Eddy Says

Eddy Says: Ignore the man behind the curtain…

By Eddy Temple-Morris | Published on Monday 23 November 2009

I listened to Fabio’s excellent radio show last week, a lovely two hours of head-nodding up the M1 on my way to a gig. In it he dissected ‘Bishigate’ – the event that everyone in drum n bass has been talking about, and about which some have been getting their knickers in a right old twist in the past few weeks.

It was recently alleged that Mistabishi did a gig with a pre-prepared set on CD, and he, overnight, became the “most hated man in drum n bass”, according to an eminent MC on my Facebook page. Hospital Records issued a statement – which Fabio read out – saying that Bishi had seriously let himself down, but that he remained a ‘maverick genius’.

I think that’s a really important thing to remember here. Mistabishi is probably more of a producer than a DJ. Many talented producers come under a lot of pressure to deliver the brilliance of what they do in the studio in a live scenario. Some are naturals at the live thing, but others have to try really hard. I’ve never seen him play so I don’t know which category he falls into.

I’ve also not heard what he has personally said about all these rumours [actually, I have now, but we’ll come to that later], so can we just remind ourselves that we live in a society where a person is to be innocent until proven guilty. I’ve heard and read so many lies about me, or friends, or colleagues, that I would not be surprised if this was some kind of backstab.

People are so cruel these days. I think the internet and the way it’s broken down the barriers between fans and artists has fuelled a negativity that’s out of kilter with how the majority of people feel, so my heart goes out to him. I know he’s a maverick genius, and a very funny one. If he did play a pre-mixed set, then we must remind ourselves that to err is human and we should be humane, to show forgiveness and largeness of character, not poison and negativity in what, either way, must be a very difficult time for him.

I experienced this kind of hate earlier this year, albeit to a much lesser degree, when some little new-skool-breaks DJ, probably motivated by jealousy more than anything else, claimed on his Facebook page that I had “mimed an entire set”. What had, in actual fact, happened was that I’d seamlessly mixed individual CDs for over an hour, under the watchful eye of the Utah Saints, then towards the end of my set played that Stereo:Type ten minute mash up (a request as it happens).

I scratched some stuff over the top, more to relieve the unusual sensation of having nothing to do for ten minutes, so this jealous little twerp sees this and goes off on an internet rant the very next day, inventing something that never happened, and spreading malicious lies that damaged me tangibly.

I could have sued him. I still could. But rather than do this I contacted the guy and simply invited him to any future gig as my guest, to come and have a beer, several, off my rider – cos I’d be driving – to watch my set from the booth and then swallow his words and shake hands. He sent me a rather sheepish email apologising for the misunderstanding and promised to square it with his friends that he’d slandered me to.

I don’t know if he did square it because, in a predictably cowardly way, he ‘unfriended/blocked’ me so I couldn’t see if he was as good as his word. He said he’d take me up on my kind invitation, probably a little surprised that I’d been so big about it, but to this day the silence from him is deafening. I’m not going to say his name because I don’t want to give him any publicity – if he’d been big enough to actually come to a gig as my guest and watch me DJ then we’d be mates and I’d be talking about him in a much more humorous way, but no, he wasn’t big about it. In not taking up my invitation he’s exposed himself. What a cock. He could’ve had some free beers and a load of good publicity; instead he made himself look serpentine.

Anyway, I was reminded of this horrible little episode when the Bishigate thing happened. And I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Whatever did happen with Mistabish – and we still don’t know for sure – I can empathise with what he must be feeling and it makes me doubly keen to show support now. Nobody likes to be hated, most of us want to be liked and appreciated, so let’s remember ‘Printajam’. Let’s remember his White Lies remix and those other tracks you’ve been bigging up on my Facebook/Twitter. And let’s remember that nobody bats an eyelid at all these DJs that use Traktor and Ableton Live when they are, erm, ‘disc jockeying’, and, like Norman Cook says, “it looks like they’re checking their emails”.

Mistabishi, as a DJ, whatever has happened here, I empathise with you. As a producer, I salute you. And as a human being, I hold out my hand: Come on my show anytime you like, it would be an honour to have you there.

ADDENDUM:
I wrote this, obviously, before I knew what happened, and now I do, it makes me feel even better about what I wrote. Mistabishi says he was set up, and of course I believe him. He NEVER PLAYED A SINGLE PRE-RECORDED CD. He feels understandably exploited by the entire affair, and feels like the dnb establishment are smearing him.

So, let’s make it ‘Be Nice To Mistabishi Week’ and ignore all the haters who are spreading lies, just like that Muppet I told you about. I’ve asked him, directly, if he wants to come on my show and set the record straight. He’s not got back to me about that but I certainly don’t want to pressure him. He’s feeling really angry, and I can empathise. It’s not a good look going public when you’re angry, much better to wait a bit and then come on with his head held high, and be dignified. Maybe he wants to stay mysterious. Either way he has my full support and I would ask you to give him yours.

With love and respect to you, and to Mistabishi,

X eddy

Eddy Says from this edition of the CMU Remix Update.