Scott Allen

SCOTT ALLEN – THE SOUL SIGNAL ALBUM INTERVIEW

Hey Scott, thanks for taking the time to talk to us about your album and other things going on in your life. We’re amazed at the success of Soul Deep and your solo music projects you have going.

What was the inspiration for your new album on Soul Deep Exclusives?

Well, I actually wrote about 60% of the material during the last Christmas holiday. My full time job keeps me very busy, so I love having time off to focus on writing songs. I drew the inspiration from listening to good music, whether it’s Soul, Reggae, Dub, 80’s, Drum & Bass, Downtempo, Hip-Hop, Jazz, or R&b. When I would hear a good song that moved me, I felt inspired to write music. Also, I drew inspiration from going to clubs and hearing music played on big systems. Music is always exciting to me, especially when I hear it really loud and the bass is repeatedly punching me in the chest. I’ve enjoyed discovering new artists and bands while crate digging at my favorite record shops. I find the crate digging process VERY inspiring, and fun at the same time.

What’s new with Soul Deep?

I feel so blessed, as the label output just keeps getting stronger and stronger. I’m excited about the new series I’ve started, called the Artist Spotlight Series. The Series releases timeless music by some of my favorite artists, and gives them a platform for their fans to learn more about them. Along with the Soul Deep music release, the artists in the series have a full interview posted to the Soul Deep website that helps provide insight into what inspired the music on the album or EP. Learning more about the artists and their inspiration helps the listener appreciate the music they’re hearing even more, as they feel more connected to the highlighted artist/s. You can expect future Artist Spotlight albums from the likes of Greekboy, Conspire, Soul Connection, FX909, A.K.A, and many more. Also, there’s a new Soul Deep vinyl release dropping very soon featuring music from mSdoS & Subsid and Payback & Conspire. The vinyl release will be available for delivery on August 23rd! I’ll also let people know that the next vinyl release on Soul Deep will feature the amazing sounds of Madcap. You can expect his EP to drop in December. The label will also feature more of the digital releases from some of your favorite Soul Deep artists including mSdoS, Atlantic Connection, Madcap, Subsid, Soul Connection, Greekboy, Simplification & L-Side, Soultec, Decon, Muwookie, Changer, A.K.A, Furney, Viewer, Physics, Askel & Elere, and many more.

How did you get into Drum & Bass music?

I was introduced to Electronic music back in 1992, during my first year in College. I was comparing Hip-Hop collections with some of my new found friends in the dorms. They decided to play me a mix of that consisted of Hardcore Breaks and I fell instantly in love with the whole vibe of the music. I found familiarity with the breaks, from my history of collecting Rap music, and I enjoyed the energy that I felt while previewing the mix. We started going out to clubs and checking out different Deejays, often going out 2-4 times per week. I was always into the D&B sound, but when I heard the sound that Good Looking Records began putting out, that was the sound for me. I went out to see Bukem Deejay many times, and the feeling I got from his sets was intoxicating. I began bedroom producing Drum & Bass in about 1999, and have been working on honing my skills ever since.

What other projects do you have going at the moment?

Besides my solo album that drops very soon, I’ve finished 2 albums worth of material with Furney. Our first collab album will be dropping in mid September. It’s been great working with Furney, as he’s always been one of my favorite producers. I have a new project that I’ve started with Tyler & Chris, from Smooth N Groove. We’ve started a new vinyl record label, called Rhythm Syndicate Records, which will feature music from some of our favorite artists in the scene. We’ve also been throwing events together in various locations, and bring our signature sound to different cities for all to enjoy. Our next events will be held in October, at Stamina in San Francisco, and at Respect in Los Angeles. We have a couple of other dates coming together for a small East Cost U.S.A. Tour in early to mid 2020. Stay tuned for more information to be released soon about future dates and events. I enjoy collaborating with like-minded producers, and have many forthcoming songs with artists such as Furney, mSdoS, Subsid, Viewer, Critical Event, and many more.

