Words: George Gray, Images and More: ASBO Insta
Sir Hiss is a staple of the Bristol scene. The producer and DJ may have cut his teeth as a grime specific producer, but over the years he’s broadened his repertoire: pushing the boundaries of his beloved grime, delving into club tools and launching his own label No More Mailouts.
Having thoroughly enjoyed his Saturday at Ashton Court we caught up outside the towering Transmission stage, where at the top of the hill he was prepping to shell it down alongside fellow SWU resident Rea and a wealth of talent across the afternoon.
“Every year sun’s out, good weather, good vibes, good music – what more could you ask for?” Sir Hiss opened, before quickly joking, “I probably enjoy myself too much”. You can tell his passion for the local scene having come up on the Saturday as well, enjoying sets from the likes of Conducta and a memorable Addison Groove and Syntax b2b.
Something he was even more passionate about was his impending set, “I’m very excited for today, got a lot of new material I want to test out, some sick blends”, teasing what was ahead. “I mean following on from Neffa-T and Plastician, what more will the crowd want – I’ve just gotta hit the ground running with some blends ready to go and open with”, a clear and technical plan that’s perhaps representative of his distinctively clinical approach to production.
This wave of new music isn’t out of place for Sir Hiss either, with, as mentioned his record label flourishing in recent years, and even releasing new tracks of fellow LSTD 25 b2b partner REA. “Last year I was trying to push myself over the label, but towards the tail-end of last year I started to think the label needed to get just as much as love”, a plan that was swiftly initiated with a series of releases coming thick and fast. It’s clear the motivation hasn’t dwindled, “I wanted to expand the label to feature other Bristol based artists, but also worldwide – really pushing the label to be it’s own thing”.
Despite this being only “phase one” of the label’s expansion, in Sir Hiss’ own words, it’s clear the plan is already kicking into gear with recent releases Tear now and Airplane gathering serious momentum. Performing at LSTD25 was therefore a tantalising prospect for the SWU resident, “we’ve done a couple b2b’s already me and Rea, it’s always great to just play and shoot the shit”.
To Sir Hiss, REA’s release on No More Mailouts was not only a sign of her talent but also represented a broadening of the label’s spectrum as well, “I’m really glad for her release on the label, sonically I’ve been going in a different direction….but when I heard them – it was like this is exactly what I want to push”.
It’s part of a wider evolution in his palette too having evolved his sound gradually over the years, “it’s grime-tinged, electro and techno now”, a distinctively futuristic sound. It hasn’t stopped him from holding on to his roots though, “I’ve always been and still am a grime kid, but I’ve just been exploring using that sonic palette through the lens of techno/electro production”.
“People can name it what they like, it’s just what I enjoy making, and as long as people are dancing I’m really not bothered”, a confident Sir Hiss affirmed as our conversation drew to a close, his words manifesting soon after as a packed out transmission stage thoroughly enjoyed a wall to wall, action-packed set.
Listen to new No More Mailouts releases by Sir Hiss here and REA here!
