Appleblim: Life after Skull Disco

We kick off this week by chatting to sometime DJ, producer and label boss Laurie 'Appleblim' Osborne before he heads out to the White Isle.

Whether it's making intensely involved, dark and percussive drum beats loosely defined as dubstep, running his Bristol based label Applepips or spinning everything from house to dub and back again on landmark mixes like his contribution to the Dubstep Allstars series (which was one of the first to blow dubsteps doors wide open and call on all musical styles to get from A to B) Appleblim is a prodigious talent.

The Skull Disco label he ran with Shackleton for just ten releases melted speaker-bothering basslines and rattling African percussion into heady textures which first sparked the long running tryst between techno and dubstep (specifically when Ricardo Villalobos remixed Shackleton's "Blood On Our Hands" for the imprint), whilst his Rinse FM shows offer encyclopaedic insights into the world's of a whole range of music.

His productions have long blended house with dubstep sensibilities and one such effort with Ramadanman last year 'Sous le Sable' was one of the finest productions and tightest, deep rolling house cuts we heard. Ahead of him making the trip out to play Fresh Blood - a series of events put on by Casio G-Shock Burlington Project every Sunday at We Love... Space, Ibiza from 13th June to 26th Sept, we caught up with the man to talk studios, genres, the importance of 'the whole package' and more...


How are you? How have you been keeping busy in recent months? Are you still in Bristol?

I'm great thanks! I've been super busy in the studio working on projects with Al Tourettes, coming very soon on Will Saul’s Aus label, remixes with Komonazmuk for Bonobo which has just come out on ninja tunes, and My My which came out on Aus a month or two ago, me and Al have just completed a collaboration with underworld too, which I’m really happy with which should be appearing on their next album of collaborations later in the year, and also a remix with Arkist for Erol Alkan’s Phantasy Sound label of Babe Terror which I think people may be surprised by!

So all sorts really!

What music have you been listening to/getting excited about recently?

Oh man, TOO much! off the top of my head - skwee: Eero Johannes is blowing my mind at the moment, Datasette, Scuba, Mount Kimbie, Arkist, Wedge and Aesoteric, Kidkut… Sunday Roast (some amazing UK Funky guys) and also finally discovered the amazing Ghost Box label - amazing stuff...and the usual diet of 80s pop and boogie, disco, and anything else I can lay my hands on!!

You touch on all styles when producing – do you know when you start each track/remix how you want it to end up sounding?

No, we just see what happens, and if it’s a remix, try and respect the original and really reset it in an original new setting.... the tunes just find their own direction, it’s not really, oh shall we do a 2step thing or a house thing or a dubstep thing, it’s just let’s try and find interesting sounds, work hard grooves and samples and enjoy ourselves!

And is that dependant on your state of mind, where you are in the world, what you are listening to or what?

I think what you listen influences you, but mainly it’s the people around me that inspire me, their take on things, and how that differs to mine...personalities always shine through...

And what is it (was it?) about the involved, percussive and African sounds that get you going so much?

Hmmm, beats in general are obviously a very important part of any 'dance' track (he said stating the bleedin’ obvious!) but I wouldn’t say I was anymore into African or complex rhythms than I am into say, a Neu! Straight ahead driving 4x4 beat, or a simple 808 electro beat - they all fascinate me!

A lot of the skull disco music was very dark, intricate – what is that born from do you think?

I think Shackleton’s music is markedly different from, mine in that respect, as he ALWAYS works on the percussion in that driving trance-y (as in meditative shake out your demons, tribal style) whereas perhaps my music is less based round that...the darkness - I don’t really differentiate between 'light' and 'dark' - I think life contains both so my music always will - again sorry to be glib!

So too the names of the albums and artwork etc - why was that?

Again, Shackleton was art director, and Zeke the artist, and between them they created a stunning style...I know Shack's ideas for the name and the art was inspired by tribes digging up the bones of their ancestors to dance around and pay tribute to in ritual. That and it’s a pun on School Disco! The names were really an ongoing joke with us, the idea that in reggae a Soundboy can get sent to the electric chair, or get buried, well we were like, what about after that! We dig up his bones or snort the ashes!