How did you link up with Smooth N Groove and start throwing events?

Chris & Tyler we’re visiting California and asked if we could meet up and talk music. After chatting with the guys, I could see their obvious passion for the music. I was going to Greece for an Event in 2017. I asked Tyler and Chris if they could make the trip, as it promised to be an amazing experience. Chris ended up making the trek out and we spent a lot of time talking about our respective labels and how we’d like to see them grow. We both had dreamed about throwing events, but were unsure of how to go about it. We figured that as a TEAM we could definitely put on a great show and bring our favorite artists some exposure in the process. Our first event was held in Northampton in 2018, and we were thrilled with the amount of support from the Drum & Bass community. People came from far and wide to see our once in a lifetime event lineup. The night went so well that these events have become a regular occurrence. We have many more ideas in the works, so stay tuned…

If you’re not working on the label, or producing music, what else do you find yourself doing?

I’m a Primary grade School Teacher as my day job. I teach Physical Education to students between the ages of 6 and 12. I also coach Boys Water Polo for a local High School in Long Beach. Between teaching and coaching, a majority of my weekdays are spoken for. When I get home from work, I spend most of my time hanging out with my wife and my 7 year old son. I take a lot of pride in my yard, so I spend a lot of my weekends outside maintaining the pool and the rest of the property. We get a lot of great weather in Long Beach, so we spend a lot of time as a family by the pool. I’ve also become a big fan of traveling, so I spend some of my time searching for new adventures around the world. I live in a Mid-Century modern home, so I’ve also found a new passion for learning more about Architecture. I enjoy touring homes, often gathering inspiration for my own property. Also, I’ve started a mastering business, so I spend time with songs, getting them to sound their best. Lastly, like every other music junky, I like to spend time searching for new artists, bands to follow, and adding my ever growing record collection.

You say that you like to travel. Where have some of your favorite travel destination?

I’ve seen so many wonderful locations over the years, but I think my favorite has been the Greek Islands, especially Santorini. I have also loved my visits to Italy, Croatia, France, and the United Kingdom. I’ll be heading back to Italy again this summer, as I’ll be accompanying the Water Polo Team on their training trip to the Italian coastline.

What are your favorite Genres of music to collect and listen to?

Besides Drum & Bass, I really enjoy collecting Reggae & Dub Music. I love the period of Reggae from about 1974-1984, so a lot of the Reggae music I search for is out of print and rare. I’m also a big fan of 80’s music, downtempo, Hip-Hop, Alternative, and Soul Music.

Where can the fans of your music learn more about you and your upcoming releases?

The best way to follow Scott Allen, Soul Deep, and Rhythm Syndicate, is to follow on SoundCloud. I tend to post new music every week or so. Facebook and Instagram are also great places to start when wanting to learn more about fresh music releases.  The Soul Deep Recordings website is also a great place to check for news and forthcoming releases.

Would you like to give a shout out to anyone?

Yes, I’d like to give a big shout out to my wife, who puts up with all my late nights in the studio and all the constant talk about music projects. We’ve been married for over 10 years now and I feel fortunate to have found such a loving and understanding life partner. I’d like to shout out to my son, Landon. Let’s keep working on your Deejay and production skills! I’d also like to give a shout out to Chris and Tyler, from Smooth N Groove, who have become close friends over the last couple of years. Thanks for all of your feedback on my music, and for helping to push the genre that we love! I’d also like to give a shout out to the local Long Beach Water Polo Team that I help coach. I know that they’ll probably be on SoundCloud checking out the new tunes. Big shouts to my family who has always supported me and not judged me for loving this music and scene. An extra special shout goes out to the Soul Deep family. I appreciate the artists that send music my way, and I look forward to pushing your music as we navigate this scene together.

