You recently released your second EP ‘Luv 4 U’ on Hooversound Recordings, what was
your vision for the project?

So, it wasn’t actually a project to begin with. It was a collection of tunes that I felt were my best
at that time, and I’d played them out but didn’t really think much of them. Anyway, as individual
tunes, they all have some sort of meaning.

‘Riddim Groove’ was made when I wanted to try my
hand at booty bangers; 'Mind Ya Step' was made during my second year of uni when I wanted to try
and experiment with grime beats by making my own dark, grotty stabs, pads which ended up
being the lead instrument for the track. 'Luv 4 U' and 'Thameslink Bound' were the first ones that I
made within a week of each other in my early days as a producer.

I feel like you can hear my growth throughout the EP since the tunes weren’t all made at the same time. So basically, there wasn’t a vision for the project - only for the individual tunes. Around this time I also realised that I wouldn’t really send my tunes out to anyone (lack of confidence in them etc) so, I told myself to send them to SHERELLE, just so that she could play them out...but then she said she wanted
them for release on Hooversound and I couldn’t believe my eyes/ears, everything! That’s how it
became an EP.

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​You began releasing music back in 2023, how did you find the transition from DJing?​

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So I actually started producing and DJing around the same time, albeit a few months apart. It was definitely harder for me to get my head around production than it was mixing for the purpose of DJing, simply because it’s not as straight forward. With production, you’re creating a track whether it’s from a beat and sample pairing you thought up in your head, or singing etc which can already be a challenge if you’re someone who faces creative block. A lot more goes into it when it comes to making a mix sound balanced, creating a vibe, a soundscape that translates well in a club, compared to other tracks from perhaps, more seasoned producers.

With DJing, it’s about curating a vibe based off of tracks that already exist, it’s about putting them together and making a new track out of two blended ones, and in such a way that keeps the crowd moving on the dance floor, or sets the tone for the night if you’re doing an earlier set. You’ve also got to read energy and respond to what you see the crowd are feeling. There’s a lot more free styling and you can do that in production but, I’ve found that the ebbs and flows of production are harder to battle than with DJing. It’s easy to get lost in the music and blends with DJing, and let things flow but for me, I feel I’ve really got to be in the mood and it’s not something that can be forced.

Last April, you dropped your debut EP ‘Borough Breaks’, what were your main inspirations for the project and how was the process of putting together that initial project?​

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I always knew that when I started DJing, I wanted to produce tracks as well so that I could add
my own personal touch to sets. Originally, I planned for ‘BB’ to be a 4-track Jungle [Tekno] EP, but as time went on and the project evolved, I felt more drawn to dark-side jungle, leading to a shift in tone and execution for it. I didn’t really feel like many producers were making dark stuff, apart from the Rupture, AKO Beatz crew, and the older stuff from the 90s, so I needed to make a go of it myself!
 

The process seemed stressful in the grand scheme of things but when I was in the thick of it, it
was a lot of fun! I had a good amount of guidance because the project was actually my FMP at
university, which came with a supervisor who was extremely instrumental in holding me
accountable and sticking to the dates I needed to hit (admin). It also felt really good doing the

promo for it because then I could tailor it the way I wanted to in terms of artwork, who to reach
out/send it to and stuff like that!

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