Matt Prehn

Interview

Born and raised in Cape Town (before moving to London via Switzerland and then back to Cape Town) Matt Prehn is as a DJ, Producer and label founder of Oh So Coy Recordings and Rogue Decibels imprints. He’s one of the communities ‘nice guys’ - always ready to help someone out, always quality in his production (appearing in the Traxsource Top 100 3 years running) and more lately as he’s focussed on his DJ’ing a crowd pleaser (well before lockdown of course) - but what better time to catch up with Matt!

Let’s start with your background - you’re South African but lived in London until recently moving back to Cape Town - how did all that come about?

Yeah correct I guess I’ve always had itchy feet and that probably won’t stop. SA is a great country and its my home - my best friends and family all live here. This is the reason I came back because at the end of the day the grass isn’t always greener on the other side if you’re sitting it alone.

The reason I initially left is the result of a number of factors that imploded - I was part of a successful live act in SA called Bang Bang but just as we were reaching our pinnacle the band split up. I was pretty lost after that. My personal life also took a turn with relationships and saw me end up in Switzerland on the tails of love. There I met my current partner and because I have British Ancestry it was the logical next step. I’d first gone to London after school with my best mate and totally fell in love with the place. Needless to say it has changed a lot since then and even though I will always love it - its’ charms started wearing a bit thin.

What were your early musical influences?
I grew up listening to the alt and grunge sounds of the mid nineties (and haven’t stopped). My folks were not big into music and in my early teens a friends brother started bringing dance cassettes home with Reactivate hard trance albums and the like - not a million miles off some of the Fear Factory stuff we were listening to. From there we would hit classic Cape clubs like Boiler Room, Spyce and The Loft getting off to handbag house and hard dance which had a huge impact. I still have a penchant for it don’t judge.

How do you think living in the two countries has influenced your music?
I think as an artist you are always influenced by your surroundings but even moreso your inside surroundings. I am more affected by how I feel than what I see but a lot of the time there is a direct correlation. I will say the ‘local’ sounds of the UK and SA could not really be further apart and I try not to get too influenced by either of them but rather just let the music transpose through me.

Do you consider yourself a DJ or Producer first?
I definitely prefer producing to DJing these days so let’s go with that although it used to be the other way around. I don’t like putting tags on it especially these days when everyone and their dog is a producer/dj/label owner/promoter etc lol.

How did you get into DJ’ing initially?
At 16 years of age in a clubs way too old for me a certain infatuation of seeing the effect this music had on people, (especially me) - being played by these DJ’s just seemed so cool. Plus I’ll never forget seeing Rachel Auburn slinging 12’s upstairs at The Loft - it doesn’t really get any headier than that and from there was totally hooked.

My folks had an ancient pc at the time and the one program let you play 2 virtual tape decks together with music you could import via CD. I had some CD singles back then and would start trying to make things play over each other.

Favourite place to DJ?

There have been a number of notable gigs but I think my favourite ever set was at Era in Cape Town one year when I was down from London visiting. The crowd was on fire, my friends were there and it was the first time I played all my own productions and they didn’t suck!

What’s the thing you love most about DJ’ing?
That feeling when the music just takes over, you stop thinking about what you gonna play next and just fall into a trance. And for me the biggest thing is making sure people on the dancefloor are getting down and having fun - that gets me off.

How did the move from DJ’ing to production come about?
It was actually more from my studies - I did a sound engineering course yeeeears ago and due to some of the subjects - we had to get composing projects. I started dabbling then and it just kind of grew and consumed me.

What’s your production set up?

S I M P L E. I have some cool gear but don’t really have the time to be messing about with it so I stick to the approach I can work efficiently with. Mostly out the box using Cubase 9, Waves plugs, Rob Papen synths and my Roland Gaia which has become more my midi keyboard lol

Do you have a routine for production or is is more free flowing creative thing?
Bit of both and then depends on originals or remixes. I will try to establish a main ‘part’ that lets other channels flow off of. Creative flow is the most important thing and I’ll just vibe and add layers on a 8/16 bar loop then when I think there’s enough to flesh out...start arranging.

Who are the producers you admire the most or young talent you’ve heard and think we should know about?

