Ready for something a bit on the modern side with just a hint of the old-skool sensibilities? Meet Steven Starar's Fine Primitive Sounds, the latest of his techno-influenced musical projects, and in-keeping with his legendary hyper-intense production-style reputation (long withstanding), it involves plenty of heavy electronics and stylistic genre-fusion work that's perfect for both the hot, sweaty, energy-fuelled (as-well as other things) late-night/early-morning dancefloors as it is the coffee-propping, toe-twitching, sofa-lounging, home listener (who raved themselves to near-death the night before). Yes, FPS (as they are abbreviated) is Steven taking case of business in his usual way; powerful, ever-changing rhythms (but not lacking solid back-beat) that swell over that charismatic, dynamic synth-work (pumping and throbbing away) whilst the catchy, instantly-recognizable vocal hooks vary between touching/sentimental and comically charming (90's trademark sound, much?). Closer to Aphex than Skrillex (though he insists no comparisons to either should be drawn) he glitches his way through a fashionable dubstep groove, intensifying the yawn-now-predictable neo-dance sound with a more-than-just-impressive assault of high-powered algorithmic editing, effect-laden destruction and ear-pounding mixing (which he also takes care of, so as to maintain, as he puts it in his own words, "consistently monstrous power"). But what does he think to this current trend of "insert-made-up-word-STEP" that has taken the world by storm since a bloke named Sonny threw away his guitar in favor of his Mac? "I think people are looking for something big and aggressive, and although I'm not sure BruvStep is exactly what they were looking for, it's certainly commercially viable and good to dance to, but there are plenty of other places we can take the genre," he says, "I just like putting a little bit of what I like into the melting-pot with whatever direction music is taking, really." So, sort of like if Deadmau5 became BFF's with Squarepusher and shoved their bedroom concoctions in front of everyone via YouTube and Soundcloud? "Not exactly, but you've got the right idea, fusing ideas and various elements, that's what I'm all about. I can't stand one preset idea, it has to come from the heart, first and foremost, and then it's really up to everyone else to decide whether or not it was a success or a failure... I'd naturally like to prefer to think the former!" he laughs. So, what's next for the hugely popular producer who can't decide upon one genre of music to exert his sonically-identifiable abilities against? "More of the same, I should think, there's plenty more to say within the world of dub 'n' sub, it's just finding that balance. What people expect to hear and what they are not quite getting is important to me," he muses, "perhaps I might just finally be the one to give them what they're looking for." Somehow, we have a good feeling that he may just be able to give them exactly what they want.

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