Music Talk : Music Industry Interviews, Advice and tips for DJs & Producers · Grahame Farmer

Music Talk 078 - Interviewing Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols)

·1 hr 29 min·5 clips

A Geffen deal, a bankrupt label, and 9/11 left Dub Pistols scrambling twice in the same cycle.

Graham opens with Barry Ashford joining the shed for a long conversation about the new Dark Pistols album Frontline. The energy is immediate and a bit chaotic. Barry and Graham trade banter before the chat settles into the record, the live scene, and the wider path that led there. The album is treated as a fresh burst of summer atmosphere. Its sound is described as a mix of dark hip-hop, ska, jungle, reggae subjects and themes. Graham points out the guest appearances on the project, including Ragga Twins, Natty Campbell, Freed Starlers, and Cheshire Cat. The conversation does not stay in one lane for long. It opens out into Mucky Weekender and other stories from Barry's world. Barry talks plainly about music culture and where genres come from. He keeps coming back to the idea of foundations. For him, every scene starts somewhere. He points to the Specials and the Clash as doors into Studio One and Jamaican culture. He draws the same line through hip-hop, from American pioneers to the UK figures he names with respect. The point is not history for its own sake. It is about knowing what you are standing on when you make or play music. Barry argues that people should research more, learn more, and know more about the records and experiences that fed the styles they love. He also notes that many of the originators did not get paid their dues at the time. Graham keeps the pace up with cues to play music and reactions from listeners, which gives the whole thing a live, in-the-room feel. A drum and bass stretch lands with extra force, and Barry lights up talking about producers he rates, including King Youth. The chat has that friendly, slightly unruly back-and-forth that makes the show feel less like an interview and more like being in the same room. It ends on a straightforward note of encouragement. Barry tells listeners, especially producers and people trying to get into the industry, that there is no single route. His message is simple: keep believing in yourself, keep going, and do not give up after the knocks. The closing exchange lands as a proper good-luck send-off, with plans to see each other at Mucky Weekender and a final round of big love.

As heard by us

Barry Ashworth talks Frontline, the music's roots, and why tracing those foundations still matters.

Barry Ashworth talks about the band, Frontline, and the deeper roots behind the music. The best stretch comes when the talk settles into scene memory and the case he makes is plain: every style has foundations, and if you want to understand what you are playing, you have to…

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Press play for Barry on Frontline, Mucky Weekender, and the roots behind the sound.

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