The don live and direct at DMCWORLD towers
Interview by Rob Chadwick
Zinc a massive welcome back to DMCWORLD. What new music are you working on at the moment, where does the inspiration come from for you?
Hey DMC! I’m working on bass heavy dance music from 120-160, pretty much the same as the last few years. A big inspiration is wanting to play certain stuff in a club and not being able to find what I want to play.
Have you got any bits of studio gear you are currently obsessed with or that have featured a lot on your recent tracks?
Hmmm everything I do goes through a GML EQ and Smart c2, but maybe for sounds I think my Pro 2 is great.
Do you make music with a label or club or dancefloor in mind or is it more a free flowing process?
I make what I want to hear (sounds obvious but took me a while to get there…) – I think what would I want to hear if I was in a club? Then try to make it!
How hard is it to stay relevant and at the forefront in the modern scene?
Haha I’m not sure that I am – I just keep doing what I’m into. I think get bored with things easily, so maybe that keeps things fresh.
Do you find people want to hear your old stuff or the crack house stuff or are people receptive to you playing you’re new stuff?
Making all different music under 1 name has its advantages and disadvantages – people seem to appreciate the variety in some ways, but I think it’s confusing for others if they hear a track they like of mine, then search You Tube and find something quite different. When I started doing mainly house in 2009, I made the decision to stick with the 1 name. One downside is that whenever I DJ somewhere, there will be a few people (sometimes loads) who want to hear a different style. This happened at Warehouse Project last Friday where I was booked to play jungle and a group of girls were shouting ‘please play ‘Wile Out’’ the whole time. But it’s all good!
What have been the biggest changes in the game over the years for you, as someone who has been involved in music for decades?
The digital revolution has changed nearly everything. The thing that hasn’t changed is the pure music element, but the production, consumption, distribution etc have changed dramatically. For the better mainly.
How much of an influence has radio played in your life, from pirate stations right up to the likes of Rinse and NTS nowadays?
I’m so lucky that I grew up in London listening to pirate radio – it influenced me massively. I don’t think I’d be working in the music industry if it weren’t for pirate radio. Its’ still mainly the pirates that I listen to when I’m driving around. The DJ’s play what they want to hear, not what a plugger is bugging them to play – I love the purity.
What else have you got coming up that you are excited about?
Working on loads of new music – it’s such a good time for bass heavy house and stuff a bit faster – when I did the crack house thing quite a few people supported it but lots more were opposed to the big bass and samples kind of sound. Now that seems to be more acceptable.
How do you like to spend your money away from music? What hobbies have you got?
My money? Haha I don’t really have any expensive hobbies. I cook most days, I spend lots of time with my 2 kids and read loads. I love the travelling part of my job, I don’t watch TV (pretty much ever) and I walk my dog every day. I’ve got a really nice simple life.
What is the most prized record in your collection and why? Do you still buy vinyl, is it a format that is important to you?
I don’t buy vinyl any more – I was very happy when I stopped playing vinyl and dubplates – I’m just interested in music, I couldn’t care less how it arrives, only that it sounds good. Maybe my most prized record would be “£10 to Get In” by Shut Up and Dance.
Zinc will play The Rainbow NYD – www.therainbowvenues.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/djzinc