I think Bob Moses are spectacular - some of the best in the biz. Love Javi Bora, Scott Diaz, Ross Couch, BiG AL, Djoko, JT Donaldson & many others are all doing great things for house. Locally T.I.B has some great emotional energy, Zito Mowa is fresh and Prince Ivyson is making some slammers.

You’ve worked with so many quality names, what’s been the highlights to date?
Each artist and producer I’ve worked with always seems to change me a small bit - either pushing me to try get better at something or hear something in a different way.

And if you could work with anyone in the scene right now who would it be?
See my above list lol but also there are some great vocalists and I’ve always had a sweet spot there - Jamie Woon man that’d be ace.

When did you start Oh So Coy Recordings and why a label?
As mentioned in the first question the label came at a time when my main focus (Bang Bang live act) imploded. I was writing a lot of my own music throughout and felt it would be nice to put it out in my own way and own channel. Oh So Coy started purely as an outlet for my productions but grew into something far bigger than me.

What’s been the best and worst parts of running the label?

I love helping artists with great promise to really bring out their best. I often work closely with guys to change mixes, arrangements etc to make sure we get to the heart of their song. Then seeing those artists move onto bigger and better labels but still returning ‘home’ every now and then. It’s always great when the label gets accolades from industry veterans and online stores. There’s also no better feeling than holding a vinyl record in your hands - it’s like an actualisation of the work you put in.

Worst parts are dealing with the huuuuge amount of background admin a lot of people don’t know about. Plus if you handle the art, mastering and promo yourself (as I do) it becomes quite stressful at times to balance with my day job and actually writing music.

There are also so many dodgy characters out there and whiny industry type - People admin lol I just don’t have the time for high maintenance artists. And overbearing artists who try to get too involved in my job of releasing the music - asking for updates every week and confusing communications. Everyone wants it yesterday is the motto today.

Is the labels’ sound a reflection of your musical taste or more diverse than that?
I suppose it’s a current snapshot of just some of the music I love. Of course this changes over time but at the heart there has to be something that resonates with me in every track.

You’ve gone on to start a couple of sub-labels too - tell us about them?
Yeah we started Rogue Decibels in 2016 because there was just too much music for Oh So Coy and the sound didn’t always feel like it suited OSC. From there it became to much to handle and started getting a bit similar to Oh So Coy so we put it on hold for awhile and looked towards making it a more local outlet. Tahir Jones helped us start developing the sound and then Cya C Deep took over and has been carefully curating the sound by using his friends and connections - which is amazing because it has become a similar blueprint for the way OSC evolved. I like to try and forge relationships with the artists and so does he.

We are also helping get some other quality labels out there via our distribution netowrk. Erefaan Pearce’s Things We Make puts out quality house and as everyone knows Erefaan is a stalwart of the SA scene - he actually sold me my first ever vinyl record at a store called DJ Syndicate so it has been an honour to help them out.

Another old friend Brandon “The Grizz” started a fresh outlet called The Travelling Bear and I am loving what he is putting out so far. We have been helping master and promote the tracks as well as distro'ing. Great to be able to help fellow local artists get their babies off the ground.

What would you class as your career highlights so far?
It has been an honour to be recognised in Traxsource’s top 100 deep house artists charts for the past 3 years. They are an amazing store who put love into everything and all fellow deep heads know that they are a true representation of the underground scene so the list means a lot to everyone on it. I’ve also had 2 of the best selling deep house tracks a couple years back which was awesome.

From a DJ point I’ve been lucky to play gigs in Switzerland, Prague, London, France, Amsterdam and Poland. Highlights being the travelling and experiencing of new cultures.

Has the return to South Africa helped the label profiles given the interest SA music right now?
Yeah we are definitely working with more local artists than before which is great but as with anything there is some heavy saturation going on in the market down here.

What do you feel has made deep house such a strong community in South Africa?
The same thing that has made it community worldwide. The music has a depth of soul and spirit which speaks past colour. Let’s say SA peeps also like to throw some shapes lol

The whole house scene seems to be growing and bringing so many new creative talents right now - what’s behind such success?
I honestly couldn’t say - I think there are just more avenues for people these days so perhaps people that wouldn’t have chosen ‘music’ as a career path can now dabble and then actually turn out to be really phenomenal. But might never have even tried because they studied for something more reliable to put food on the table.

