Below is a transcript of the above interview, which was originally broadcast over the KALX airwaves on May 9, 2025.
Massari: [00:00:00] Hey gang, it’s your DJ Massari for KALX Berkeley, and I have a very special guest with me right now who will be in town May 15th at our favorite venue, the New Parish in Oakland, California. Sir, who are you?
Rob Birch: I am Rob from the Stereo MC’s. Nice to meet you.
Massari: Likewise. Likewise, sir. So yeah, I have to say. And I’m just gonna throw this out there. When I started telling my friends, when I usually tell my friends who I’m talking to, or I do an interview, they’re kind of like, eh, I don’t, I don’t, people were flipping jazzed when they found out [laughter] that I was gonna be talking to the Stereo MC’s, uh, especially people in my age range and they, you know, say, uh, late Gen X or millennials, uh, vibe. So I don’t, I don’t even know what to say about that other than I think. When your music was in the mainstream, it was a very special time and, and place in music. Uh, [00:01:00] what were your thoughts about that time when everything was blowin’ up?
Rob Birch: Um, it was a time when a lot of different musics were melting down. Uh, it was the sort of birth of, uh, a lot of new genres of music, you know, with the, the meltdown of rave music and electronic music and dance music and the way it influenced, uh, 360 degrees. So it was, uh, it was a time when people didn’t really know what everything was called yet.
Massari: Right. [laughter]
Rob Birch: You know, uh, and it was, it was quite, that’s why it was, uh, very exciting. You know, ’cause you didn’t really know where it was going or how it was being made. I remember when we were starting out, we didn’t know how these records were made and we didn’t have computers or the internet or anything like that. Everything that you heard was either down the record shop. Or coming out of car windows in south, in South London, echoing, reverberating [00:02:00] from the, the, the, the stoops of the houses. And that’s how really I heard Public Enemy, was really just going round the streets, and Derek B and Rakim, was on the bus, you know, top deck of the bus, the youngsters with their, with their earphones on and like, uh. So everything in those days was, uh, either word of mouth or you had to sort of be there and sort of see it and try and get a copy and then figure out how people made music and then you’d experiment and try and copy it. Uh, but you end up making something that was your own because there was no way you could really copy what they did.
Massari: Yeah, maybe a, a mutation.
Rob Birch: Yeah. Mutation. It was, that’s a good word for it. Yeah. It was a, it was like a period of mutation in music. There was no, uh, sample packs or.
Massari: [laughter].
Rob Birch: You know, music programs that I knew of. You know?
Massari: Yeah. Yeah.
Rob Birch: It was all like, how are you gonna get some sticky tape and few rubber bands to [00:03:00] get this kind of hold together? Right?
Massari: Yeah. So would that have been some of the maybe, uh, the boundaries or obstacles of that time, and maybe those boundary and obstacles created something beautiful that would’ve been maybe, I, I hate to put work and levels of work on things, but maybe special than something, someone making music right now?
Rob Birch: I guess you could look at it like that. Uh.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: But I’ve got a feeling that in every era of music, there’s something special going on.
Massari: For sure.
Rob Birch: You know, there’s, there’s people making something special and it’s, I think from those times. Just because everybody was inventing there was, there was, uh, for, for an example, um, when we were, were making a beat to begin with, you, you had no screen to look at. There was no tempo readout.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: So you were, you were running a beat and you were just, you were just doing it by feel, and you just listened to a beat or a groove looping over all day long, [00:04:00] and you just go to your 808 and just, and just tweak the tempo to how you wanted the groove to run. But there was no, we didn’t know what tempos we were running at, and you couldn’t look at grooves.
So it was all, it was all an internal thing rather than external. Uh, and that’s, that’s the difference in the way that, uh, we process music these days. It’s, it’s kind of quite externalized.
Massari: Yeah. And, uh, maybe locked. [laughter]
Rob Birch: Yeah, yeah. True.
Massari: Yeah. Yeah. Which…
Rob Birch: I was listening to.
Massari: Yeah. I’m sorry.
Rob Birch: I was listening to a new Sault record.
Massari: Mm-hmm.
Rob Birch: Yesterday and, um. I’ve gotta say I did like the way that it was, it felt unlocked. Mm. It was, it wasn’t all about the weight of the bass drum or, you know, I thought, oh, well these good, I, listen, I was, I was thinking, is there something wrong with my system? Because the bass drum is really light, right?
