2008: Ramadanman

How would you describe your sound?

The stuff I make is music with a lot of bass in, at various tempos!

Would you use the term dubstep?

For my 140 stuff, I guess it came from the 'dubstep scene' but I'm not very keen on that word.

How does the stuff you make differ from the stuff you play?

I don't play a huge amount of my own stuff, when I play I seem to play quite a big variety of the sound. Its nice to maybe refine your sound and do very focused DJ sets on one particular style, but it doesn't interest me so much.

Does that mean you get booked for a wide variety of events?

I dunno, I get the impression I'm seen as a 'deep' Dubstep DJ perhaps, but I'm not very big on that term either. Probably because what I might see as a hype tune would be regarded as quite boring by other people lol.

How did you get into producing/DJing?

I've always been doing music stuff, had piano lessons when I was young always interested in playing about with tape recorders, old keyboards etc - you know those tiny Casio ones, making pretend radio shows in my bedroom, hah. Then I eventually started using computers when the technology arrived, borrowing brother's computer, using demo versions of software.

When did it start getting serious for you?

I was making a lot of tracks when I was like 15, etc. but they weren't really developed or that refined, which was also part of their charm, 'cos I listen back to them now and I kinda wish I could still make stuff like that. I think some of your best ideas come from when you are ignorant of like all this production malarkey and you're just quite content churning out really strange tunes for yourself!

My first booking was with a night at the Red Star in Camberwell, think it was like August 2006, Tom and Letty amongst others had started a chilled out session on a Thursday, which opened at like 4 pm or something. Gotta say many thanks to them for giving me a platform 'cos the Red Star was amazing. Kind of a free for all, in the sense of you could say "Oh can I play such and such a date". As anyone who was down there will say, it was such a good night, so big up Tom and Lotty and all the Red Star gang.

So that was the starting point for you?

It felt to me like it summed up a really nice moment, just popping down on a Thursday afternoon for a chilled night, people like Ben UFO, Optimum and Ikonika, Whistla, Deapoh etc. would all be there, and the South London lot like Loefah, Pokes, Mala and Kode9 would often pop in, really nice family vibes and incredible line ups, all for free. Shame it had to stop cos of some venue problems - it was basically a squat.

Is there anywhere like that now?

There isn't really anything like that at the moment. FWD can be, from time to time, but it does depend on the lineup.

Things have changed a bit from a couple of years ago.

Well, yeh but I think that's natural. There are still nights with that kinda vibe, just a bit less often.

What's the best gig you have done this year?

Some highlights, playing FWD the first time in May, Fusion Festival in Germany, Shelter night in Brussels, Freak Camp night in Berlin, Dubstep Fields in the Ukraine, Dub vs Dubstep night in Bordeaux, that's it haha.

What you looking forward to most in 2009?

Playing the Berghain next month which I am really excited about, but more generally, having some of my beats at other tempos come out, and maybe going to America in the summer.

What is the Berghain?

Berghain is a club in Berlin, lots of stories about it! Sorta old power station vibes, no cameras allowed, some strange dark rooms to avoid etc.

So you are looking to release some beats at different tempos, tell us about that.

I made a lot of other speeds before finding Dubstep, and now I have learned how to produce and get my production up to scratch I've come back to the genres I used to make. I have remixed a Brendon Moeller tune (that's at 124), done a 10 minute House tune with Appleblim, remixed Scuba at 170 - under some different names.

Anything to look out for release-wise?

Humber coming in Feb on Applepips, and to be honest that's about it (for the moment).

What's your format of choice from Dub Studio and why?

12 inch vinyl, they sound big. I don't see the point of tens really. They look nice but 12 inches sound better, and don't really cost much more, and if its vinyl it doesn't really weigh much more either.

What's the hottest dub in your box at the moment?

Hmm probs something new from Pangaea, and 'Space Oddysey' by Compound One.

What's the most caned dub of all time in your box?

There's a few, probs Benga 'Back in the Day', Cyrus 'Banshi' and D1 'Subzero'.

What's the photo?

That's at the Red Star.