bluck
bluck
bluck
Who is Bluck and how would you describe your style in three words?
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I’m (now) a London-based drum and bass and jungle DJ. I’d describe my style as bouncy,
energetic and breaksy.
How did you get into DJing and how has the journey been, so far?​
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I first heard drum and bass at Leeds Uni and instantly became hooked. In my second year, I
was going to these huge house parties in Hyde Park with 400-500 people and DJs in every
room. Pretty much everyone at Leeds DJ’d at some point, but I never saw any women
behind the decks. I was listening to nothing but drum and bass, so I got this urge to learn. It
wasn’t until one of the lockdowns that I bought my first controller, hoping to play at those big
parties. Ironically, I never got the chance as I graduated during the pandemic.
I taught myself everything, and so my progress was initially slow. I played my first two events
in 2022, but later that year I moved to London for my master’s degree which I balanced
alongside my full-time job. My hectic schedule left me with little time to practice, and not
knowing anyone in the London music scene made it feel like I’d never get booked again. By
March 2023, I was starting to feel quite hopeless but then, out of the blue, I got two bookings
in one week, followed by news the next week that I’d won a residency with Pirate.COM
which secured me a slot at Better Days Festival in Leeds.
From there, things snowballed—I started getting consistent bookings and then that summer I
won the Bangers vs. Clangers competition at Hospitality on the Beach. The week after that
festival I was asked to open for Chase & Status at the O2 in Leeds. I definitely got lucky a
few times, but those moments really helped me start believing in myself. From there, I began
putting more and more energy into music, and I’ve been seeing the rewards ever since.
You’ve also teased that you’re working on your production skills, what initially drew
you to learning?
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Yes! After summer 2023, I knew I wanted to take music more seriously, which meant
learning production. I bought Ableton and watched a few tutorials here and there, but it
wasn’t until I finished my master’s in September that I was able to fully dedicate the time I
wanted to learn.
How have you found the transition from DJing?
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In some ways, the transition has been easier than expected, but in other ways, it’s been harder. For instance, I think I’ve been learning quite fast – I’ve already learned so much more than I ever imagined by this point. But I don’t think I fully appreciated just how much there is to learn when I first started. Even now, I probably can’t really comprehend it because, when you’re starting out, it’s hard to know what you don’t know.
While I think it’s an easier transition going from being a producer to then DJing, there are also benefits to being a DJ first. For example, I feel like I’ve been developing a sound and style as a DJ which I hope will eventually guide my production. Plus, there are a lot of people around me who are more than happy to help who I wouldn’t know if it wasn’t for DJing.
"I’m genuinely enjoying the process of learning, and that’s what matters most"
So … will we have some Bluck releases in 2025?
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Never say never, but I highly doubt it – maybe a free download on my Soundcloud if I feel confident enough. I think when you’re a DJ first, it’s tempting to rush the process (which I definitely fall victim to) because you feel like you should have been releasing tracks yesterday. However, making music takes much longer to master than DJing.
I’ve already got a few versions of different tracks, but each time I listen to something I made a few months ago, I hear a lot that’s off because my producer’s ear is still developing. This year, I really want to focus on expanding my skill set and experimenting with different styles. I’d rather take the time to develop a sound that truly resonates with me, rather than rushing it. I’m genuinely enjoying the process of learning, and that’s what matters most. I know myself, and if I set timelines, I’ll end up rushing things and not feeling fulfilled. I’m in this for the long haul and want to do it properly.
You also had an amazing 2024, what were some of your favourite moments?
Aww, thank you! Playing the last leg of Mozey's high-energy tour was definitely a highlight for
me. It was a 360-degree setup and my first-ever 90-minute set. I was so nervous going in,
but the crowd’s energy was absolutely unreal—I felt like I was on cloud nine the entire time!
Other standouts were playing at Dimensions's pop-up in July and Culture Shock's pop-up in
March. I was honestly so shocked to be asked to play at both events but beyond grateful.
