By Amanda Nowinski

IF LONDON RECORDS hadn't halted the release of Smith & Mighty's Bass Is Maternal in 1993, chances are the group would be as widely recognized as fellow Bristolians Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead, Roni Size, and Krust. Though the album wasn't freed from limbo until five years later, their contribution to the birth of breakbeat sounds remains undisputed: the production team behind Massive Attack's first single, "Any Love," Smith & Mighty – a team that includes Rob Smith, Ray Mighty, and now More Rockers' partner Peter D. – began to combine breakbeats and dub effects as early as 1993, when they released "Stepper's Delight," widely regarded as one of the first true drum 'n' bass EPs. This week Studio K7 releases Smith & Mighty's follow-up to Bass Is Maternal; titled Big World, Small World, it proves that Smith & Mighty's time has come.

Bay Guardian: How and when did the three of you meet up?

Peter D.: Rob and Ray met in the mid '80s, playing together in a small band – Rob played guitar, Ray played keyboards. They had a drummer at the time who was good but unreliable, so they got a drum machine instead. That's what got them started with putting beats together. I was introduced to them in '87, [when] I was in a reggae sound system called Lokko. I was thinking of getting into the production side, but there were no recording studios in Bristol; you had to go to London or up to the north of England. Because there were no facilities, I had to go out and buy bits of equipment. I went round to their studio, saw their setup, and thought, 'Wow, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.' So we got into a musical friendship. At the time I was also working with Massive Attack.

BG: The five-year halt on the release of Bass Is Maternal must have hurt.

PD: London Records didn't release anything but "Stepper's Delight" in '93. People talk about that track as being one of the first breakbeat records. Bass Is Maternal had tracks that were salvaged from the record deal. It was frustrating for [Rob and Ray] to always have their music challenged. They signed thinking [London Records] knew what they wanted but found out that London Records was trying to craft them to be something else. They felt that they were in a musical prison for five years.

Rob said he began to question his music because of [London] rejecting things. So during that time, me and Rob formed the More Rockers label, which was drum 'n' bass. It was great to not have the major labels telling us what to do. We decided to run a label. We weren't quick to jump into a record deal after that.

BG: How do you feel about the term "trip-hop" being used to describe nearly anything out of Bristol?

PD: We don't like to use that term at all. That was thought up by some guy who works for the media in Bristol. Once Tricky was [doing] a show and asked the crowd, "Who in here likes trip-hop?" Everyone put their hands in the air, and he said, "Fuck off home, then." We do understand that people make categories to sell music. But that term wasn't made by the people who make the music.

About Bristol – it's good that we have so many successful bands, and very good for up-and-coming people: [they] have major record labels from London chasing them. Bristol is very slow and laid back, and far enough from London so that people can do things at their own pace. In Bristol we've built studios and facilities. [Other] towns have a ton of talent, but no studios for people to go in; there are singers who never have the means to get their stuff recorded.

BG: There does exist a certain Bristol preference for vocals: you, Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead, Roni Size, DJ Krust, Day One, and so on.

PD: The More Rockers album in '94 was the first full-length drum 'n' bass album to come out – before that it was all compilations and singles – and we used vocals on that. There's room for drum 'n' bass to experiment more with vocals; it's still evolving.

BG: Has the popularity of drum 'n' bass helped shed more attention on dub?

PD: Not all drum 'n' bass is dub oriented; in fact, most isn't nowadays. More Rockers is dub drum 'n' bass, that's where we're coming from. You don't get that so much anymore – in the past people used more dub MCs and dub bass lines.

BG: Does it bother you when people blow off dub as music for stoners?

PD: It's got a lot of aspects, and that's definitely one of them.

BG: What attracts you to dub?

PD: The vibration you get from the bass – it's very therapeutic. The music has space, it allows you to breathe, and at the same time soothes you. And the vocals have very conscious messages. The awareness that is given to you lyrically from dub is one of the most important things. It's not necessarily a political activist sort of thing – it's more about being aware of what's going on around you. Just be aware.

But [many] people don't understand dub because new dub is not readily available. There is stuff out there – like the Disciples, Sizzler, Iration Steppers – you have to search for it. The other day we went to a Jah Shakka sound system in London. He's been doing it since the '60s and has a huge cult following. He is a real, roots proper, genuine sound system. He treats dub on a special, spiritual level. He plays things which are fresh – a combo of new dub and old. He jumps around from 20 o'clock at night till 7 in the morning to dub. He's the man.

Smith & Mighty Soundsystem. Thurs/3, 9 p.m., 550 Barneveld, S.F. $12. 21 and over.

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