Tell us about the first time you were really inspired by music?

I think I first really got excited about music when I was at school in the mid eighties; it was the time of the ‘beat street’ and the ‘breakdance’ movies. I started buying up all the street sounds electro albums which showed me that there was another world of music out there. Then the dj bug bit me in 1989 when I really discovered acid house and the entire warehouse scene back then.
 
What do you consider to be your greatest skill?

Always buying things like clothes and cars that cost me too much money or is that a disability? I’ve also been known to make some quite energetic dance music..
 
Name two albums you keep very close to hand.

'Late Night Tales' compiled by The Flaming Lips
'Magical Mystery Tour' The Beatles
 
The road to musical success is often long and hard. Any advice for those out there, who want to jump in the same boat as you?

Will power, perseverance, make sure you are meeting the right people even if it means moving to another city, and hard work at creating your skills. Remember that to be noticed you need to be better than the others around you or have something new to offer.
 
Have you ever come to a point that you thought you might pack in your music endeavors and get a day job? What made you decide to continue on?

No, I have never thought that. Although it is definitely not the rock star lifestyle that people might think you have. I love what I do and that is why I will continue to do it. If it was all about the money I probably would have got a career in something else. You have to be prepared to go up in the good times and down in the bad. If you work hard you will be rewarded.
 
Who inspires you? (Both in life and in music)

My wife Kim inspires me everyday, we make a great team.
Musically I recently bought ‘The Beatles’ box set and am currently reliving all their music, It’s truly amazing what they achieved and one hell of an inspiration.

What elements do you think make up a good track?

Primarily for me it’s the bassline. That is going to move the dance floor more than anything. Obviously you need a great drum track and I love lots of percussion. That’s what gets me moving. Then I am always drawn towards analogue sounds, they are so fat and warm with real substance. The actual style of the track could be a lot of things as I love a lot of different styles of music.
 
Do you prefer performing live or recording? Why?

Well I love djing and always have a great time creating the vibe on the dancefloor, but I have to say the real buzz is when I am writing a track and it starts to come together and sounds great. It turns from a collection of sounds into one complete sound and give off the vibe I am after. It’s all about vibe creation for me.
 
How has your work changed and developed from the earlier stages of your career?

Well I used to work with a sampler and an Atari computer with cubase. It was very hard work to get things to sound great; you really needed a very good mixing desk with good reverbs and compressors etc to get a professional sound. I didn’t have the desk so I used to have to go to other people’s bigger studios to finish my tracks. I think when pc’s started to become popular in the mid to late nineties, which is when it became a whole lot easier to finish a track. Programs such as acid pro and sound forge helped me to get where I needed to go very quickly. I have always recorded live analogue sounds onto the computer and love the warmth and power these give without hardly any processing. Now I use cubase 4 with a fireface 800 soundcard and a collection of analogue keyboards such as the moog voyager. I have learned how to get a professional sound by listening and working with others who knew more than me. It’s important to realize that you always need to learn from other people about production. Things are constantly evolving and so does production technique.
 
If you could pick 1 artist dead or alive to work with, who would it be? Why?

I love John Lennon’s music; he was one of the greatest song writers to ever have lived. It would be so cool to have the chance to work with someone like that. His music always seemed so effortless and positive. It amazing to see how it all evolved through The Beatles to when he died.
 
Tell us a quirky fact about yourself no one else knows!

I love proper cooking, I hate processed food so I like to make it properly myself. Especially Thai and seafood.

If you could have two wishes come true what would they be?

That my friend Otto had found his colon cancer sooner than he did and that there was a cure for that shit.. and that Airline tickets come right down in price so I can see my friends and family all over the world more often.

Before you step on stage for a gig, what do you do to prepare?

I make sure I’m fully awake! If I have travelled a long way to a gig I will have jetlag, and if I am in a hotel room for some time before the gig then I will fall asleep. Resulting in a groggy head before I play, it’s normally a battle of waking up properly..
 
What do your parents think of what you do? Have you ever taken them along to a gig?

It took a while for my mum to realise that I had a career but when I starting getting paid she was ok. I think when she came to one of my gigs in san Francisco before I got married she really saw what I did and she liked it. I nearly took my dad to china once but that fell through so he has yet to see me in action.
 
What has been your greatest achievement to date?

Meeting my wife and getting married and then moving to the USA. This was by far the most intense thing I have ever done but by far the best thing I have ever done!
 
If you could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?

Hopefully giving people a good time, seeing people enjoy themselves to my music makes everything worthwhile.
 
What is your best hang over cure?

Water skiing, easily the best cure. 2 runs up and down the slalom course will sort you out straight away!
 
Do you get anxious or nervous before you perform? If so how do you calm your nerves?

I only get nervous if I feel that I haven’t prepared enough for a gig. I do a lot of editing of tracks and practicing with different tunes before I go on tour or do any gigs. So if I have prepared then I am happy.
 
Having spent so much time on aeroplanes, are you an official member of the mile high club?

Ummmmmm,…………..yes. twice!