micapam | j.l.b

about

Posted on October 19th, 2006 by Joshua Mostafa.
Categories: uncategorized.

This is my chance to be write a self indulgent (auto)bio with delusions of grandeur…

I grew up listening to the music my parents played: bebop, jazz-funk, Latin jazz; raga, qawwali, ghazal, bhajan, hamd, polli-giti; Motown, 60s pop and rock’n'roll. It was the Bristol trip-hop sound (Portishead, Tricky, Massive Attack), as the perfect accompaniment to smokey afternoons in Brighton, that was my first stepping to stone the music I came to love: underground hiphop (especially the UK stuff), JA dub, roots reggae, drum’n'bass (especially dubwise), dubstep, etc. Bass and soul.

The Brighton is small but its music scene is diverse and vibrant; nurtured my love of these styles: Strictly Reggae at the Volks (hosted by my mate DJ Felix), Slipjam-B at the Freebutt (open decks, open mic at a little pub by the Level), the Lunarcy full moon dnb/techno parties, the Jazz Rooms, etc. I fancied myself as an emcee for a while but I was wack: I’m too deliberate and cold-blooded to thrive in such a spontaneous artform. Good lyrics but no freestyle flair.
Meanwhile I was building up a collection (since lost and rebuilt) and broadening and deepening my knowledge. I spent countless hours listening to tracks over and over, either soaking in the vibe or analysing every hi-hat and phrase; I had no musical training but I intuited theories and discovered patterns that formed a framework that I still (unconsciously) refer to in my listening, selection and production. Dabbling in music journalism let me meet some of my musical heroes and hear their thoughts at first hand.
Fast forward to 2007. I live in Sydney now: in the week, I live in Surry Hills; on the weekends, in the Blue Mountains. I have three wonderful daughters who are my everything.