The Prototypes: “We Keep Hearing The Name Boomtown All Over. It’s Really Kickin’ It At The Moment, It’s Just So Mental!”

SET to perform at this year’s hotly anticipated Boomtown Fair- Behind The Mask, Chris Garvey of Brighton Drum and Bass duo, The Prototypes, chatted to VIVA Magazine about their plans for this year, their love for playing in Manchester and how they can’t wait to perform at one of the craziest festivals around…

Having already played a handful of shows this year across Europe and the UK, Chris exclaimed: “I can’t remember the last time we weren’t busy!” Performing at Let It Roll festival in Germany a couple of weeks ago, he continued: “We’ve got Nuforms festival coming up in Austria this weekend so that will probably be really sick like it was last year.”

As well as playing across Europe, The Prototypes also performed at Detonate festival in Nottingham earlier in June, with Chris explaining that the duo don’t usually perform ‘up north’ as frequently. However, performing a set at the infamous dingy yet delightful Antwerp Mansion in Manchester a few months prior, Chris began to explain his love for playing in the northern city. “Its always mental!” He laughed, “especially Antwerp Mansion. It’s got a real underground vibe and kinda feels like the clubs we grew up in in Brighton, particularly Volks. It’s got that dirty yet nice feel to it. That’s what I like about it. Its just raw and its nice to come back to places like this too.”

Playing to huge audiences across Europe and the UK, Chris explained how it was also equally as enjoyable playing to smaller crowds: “Obviously the epic scale of playing such big festivals is amazing, but sometimes you are so disconnected from the crowd because you’re so far away. It’s nice to just come back and do the 200 or 300 capacity venues and just feel the energy.”

Currently in the studio recording their first EP for their own record label, ‘Get Hype,’ as well as playing around Europe and the UK, where did it all start for Chris? “I first got into music when I was zero years old,” he joked. “My parents were both musicians and my brothers are as well so music has been my whole life really. The Drum and Bass came when I was about 14 or 15 years old…and then it’s pretty much been Drum and Bass since then!”

Starting off MC’ing, Chris reminisced of how he eventually got into Djing Drum and Bass: “I won some free records in Brighton and I used to play those. We used to have a single record player at home and I eventually got some Numark belt drives when I was about 17. I remember how carefully you had to touch those things otherwise the needle would just jump. I then ended up getting some Technics about the age of 18- it was more complicated but it was wicked back then!”

Now around over seven years since the start of his career with The Prototypes, the duo have had countless memorable experiences in which Chris reflected on a few of his favourites. “There’s definitely a few that spring to mind,” he began, “our album launch in Brighton was really special a few years ago. It was with all our mates and after having been everywhere and done what we had done- just to come home and launch the album in our hometown with everyone was really special. Let it roll festival when we played on the main stage two years ago (2015) was really special as well.”

With Boomtown Fair fast approaching in August too, The Prototypes will be performing at the festival. Hoping to bring something special, their set will be based around their own tunes with a few VIP’s and new intros thrown into the mix.” We’re massively looking forward to playing Boomtown,” Chris told. “ I’ve never been before yet but my mates have been going for years and they just come back with the craziest stories. The more I travel the more I keep hearing the name Boomtown all over. It’s really kickin’ it at the moment. There’s all these little crazy scenarios and it’s just so mental!”

With their new single, ‘Jungle Jungle’ out tomorrow (30/06/17), The Prototypes have a seriously exciting summer ahead of them. Don’t forget to catch their set at Boomtown Fair on Friday the 11^th August.