HeadRead are an Estonian electronic music production duo composed of Mikk Saar (Planeet) and Roland Kaur (Slammin). The duo are from Tallinn, formed in 2014 after a few nights of jamming turned into regular studio sessions. Their debut EP was released under Thing's Depthwise Music imprint and since then they've released music on such labels as Andy C’s Ram Records, Trace's DSCI4, Electrosoul System's Kos.Mos.Music, Absys Records and Delta9 Recordings. HeadRead focuses mainly on drum and bass, as both members have a strong background in the genre, dating back to the end of the 90s.
ARTIST QUESTIONNAIRE: HeadRead
How did you get into drum'n'bass?
We were both attracted to drum and bass during the golden age of raves at the turn of the century. You can still perhaps recognize a little bit of old factory raves or Sun Dance Music Festival in our music. Contribution also came from Saaremets’s and Raudsepp’s Radio 2 broadcasts Koit FM, Vibratsioon and Öögruuv, from where you could often hear fresh drum and bass music.
What year did you start producing music?
We started producing together in February 2014, when instead of going to a von Krahl afterparty, we decided to lock ourselves up in a studio for countless hours.
Your first drum'n'bass release:
Timmy EP 2014, which came under Thing’s label Depthwise. Among other things the EP included our first track produced together named 'Chief Leila'.
Record labels from which your music has been released:
Ram Records, Program, DSCI4, Kos.Mos.Music, Absys Records, Delta9 Recordings, RustOut Records, Through Sounds, Probe Recordings, Depthwise Music, Subsphere Records, KLDR
How do you describe your music?
Classic drum and bass in a new shell.
What or who inspires you to create music?
Various influences from other genres and heroes from childhood.
Which do you think you are more, a DJ or a producer?
Since Planeet’s roots come more from the producing world and Slammin has been a DJ most of his music career, the answer is pretty clear. These boundaries have of course beclouded over the years, but you can’t go against the roots.
What would you do differently as an aspiring young producer? Advice for newcomers:
Don’t share your every clip! Work a little bit harder and don’t bother people with every little accomplishment. Don’t be afraid of sampling, it is the core of drum and bass. Nobody generally cares how insane your chain is - the main thing is, that the track’s good.
Who would you like to collaborate with and / or play b2b in the future?
In quite a few tracks of ours we’ve used DLR’s sample packs, so you could say that we’ve been working with him indirectly quite a lot, lol. But to be serious now, then maybe Bladerunner and Seba would be some of the artists we would gladly collaborate with. One of our guilty pleasures are melancholic vocals and trance shunt rollers. Both of them are inarguably experts in these fields.
What should a promoter consider when inviting you to play?
The better the equipment, the greater the set and experience. Expired or faulty equipment will make our lives harder, which in turn is transmitted to our performance. It will always pay off to discuss things related to the performance.
What should definitely be in your artist's rider?
Decent decks and gold beers.
The best / most memorable parties you've played at:
Tjuun In’ 16th birthday at Kultuurikatel, where we played after Teebee & Calyx. The headliners had hyped up the crowd and when we started, it didn’t seem like anyone wanted to leave or was tired. So, the location was insane, there were loads of people and the vibe was extra nice. That time we played a turbomix characteristic to us with 4 decks, meaning no track got airtime more than one minute.
The weirdest song request you've been asked during a DJ set:
One time at club Cinema in Järvamaa, some guy climbed on the stage and demanded Sandra 'Hiroshima'. Luckily the security guard was fast and got rid of him quickly. The track is good by the way, but it was unfit for prime time.
Interesting fan experience:
It’s a really powerful experience, when some certain fans are almost always present in the front row.
Other interests (hobbies):
Slammin: Diving, anime, Star Wars.
Planeet: Snowboarding, parachute jumping and reading!
Do you prefer to make plans or to be spontaneous?
If we’re talking about performing, then a little bit of both. We generally agree upon the course and boundaries before the set, but choose tracks on the go. If we need to leave the boundaries, then we discuss and confirm them during the set.
Who's your best friend?
Head has Read and Read has Head. 2 heads is the HeadRead.
What question nobody should ever ask you?
Slammin: "Satelliidid!"
Planeet: Tracks with reggae vocals.