Massari: [laughter] Huh.
Rob Birch: And the snare drum’s [00:05:00] quite heavy. And I thought maybe something’s phasing or something. So I put headphones on it and it was the same. And I was really happy to see that somebody was making music, which didn’t have to have a kick drum, that was, that was just like flooring it.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: You know, it was, it’s like very subtle music, you know, you have to kind of listen to it and it’s very human. And because they’re like a live band, aren’t they? So.
Massari: Yeah. Yeah. They have a great singer. Uh, is Cleo Sol involved with them a little bit too?
Rob Birch: I’m, to be honest, I don’t really know a great deal about, yeah, who Sault is, but because they do quite a good job of keeping, keeping themselves quite, um.
Massari: Myster… intentionally mysterious. I, I, I think, right?
Rob Birch: Yeah. Yeah. I, I like that aspect too.
Massari: So what do you, what do you think of the focus of that song was, was there a, a certain instrument or, or a thing that was pushing through, or was it just more about the whole all around song?
Rob Birch: Well, it’s quite, it’s, it’s quite smoky sounding.
Massari: Mm.
Rob Birch: Like, [00:06:00] like smokey funk. It’s been put together in a way that it feels like it’s been home produced, like it’s not gone through a, uh…
Massari: Market research or three other people. [laughter]
Rob Birch: Yeah, exactly. It’s, it’s not gone through the industry.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: It’s been, it’s been done at home with somebody who knows exactly how they want their music to sound.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And it, they’re kind of going, I don’t need it to, to sound like it’s… It’s just very, it’s very flesh and bone and, and it’s quite soulful. You know, it’s like the fact that it’s not bristling with technology. Uh, you know, I, I really like that aspect of it.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Because, I do find a lot of that stuff quite, um, intimidating, you know, the technological side of music. I, um, I find it rather intimidating.
Massari: And that’s…
Rob Birch: Especially because I come from back in the day, you know?
Massari: Yeah. That’s, that’s funny to hear someone like yourself say that because I mean, [00:07:00] you were doing samples and loops when you didn’t, when samplers weren’t really a thing. And, and having that and going through maybe every iteration of technology or, or beat making and still that is, uh, that process is intimidating.
Rob Birch: Yeah. You know, when, like when we finished Connected, I heard people going around talking about the drum program, drum programming Grammy on the record. And I thought, what are they talking about? There’s, they were kind of going, who’s the who pro, who’s the drum programmer? And I was kind of going. Do they? Do they mean me? Because I put the beats together. Right. Because I didn’t know what a drum programmer was. I just thought you put grooves together. Right?
Massari: [laughter] Yeah.
Rob Birch: You just put music together, however you want to do it, you know?
Massari: Yeah. I wasn’t trying to make a resume. I was just going for a vibe. [laughter]
Rob Birch: Yeah. Really? Yeah. Yeah. And it’s not that I don’t like technology. It is pretty amazing.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: I, you know, I use computers and stuff like that, but it’s like when I watch my [00:08:00] kids with their phones and I see them using their thumbs and they’re going brrrrrrr, like that, making messages.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And for me, I’m using my index finger.
Massari: Yeah. Yeah. [laughter]
Rob Birch: I’m going duck duck duck. Like stone age, man. Right?
Massari: Yeah. The hunt and peck. Yeah.
Rob Birch: That’s how I’m… yeah. That’s how I am with technology. I need some, I need some things to press and bang, and, and something to twist and, you know.
Massari: Yeah. I need, I need the pushback. I need a, al dente feel in my pasta.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: And, and my keys, knobs, sliders instead of just, what feels like folders and opening. Yeah, yeah. So yeah. When you get to a certain age, sorry to be, uh, old, old, uh, old guy talk [laughter] already.
Rob Birch: Well, well, uh, yeah, but it’s weird, isn’t it? Yeah. Because when you read things, you know, I see a bit of gear on online, so I love, I love musical equipment and I go chasing bits of kit and, and so I go and read it and read what people say about it, and they’re using all this technological language and…
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: To describe the specs of the gear. They’re kind of going and it’s got this and you [00:09:00] need that and that and that, and I’m going, what, what is that? Then it’s like they’re, they’re talking about this stuff as if they’re talking about, you know, what kind of coffee do you want?