How has the lockdown been for you? Have you managed to keep connected to other music people and the fans?
Yeah for sure. I mean like most producers the lockdown has just been an extended writing sesh?! No it has been tough - I have not written as much music as I’d like but the label has been firing - we have soooooo much great music to put out. I also got a job outside of the music world which has been super stimulating and challenging but a nice change.

What are your top tips for people wanting to get into the music business in South Africa?
Don’t lol - no but I mean the music game is just so saturated at the moment I feel like you really have to have some seriaaaaaaas love to do it. Tt takes a lot of time and commitment so make sure you have bucketloads of that. Money helps too if you want to represent something in a specific way. Also do not rush into it - it’s really not that glamour-full like people think and a lot of people burn out. I’d say dabble, dabble a bit more and if it starts working look for a mentor and then dabble a bit further.

What does your average week look like balancing all your work stuff?
No structure - my other job takes precedence these days so it’s just fitting in music stuff around that when I have time. Lots of evenings/weekend mornings (like now answering this) with my laptop in bed watching series and doing ‘work’.

What keeps you going, pushing the music, promoting, DJ’ing…?
I’ve been doing it for so long it has just become a part of me - I couldn’t really imagine not doing it - that would leave a pretty big hole in my soul.

What else is on the cards for the rest of 2020?
For myself I have some nice releases on the way and some fresh new collabs I’m excited about.

It is Oh So Coy’s tenth year which is quite a feat. We have been trying to highlight some of our old releases and bringing back some of the earlier and definitive artists. Our 8th vinyl has just dropped which is super exciting and we’re currently in talks with a SA distributor which would mean getting more of our records into the country. Plenty of digital releases as always and our sub label Rogue is gonna be dropping a compilation which we’ll probably press to CD in summer.

Where can people follow you?

Facebook

Instagram

More to enjoy:

Social

Streaming

Mailing List

Matt Prehn

Interview

Born and raised in Cape Town (before moving to London via Switzerland and then back to Cape Town) Matt Prehn is as a DJ, Producer and label founder of Oh So Coy Recordings and Rogue Decibels imprints. He’s one of the communities ‘nice guys’ - always ready to help someone out, always quality in his production (appearing in the Traxsource Top 100 3 years running) and more lately as he’s focussed on his DJ’ing a crowd pleaser (well before lockdown of course) - but what better time to catch up with Matt!

Let’s start with your background - you’re South African but lived in London until recently moving back to Cape Town - how did all that come about?

Yeah correct I guess I’ve always had itchy feet and that probably won’t stop. SA is a great country and its my home - my best friends and family all live here. This is the reason I came back because at the end of the day the grass isn’t always greener on the other side if you’re sitting it alone.

The reason I initially left is the result of a number of factors that imploded - I was part of a successful live act in SA called Bang Bang but just as we were reaching our pinnacle the band split up. I was pretty lost after that. My personal life also took a turn with relationships and saw me end up in Switzerland on the tails of love. There I met my current partner and because I have British Ancestry it was the logical next step. I’d first gone to London after school with my best mate and totally fell in love with the place. Needless to say it has changed a lot since then and even though I will always love it - its’ charms started wearing a bit thin.

What were your early musical influences?
I grew up listening to the alt and grunge sounds of the mid nineties (and haven’t stopped). My folks were not big into music and in my early teens a friends brother started bringing dance cassettes home with Reactivate hard trance albums and the like - not a million miles off some of the Fear Factory stuff we were listening to. From there we would hit classic Cape clubs like Boiler Room, Spyce and The Loft getting off to handbag house and hard dance which had a huge impact. I still have a penchant for it don’t judge.

How do you think living in the two countries has influenced your music?
I think as an artist you are always influenced by your surroundings but even moreso your inside surroundings. I am more affected by how I feel than what I see but a lot of the time there is a direct correlation. I will say the ‘local’ sounds of the UK and SA could not really be further apart and I try not to get too influenced by either of them but rather just let the music transpose through me.

Do you consider yourself a DJ or Producer first?
I definitely prefer producing to DJing these days so let’s go with that although it used to be the other way around. I don’t like putting tags on it especially these days when everyone and their dog is a producer/dj/label owner/promoter etc lol.

