D/R/U/G/S

D/R/U/G/S

Get High On This Future House SuperstarCal welcome to DMC. You were once in a Punk band that never really went anywhere, but you happily admit to an early love of Hip Hop.

D/R/U/G/SWhat artists were booming out of your speakers back then and is there anyone from Hip Hop you’d like to work with today?
“Doom! Definitely my favourite artist and producer of any genre. Hip Hop was the first music that really connected with me, everyone around my way growing up was into Garage mostly which never really did it for me, although saying that, ’21 Seconds’ was the first CD I ever bought and I’ll always have a soft spot for So Solid!”

We hear you are from quite a musical family…

“Yeah, drummers everywhere you look. I supported Kele at the Ritz in Manchester last year which was pretty special as my grandfather and Great Uncle had both played there years ago. My pops is a working musician too.”

Originally from deepest London town, you moved to Manchester as a teenager, what’s the sketch there?

“I moved back up here for school and a couple of Uni attempts. All my family are from and mostly still are oop topside.”

So a big Man Utd supporter, I’ll never forgive you for nicking Wayne Rooney from us, even if I am from Manchester. So is Ryan Giggs going to get it in the neck this season or what?
“Ha, Giggsy. He can shag who he wants as far as im concerned. 12 League titles.”

At what point did you decide that Punk wasn’t going to work out for you and that dance music was the way forward?
“I’d never really given House or Techno a chance until just over a year ago. It was just a case of hearing the right tunes like for any genre. The stand outs in my mind are the James Holden remix of Nathan Fake and the Superpitcher remix of The MFA. The mix of beats and ambient sound was something really new to me, and it just connected, you know?”

In an interview last year you infamously told a journalist that although people keep liking you to Orbital, you have never heard any of their music – is this still true?
“Ha ha! I checked them out straight after that interview! I think Huw Stephens started the Orbital comparisons actually. I can live with it.”

A mighty first EP under your belt featuring Love/Lust and Velodrome 1 and Velodrome 2. Tell us about the next EP which is coming out around October, again on Moshi Moshi…

“Gonna be the same deal, 3 tracks. I really didn’t just want to make ‘Love/Lust’ again which I think would’ve been an obvious temptation. I wanted to use a big club House track sound and take them to different places, I’m especially happy with the closing track – I think it’s the best thing I’ve done so far. I’m excited for people to hear it.”

Each of your stunning live sets seem to be different from the previous one. How do you think your live sets are going to develop in the future?

“Man, I think this a thing that a lot of live electronic guys struggle with, it’s hard to get across what it is you’re actually doing up there. That’s one of the main reasons I don’t use a laptop, only hardware. It doesn’t help when you see stuff like Swedish House Mafia on the telly having 3 guys behind 2 CDJs and calling it a live performance. The visual side of things is something we’re always looking at. I tried to get some holographic projections for a few festivals but they were a bit out of our price range!”

What is the best club you have ever been to?
“Fabric was a great experience, the sound on stage was crystal. Debaser in Malmo was ridiculous too, the most positive atmosphere I’ve ever seen in a club.”

Great reports from your show at Glastonbury and you are playing at most of the major weekenders this Summer. What are your memories from the Somerset fields?
“Obviously playing was massive for me, it was the first festival I’d ever actually been to so it was very special. Swearing online at 3pm and having the BBC put up an apology was a big moment, even if it was a complete accident (honest). And what we saw in the Stone Circle on the Sunday morning, I can’t even begin to describe really. I’m starting to doubt if I was even there myself”

What is the greatest record ever made and why?
“Oh man! I feel like I should pick some old Blues record or something. Gas 0095 would be up there, it sounds exactly as it should if that makes sense.”

How did it feel listening to Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank and Steve Lamacq playing your music on air?
“I’ve missed every single radio play we’ve got, people always text me saying they just heard it. When I first started making music it seemed like such an unreachable thing to get on Radio 1. Very surreal. It’s not like theres a big studio and some super producer behind these tracks.”

Who is the best live band you’ve ever seen…?

“Caribou / Four Tet / James Holden last year at Warehouse was the best show I’ve ever been to. Hard to split those 3 for me as they complimented each other so well.”

DMC are the proud owners of the Back To Mine CD series, what 10 tunes would we be listening to back at yours chilling or carrying on the party…?

“This is what I’m rinsing at the moment…
1. Andre Kraml – Safari (James Holden Remix)
2. Gui Borratto – The Drill
3. Laura Jones – Love In Me
4. Maceo Plex – Gravy Train (Nicholas Jaar Remix)
5. Hyetal – Pheonix
6. John Tejada – Subdivided
7. Levon Vincent – Woman is The Devil
8. Omar S – The Maker
9. Theo Parrish – Sky Walking
10. Arto Mwambe – Love Lift”

Which artists would you say influenced the music you are making now?
“MF DOOM, James Holden, The Field, Gas, OPN, So Solid Crew, My pops, Nirvana. Basically everyone I’ve already mentioned.”

And finally, what will you be happy to have achieved this time next year…
“If I can still be around producing tracks and doing shows thats good enough for me, thats all I’ve ever wanted or really been able to do.”