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And I’m like, people these days are so highly educated in the techni, technical aspects of music that, or at least that, you know, a lot of people are that, that I do often feel a little bit like, whoops, I’m really outta my depth here. Right?
Massari: [laughter] Yeah, yeah. And it’s like, good for them. But, um, yeah, I mean, that’s the thing. It’s like someone could be really talented and have a great voice, but if they don’t have, maybe songwriting chops or production chops. Like I, uh, I don’t know if I really have a point here, but there, I guess what I’m trying to say is there’s a place for, for every type and personality, um, in.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: In, in music and in a, in a job, I guess.
Rob Birch: Yeah. Maybe even more so now.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: ‘Cause so, so many people are using the same equipment and a lot of people are doing very [00:10:00] similar things that I think it’s made more room for people who are slightly alienated by that and do something very homemade.
Massari: Yeah, I think that is a positive is like people that would usually be insecure about being creative or putting their stuff out there. Oh, I, I see that guy just with like a box bangin’. Maybe, maybe I can do that. Yeah.
Rob Birch: Yeah, yeah. ’cause in the end, music is very simple, really. It’s just a, a nice idea and something that can move somebody.
[Music playing]
Massari: Talking about, uh, a special time and, and place in music. I’d say the, the early Nineties. I, I was a big Stereo MC’s fan. I, I was one of those music nerds that bought the, the British magazines and had you and Cath on my wall and all this stuff.
Rob Birch: [laughter]
Massari: And I, there was a period of music that you and say like, Renegade Soundwave or Depth Charge. There was this kind of like sample delic kind of stuff that I love so much, but I haven’t, I haven’t necessarily thought about in a long time. But how, how, how are [00:11:00] you, why, why is Stereo MC’s back in the US after 24 years?
Rob Birch: Yeah, that’s an interesting question. Um, I think really we’ve been doing a lot of gigs over the years, uh, pretty much since we put out Deep Down & Dirty. I think we’ve been out almost every year since then. That was 2001.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: So we’ve been touring, well not touring, but we’ve been doing gigs, you know, most years for the last, over 20 years now.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And. And I think because we had some, maybe some syncs with advert or TV or whatever might have sprung a bit of interest up or made people think, oh yeah, I remember that tune.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And we got, uh, we got a slot on the Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, uh, in January. And it led to, I think it helped lead to more shows in the US because we, we did a bunch of shows in January. Uh, around New York and, uh, [00:12:00] Philadelphia and Boston, and I think maybe there’s a resurgence of, of interest possibly in music from the era when, when our most successful record was made.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Um, and maybe that’s got something to do with it. That’s about all I can think of. I mean…
Massari: Yeah. I mean, I can.
Rob Birch: It’s quite weird.
Massari: I can only agree from what I see, and I do remember seeing you guys on Jimmy Fallon. I was like, is Jimmy, why is Jimmy Fallon bringing this, what, what is going on here? But in the back of my mind, I know because I see teenagers dressing like how I did in, in 1995 and ’96. Like.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: Every, everything’s retro and I’m not putting any judgment on it, it’s just that’s kind of how, how things go. ’cause I remember in the nineties people were, you know, aping the sixties and seventies and, but yeah, you kind of, your band being a, a, a special deal, what was maybe the, uh, the influences that you had? I, after listening to your, your radio show on, on [00:13:00] Margate Radio. Uh, which is is really good by the way. And, uh.
Rob Birch: Thanks. Cheers.
Massari: Uh, yeah, I’m hearing, I’m hearing the bands that I love, like YMO and I’m hearing John Martin with some Afro stuff, and it’s all over the place in, in the best way possible. I’m seeing, seeing and hearing Mark Stewart a lot in your, your playlist and in your conversations.
Rob Birch: Yeah, in some of the earlier shows for definite.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: ‘Cause you know, we’ve been doing it now for a year or two. I was, uh, to begin with, I was kind of using a lot of, um, things that inspired me from back in the day. Um, whereas the shows that we’re doing now are more based on what’s really, uh, is new to me now.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Um, so that’s, that’s how we started. And Mark Stewart, um, you know, tracks like Hypnotized and uh, stuff like that was quite, uh, that was one of the musics that I remember being around before we even started.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: [00:14:00] You know, it was just when we used to hang out together and listen to Yello and, and those sort of musics when we was all, you know, skin and just like bumming around a bit really listening to music.