How did you get into DJ’ing initially?
At 16 years of age in a clubs way too old for me a certain infatuation of seeing the effect this music had on people, (especially me) - being played by these DJ’s just seemed so cool. Plus I’ll never forget seeing Rachel Auburn slinging 12’s upstairs at The Loft - it doesn’t really get any headier than that and from there was totally hooked.

My folks had an ancient pc at the time and the one program let you play 2 virtual tape decks together with music you could import via CD. I had some CD singles back then and would start trying to make things play over each other.

Favourite place to DJ?

There have been a number of notable gigs but I think my favourite ever set was at Era in Cape Town one year when I was down from London visiting. The crowd was on fire, my friends were there and it was the first time I played all my own productions and they didn’t suck!

What’s the thing you love most about DJ’ing?
That feeling when the music just takes over, you stop thinking about what you gonna play next and just fall into a trance. And for me the biggest thing is making sure people on the dancefloor are getting down and having fun - that gets me off.

How did the move from DJ’ing to production come about?
It was actually more from my studies - I did a sound engineering course yeeeears ago and due to some of the subjects - we had to get composing projects. I started dabbling then and it just kind of grew and consumed me.

What’s your production set up?

S I M P L E. I have some cool gear but don’t really have the time to be messing about with it so I stick to the approach I can work efficiently with. Mostly out the box using Cubase 9, Waves plugs, Rob Papen synths and my Roland Gaia which has become more my midi keyboard lol

Do you have a routine for production or is is more free flowing creative thing?
Bit of both and then depends on originals or remixes. I will try to establish a main ‘part’ that lets other channels flow off of. Creative flow is the most important thing and I’ll just vibe and add layers on a 8/16 bar loop then when I think there’s enough to flesh out...start arranging.

Who are the producers you admire the most or young talent you’ve heard and think we should know about?

I think Bob Moses are spectacular - some of the best in the biz. Love Javi Bora, Scott Diaz, Ross Couch, BiG AL, Djoko, JT Donaldson & many others are all doing great things for house. Locally T.I.B has some great emotional energy, Zito Mowa is fresh and Prince Ivyson is making some slammers.

You’ve worked with so many quality names, what’s been the highlights to date?
Each artist and producer I’ve worked with always seems to change me a small bit - either pushing me to try get better at something or hear something in a different way.

And if you could work with anyone in the scene right now who would it be?
See my above list lol but also there are some great vocalists and I’ve always had a sweet spot there - Jamie Woon man that’d be ace.

When did you start Oh So Coy Recordings and why a label?
As mentioned in the first question the label came at a time when my main focus (Bang Bang live act) imploded. I was writing a lot of my own music throughout and felt it would be nice to put it out in my own way and own channel. Oh So Coy started purely as an outlet for my productions but grew into something far bigger than me.

What’s been the best and worst parts of running the label?

I love helping artists with great promise to really bring out their best. I often work closely with guys to change mixes, arrangements etc to make sure we get to the heart of their song. Then seeing those artists move onto bigger and better labels but still returning ‘home’ every now and then. It’s always great when the label gets accolades from industry veterans and online stores. There’s also no better feeling than holding a vinyl record in your hands - it’s like an actualisation of the work you put in.

Worst parts are dealing with the huuuuge amount of background admin a lot of people don’t know about. Plus if you handle the art, mastering and promo yourself (as I do) it becomes quite stressful at times to balance with my day job and actually writing music.

There are also so many dodgy characters out there and whiny industry type - People admin lol I just don’t have the time for high maintenance artists. And overbearing artists who try to get too involved in my job of releasing the music - asking for updates every week and confusing communications. Everyone wants it yesterday is the motto today.

Is the labels’ sound a reflection of your musical taste or more diverse than that?
I suppose it’s a current snapshot of just some of the music I love. Of course this changes over time but at the heart there has to be something that resonates with me in every track.

