‍How has your music production process evolved over time? Were you a musician or producer first?

I've been producing music 25 years now and you know what, it’s gotten worse, ha ha. Nah, in all honesty, the older I get, I try not to concern myself with technical stuff, its all about ideas. I just want to make music and not get bogged down in technicalities. Time is limited and although I've mixed and mastered tracks for years, I feel delegation of this has helped me concentrate on writing music. Without sounding like a dick, producing music is meditation for me and I want to get excited when making it. Applying eq to a snare for hours does not excite me like it does some people.

I started playing piano when I was 5, got a dx7 from a junk shop when I was 10 and then an Amiga when I was 12 to sequence with, so a musician first. I would say over all of it, I’m a DJ. Diggin, cutting, sampling was the start of my music production. I’ve come full circle of recent and am going back to sampling a lot; vsts can do one

What key changes have you seen in the music industry/bidness during your time making records? Is independent the only way to go?

Do it yourself, start your own label, then it's all on you. Be bold and go for it. Independent is not the only way, quicker alone, further together but, if you’re going to work with someone, in a business capacity, they need to offer you something perhaps you can’t do. That might sound bad but that’s ‘business’ getting involved with art and that's the 'Music Business'. Social media is great of course. It can give you the chance to grow a following. Start your own merch, do your own videos, obvious things but, you know…

What piece of studio equipment (or live) would you NOT part with – Ever!!

I mean, I could answer this saying, something like Ableton or the Akai sampler, but, an inspired mind is the most important thing. If I don’t have that, I can have all the equipment in the world but it means nothing. Nearly every bit of day to day for me is a build-up to going in the studio when I’m not there. If it's going digging, shazamin breaks on the go, attending gigs, speaking to mates about new music or new equipment, sharing playlists, it keeps me inspired. If all I had was a pair of shoes as a drum kit and a microphone to record them, if I come in the studio and I’m inspired, I’m making an absolute shoe banger!

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Could you name three things that have been on heavy rotation on your audio player of late?

Photek, Photek, Photek.

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What can the CDR audiences expect from your time with us?

A man, 5 foot 11, pretty good hair, talking about music ;)

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‍Have you any advice for producers/musicians developing musical works in progress to play at CDR?

Practice. Musically, do exactly what the fuck you feel. Be true and honest in your artistic movements. If you feel it in your gut, it's probably right. Geek out, watch the youtube vids, reference your fav mix-downs of tracks, reference your fav arrangements of tracks you love. Enjoy yourself and it will hopefully transpire in the music.

For more information on tickets to this session as well as the rest of our Croydon session head here.