Massari: Yeah. [laughter]
Rob Birch: ‘Cause that, that sort of music was really the, the breaking, the breaking the ground music and the way they made beats and, uh, where they were coming from. Uh. And what they were trying to say about the world, you know, was, it was pretty cutting edge stuff. You know.
Massari: I guess starting off being necesarily a hip hop group from the UK that would be like a hard sell at the time. So I wanted to know how did you find your flow and feel like less insecure and and comfortable about being, being an MC, a white MC from the UK, like what were the, the pluses and minuses of that at the time?
Rob Birch: Um, well, I didn’t really see many minuses in it.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Um, apart from the fact that [00:15:00] we, you know, uh, we had some quite negative reactions when we went out playing live. But, you know, I very quickly realized, I think we, we ne we never really saw ourselves as a, a purist hip hop group.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: You know, we, we, we, we, pretty soon we kind of thought, yeah, we are not really a hip hop band, so like, let’s not try and pretend to be one. You know what I mean?
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: It was like we we’re, we’re a bit of a mutation. You know, we, we…
Massari: [laughter]
Rob Birch: We don’t really go down well with a, a purist hip hop crowd. We understand that and we understand why we are not, we’re not complaining about it. And we did enough shows like that. Uh, and the negative reactions were very useful to us in helping us become hardened, you know, performers really, that I think, uh, dealing with hecklers and, you know, fairly aggressive [00:16:00] adverse reactions is, is actually quite good for you if you’re, if you’ve got the stomach for it.
Massari: For sure.
Rob Birch: Um, and so we also had the flip side of that where we did shows where people really loved what we were doing. So we experienced both sides of the coin early on and, and I think the hip hop fraternity was open enough and creative enough to sort of include us, you know, allow us to say, yeah, you, you are kind of part of the thing. You know, even though you are not really a hip hop band.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Right. You know, and you, I, so I, I’d, I didn’t really think of myself as an MC, even though I was rhyming and it was a, a big part of what I did and I was, I was highly influenced by the, the lyrics and the way people flowed on, especially you know, Eighties hip hop and what people were saying and the energy of what they were doing, it [00:17:00] was very, uh, important in the shaping of me as a, as us as a group.
Massari: It feels like that you got to shine in that kind of like sweet, sweet spot in hip hop history where it was still a dance party vibe. Say like a you, a P.M. Dawn, Jungle Brothers. Like.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: It wasn’t the like this kind of rapping anymore and it was like a little bit, hip hop was evolving and, but still in that dance party sound system kind of vibe before everything became West Coast gangster rap [laughter] and that just became, yeah.
Rob Birch: Well, yeah things be did, did, I kind of liked that period of music because like in a club you’d, you could hear rare groove, dub, reggae, house music, hip hop music, all from the same DJ booth in one night.
Massari: Yes.
Rob Birch: Right. So that was really the order of the day. And it was inevitable [00:18:00] that those influences would merge because dub music and reggae music is probably as fundamental to us as hip hop was and funk music. So, really you were, that was the, that was really part of why so many artists then were, were a little bit difficult to stick into a genre, was for that reason that all that music was being played in the same place because everybody was very open-minded about it.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: You know.
Massari: They weren’t experts and yet, yet, they just, they just liked the vibe. Yeah.
Rob Birch: Yeah, people knew. People were definitely knew what the music was about, uh, but people were more open. It was a very open atmosphere.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Uh. And culturally it was melting down as well. You know, racially, there was a lot of tension at the time, you know, with Margaret Thatcher and the Poll Tax and those sort of things [00:19:00] going on. And so people were embracing the fact that there was a place where you could be open with each other and, and everybody could just be in one place and be on the same level. You know.
Massari: Yeah. It’s a, it’s a beautiful thing and it, it comes through now sometimes, but not, not as much.
Rob Birch: Yeah. Yeah.
Massari: Um, yeah.
Rob Birch: That’s something we could use, I think.
Massari: Yeah, I think so. Yeah. The kind of like just more community minded, um…
Rob Birch: Absolutely.
Massari: Would be really nice because we are all special individuals [laughter], but yet I feel we’ve all maybe gone too far into that. Yeah.
Rob Birch: Yeah. No, no, I think it’s a good, it’s a nice thing to talk about because we are living in pretty, pretty dictatorial times. You know, hearing, you know, I hear things, I hear things about the U.S. and I’ve gotta say here in England, I’m seeing things going on that I’m finding pretty scary, to be honest.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: It’s so, [00:20:00] yeah. You know, it’s freedom of speech and stuff like that.
