Josh Butler

An incredible year continues for this amazing new talent

Interview by Rob Chadwick


Hey Josh welcome back to DMCWORLD. How are you – you’ve been supporting Nile Rogers recently? What was that like?

It was an absolute pleasure. It really took me out of my comfort zone which is necessary every so often. I met some great people the week I was on tour with him too.

You head to Ibiza this summer – you love it there right?

Ibiza is one of those places that as soon as you land you can feel it’s special, magic atmosphere. Apparently the island has the second strongest magnetic field in the world after the Bermuda Triangle…so no doubt this has something to do with that inexplicable feeling…. 

You play Magna Carta in London on May 3rd and also in Ibiza this summer – what should people expect? How much do you plan for big shows like that?

Yeah I can’t wait. I played there last summer too and loved it. Expect underground music in a perfectly stripped back room with one of the best sound systems on the island.

How has your DJ style and production evolved as you have played more and more – are you still learning?

The beauty of this art form is I’m always learning. That’s one of the reasons I’m still so excited by it after nearly 15 years of experimenting with sounds. 

Has it got easier or harder to produce over the years – do you have more skills and less ideas as you have done so much, or do you still struggle to get the sounds in your head down?

The more I practice and teach  myself , the easier it is to get ideas down. I have ideas floating around everyday but not always enough time these days to create them. My phone is full of notes and recordings that need to be utilized.   

About your own productions – how has your style changed in recent years? Are you more able to get down the tunes in your head now?

Well, I’ve been producing since I was 13 and for the first 5-6 years it was a big struggle to get ideas out. As I mentioned before, with practice it gets easier, but it’s the same with anything I guess. I make all sorts of styles too, not just house. It’s mainly house music that I am releasing at the moment, but other project ideas will be pushed when I  have time.

Do you make different sounds according to what label it’s for, or do you just do your own thing ?

I just stick to my thing. It all depends on my mood at the time. Music is expression and if you’re chasing a label’s sound, that defeats the object…in my opinion, of course.

What are you going to do next after this interview?

I am playing in Fez, Sheffield tonight with Bontan. It’s the last weekend of our ‘ Be True ‘ tour, a 4 day weekend ahead! 

What else have you got coming up?

I have just remixed a track for Fatboy Slim which is out soon. I have another track coming on my good friend Kerri Chandler’s label, Madtech and my new Feelings EP is out now on Noir…lots of cool happenings…

*****

Josh plays Magna Carta at o2 Academy Brixton – May 3rd

Josh Butler links:

https://soundcloud.com/joshbutler

https://www.facebook.com/joshbutlermusic

https://twitter.com/joshbutlermusic

https://pro.beatport.com/artist/josh-butler/123709