Total Science

Total Science is made up of DJs Q Project - or Jason Greenlaugh as he's known to his mum - and Spinback, a.k.a., Paul Smith. Hooking up in the mid-'80s on Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford, the two didn't really get along well at first.

"We hated each other at first," Smith laughs, "but then got chatting about our love of hip-hop and our friendship grew from there."

Their love for hip-hop was sidetracked by the heavier beats of early rave and jungle and Greenlaugh was quick to get his hands dirty with not only DJ-ing, but producing as well.

Q-Project's now infamous early-'90s junglist anthem Champion Sound was a standout track in a sea of anonymous dubs and has helped leverage them in the drum'n'bass scene as producers of class. Recording under the moniker Funky Technicians, 1994 saw their debut with Got To Believe - a funky, rolling number that helped d'n'b emerge as a dominant force in clubs.

As the music evolved, Greenlaugh and Smith saw a need to change their name.

"We were at a point in our careers where we wanted to change our style and start making some harder beats, so we thought we should change our name to suit our style," says Smith. As to the origins of the name 'Total Science', "Quiff [Q-Project] made it up. Nicked it off an old electro artist," Smith says with a wink and a grin.

Total Science are about to hit Australia with their fourth album 'Mars Needs Total Science'. Being hip-hop-heads, you may think that it's a reference to the seminal Mantronix, but it actually started off as a bit of a joke.

"Quiff had made it up in an interview on Dogs On Acid [the drum'n'bass website] and the concept came after," Smith explains. "It was that reference from a sample in a Mantronix tune King Of The Beats, but it was the first thing that came into my head when I had to think of an album title," he laughs again.

After so many years in the d'n'b scene, I wonder if they still like hip-hop and if this has inspired them on this album.

"We get inspired by all sorts of music from hip-hop to broken beat, to house, to rare groove. The list is endless. So I guess the answer to your question is yes, we still listen to hip-hop, alongside a number of other music genres that inspire and inform our musical choices."

The guest artists on the album confirm the variety of influences, with guests from all over the broken beat spectrum with MC Conrad, Bugs In The Attic, Grand Agent and DJ Craze.

Drum'n'bass has persisted through some ups and downs, but has weathered as a music, even bordering on becoming mainstream, when it could be passed off as a mere novelty in its early years. It has even appeared in video games and in advertisements.

"I think drum'n'bass will always dip into the mainstream, but will never be the mainstream because of its tempo," Smith muses. "Most people can't get their head around the 176 bpm. As for me wanting it to, I would never want d'n'b to ever become over-commercialised, as being underground is intrinsic to the music. But I think it has lasted because it is ever-changing. Each year, a new style comes which freshens up the scene again.

"I think that the push comes from both the producers and technology. Most people will get bored making the same old stuff so mixing it up makes it more interesting and with computers nowadays, you can make music at ease and at a really good standard! We have grown so much production-wise for a start," Smith says of the album. "It is a lot more musical and features more vocal tracks than previously with a number of highly-acclaimed artists such as Grand Agent, Bugz In The Attic, MC Conrad and DJ Craze."

Speaking of games, I had to ask if they had played 'FIFA Street 2', which features Groove Rider and Marky presenting the in-game radio stations and include Total Contrast's Defcon VIP tune.

"No, I never did play it because I always preferred 'Pro Evolution Soccer'. And I'm still rocking 'FIFA 2005 on my Gameboy'!" Smith laughs."

Julian Cram

Total Science play at the Crown And Sceptre on Sat 19 August.