With a crew of at least eight members, Bugz In The Attic need to keep on top of their unique, varied and funked up sound. Fortunately they have the ultimate in sound control at their disposal…

Bugz In The Attic have been at the cutting edge of the broken beat dance scene for nearly a decade now. The band is a collective of a large number of producers and remixers and their output is as wide ranging as you might expect with such a depth and breadth of input. They are famous for stamping their unique character on mainstream dance tracks in a series of remixes but perhaps it’s the track Booty La La that gave them their biggest commercial acclaim in 2004. Their debut album Back In The Dog House is out now and we caught up with Novation user Seiji, aka Paul Dolby, from the band. With Bugz’s beat-ridden reputation, Seiji’s background is somewhat surprising…

“I started playing cello as a child and did classical music for 10 years,” he reveals, although things eventually took a radical turn. “I heard the ‘beat from the street’ and tried my best to become a ‘hip teen’. Hardcore, US house, acid jazz and jungle influenced my first drum n bass tracks and, after meeting Orin Walters (Afronaught) and becoming involved in Bugz In The Attic, I started to experiment with what became ‘broken beat’…”

With at least eight band members in the studio recording the band’s album, you’re unlikely to hear a more diverse set of stomping dance tracks anywhere else. Seiji and the rest of the crew had a tough time keeping everything reigned in but fortunately he at least had his sounds under control…!

“I have been waiting for the right master keyboard to come along for a while, as I needed one that had everything in one package,” he says. Eventually (and rather wisely) he opted for the Novation ReMOTE SL37 as his main MIDI controller in the studio.

“I play, program and tweak all software instruments and MIDI hardware via the SL,” he says. “It’s meant that I can get more hands on with software sounds. It’s amazing how much vibe live tweaking can add to a programmed track. Making sequenced music can get hypnotically boring and being able to get to grips with sound live really helps to generate more feel.”

“Obviously the Automap function is great for someone like me who doesn’t particularly enjoy the software programming side of production,” he continues. “The ability to start tweaking instruments instantly is also important if you don’t want to miss ‘the moment’.”

“There are other controllers with similar functions, but the SL37 had full sized keys in a compact unit as well as the Automap function so it makes an ideal desktop MIDI controller as well as master keyboard.”

As well as his work with Bugz, Seiji has also built up a reputation as a remixer and a solo artist, releasing his own productions on the Reinforced label. “I am starting work on a solo Seiji album,” he says, “and I’m also doing some production work with artists.”

And finally?

“Buy the Bugz album. It’s excellent. Woof.”

Seiji’s philosophy on music making…
“I wish I had a philosophy, I just make it up as I go along. I love programming and there are many programming geniuses out there who make moving and emotional music but, personally, I am looking to bring some live feel into my music without compromising the electronic sound.”

The Bugz In The Attic album Back In The Dog House is out now on V2/Nurture.