SCOTT ALLEN BIO:

Scott grew up in Seattle, Washington (USA), and was a big music lover at a young age. At 10 years old, he fell in love with new wave music and the synth driven tunes of the early 80’s. A couple of years later, he began a new passion, collecting Hip-Hop music. Most of Scott’s influence in his music production comes from these early inspirations. Whether it’s Michael Jackson, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, NWA, Electro, or 80’s synth pop, he knew he had a passion for music and would search for the latest rhythm and sound that would satisfy his soul.

When Scott was 18 years old, he moved to the L.A. area to attend college and play water polo at Chapman University. When he moved into his dorm room he met his future deejay partner and Neosoul band partner, Tim Andren. Scott and Tim would spend hours talking about music and seeing who could supply the best, most underground hip hop tune with the most addictive beats and sounds. During this period in his life Scott was introduced to Breakbeat, Hardcore Breaks, early Jungle, and Ambient Dub Music. Scott immediately fell in love with the overall feel and freedom with the music. Almost every weekend he would drive to L.A. began scour all of the L.A. music stores and would attend club events to experience his new found love.

At about the age of 21, Scott and his roommates bought their first set of turntables and the passion for the music grew into an intense love. About 2 weeks after he bought his turntables, he was already circulating his mix tapes and getting booked to play at clubs and parties in L.A. After a year or two of playing local shows, Scott began playing shows all over the USA and Canada, exposing these areas to the Neosoul breakbeat sound. He was fortunate enough to play alongside such heavy hitting acts as DJ Dan, Donald Glaude, Bassbin Twins, and many other big names.

When the breakbeat scene slowed down around 2001, Scott went back to his roots in electronic music and began enjoying the sounds of Jungle music, only now the music was more refined. He began to go to Drum & Bass events and would catch LTJ Bukem & Conrad, and the rest of the Good Looking crew every time they would perform in the Southern California area. He was drawn to the melodic, jazzy, and ethereal sounds of Drum & Bass music, and he especially liked it with Conrad hypnotically weaving his lyrics over the tunes. He began collecting Drum & Bass records and also started producing Drum & Bass in about 2004. It was also around this time that Scott further developed his passion for Reggae and Dub music. You can definitely hear the influence that these genres of music have had in his music.

His production became more serious when people started hearing his songs and began to show interest in wanting more of his sound. After a few years of producing and getting a number of tracks signed to major labels, Scott decided to start his own label, Soul Deep Recordings. Since Soul Deep’s inception in January 2011, the label has seen a great amount of success and has been established as one of the top Liquid/Deep/Jazzy labels in

the music game. In addition to releasing many EP’s on Soul Deep, Scott has released music on a number of other top labels including, Fokuz, Celsius, Good Looking, Telluric, Celsius, Soul Rebel, Jazzsticks, Phuzion, Liquid V, Atmomatix and Sheer Velocity. Currently, Scott keeps himself busy pushing the record label and playing shows as often as he can. Scott has many forthcoming projects in the pipeline, including a collaboration LP with Furney, a solo album, which will be released on Soul Deep in the near future, and a collaboration EP with Critical Event, which will be released on Fokuz Recordings on July 15th. Also, Scott has joined forces with the Smooth N Groove imprint to start a new vinyl super-label entitled, Rhythm Syndicate Records. The label will begin producing vinyl releases in later 2019. You can follow Scott on Social Media to keep up to date with his releases.

Scott Allen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/scottallen

Scott Allen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottallenSDR

Soul Deep Recordings website: https://www.souldeeprecordings.com

Scott Allen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scott_allen_sdr/?hl=en

Scott Allen Artist Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-Allen/ 123245657736615?ref=hl

Scott Allen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeoScottAllen

Soul Deep Recordings on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/soul-deep-recordings

Soul Deep Recordings on Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/pages/Soul-Deep-Recordings/184948228302328?ref=hl

Soul Deep Recordings on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/souldeeprecordings/? hl=en