Dummy Mix 113 // Royal-T

Grime is one of my favourite kinds of music, and whenever people ask about its current state, it’s impossible not to speak about Royal-T. The young, articulate Southampton based producer has released through new grime powerhouse Butterz and just released a 12” through Rinse. Inside The Ride is a blisteringly exciting song – referencing garage, bassline and grime in a breathless, headlong ride through the night. It reignites that crucial but so lacking sense of movement that grime has, and, in its summation of influences from the bright chopped vocals to the gritty kick of the drums – suggests that Royal-T is approaching that vital “wot-do-u-call-it” moment.

Of course, we got in touch instantly and asked for a mix.

Love the mix. Can you talk us through it? What were the ideas behind the choices? What does it say about you?

A lot of the mixes I’ve released lately have been dominated with my tracks so i thought it would be cool to just include some stuff that i’m enjoying playing out or just generally listening to at the moment on my travels. I wanted to do something I’d like to listen to if I was at the gym or on a long journey or something. It’s all natural choices as well, nothing forced or in your face. It’s all upbeat but that’s just how i like my grime.

It’s mostly instrumental grime. What are your thoughts on the scene at the moment?

It’s a bit odd at the moment, I feel like it’s always changing. My goal is still the same as it was two years ago, I want Grime to return to having a sound and identity again. I still think there’s two sides, grime for the iPods and grime for the clubs and I’m only involved in one side now i guess.

There’s a proper UKG / 2step side to Inside The Ride. Were you a fan of the sound growing up? Do you think that that swing is something a lot of straight-er grime is missing?

Yeah definitely a big fan of UKG, still am. That’s what was around me as a kid, i’m not opening my computer thinking ‘today I’m going to make garage’, I’m literally just making hybrids of everything I’ve heard growing up. I know people want to point and say this and that is garage etc. but this is really just my interpretation of Grime. I fell in love with grime when it was basically dark garage, that little era from DJ Narrows – Saved Soul to Alias – Warriors. All of that stuff is what i think Grime is.

Going back to the thing about identity, when you ask people ‘What is dubstep?’ they can always answer you with something about the sound, same thing with D&B, house, garage but if you ask people what grime is they’ll tell you it’s about kids in hoodies around a microphone. Grime lost its sound for a bit so i’m just making what i want to hear and what i think is missing.

You work really well with vocals. Any collaborations on the horizon you would like to speak about?

Been in the studio with a couple artists in the past few months for my album. Me and P Money made something the other day for it, sounding cool. All them remixes from last year were like practice and experimentation for my original stuff so it’s worked out nicely.

Which producers coming up at the moment are you particularly into?

Obviously all the Butterz camp even though I don’t think they’d be what people would call up and coming. Hearing some sick stuff coming from a guy called Notion through Champion’s mixes, we met him at a booking me and Champion headlined. There’s a few guys i know like Rynsa Man from Birmingham and OH91 from Bristol that are one banger away from blowing up.

What’s your favourite colour?

My favourite colour is blue, but it’s a certain type of blue. Actually, the dot above the ‘I’ on the Rinse logo. That blue.

1. Royal-T – Orangeade VIP
2. Bok Bok – Silo Pass Vs D Double E – Frontline (Royal-T Blend)
3. Simplex & EK9 – Sleepy Hollow
4. Champion – Lighter VIP
5. Swindle – Do The Jazz
6. Yasmin – On My Own (Royal-T Remix)
7. Spooky – Pulse 007
8. MIK – MOR£
9. Preditah – Circles
10. Royal-T – Inside The Ride
11. Swindle – Pineapple
12. Terror Danjah & Ruby Lee Ryder – Let Me Be The One
13. Royal-T – Cool Down
14. DOK – Old School Vibes
15. TRC – Oo Aa Ee (Royal-T Remix)
16. Terror Danjah – Full Attention (Royal-T Remix)