Massari: Yeah. Yeah. It’s always so funny when you maybe sympathize with a, a country that isn’t part of the West and you always have to do this prerequisite where you condemn them or you have to condemn these things that are like bad about a, a country. But you know, if I’m talking about the U.S. where I’m from or the UK there’s no need to condemn all the atrocities that has been…
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: Done in our name. Yeah, I don’t know. Um, it makes me think of, uh, another rap group that’s kind of pushing boundaries right now, Kneecap. Have you seen these guys?
Rob Birch: Yes. Well, I haven’t seen them, but I’ve read about them and I, I read about their recent shows, so, and I read about [laughter] the feedback from certain…
Massari: [laughter] Yeah.
Rob Birch: Quite conservative news circles. And again, I found it quite disturbing what they were saying. That they were saying that basically [00:21:00] they thought that, um, in certain individuals in, all across society needed removing because of what they were saying.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And I kind of thought, shouldn’t people be allowed to say what they say?
Massari: Yeah. Aren’t, aren’t we free speech warriors? [laughter]
Rob Birch: Yes. It’s like, I don’t, I didn’t like the, the kind of way it was being said by this very conservative looking woman who looked a bit sort of like, uh, what was that film? Where, was it Waterford Wives or something where they…
Massari: Oh, step Stepford Wives.
Rob Birch: Stepford Wives. She’s looks a bit like a Stepford Wive, right? [laughter]
Massari: Yeah. [laughter]
Rob Birch: And like removing people from, you know, like Kneecap and people in, you know, judicial circles.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Who weren’t saying what the, what is basically, even me talking like this here with you…
Massari: Feels dangerous.
Rob Birch: Poses, poses some kind of a, you know, I, [00:22:00] I kind of think, oh, maybe I should watch what I say and not say anything until I actually get back, or I might, who knows that’s gonna happen, right?
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: It’s so, that’s how it is now, isn’t it?
Massari: It is. It’s…
Rob Birch: You would never have thought it, you go back, you go back two years and you just thought, yeah, I’ll see what I want. Right. But now it’s like, you better watch it. Watch what you’re saying.
Massari: Yeah. I, I have to…
Rob Birch: I don’t, I don’t want live like that, to be honest. That’s, that’s not where I want to live, so I ain’t gonna live like that.
Massari: Yeah. Um, so maybe it’s just to, to have our friends and family and communicate with them until hopefully things open up again. Uh, if they do.
Rob Birch: Yeah. Maybe. But, you know, I’ve got a feeling that, uh, that people have to come together and, and stand up for that stuff sooner or later. ‘Cause it’s just, yeah. And we, we all know what’s going on. Right? It’s like you see it every day.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: We see the, the what’s going on and, and you just think, how, how can this be happening? This is, [00:23:00] this is inhuman. It is cruel. It’s illegal. It’s like, how can this be happening? It’s like, and you know what I’m talking about, right?
Massari: I, I, 1 billion, trillion percent do, yeah. Um…
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: Uh, yeah. And to feel so helpless and it’s like, do I, do I disengage? Do I stop looking because I’m on the verge of tears every day? Or do I rant and rave on my Instagram and everyone around me? What help does that do?
Rob Birch: Mm-hmm.
Massari: Like where?
Rob Birch: Yeah, you need to think about it.
Massari: Where does one put that energy. Um, so yeah.
Rob Birch: Yeah, you need to think about it and think about where you can be most useful.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Right. Because it’s all, it’s all good to rant and rave on social media, but at the end of the day, I kind of think, okay, but how useful is this gonna be? Or am I just doing it because I want to everybody to see that, you know.
Massari: I’m on the right side. Yeah.
Rob Birch: You know that. But [00:24:00] is that actually gonna be useful and would it be more useful if I can actually be out there doing something?
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Because if I do all of this here, it might prevent me from doing something. Anyway, so.
Massari: I, yeah, I, I, I am guess, I’m guess I’m, uh, glad that these, uh, Northern Irish boys are on Fox News and actually raising the consciousness.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Absolutely. Yeah.
Massari: Yeah. So, uh.
Rob Birch: Did you see that movie?