Again, both of these were 360 setups with amazing energy!
What have been some of your favourite releases of the past year?
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My favourite release of the past year was definitely 'New Energy Vol. 2' on Critical—it’s absolutely amazing. So many of my favourite producers are featured on there, like Napes and Samurai Breaks. I also loved Spectral's 'Turbowave' from that album, and her remix of Sam Binga and Redder’s 'Left Dem' which came out in the summer. Considering this was her first year of releasing, she’s quickly becoming one of my favourite producers, and I’m excited to see what she comes out with next. Another standout for me was Sweetpea’s '90s Baby' EP—what a vibe! There are some very fun tracks to play out on that one.
You also launched Circuit Sounds, can you tell us a bit about that and what sparked
the idea to start the collective?
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Circuit Sounds is a London-based bass music collective (so it’s not just drum and bass). The
idea behind it is to give DJs the opportunity to play sets they wouldn't normally play, whether
that’s a different genre or subgenre. As a DJ, you often find a sound you vibe with and end
up getting pigeonholed into playing that, which is fine. But I think it’s really important to listen
to other genres and subgenres for inspiration. I know a lot of DJs who want to play certain
sets, like liquid, but never get booked to do so. For me, I want Circuit Sounds to be a safe
space where I can experiment with a more 160 jungle/footwork style.
As for the inspiration behind it, I moved in with Anny in July, and we knew we wanted to start
a collective. The idea came together pretty quickly because we both felt frustrated with the
scene. A lot of people are converging their styles into sounds (such as jump up) which are
dominating the scene right now, and I understand why. Even over the last year, as I’ve been
booked for more commercial events, I’ve incorporated this into my sets because a DJ needs
to play to the crowd. However, I feel like the scene is losing its creativity because of this,
which is why we thought it would be amazing to create a space where people can either play
their authentic sound or experiment with something new.
We also realised that it’s often the same people getting bookings in the local London DJ
scene, and it can be hard for newcomers (especially those who are not so confident with
using social media) to break through. So, we’ve been really focused on getting people who
are early in their DJ careers involved.
We have a good setup at ours, so we kicked things off with a livestream series on YouTube.
We’ve also got our first event later this month, which we’re super excited about.
What are your aims for Circuit Sounds moving into 2025?
We’d love to keep expanding Circuit Sounds in 2025, bringing in more artists and generally
broadening our reach – including through our live streams and events. Specifically, we’re
aiming to put on more events, which hopefully grow in size over time. We’ve already secured
our first collective takeover bookings, which is really exciting!
Me and Anny both see a lot of potential in what Circuit could become – the scene really
needs something like this right now. However, there are just the two of us, and we both work
full-time jobs (with Anny working very long hours and also running Basscamp). On top of
that, we’re both focusing on our DJing and learning production, so there’s a lot on our plate.
We have a few exciting ideas for 2025 and we’re going to keep working hard but we don’t
want to put too much pressure on ourselves!
What can we expect from your launch party coming up in January at Planet Wax?
You can expect a variety of "tasteful selections" as Anny would say! This is a multi-genre
event, so get ready for everything from garage and 140 to liquid, jungle, and minimal. Of
course, there’ll be some "Skatilmal" too, with Gifta headlining. But, just to clarify, there will
absolutely be no dancefloor or jump-up (sorry!)
What do you have coming up for the rest of the year?
I have a few things lined up for the rest of the year. Besides the Circuit Sounds launch party
in January, I’ll be at the 10 Years of Soulvent Records event on February 7th at The Lower
Third in Soho, going B2B with Dove. I also have another exciting, larger event further up
north in March, but I can’t reveal too much just yet.
I’m excited for what 2025 brings and aim to keep progressing as a DJ. However, my main
focus this year is learning music production. It takes time to master, so I want to prioritise it
and avoid overloading myself with gigs, even though I love DJing and am so grateful for any
opportunities.
