Micky Finn: Taking Over The Underground

The original Badass tells us why 2002 is looking good for drum&bass.

Jan 24, 2002

Mention the name Micky Finn to a fellow beat-junkie and monitor their reaction. Some will fondly reminisce about the good old days of acid house and Urban Shakedown. Others will tell you about hearing the seminal drum&bass release Badass for the first time. Most however, will pay homage to his continuing influence on the 180 bpm scene in his capacity as one of the country's most sought-after DJs. And, although he's known for his DJing more than for his production, Mr Finn's been very busy in the studio throughout his career, and has a single, a label album and a series of session mix CDs due out soon.

He tells me that he's recently done some studio work with MC Navigator, and that Saffron from Republica will soon be collaborating with Urban Takeover too. Given the recent critical adulation of the likes of Bad Company, this isn't exactly what you might expect from a drum&bass label; but then again, Micky's never been one to follow the crowd. So why the focus on vocals? 'I think it’s time for a bit of heart and soul again to tell you the truth. I’m trying to get something out of Gary Numan - we’re also trying to get GQ and Fearless involved – just some MCs who have got the voices to really carry a tune. I think the reason why our music only ever progresses so far is because it’s not day-time radio fodder. Radio One and Kiss have said, give us something to play during the day, and we’ll play it.’

The statement certainly strikes a chord given the recent success of chart-stormers Kosheen, but Micky's quick to make the distinction between his label and their release history - ‘I’m totally down with Kosheen, but what disappoints me is that John Creamer and Stephane K had to take it, remix it, and sell it back to Kosheen to make that tune as big as it was. The drum&bass mix was really good, and definitely suitable for daytime radio, but it didn’t deliver anywhere near as much as the remix did. And while I don’t have a problem with Kosheen, I think it’s important to realise that there are artists out there like Roni Size who do get massive recognition, but he never denies where he comes from, and that’s the underground scene. If you can keep that as a priority, then you can’t lose really.’

Mr Finn's underground roots are something he's certainly never lost, since being taken to an acid house party way back in the day - he's been heavily involved with that part of the scene ever since. His label Urban Shakedown was responsible for the release of seminal hardcore tunes such as Some Justice, before frustrations with sample clearance led him to set up Urban Takeover. Without allowing themselves be fettered by legal considerations over copyright, they released the legendary Badass and firmly established Micky and Gavin King (aka DJ Aphrodite) on the nascent drum&bass scene.

And while Gavin's gone on to produce a whole bunch of inimitable drum&bass classics in his distinctively upbeat style, Mr Finn's concentrated on the DJing side of things. The reason for this is simple: ‘I’m a DJ. There are some producers out there who go and DJ, but I’m a DJ and that’s how I earn my living. I don’t rely on production in order to be able to live, I rely on DJing because that’s what I am, first and foremost.’

So why did he decide to try his hand at production? ‘I wanted to have a go really – I’d never been in a studio before, I wasn’t really happy with the music that was out there at that time so I went into the studio and had a go. Production’s more like a hobby to me – if I feel like going into a studio, I will. I’m not going to get to the point where I need to go in every day because that’s where I make my money.’

Having said that, Micky tells me that he spent most of his time over Christmas in the studio, and intends to stay there for most of January. And with his mission to put the 'heart and soul' back into drum&bass and the current receptiveness of the scene, 2002 looks set to see much success for Urban Takeover. Would Micky have been able to predict this at the start of 2001?

'At the beginning of last year I was thinking "Where’s this thing going?" It was very mechanical, and I like that, but I can’t deal with it all night. I like soul and feeling and vocals, and I don’t want aggressive bass-lines all the time. I guess I like the same kind of music as I play when I DJ – getting the same diversity of sounds that we aim for with the line-ups at Innovation. I think that you’ve got to get a good blend in order for the music to develop. I’ve started to hear more vocals, 808s are starting to be used again, more sine-wave bass-lines and analogue aggression, and more girls are starting to come out as well. That says a lot for me because I think the dark, techno end of things was scaring them away.’

And it was exactly that heavy brooding sound which caused many in the media to predict the death of drum&bass, a judgement which Mr Finn is quick to challenge: 'The media have got to realise something – this is a scene which goes through phases, and you’d have to be very short-sighted to slag it off. The people who have might be forced to eat their words very soon. It's a very fast-moving environment, very experimental; the artists like to try new things and if they don’t work, they get binned.’

And while the scene may be rapidly evolving, Micky Finn's presence has been consistent since its inception. With the Urban Takeover parties at Innovation, the studio work, and a growing DJ roster at his agency, its easy to see why this self-confessed workaholic is optimistic about the future. ‘I take each day as it comes mate’ he tells me; and it looks like there are many more good ones yet to come.

Words by: Ed Jaram