What was the first piece of music you heard this morning?
Kendrick Lamar’s new track, The Heart Part 4. By far the greatest rapper alive!!
Scroll back to when you first heard and loved electronic music. Where were you at the time and what were the tracks that drew you in?
I was in Lanzrote with my parents, the summer before Secondary School so around 11-12 years old and was introduced to hardcore and jungle by a group of young DJ’s & MC’s who played on Dream FM. I had no idea what the music was back then but I do remember that the first ever track discovery in house music was 24 hour experience – All Nighter.
When did you check for house and techno sounds?
It was around ’94 via pirate radio. Back then the music I listened to was known as House & Garage and then moved into music production onto more Garage & 2Step. Then just through natural curiosity I moved into House and then Techno.
When did you become a full time DJ and/or producer?
In 2009 I left my day job to pursue my music but was soon back in casual work as London is so expensive. I was transitioning into music production and was still very new to it all. It was 2013/14 before I was able to give up the 9-5 completely.
Where were you playing before Fuse?
I did a residency with Smartie Partie at Turnmills for 5 years before the club got shut down. Back then Turnmills was one of the biggest clubs for me, a personal favourite.
Some people will be reading about you here for the first time, even though you’ve been building towards this moment for a long time. Is it strictly organic or do you have a long game plan?
Honestly it’s been organic for some time. I plan and set myself some goals each year but my overall game plan is just to work hard to evolve and make progress each year.
If you had to rewind your DJ/producer career, what would you have done differently and what advice would you give to aspiring DJs?
I probably would have started producing a lot earlier. I come from an era where DJ’s played down to their DJing abilities so music-making never entered my mind and it certainly wasn’t something I wanted to do back then. So start producing as soon as you pick up a record, it’ll also help mould your sound better from the off. For advice I’d say, first treat everyone with respect, strength in numbers, start a crew or join one as I did with Fuse/Infuse. Learn to beat match and mix on turntables, if you can mix on these then you can mix on any other format. Gain a residency, with this you’ll learn everything you need to know about moving a crowd whether it’s a warm up set, middle or close. Work bloody hard and be prepared to sacrifice everything because this takes up every second of your life. Lastly have fun and try not to take yourself to seriously.
The first of 3 Infuse Saturday daytime parties at 93 Feet East on 4th March was a sellout. Do you intend to bust more than the trilogy?
Who knows what will happen, for now it’s just a trilogy but I want to do more Infuse shows at some point.
What’s the difference between Fuse and Infuse parties? Does the music policy differ?
Infuse is more of a daytime party and it’s on a Saturday so the crowd tends to be different from the Sundays at Fuse. Musically I’d say Infuse leans more towards an open sound as so many of our artists come from different musical back grounds, plus the room is smaller so you can play a lot deeper at 93.
Tell us about the breadth of styles you accommodate in your DJ set?
I’m a born & bread Londoner so I grew up on many sounds from Hardcore, Jungle, Garage, House, Dubstep & Grime. Ultimately all of these sounds stem from black culture and luckily for me I grew up in a city that embraced this and still does to this day. I push these elements into my sets whether it’s an old garage record or a jungle edit that I make. To sum up I’d say my sets are bass driven, a bit rough round the edges.
How did the Infuse label come about?
It was created to invite producers outside of our London crew to showcase their skills. Most of these artists are either inspired but what we do or who have raved on our dance floors.
What’s the East London connection to Fuse/Infuse?
We all raved and later lived round East London. I’d say it’s now the main area in London for our sound.
What are your Ibiza plans this year?
We have 4/5 parties planned but I can’t say too much other than that at this point. Watch this space.
Any other European, US or international plans?
We’re in talks about a strong show in the USA, this and we’re excited about GEM Fest in Georgia. It’s a festival that last for 4 weeks during July and August.
Who inspires you and why?
My parents inspire me the most, they’ve worked hard all their life to give myself and my brother and sister the best start in life. They’ve supported me fully in everything I’ve done. I am who I am because of them and I hope one day I can pass that on to my children.
What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?
Leaving my job to pursue my music was a huge step, which I’m extremely proud of.
What are the 5 big tunes in your cannon this weekend…
1. I recently made an edit combining 3 different tracks, Dubstep , Reggae and Garage. The main sample is from Eek-a-Mouse- Wa-Do-Dem. This one is a killer.
2. Rossko & Archie – 10 pound a point. Got that UK tech House vibe
3. Scott Garcia – Waiting. Been dropping this old garage classic recently and works every time.
4.East End Dubs- Enhance. Due out on Infuse. Groovy number.
5. Karousel- Coasting. Musical banger due out on Infuse also
What is coming out next from you and the label?
From me, there’s a joint EP with Enzo due out on Rawax called Woonie Trax. On Infuse is Back Wickham’s Kotone EP.
What is the most important thing you want to achieve this year?
Kick starting my label 7db!
Fuse Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/FuseLondon
Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/fuselondon/sets/infuse-tracks