Massari: Yeah. Well, again, I’m, uh, I’m always gonna go back to me and my wife being on trips. My wife and I went to, uh, Ireland in September, and we actually saw the film in a theater in Galway. This place called Palace or Palais or something like that.
Rob Birch: Well, that must have been amazing.
Massari: It, it was great. It was great. And I was just shocked at how, how good it was, how good the songs were, how good the acting was, and just the package as a whole.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: And, uh, every day I think about [00:25:00] [laughter], every day I think about Ireland and how I can go back.
Rob Birch: It’s a lovely place, Galway, right?
Massari: Oh yeah, yeah. Uh, I think my favorite. We rented a car. And drove all over the island, which was scary as rough being an American and having, you know, huge lanes. And then every road in Ireland looks like a bike lane here. Um.
Rob Birch: [laughter]
Massari: I, uh, I really, I really loved Dingle. That was my, my, my favorite place.
Rob Birch: Yeah, that’s the beauty of it is, is that they’ve managed to retain. The, the, the nature of of their country.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: That thing that’s beautiful there.
Massari: Thousand shades of green everywhere and…
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: I would just feel like a crazy person just like laughing, just like, ’cause I couldn’t process how pretty everything was. [laughter]
Rob Birch: Yeah. Yeah.
Massari: Yeah. Yeah.
Rob Birch: Yeah. So, yeah, I know what you mean. The, the green there is a different green.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Right. The green, when you see the, the, the grass and the [00:26:00] trees.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: It’s just different green. You like go, wow. I’m just. Greening out here. It’s like, beautiful man. Yeah.
Massari: Yeah.
[Playing music]
So what can people expect from the live show? Are we getting a, a DJ jam session with a, with a live band?
Rob Birch: It’s, it’s like we’ve always performed live.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: As a band. So, um, we never considered replaying the samples from our tracks because they’re an inherent part of the music that we wouldn’t want to really change. Sonically, it’s very important to us that the, the, the sound of the music remains true to the records. But, um, we’ve always had live drums and percussion with, uh, with our live set up and the vocals, you know, Cath singing with us and, uh, the, the samples are all mixed live, you know. So it’s not really what I’d call a DJ setup.
Massari: [laughter].
Rob Birch: [00:27:00] Like any band really that goes out with laptops and their, you know, and their, and they’re sort of some of their, the music in the laptop and you, you know, we’ve got, like I say, drums and percussion and same as we’ve always done it since dot.
Massari: I love it.
Rob Birch: Pretty much.
Massari: Yeah. I noticed on your Jimmy Fallon, uh, Nick has, you know, let’s say a, a pioneer mixer, but yet, instead of turntables it’s two laptops.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: And maybe a few other. And then you have your, your dub effects, your.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: For you and stuff like that. So.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: That’s pretty awesome. It’s, yeah, mixture of all the, the combinations of dub, root, sound system.
Rob Birch: Yeah. It is just…
Massari: Live band.
Rob Birch: It’s a nice, it’s nice just to, you know, uh. You know, try to progress a bit and change what you do and bring more, more vibes to the way you perform.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Uh, and you know, Nick has the flexibility to mix, uh, much more of the tracks by not [00:28:00] having it on turntables, obviously.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: Yeah, ’cause, uh, those are heavy.
Rob Birch: Yeah. And it also leaves you with one mix.
Massari: Yeah. [laughter]
Rob Birch: Of a tune, which you can’t change every night.
Massari: But I guess that would lead to talking about the remix, which you guys are also have been leaders and are still, what, what makes a good remix for you?
Rob Birch: What you mean when I hear someone else’s remix?
Massari: What resonates, what do you find resonates with you the most when you hear a good remix and what do you apply to doing a remix?
Rob Birch: Really, I just go for a groove.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: You know, you, you just kind of go, uh, what’s, what’s the groove? Like, you know, when I, when I, ’cause I, you know, I listen to a lot of electronic music and quite often there’ll be remixes. Usually I look for the remix to, to either take the original to the place that I wish it had gone to.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Or replace the groove with something, which is, just [00:29:00] irresistible. Otherwise, what’s the point of doing a remix? Just like I kind of look for a nice new groove that, that, I just think I’d play that groove. Right?
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Uh, and then, you know, if we was doing a remix, you just, you just have a look at the tune and go, can we do anything with that? You know, just, just mess around with it. See if we can actually get a vibe in there before we do, you know, say, yeah, we’ll do it, you know. And pretty soon you find out whether you can or can’t.
