Hi Mark, nice to hook up. An amazing career, so many pieces of remarkable work. So let’s go down your journey, what do you think has been the best album you’ve put out?
“Hi Dan. I would say my first album, because there is a real innocence to that one, I was 100% making music for myself, I was absolutely oblivious to ‘scenes’ or ‘genres’ or which DJs would play it, I simply didn’t care.”
Is there a new album coming our way?
“I’ve only recently settled back into studio life, as DJing has just took over my life for a while. It seemed all I was doing was touring and compilations, but I’m now getting back into writing, so an album is in the pipeline but i can’t really commit until I decide how I’m going to approach it, I’m just putting the finishing touches on a four track EP, one vocal cut and the rest an odd mixture of alternative Techno with Electro and Breakbeat overtones – it will be interesting to see what people make of it, I’ve also been doing a few remixes, which are about to surface on various labels…”
So your musical style has changed over the years, one of the innovators of the Breakbeat scene as both a DJ and producer, in recent years bringing, in Techno and Electro sound – what were you listening to growing up?
“A mixture of hip hop, funk, soul jazz, although I was skating as a kid so I was also listening to skate punk bands like Minnor Threat, Agent Orange, Operation Ivy, and then when Acid House hit, I was just blown away by what was happening, like most people my age.”
Some great compilations you have mixed – ‘Bedrock Breaks’, FabricLive21, Destination Australia to name but a few – what has been your favourite?
“My personal favourite is Disc One of my Sessions CD for Ministry of Sound. I got a chance to show a deeper side of what i do, and what I like, I think all DJs want that opportunity to show off their taste.”
What is your most treasured personal release?
“I really like a track called ‘Just Don’t Break’, it’s a bit more laid back than most of my stuff, but maybe thats why it stands out.”
You have supported the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Justice, Pendulum – mighty players…best gig out of this lot and why?
“I really enjoyed playing with The Chemicals in Athens. It was a football stadium for about 8000 people on a Wednesday, I’m not a big fan of those huge events playing wise, Im happier in a sweating basement club for 200 people, but that one was certainly one of the highlights of my career. Now all i need is to play with Underworld and I will die a happy man…”
You have teamed up with many different artists for collaborations, what’s been your most special?
“I would say Nu-tron, a collaboration with Elite Force. We did it in a couple of days, the whole thing was done riding a vibe, we didn’t have to shoe horn a single sound in – it nearly wrote itself. I think it defined the Breakbeat sound we were trying to achieve at that point.”
Any future collaborations planned? Elite Force, Lee Coombs, Dylan Rhymes, Roland Clark all under your belt, what’s next?
“I have another single lined up with Shack (Elite Force) called ‘Believe’ which will come out on his U&A imprint in a few months And we have just released an EP I did with Dylan Rhymes for Lot49. I’m also working with a folk singer called Arkana from Scotland, so yeah a few things in the pipeline.”
Your favourite remix you have done…?
“Ironically, I would say my most recent remix for D-Nox & Beckers ‘Cala a Boca’ on their own Sprout imprint, which is one of my favorite techno labels
You have been running record labels for over a decade now, first with Whole Nine Yards and now Lot49. What have you got coming up from the imprint in the future?
“We have a huge amount of stuff coming up, I have Blue, Odissi, Dopamine, a five year anniversary compilation, a Lee Coombs artist album called ‘Rescue’ – we are also doing a string of events such as our special boat party on the 11th June with Evil 9 and a large scale warehouse party which is just off Old Street in November with DJ Hell. We are continuing our bi-monthly residency at East Village and DQ in Sheffield and we start at the Mint club in Leeds in September, so a pretty busy year ahead!”
Best 3 records ever made?
“To be fair impossible, but…
Thomas Dolby ‘Blinded me with Science’
Janes Addiction ‘Been Caught Stealing’
Talk Talk ‘Life is What you Make it'”
You recorded in the past for Wall of Sound. What did you make of Mark Jones'(a good friend of mine) dress sense?
“Mark was the first person I knew that pulled off the geeky sandal look, I’ve not seen Mark for years. I’m pleased things are working out for him, he works his arse off and is full of crazy ideas and can spot a hit a mile off.”
What are the top 10 tunes you are playing out at the moment?
1. Kid Blue ‘New Track’ Lot49
2. Lee Coombs ‘Detox’ Lot49
3. Meat Katie ‘Needles & Pins’ Lot49
4. D- Nox & Beckers ‘Cala a Boca’ (meat katie remix) Sprout
5. Tiga ‘What You Need’ (proxy remix) Different
6. Dylan Rhymes ‘Kemptown’ Lot49
7. Hyper & Jhz ‘Pitch Bitch’ (dopamine remix) Killowatt
8. Lee Coombs & Uberzone ‘Right Now’ Lot49
9. Loops of Fury ‘Flick the Switch’ U&A
10 Cassette Jam ‘Never Going Home (rogue element remix) CDR
Difficult question, what artist signed to your label were you most excited signing?
“Thats like saying which is your favorite child. I get excited about all of their music for different reasons, and they all bring something different to the party.”
What artist that you haven’t remixed yet, would you most like to work with?
“I would love to work with an artist called Nika Costa, she records for Stax now. A very versatile vocalist, I’m a huge fan, that would be nice!”
Have you any new acts coming up?
“We have started working with a young Spanish guy called Pablo Decoder who is doing some really cool techno/electro stuff and we recently released a single by James Cocoza called ‘Garf’ that was really well received, we are always on the hunt for new talent though.”
Best club you have played at?
“Its a tough one, but I love the Ambar in Perth, Australia I’m friends with all the residents and the owner so I feel very much at home there. But there are some really special spots all over the world.”
