Borai returns on Hotline Recordings

The Bristol producer baits the big smoke on a forthcoming double-pack.

It’s been a while since we last shouted about Borai. After interviewing the Bristol-based artist about his multi-faceted life of dub cutting, record selling, DJing and production back in 2013, he has continued to slip out tracks on labels such as Tasteful Nudes, Retrofit and Run Out Run, but there hasn’t been a solo 12” from the dapper chap in quite some time. Not too long ago he worked together with Emika on a remix of one of the Berlin songstress’ own tracks, while a joint production from himself and October will be landing soon on BRSTL, but now a sturdy double-pack release for the ever-expanding Hotline Recordings looks set to place Borai firmly back in the public eye.

Hotline has been busy as ever, putting out new material from Batu and Ishan Sound vs Rider Shafique, as well as pitting Jus Now against Kahn & Neek in a remix showdown, but the next release on the label will see some audacious sampling come to the fore. From Blawan’s re-appropriation of Fugees on “Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?” to Joy O’s sampling of a Source Direct interview for “Ellipsis”, there have been plenty of incidents of blatant, hooky samples worming their way into techno in recent times. It can after all be the difference between a widespread hit and another drop in the dance music ocean, not to mention giving the trainspotters something to chew on while they dig out the source.

Borai has come up trumps with “Anybody From London”, a track that samples the MC intro to a Top Buzz set from a New Years Eve rave in 1992/3. To say that the enraged command to, “fuck off out!” is confrontational is an understatement, not least coming from a city such as Bristol that proudly places itself outside of the trappings of the capital. You can read more about the origins of the sample in this piece on the Tape-Echo blog, manned by Hotline co-founder Alex Digard, while a quick call to the Hotline hotline on 07980 988905. Ahead of the release of the four-track double vinyl release, we got in touch with Borai to find out a little more about the tracks, how they came together, and just how much he really wants anybody from London to do one.

This release marks a sizable departure from your other output. What brought about the change in direction?

I originally had the idea to try and bring some of that old jungle/hardcore/rave sound into a modern track and this EP is the result! I started with “Never as Good” and it just snowballed from there. Whilst digging for samples I kept finding stuff I couldn’t not use (the ‘London’ sample in particular) so that gave me the idea to try and create an EP with 4 tracks that worked together and could be offered to labels as a whole rather than just 1 track that isn’t like anything I’ve ever put out and as such is really hard to get signed.

How did the link up with Hotline Recordings come about? Have you been a fan of their output previously?

I’ve known Dan and Alex for a few years now and I am really impressed with how these guys go about things. There’s so much attention to detail both in the way the records sound but also in the overall look of the releases.

I was having trouble thinking of labels that would be up for even listening to some ‘92-‘94 jungle techno tracks let alone signing them. I originally didn’t think Hotline were going to be down with the whole idea, but I sent them to Dan as part of my, ‘any ideas on who might be a good label to send them to?’ mail out. After receiving some really positive feedback it was Dan who asked if he could sign them for Hotline! To say I was flattered is an understatement!

And so on to the notably contentious issue of the “anybody from London” sample. How and when did you first stumble across the soundbite?

Yeah that sample… It was one of those magic moments you sometimes get when hunting for sample material. That moment when you listen in hope that there might be a little something, a snippet maybe, and suddenly you get, ‘BAM!!!!! OH SHIT!!!!! REWIND!!!!!’

I was looking for MC chat over some crowd noise for the middle section of a track (I can’t remember which one) and I was looking for those moments in between sets at a rave, the bit where the MC thanks the DJ and bigs up the next act or there is a break in a record and you can hear the crowd, something that gave you the sense of being in a club or rave that I could use in a breakdown. I struck gold with that one and I am so surprised no one’s used it already!

What’s your thinking behind including the sample in a tune? Do you like the idea of a cheeky West Country throw-down to the big smoke?

The whole sample is really long so when I broke it up it kind of made sense to have that bit right at the drop and the last bit (the explanation of why he tells London to fuck off) come in at the second drop. This does mean that if you only play the first section (or don’t listen to the second bit) you will miss the whole point of the insult and it becomes a different tune altogether, one that just cusses London for no reason!

Did it cross your mind that it might offend people from London hearing the track played in the dance?

I did think this could become an issue, but I soon came to the conclusion that if you’re not going to listen to the track or only take something on face value and you get offended, then it’s not my problem. I never set out to write a track that explicitly cusses London, and it doesn’t if you listen to the whole thing. The main thing is that it’s fun. Music can be so serious and I love the fact that people just laugh whenever they hear it!

Hotline Recordings will release Anybody From London by Borai in November.

Tracklisting:

A. Anybody From London
B. The Seeker
C. Ohm Trax
D. Never As Good

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