Massari: Yeah. Um, the culture of remix is, is something that I really love and and pay attention to a lot as, as someone that buys more 12s than I do full albums when I, when I’m getting vinyl.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: And, uh, maybe some of that culture is lost. There’s still remixes. Remixes kind of got bastardized in the early 2000s when you just had extra singers on it. Um, but I, I think in the electronic music realm. It’s kind of going back to say, a dub instrumental, an extended [00:30:00] 12 or, or just going back to the, the original vibes of, of what a remix was.
Rob Birch: Hmm.
Massari: Or, or should be, I guess.
Rob Birch: Yeah. I like those, I like those times where, back in the sort of, was it late 70s, early 80s when those guys used to do extended, I remember there being one of the Temptations’ Papa Was a Rolling Stone, where that really famous guy, I’ve forgotten his name. And he did a really long extended version of it with all the percussion breakdowns and the, and the vocals really breakdowns with just the vocals and…
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: Things that you never knew were even on the record, you know, like.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: That was really fresh. Right.
Massari: So, yeah.
Rob Birch: That’s what I like to hear.
Massari: Yeah, I, I think John Morales does a really good job of that era of like disco records and extending them, just like hearing an extended version of Frankie Beverly and Maze and just.
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: And stuff like that. So good. Um, Kevorkian, I think my favorite, his remix of Ashford & Simpson’s Babies, just like stuff like [00:31:00] that is just so, so special. And I think there’s a, a younger generation is, that’s dipping back into that vibe that I’m, I’m really appreciating.
Rob Birch: Yeah, because there was so much good. I think there was good ingredients in the original music that, that those guys found they had a lot to play with.
Massari: Yeah. Yeah. Almost get ingredients selfish and extending those for longer periods of time in the best way possible. So, should we do song requests, sir?
Rob Birch: Yeah, sure. Yeah.
Massari: You’re gonna help me program the show as a fellow DJ and everyone should go check out Margate Radio. You can go on their website or their Mix Cloud, and you can always find the, the dope shizz on there. But, yeah.
Rob Birch: Yeah. Our, our, our show is called Connected Sound System. It’s Rob Birch Stereo MC’s Connected Sound System.
Massari: Nice.
Rob Birch: So if anybody wants to check it out, I do it live from the booth first Sunday of every month.
Massari: Oh, also. I wanna hip everyone to the Connected label, which…
Rob Birch: Yes, please. Yeah, yeah.
Massari: Yeah. Which you’ve been doing for what, 9, 9, 10 years now? [00:32:00]
Rob Birch: Yeah. Must be. Yeah. It’s 2015. Uh, 15 we started, so it’s almost getting about 10 years now.
Massari: Is this the intention to release your own music and be more self-reliant or what?
Rob Birch: That’s part of it, yeah. But I think also we wanted to, especially Nick, it’s really Nick who runs it. We wanted to have a label where we could release underground electronic music. Uh, and it started off just as, uh, as not quite knowing what direction we’re going in, but it being loosely based on, on sort of deep house and electronic music.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And then, uh, we got more and more into the Afro house scene.
Massari: Ah, nice. Like the Amapiano type stuff and?
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: More, you know, like, uh, it just, it had more, um, organic qualities to it. Uh, which, uh. I think, uh, [00:33:00] and the, the whole scene, because a lot of it come, uh, evolved from, uh, South Africa and there’s a, there’s so much, uh, energy coming from the music that it was, uh, it was pretty intense. Some really beautiful things happening there, I think.
Massari: Connected the radio show, Connected the label, uh, you need to get on it. And we are gonna get into some song requests. So the first one is a song that you loved, the first thing that really had an impact to you as a child, anywhere from five to eight to 12. Uh, the second one would be all-time classic. And then third is something that you’re, you have on loop right now that you think everyone should know about.
Rob Birch: One song that, that, uh, I was always hearing when I was a youngster, it was, uh, Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.
Massari: Hmm.
Rob Birch: That was, uh, yeah, that, that song you just hear everywhere and it really represented a certain era of music.
Massari: Is that the song that has been turned [00:34:00] into a break? Isn’t there a Led Zeppelin song that has like a famous break in it? Any?
Rob Birch: Um, well there’s a few that, that was, I think the one you are talking about is, uh. That that drumbeat?
Massari: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Rob Birch: You’re talking about the drumbeat that was, uh.
