Hey Joshua – bit of an early introduction into the music arena You are known to release tunes under many different guises, bringing out records from many different areas of what we listen to – Acid House, Garage, Funk, Rock – whatever you want…so who did you listen to growing up that influenced this amazing musical brain?
“Well I had both parents into music, my dad was into Blues, Folk, Rock, Punk and Kraftwerk. My Mum was into Pop and some not so Mumsy music like The Cocteau Twins and Leonard Cohen. I also had three brothers all into music and we fostered kids mostly from London who all were teenagers – there were very many different music influences from them too, loads of wild sounds – I had a house full of music.”
Okay, music is your life, what is your favourite album ever made?
“Wow I dont know, it changes all the time. The two albums I can say I have listened to the most would probably be Aphex Twin’ ‘Ambient Selection Volume 1’ and Jeff Buckleys ‘Grace’.”
Bit of a big move setting up your own label, Tomorrow Records at such a young age…you started it whilst at Univeristy and folded it when you left…what’s the story there? And what were studying too?
“I was studying digital media, all about websites, streaming, digital radio, making digital films and I also did screenwriting which I enjoyed the most. John Foxx was one of my lecturers, he was brilliant. I was forced into shutting it down in one sense, two distributors went down and took all the money I had saved for the label to run on, and it was very niche music – I was doing it on my own and a lot of the time driving around on my scooter with a back pack full of records selling directly to a lot of shops in London. It was the only way to turn a profit on a run of 400 12″s. I also was more interested in getting my Herve tracks out on a label. Obviously I have gone back to owning my own label, cheap thrills, I just love having my own label and being responsible for it and putting out comps – it’s fun and I enjoy getting good music out there. I think we have a super strong roster and it’s only gonna get better….”
You are from Essex, what have ben your favourite clubs over the the years in a county renowned for it’s acid house and garage roots?
“Well when I was really young there was a club called Too Toos (weird name!?) which had a lot the big DJs, it was great.”
So how important was meeting your friend Dave ‘ Switch’ Taylor – it set up the second chapter for you musically – stage two…?
“Ha ha…I met him through a mate from school, we all just happened to be from Essex. Yeah it really was a second phase cos dave believed in me and immediatley put out the Herve stuff when I played it to him. I’d also written an album with my friend singing just before we met that he was going to mixdown and do some additional production on, it was kinda 21st century Sly and the Family Stone, Rock, Funk and Hip Hop. I’m not sure why we never finished it. I think maybe because things took off so fast for me, I didn’t have time to look back.”
New double CD out now – ‘Ghetto Bass, a mix of bassline sounds, electro, drum & bass, dubstep and house…talk us through the new album…what tracks stand out?
“Well I just really wanted to let the world know what I was really about when it comes to me DJing in a club, I’m very aware about people trying to pingeon hole artists and hopefully the ghetto bass series of albums will stop that and people will be into them and open up to the music. So, ‘Fake Blood remix has gone crazy on Beatport, sold a lot, also the other exclusives such as Jack Beats ‘Get Down’ and my track Jungle Steppers’ too.
What is your favourite early release you put out way back in the day – and what is your personal favourite all time release you’ve ever put out?
“Well I was kinda proud of one of the Tomorrow People tracks I did called ‘Is Anybody Listening’. My next Herve single I think is the thing I’m most proud of coming out in May and is called ‘Baseball Bat.’
Tell us about your music collective ‘Machines Don’t Care… how did you all meet?
“Well I just made a list of people I thought were making the best club tracks and I knew a lot of them through DJjing and making tunes. The next one is called ‘MDC American Reboot’ and I’m collaborating with North and South Americans…”
You have remixed the likes of Mark Ronson, The Chemical Brothers, Bloc Party, New Young Pony Club and Sam Sparro – what has been your best ever remix? You are probably the biggest remixer in the world right now…
“I would say Kidda-Under the Sun and Princess Superstar- Licky are probably the biggest but my fondest memories are maybe for the Unkle Jam Remix I did, it did really well and people saw it as something new and different sounding wich always makes me proud.”‘
Rolling Stone magazine hailing you as ‘London’s hottest DJ’ – whadda ya think about that?
“Yeah that was rather amazing, I think I’ve deffo got better since then though!”
What tunes you plugg into at the moment?
“I’ve only really been listening to that new Amorphous Androgenous ‘Cosmic Rock’ mix comp at the moment, it helps me to get out of studio mode!”
Biggest ever music icon in your life that you’ve look up to?
“People like Brian Wilson, Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Bill Withers, Pharrell.”
What’s next for Herve in 2009, what’s the ‘The Count & Sinden’ album on Domino Records all about and what can we expect from your label Cheap Thrills this year – rumours of releases from Jack Beats, Detboi, Rico Tubbs and Zomby?
“Well next is the Herve single featuring Marina Gasolina ‘Baseball Bat’. Then some Count and Sinden singles – I’m very proud of the album and hope it will be a dance album that is remembered! Its out end of the summer. Cheap Thrills we have new records from, Jack Beats, Machines Don’t Care, Fake Blood, Ricco Tubbs, Hi Rankin, Detboi, Zomby. Over the next few months I’m also launching Deep Thrills, the first release is gonna be rather special I think! And a Cheap Thrills 2xcd Comp that will have 4-6 new exclusive tracks on it!! Oh and my t-shirt label “Cheap Thrills” – check my myspace for the first one “Essex Raver” – then there will be the full range dropping soon…”