JUNGLE JUICE

DJing: "Something I still do every weekend, be it in Barcelona, Cardiff, Holland, Brighton or Bournemouth. My dream date would probably be somewhere like Club Ku in Ibiza, or an open-air rave in the Non Camp Stadium in Barcelona, depending on how far you want to take the idea! Over the years, DJs may have become more technically capable in what they do, but the basic skills haven't and will probably never change. It's all to do with how you can entertain the crowd and where you can bring them. It's easy to clear the floor, but it's really difficult to keep their attention."
Remixes: "Some of the mix work I do is good, but you've got to bear in mind that I'm just a normal person like anyone else and I've got to grab the opportunities that come my way. When I'm 60 I won't be a drum'n'bass artist and I've got to remember that. Some people are very accusing about the mixes I do: if they end up being successful I'm accused of selling out. Would these same people refuse a pay rise in work if they were offered it, or would they say 'No thanks mate, I'm underground, I'll just stick to making the tea'? I appreciate that music is art, but there is such a thing as artistic licence, and we've got to make a living. Anyway, we never know if a tune we're working on is going to be big or not. Sometimes I wish we did!"
My sound: "Over time, you develop your own style. Someone just sent me an e-mail saying all my records sound the same with different samples, but, with drum'n'bass it's all about the same speed, roughly 170 bpm. I agree that my style is instantly recognisable, like Optical, Andy C or Bukem. People have developed their own style and that's healthy. You could say that all The Beatles and The Stones' music was the same too, that they followed formulae, but they still produced some great tunes."
Dubplates: "Dubplates are one of the reasons the DJ has become the artist. I've got my own private set of plates that no-one, and I mean no-one, gets their hands on, and when a promoter books me, they know they'll get something they won't hear anywhere else. Also, dubplates are a good way of testing out new tracks. If the crowd goes apeshit to a new tune, I know I'll put it out, but if it sends them to the bar for a drink, I know not to!"
Aphrodite Recordings: "It's my own label, and very successful, but I refuse to sign up anyone else to it because it was always just an outlet for my own work."
Urban Takeover: "It's my other label, and features, myself and Mickey Finn as Urban Takeover, Mulder, Untouchables and Vinyl Syndicate from Canada. I guess myself and Mickey are into dancefloor-friendly stuff, and that's pretty much the sound of the Urban Takeover label."
The current state of drum'n'bass: "It has become its own genre of music, just like house or techno, and has become an alternative to both of them. Its a whole area of dance music by now, and has developed to include many different sounds and styles. At the same time, if I go to a big rave I'll still go to check out the house and techno tents, but I'll always go into the jungle one first!"
Future releases: "I've got quite a few lined up at the moment. There's an Aphrodite compilation CD coming out, as well as new Urban Takeover, Vinyl Syndicate and Aphrodite 12"s, and - because I think it's time the kids who go to hear me play can buy them - I'm also planning to finally release some of my own private dub plates soon."
* Urban Takeover's Mix of Jungle Brothers' 'Jungle Brother' is out now on V2. Aphrodite plays Bassbin, The Mean Fiddler, Dublin on May 29th with Rohan and Naphta.