Interview: In Conversation with Conrad Subs: Rock N Rollerz and Raw Honesty on Dirtbox

One of the UK’s most prolific and consistently on-point producers, Conrad Subs returns to Dirtbox Recordings with Rock N Rollerz Episode 5—his first full solo EP for the label and a bold statement of intent. Packed with heavyweight steppers, rolling grooves and emotional depth, the release reflects a producer who’s long mastered the balance between classic influence and modern flair. We caught up with Adam to talk studio instincts, surviving the noise, and why he’ll never chase a Barbie Girl remix for viral fame.

Rock N Rollerz Episode 5 marks your first full-length EP for Dirtbox. What was the mindset going into this one, and how did it feel to get the call-up for a full solo release on the label?

Yeah it’s always nice when people respond to your music anyway, and then when someone wants to invest time and money in pushing your work out there, it means a lot. I write so much music I can’t put it all out myself, so if the right home comes along, that always helps.

“Fatboi” is a huge opener—cheeky, weighty, full of personality. Can you talk us through how that one came together and what you were aiming for with the vibe?

It actually started out as a nod to that Bristol, DLR, The Sauce, Sofa Sound kind of style, but then I ended up slapping a huge distorted, almost Ram style bass sound on it. That usually happens where you aim for one thing in the studio and end up with something different.

There’s a definite nod to the Dread era on “Get Down,” but it still feels bang up to date. How do you go about channelling those old-school influences without it becoming retro for retro’s sake?

It’s easy for me to channel the older sounds because I’m fucking old haha! Nearly 30 years of listening to Jungle and Drum & Bass is always going to result in those older sounds working into the music. I don’t pay any attention to trying to make old styles sound up to date, I just make what I want to hear and what I think will work.

“Following Dusk” really stands out for its emotional depth—those uplifting chords paired with a dark rolling bassline hit hard. Was there a particular moment or feeling that inspired this one?

No, not really, it was one of them ones where I was just trying out things in the studio and suddenly you catch a certain vibe and run with it… I’m not sure how I would describe it because it’s not really liquid, it’s not really dancefloor, I don’t know what it is. It was just an expression of that moment.

You originally debuted “Only Want” and “Leave Them Behind” on last year’s Vibe City LP. What made you want to bring them back into the spotlight for this EP?

They are the oldest tunes on the EP. I’ve had them in the bank for years and just every now and then return to them and update a few things. It was the label’s choice to include them again, but it makes sense, rounds out the EP nicely

The EP moves smoothly between weighty steppers and lush liquid rollers. Do you go in with a clear direction when writing a project like this, or is it more about capturing a range of moods as they come?

Sometimes I’ll have a theme or overall idea for an EP or album, and know what I want to cover with it. This one was more a collection of tracks that just seemed to work together and cover a number of styles.

You’ve released on a who’s who of D&B labels—Metalheadz, Hospital, RAM, Symmetry, and now Dirtbox. What is it about this scene that keeps pushing you creatively?

I just love listening to a track by another artist, whether that's one that is brand new or 30 years old and seeing what ideas I can take from it, thinking how I would do things differently, and then testing out those new ideas and inspiration in the studio. Because I’m older now, a lot of the current ‘slap a vocal on for TikTok’ and remixes of terrible 90s pop tunes don’t push me creatively at all. Actually what pushes me is when I see videos online of people hyping up some utter shite, then I grumble in old man voice and go to the studio to make something (which I think) is better.

You’ve carved out a style that’s instantly recognisable—rolling, musical, but still heavyweight. Has that always been the goal, or has your sound evolved over time into something more instinctive?

I’ve never really had a goal, sound-wise, only to get better, which I think I have over time. I don’t really know what my style is because I make pretty much all styles of Drum & Bass Jungle in some way. I just make things I want to hear, and luckily for me people seem to connect with it.

With so much music out there, what do you think it is that keeps people coming back to the Conrad Subs sound?

That’s easy! I constantly spam people's ears with new music until they give in and let me in. That was a joke, by the way. It may be half true, haha. I don’t know, I think a lot of people are chasing the exact same sound out here. Everyone wants that immediate drop and a video of the crowd screaming as validation. If remixes of Aqua Barbie Girl and Peter Andre are your thing, fair enough, good for you, and I’m sure you’ll probably make a lot of people shout on the drop and get the crowd hyped. I’m not chasing any of those things. If everyone stopped listening to my music tomorrow, I’d still be making the same stuff. 

Finally… if you could take just one drum and bass track—by any artist, from any era—to a desert island, what would it be and why?

Well there are a million I could choose, impossible to answer… top of my head, Splash Babylon, going insane on an island whilst thrashing amens are going off sounds fun.

Massive thanks to Conrad Subs for the chat and straight-up answers. Rock N Rollerz Episode 5 is out now via Dirtbox Recordings—go run it!