Massari: It’s been used in like Beastie Boys or yeah. That’s When the Levee Hits? Is that what it’s called?
Rob Birch: When the Levee Falls or something?
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: When the Levee Breaks.
Massari: Yeah. Okay.
Rob Birch: Yeah. Yeah.
Massari: All right.
Rob Birch: But the Immigrant Song is a, is a, a classic all-time classic heavy rock tune. Right. But I mean, Led Zeppelin had their own vision of music, I think, and uh, the drums. You know the, I mean, the drums and guitars were just, uh, incredible, but it is got a serious weight to it. That tune. I’m sure most people will know it as soon as the first four bars of guitar coming.
Massari: [laughter]
Rob Birch: Because it’s just incredible. Right.
Massari: Yeah. What about all-time, all-time, all-timer? [00:35:00]
Rob Birch: Oh, okay. Uh, The Message by Cymande.
Massari: Oh yeah. That beautiful.
Rob Birch: Do you that tune?
Massari: Yeah. It has the wonderful album cover with the dove on it and…
Rob Birch: Yeah.
Massari: Yeah, yeah. Kill, killer, killer stuff, which, uh, also are having a, a resurgence. And then maybe for a third one, what, what’s, what are you listening to right now on, on loop that you think everyone should be hip to?
Rob Birch: Well, what I’m actually listening to right now.
Massari: Nice.
Rob Birch: I got, I got, I got bought a bunch of albums, the new new album by DJ Koze.
Massari: Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, the German producer.
Rob Birch: Yeah. So, uh, The Universe in a Nutshell is the title tune, and I… [laughter]
Massari: Well, it’s all explained. [laughter] There we go.
Rob Birch: It’s really not what you expect. It’s not full of bangers or anything like that. It’s really quite unusual music.
Massari: Okay.
Rob Birch: Um. So I really like that. And I also really like, um, this, uh, this [00:36:00] album of edits from Joe Clausell.
Massari: Oh, very nice.
Rob Birch: Yeah. Uh.
Massari: Some house music vibes.
Rob Birch: He’s done edits of African tunes.
Massari: Ooh.
Rob Birch: Uh. And just, it reminds me of those old edits of disco tunes where people have just broken it all down to the drums and percussion and, because I’ve always loved drums. I just love to hear the drums and percussion. It’s just, it’s, it’s a really it’s a killer, killer album.
Massari: Yeah. Listening back for the, like, the last week and just revisiting all your guys’ material. Just like, it, just your, your drums knock so hard. I rarely hear in, in records even from then or even now, they’re just. [laughter] I don’t know, but it was just it. That’s the thing that struck me the most as well as like the samples that I really loved. And just like the groove and your style of flow, that’s just so from, from a listener’s point of view, relaxed and [laughter], yeah.
Rob Birch: Okay.
Massari: So, so [00:37:00] thank you for the music and uh, thank you for the song Early in the Morning, uh, on Supernatural.
Rob Birch: Early One Morning.
Massari: Oh, Early One Morning? That Alien soundtrack sample in there. I was like, what? This, what is that sound? It’s, it was driving me crazy. And because I watched the Alien film so much, and I, I’m sorry if I’m now putting you on the blast and you’re gonna have to play.
Rob Birch: I, I can’t even remember that sample. Did we really use a sample from Alien?
Massari: It’s like duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh. There’s like, um, there’s a string section in the Alien score, kinda like when they land on the planet.
Rob Birch: Right.
Massari: And that is like the hook in early, Early One Morning, or at least that’s, that’s at least that’s what I’m hearing.
Rob Birch: Oh! Okay. Okay. Yeah, I know the, I know the part you mean.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: You see, in those days we, we didn’t really, you know, you’d sometimes, I, I used to have a little wire that I’d plug into the TV.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And I just re, record things. And then [00:38:00] try to loop them up as when the TV was playing.
Massari: [laughter]
Rob Birch: You know? And I thought something interesting was happening on the TV.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: And it was like that you were just like, things were just live, you know?
Massari: Well, Rob, thank you the most. Thank you forever and forever for spending time with me.
Rob Birch: It’s a pleasure man.
Massari: Yeah.
Rob Birch: It was a pleasure. Nice talk to you.
Massari: Cool, man.
Rob Birch: Alright, peace brother.
Massari: Later.
Rob Birch: Bye.