Are you a dark person generally?

No more or less than anyone else! I strive to be positive to people around me, but of course I have the same trials and worries as everyone else, so that includes periods of darkness!

So a lot was said about techno/dubstep crossover when Ricardo remixed ‘blood on…’ but do you think the relationship has flourished like people thought/hoped it would?

Erm, so hard to comment - I think may people have been inspired by both dubstep and techno and EVERYTHING ELSE so it’s hard to draw lines… let’s concentrate on making the music!

People like Scuba always say they hate the idea of it and says it’s not his aim…

Exactly...couldn’t agree more



And have you got your own studio yet/ I understand you didn’t 18months ago hence all the collabs?!

I’ve just bought a Juno 106 and am investing in some new studio gear as we speak! Am verrrrry excited!

At the same time you said you wanted to get into proper synths not just pc programs – have you and why was that important to you?

Yes I have, between us me and my associates have been working on Wasps, Junos, Arps and so on - that’s not to detract from software though, they both have a time and a place.

I have been working with October on tunes and he uses analogue desks and compressors and that has been a real eye opener - it’s all tools we can use!

You’ve also said “I just want to make something that people would want to own.” How important is the whole package? Too many people just knock tunes out in their bedroom with no real soul or investment and I think it’s the dirge of electronic music…

Perhaps so - I think music is music at the end of the day, and good music will find a way to be heard whichever way... I couldn’t care if 30 people listened or 3 million - it only takes one person to be inspired to give me a buzz....having said that, yes I think artwork and physical things are important and I will always do them.

As is the constant search for the next big thing – something I know you aren’t guilty of as a lover of old music as much as new… ever think we should take stock fo what we have more? Look back as much as forward?

Definitely! I heard a track by Chris and Cosey from 1983 that could have been made yesterday! It’s all about exploration, old and new!

Is Applepips still on the go? The label has an emphasis on echo, depth, swing and bass, right? So why do those things turn you on?

Yes that was the initial mission statement, however as I have been influenced more and more by UK Funky, or drum and bass again, I would add rhythmic invention to that list! these are all things I love in music, but not the ONLY ones - listen to Germs and you probably don’t have much of those elements but I still love em!

What is it about the music you like that makes you like it, if you know what I mean? What are the key ingredients for good music?

I really don’t know! It either gives a buzz or it doesn’t! Sorry!

What do you make of the UK funky, synth heavy and computer-game influenced movement in bass music on labels like Hyperdub etc?

Very interesting and inspiring, thought I think some people are starting to lazily stick arpeggios over everything and thinking that makes it that sound - again it’s about not copying and trying to find NEW things to do, not emulating everyone else

And do you think the ever increasing press dubstep and all its forms is getting is a good or bad thing?

It’s all good for exposure but I have enjoyed making music so much more since I’ve had less press attention so make of that what you will! That’s not a diss to journalists btw as I love reading about music…

Can you tell us anything about your new EP, Lipsmacker, with Al Tourettes out on Aus in May?

It’s a pair of tracks, both quite different, I’m very happy with them, they represent a time and a place for me, and hopefully they will make people dance in a lot of places! If not, then I know at least a few peeps will dig it, so all good! It’s a pleasure to work with Will Saul, he's an ace bloke

So you’re out to play Ibiza – what’s that like? Are the atmospheres the same – do people get it the same way they do in London or Bristol?

I’ve only played there once and to be honest I confused the hell out of them! I cleared the room by the end! But the Space owners came down and bought me a drink and thanked me for sticking to my guns, so that made it a bit better! This year I will be taking Al Tourettes there to play live, which I think will join the dots a bit more for the crowd - check him out, he’s ace!

Do the settings and sunny weather work as well as a compliment to dark bass music?!

I don’t play all dark bass music! I play lots and lots of styles! I think it will work very well this time - I program my sets now to work up from 100 or so BPM right up to drum and bass (I don’t mean program in Ableton, I just mean selection-wise and mixing) so I think there will be something for everyone

Anyone else you’ll plan to catch whilst out there or will you just go to DJ?

I haven’t seen the line ups yet but I will definitely check out some clubs, it would be rude not to!