68 DIGITAL NATION
www.faustandshortee.com
www.djshortee.com
www.djfaust.com
www.queensofthejungle.com
www.urbanassaultdnb.com
www.heavyartilleryrecordings.com
www.5starrecords.com
www.how2dj.com
www.twiceasnicedjs.com
www.myspace.com/djshortee
www.myspace.com/theoriginaldjfaust
www.myspace.com/urbanassaultdnb
www.myspace.com/queensofthejungle
URBAN ASSAULT
Urban Assault – a.k.a. Faust & Shortee – are hardworking DJs living
the highlife. Residing in Hollywood, playing at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy
parties, mixing and producing drum & bass, hip hop and breaks – it’s
all in a day’s work for these dynamic turntablists. Kmag stood in their
way and threatened to never move unless they answered all of our
production-related questions.
“We are best known as Faust & Shortee,” the pair have to ply your trade in that respective industry only. consists of two very modest PC-based setups,” they
introduce themselves. “We produce and play D&B “Each style of music has different sensibilities when it detail, “running Cakewalk’s Sonar 7 rewired with FL
under the alias Urban Assault. As Faust & Shortee comes to mixing them,” Faust & Shortee uncover their Studio. We use Kontakt 2, Rapture, Z3ta and Dimension
we’ve produced several solo and joint albums rooted in secrets. “Some techniques work for other genres. For Pro, and edit in Soundforge. The effects that we use
turntablism, breaks and downtempo, having had tunes instance, we are used to mixing funk and hip hop, which mostly are: the Waves Platinum bundle, Sonitus, Blue,
on numerous compilations, EPs and singles. We were are very fast-paced and require lots of short mixes. This GRM, Timeworks, Nomad, Voxengo, Antares and BBE,
also featured in the film Scratch and continue to tour helps us to pull off complicated transitions within D&B. plus we have a gang of other plug-ins and virtual
and produce music regularly.” If we want to do some trick mixes in drum & bass, like instruments. We also have a third computer running
queuing up some double drops for example, we’ll find Korg’s Oasys PCI which is a synthesis architecture
This male / female combination of performers is far ways to mix quickly within four, eight or 16 bars and program for making sounds and multis; it has just
from a gimmick – they’re renowned as some of the most then have them play together for 32 to 64 bars. We also about every Korg sound ever made. This is great for
talented in the industry, having paid their dues and then play house, where the mixes are long and seamless. creating everything from traditional patches like
some. “I’ve been DJing for 22 years,” Faust reveals, “and We apply this to hip hop and it helps balance out the strings, brass instruments, organs and so on to
am known mostly in the turntablist and party rockin’ choppy nature of hip hop mixing. Combining all of these completely destroyed ones for any conceivable purpose.
scene. I’ve played hip hop, funk and electro since the techniques gives us more ways to get in and out of Other hardware includes an EMU SP 1200, Korg MS
beginning, and progressed into electronic music like records and do something creative and different.” 2000, Pioneer EFX 1000, Pioneer EFX 500, Rane TTM
house, breaks and drum & bass 14 years ago. My first 57SL mixers and laptops running Serato.”
solo album ‘Man or Myth’ was the first record made up Mixing music at the same tempo is easy. Mixing music
entirely of other records and scratching. It also featured at drastically varying tempos requires brains, creativity “We make a lot of D&B tunes that incorporate hip hop
Shortee, Shotgun and Craze. I currently produce hip and, above all, flair. “We could just mix out of the end beats in the intro or breakdown,” Shortee adds. “Having
hop, breaks and drum & bass amongst other things.” but it tends to become predictable,” they tell us. roots in hip hop production helps in creating authentic-
sounding hip hop beats. It’s also helpful to step away
Shortee, whilst a relative newcomer compared to her DJ This process is seen as a bit of a cop out by hardcore from things. If we are writing D&B tunes for a month
partner, is no stranger to the “enviable legacy” club. “I’ve DJs. “Yeah,” Faust continues, “so we try to keep it moving straight and start to get burned out we’ll just go into a
been DJing for nearly 14 years,” she begins, “playing and entertaining. When we make mix CDs we do a lot different direction and make hip hop, breaks or maybe
everything from hip hop, funk, ’80s, breaks, house and of blends – some longer mixes and some quick ones just throw on jazz records and listen to something
drum & bass. My debut solo album ‘The Dreamer’ was – whatever works best for the songs and keeps the completely different. This keeps the production process
the first and only turntablist album by a female. I’ve overall flow intact. It’s important for us to be able to pull from becoming stale, after all the fun is in the process.
also produced an instructional DVD series that teaches off the mixes live as well, so what you hear on our CDs is We love making music but most of all we are still fans
how to mix, scratch and beat juggle [www.how2dj.com]. how we sound live. As far as production goes, each genre who love all types of music.”
Recently I co-created the first battle / DJ tools record influences the other. For example, sometimes we use
geared for women alongside fellow female turntablist D&B-style sounds in our hip hop beats, especially when Whilst one can easily copy sounds from classic music,
DJ Step 1, called ‘Bikini Wax’. I currently produce hip making our basslines and main leads.” scratching can’t be imitated without considerable
hop, breaks and drum & bass.” practice. “Playing an instrument or understanding
Creatively, versatility appears to be the name of the music theory makes you a better producer,” Faust says.
Faust & Shortee have blown apart the myth that, in order game as far as Faust & Shortee are concerned. What, “Shortee’s been playing drums and percussion since age
to be a successful artist in the field of drum & bass, you though, makes their technical side tick? “Our studio seven and she has a strong background in traditional
K68-69_FaustandShortee.indd 68 24/4/08 14:41:18
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