Growing up in the sleepy UK town of Desborough to touring the shores of Zante with Nathan Dawe, Alfie Cridland’s journey into clubland was a remarkable one. A selector and producer of all things electronic, spanning commercial house, R&B and hip hop, Cridland’s skillset in cross-genre mixing later caught the attention of label and management agency, Perfect Havoc, where Cridland’s sounds would be brought to the masses. From ‘New Levels’ with Tobtok and Milwin – BBC Radio 1 ‘Tune Of The Week’ – to the rave house ‘Fall Again’ with T.Matthias – a TikTok viral with more than 6m views over 1k creations – Cridland continues to serve up the good stuff. We thought now would be a good time to get-to-know the budding talent. Here’s what went down.
You supported Nathan at the O2 in Birmingham and on his Zante tour. What was it like performing at such prominent venues, and how has it impacted your career?
It was a crazy experience to say the least. When I DJ’d at the 02 in Birmingham, I had never actually played a nightclub before! I was DJing in some local smaller bars at the time, so it was a massive jump to such a well-recognised venue. After that opportunity, I remember it was just a random weekday and saw Nathan Dawe ringing my phone. I picked up and he said, “Would you fancy doing a summer in Zante?” As you can imagine, I was on the next plane out!
Your mashup videos have gained thousands of views online. How do you approach creating these mashups, and what do you think makes them so popular?
I have a very specific way of making mashups, and it’s trial and error until something works. Sometimes a mashup can take two hours and sometimes a mashup can take 20 minutes. I decided to start filming the mashups in different locations on TikTok, following the comments as to where people wanted me to come. It was great for engagement and really encouraged people to start using my sound for their own videos as well.
Your latest release, “Spinnin’ With You”, came out recently on Perfect Havoc. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this track and what the creative process was like?
A major inspiration behind this track was a summer record I could play at my sets. I love the feel-good house sound while DJing in the sunny weather. It was great to meet and work alongside Alex Moretto on the production process.
Your debut single ‘Last Day In Paradise’ with Paul Kay, received support from BBC Radio 1 and made it into the Capital Big Top 40. How did it feel to achieve such success with your first release?
It was a great feeling! I remember I had just arrived at my house and my phone started vibrating, then vibrating again and then vibrating again. After a few times, I took it out and looked to see a message from a friend saying “I’ve just heard Last Day in Paradise” on the radio! I was straight onto the play back programme online, trying to find the minute it was played! It actually probably hasn’t really even sunk in yet, I will never get over the fact the song’s actually being played on radio. It was always a dream of mine.
Your music spans various sub-genres of electronic dance music. How would you describe your sound, and which artists or experiences have influenced it the most?
I like to think I have a unique sound. I love to mix songs of completely different genres, which makes my live performance even more exciting as nobody knows what’s coming next. I took great inspiration from Nathan Dawe as he was the first DJ I saw that released a multi genre DJ mix online. I love the reception of mixing rap vocals onto a house beat that I’ve created myself, as nobody has ever heard that version before.
You’ve been showcasing your talent in clubs across the UK. What’s your favourite part about performing live, and do you have any memorable gig stories to share?
I recently played at Ministry of Sound in London alongside the Perfect Havoc family of mine. This is always a great experience. I was lucky enough to be on the same lineup as Benny Benassi who is someone I’ve been listening to for as long as I can remember. It’s always a great part of my career being able to play the city’s most well recognised clubs, as I come from a small town myself and growing up, it was always considered unreachable.
Looking at your discography, you’ve been consistently releasing music since 2020. How do you stay motivated and creative in such a fast-paced industry?
Music for me is how I relax, it’s how I fill my spare time, and how I release my emotions – it makes me feel fulfilled when people listen and enjoy my sounds. For this reason, the motivation is almost natural to me. Aswell as this, I have ENDLESS ideas for new music. Even during the making of a project I’m already writing down ideas for the next project!
What are your biggest career goals and aspirations, and how close are you to achieving them?
One of my ultimate goals is to play at Creamfields. I’ve always loved the festival line up and been inspired by all the artists and DJ’s that I’ve watched there. I’d like to think I’m not too far off from this goal, but I understand things like this take time. I have lots of short-term goals I’m reaching and changing all the time. I think it’s really important to have goals of different levels and different time scales.
Have you got any exciting projects, gigs or anything else in the pipeline over the rest of 2024 that you’d like to share?
I have been working on one of my favourite records so far recently. It’s been a long time in the making but we are just about there. I can’t say too much right now but I’m hoping the release is just around the corner. It’s also the first time I’ve worked with the other producers on the track, so keep your eyes peeled!
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Alex Moretto x Alfie Cridland x Émilie Rachel ‘Spinnin’ With You’ is out now on Perfect Havoc. Stream / buy here https://perfecthavoc.lnk.to/spinninwithyou
Follow Alfie Cridland here….
http://www.instagram.com/djalfiecridland