RAFFERTIE - INTERVIEW
Raffertie 'n them scissors
Born Benjamin Stefanski, this bass heavy Birmingham lad has some seriously wicked beats to share. Often signified by a giant pair of scissors (to go with his massive hairdo), his eclectic style has been all over the UK's underground dance scene like a rash for the last couple of years. His sets quickly became a firm party favourite, including everything from uplifting pop classics and 90's rave anthems to some filthy house, garage, grime and dubstep. Alongside his considerable talents as a DJ, his production work has also met rapturous applause. His twisted and rumbling EP 'Antisocial' (which was anything but) caused all manner of trouble, attracting attention across the board. Having been tapped for official remixes from the likes of Trevor Loveys and AC Slater to Franz Ferdinand, we certainly aren't the only ones to notice his talents.
Who and what is Raffertie?
Raffertie is a name of a boy that never learnt that you shouldn't play with scissors.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into the scene? The "Old School" rave sound is a big influence in your music, but you weren't old enough to experience it so where did it come?
In short - siblings. my brother probably more so than my sisters, but I was always messing about with their tapes and CDs. Thanks guys!
As for "the scene"... I don't know which scene I'm a part of really. a lot of reviews I've read seem to paint me as a purveyor of dubstep and wobble etc. but while I still might play the odd track here and there I've pretty much switched off to it.
If you're talking about producing and DJing generally... I've written music for years and years, since I was very young, if you disregard some early attempts I didn't start producing properly until I was 18 or 19. DJing was probably roughly at the same time but I didn't start playing out until Raffertie came about, and all of those early sets were favours from friends running nights.
What would you say was your break through moment as a dj and producer, what gained you the first wave of serious attention?
Mary Anne Hobbs. After M/A started playing my tracks on her BBC show so many other people paid attention to my music. Thank you M/A. Mike Paradinas needs a thank you also as he tipped M/A off about me. Starkey was one of the first to be playing my tracks too.
Also things like 7th Dimension getting record of the week on Radio 1 is a big thing for me. Thanks Nick. It's hard to say exactly when a turning point occurs because it all depends how you definite it and who or what you are comparing it to relatively. A big thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported my music at any point over the past few years.
What can we expect from your album?
All sorts. I've tried to make it as varied and surprising as possible. Listen with an open mind.
What are you using in the studio to make your beats at the moment?
Logic is the workhorse but I also use Ableton, Reason and Renoise with a few other things thrown in. I try to vary things I'm working with as much as possible in hope that it will keep things sounding as fresh as possible
Which producers are you feeling right now? Any one to watch out for this year ?
Not just producers but here are some of the composers and producers I've been listening to a lot. In no particular order:
- Kaija Saariaho
- James Blake
- Ryoji Ikeda
- Gérard Grisey
- Ed Bennett
- Hermeto Pascoal
- Falty DL
Whats been your Best and Worst Djing moment ?
Best- Glastonbury 2009: Thursday night, dance lounge, tent full of roughly a few thousand people. Waiting for East 17 (yes the 90's boyband) to arrive, as I was due to be playing after them, they were late or got lost on site, I can't remember exactly. Anyway, by the time the organisers had decided that I should go on before East 17 the crowd had been waiting for well over an hour.
Worst? Hmm, Every MC who asks me to play old skool for them. NO.
What would you rather fight a badger or a swan?
Swan probably. Badgers are vicious little things from what I've heard.
Do you have any interesting projects you want to tell us about? Big tunes coming up or big Dj dates on the cards?
There is something separate to Raffertie I'm working on at the moment, which will hopefully be really special and will appeal to the guilty musical pleasures of all of us but for the moment that's all I can say.
DJ dates - come to Matter on the 2nd of July. Deep End Exeter 15th May