happen if you have subscribed to the store? Do they take money for that? I'm just imagining I would pay for them to randomly tinker around my sacred lists. Can you accept that?
I think that's totally unacceptable. That is almost psychological cruelty. For people who consume music like a sausage, that may not matter, but not for me. I love music and nobody is allowed to manipulate it. Except those DubWizzards!
One law for the rich and another for the poor ……… its unacceptable !!!
Babylon System Is The Vampire! BomboKlaat! ………………. lemmi
hmmm… lemmi… You probably won't be thrilled when I say that I've had around 200 to 300 tracks from “deep in dub“Got deleted out. Adding my tracks is as easy as pounding your stomach with flavorless slime soup. The secret of a good playlist, however, is to boil the soup down, make it creamy and tease out the best taste. Therefore: quality, quality, quality. And who says what quality is and what is not? In this case, I ... my playlist, my rules. Yeeee-haw :-)))
"The only thing that helps is to save every single tune on the hard drive."
(Sounds more like annoying work and not fun in your free time)
Pablo Moses knew only too well:
"In The Future It A Go Terrible" …………………… lemmi
Moin gtkriz!
Maybe I'm still a bit tired, so close on Monday morning, but I understand your comment that you are kind of apologizing to me for doing what you want with your playlist. That is of course your good right and I have no problem with that, because I have already put together an extra playlist from yours from what I consider quality ;-).
What I meant are also my roots playlists, which I also enjoy here at work and sometimes on tour in headphone mode. Often tunes are deleted that I also have on disk, but recently there were also tunes that I would otherwise have to look for again somewhere else ... .. then register, collect and search again and of course against the general usage things and basically just hanging out in front of the computer goggle. There where babylon would apparently prefer to chain me up….
roots and Dub with Quality ……………… .. lemmi
You picked a collector's lot, lemmi. The only thing that helps is to save every single tune on the hard drive.
Or you accept what is: for every track that is lost, a new one is added. I like it a lot; it keeps everything varied and fresh.
"Let it go, let it go" as the ice queen sings so aptly.
"The only thing that helps is to save every single tune on the hard drive."
(Sounds more like annoying work and not fun in your free time)
Pablo Moses knew only too well:
"In The Future It A Go Terrible" …………………… lemmi
“Jah Shaka meets Aswad” has always been an absolute favorite of mine. In general, Shaka's importance for the further development (and survival) of our favorite genre cannot be valued highly enough. Without him there would be contemporary Dubas we know and appreciate him today, not.
At the "Dub"Is not viable to live at all. And really is only a small part of music that I'm involved in the business of. But it is my favorite part. Also btw we do have physical copies of "DubBing Up the Coast ”available for sale.
Thanks for the time