My Digital Enemy “Say It”

Next week, My Digital Enemy are set to release their Back to the Underground Vol. 1 EP on their own imprint, Zulu Records. The Brighton-based duo has built a rep for cleverly bouncing back and forth between commercial success and underground recognition, but this two-track release sees them clenching tightly to the latter. The lead track, “Jack My Body,” is a riot, having already garnered support from tastemakers Annie Mac and Pete Tong on their respective BBC Radio 1 shows.

On the flip, “Say It” stays within the darker realms of house while taking some major inspo from garage. Serg & Kieron assemble a vicious groove through a stabby chord progression and a swerving bottom-end that’s slung so low it’s probably going to take out your legs on the dancefloor. My Digital Enemy have won us over yet again with another sure-fire release.

Available February 2 via Zulu Records.

Do you think advances in computer technology and gear have affected your creativity?
Definitely. We started out using samplers, outboard gear and an Atari ST to sequence it all. So nowadays, with all the soft synths and audio editing capability, it makes the whole process a lot quicker—which gives you more time to spend on other elements of the track, like editing, mixing, etc. Also, the fact you can do it at home these days on a laptop, in some cases, lets you spend more time on a track—whereas before, you were limited to how much studio time you could afford!

Creatively, how did the work on this track stack up to previous studio sessions? Was this more challenging to complete than others?
Each track is different, really. Sometimes things come together quickly, and other times, you need to leave the idea and come back to it at a later date. This one took maybe three days, and then a few days the following week, after we had played it out in London, to get the mix and drums perfect.

What’s your favorite sound/synth/effect/etc. used here?
Native Instruments Massive is the main contender in this track, as we made the bass from it. It’s really good for that wompy, grimy bottom-end. I think Massive is not just my favorite instrument in this track, but overall in the whole studio!

Did you discuss or exchange ideas with other producers while creating this track?
Only between ourselves in the MDE HQ. We kept it quite close to the chest, so as not to ruin the surprise! We did play it to our good friend and radio-plugger at Listen Up to see if he was feeling the vibe, and he was; so that was yet another indicator of it being a big track.

Who is the ideal person to remix this track?
We would love to get Chris Lorenzo and Hannah Wants to remix this, as I think they could bring a deeper vibe to it for sure. We have been listening to a lot of their tracks and playing them out too, and I think this would sit well with their flavor on it!

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