You’ve gone on to start a couple of sub-labels too - tell us about them?
Yeah we started Rogue Decibels in 2016 because there was just too much music for Oh So Coy and the sound didn’t always feel like it suited OSC. From there it became to much to handle and started getting a bit similar to Oh So Coy so we put it on hold for awhile and looked towards making it a more local outlet. Tahir Jones helped us start developing the sound and then Cya C Deep took over and has been carefully curating the sound by using his friends and connections - which is amazing because it has become a similar blueprint for the way OSC evolved. I like to try and forge relationships with the artists and so does he.

We are also helping get some other quality labels out there via our distribution netowrk. Erefaan Pearce’s Things We Make puts out quality house and as everyone knows Erefaan is a stalwart of the SA scene - he actually sold me my first ever vinyl record at a store called DJ Syndicate so it has been an honour to help them out.

Another old friend Brandon “The Grizz” started a fresh outlet called The Travelling Bear and I am loving what he is putting out so far. We have been helping master and promote the tracks as well as distro'ing. Great to be able to help fellow local artists get their babies off the ground.

What would you class as your career highlights so far?
It has been an honour to be recognised in Traxsource’s top 100 deep house artists charts for the past 3 years. They are an amazing store who put love into everything and all fellow deep heads know that they are a true representation of the underground scene so the list means a lot to everyone on it. I’ve also had 2 of the best selling deep house tracks a couple years back which was awesome.

From a DJ point I’ve been lucky to play gigs in Switzerland, Prague, London, France, Amsterdam and Poland. Highlights being the travelling and experiencing of new cultures.

Has the return to South Africa helped the label profiles given the interest SA music right now?
Yeah we are definitely working with more local artists than before which is great but as with anything there is some heavy saturation going on in the market down here.

What do you feel has made deep house such a strong community in South Africa?
The same thing that has made it community worldwide. The music has a depth of soul and spirit which speaks past colour. Let’s say SA peeps also like to throw some shapes lol

The whole house scene seems to be growing and bringing so many new creative talents right now - what’s behind such success?
I honestly couldn’t say - I think there are just more avenues for people these days so perhaps people that wouldn’t have chosen ‘music’ as a career path can now dabble and then actually turn out to be really phenomenal. But might never have even tried because they studied for something more reliable to put food on the table.

How has the lockdown been for you? Have you managed to keep connected to other music people and the fans?
Yeah for sure. I mean like most producers the lockdown has just been an extended writing sesh?! No it has been tough - I have not written as much music as I’d like but the label has been firing - we have soooooo much great music to put out. I also got a job outside of the music world which has been super stimulating and challenging but a nice change.

What are your top tips for people wanting to get into the music business in South Africa?
Don’t lol - no but I mean the music game is just so saturated at the moment I feel like you really have to have some seriaaaaaaas love to do it. Tt takes a lot of time and commitment so make sure you have bucketloads of that. Money helps too if you want to represent something in a specific way. Also do not rush into it - it’s really not that glamour-full like people think and a lot of people burn out. I’d say dabble, dabble a bit more and if it starts working look for a mentor and then dabble a bit further.

What does your average week look like balancing all your work stuff?
No structure - my other job takes precedence these days so it’s just fitting in music stuff around that when I have time. Lots of evenings/weekend mornings (like now answering this) with my laptop in bed watching series and doing ‘work’.

What keeps you going, pushing the music, promoting, DJ’ing…?
I’ve been doing it for so long it has just become a part of me - I couldn’t really imagine not doing it - that would leave a pretty big hole in my soul.

What else is on the cards for the rest of 2020?
For myself I have some nice releases on the way and some fresh new collabs I’m excited about.

It is Oh So Coy’s tenth year which is quite a feat. We have been trying to highlight some of our old releases and bringing back some of the earlier and definitive artists. Our 8th vinyl has just dropped which is super exciting and we’re currently in talks with a SA distributor which would mean getting more of our records into the country. Plenty of digital releases as always and our sub label Rogue is gonna be dropping a compilation which we’ll probably press to CD in summer.

Where can people follow you?

Facebook

Instagram

Matt Prehn

Interview

Let’s start with your background - you’re South African but lived in London until recently moving back to Cape Town - how did all that come about?

Do you consider yourself a DJ or Producer first?I definitely prefer producing to DJing these days so let’s go with that although it used to be the other way around. I don’t like putting tags on it especially these days when everyone and their dog is a producer/dj/label owner/promoter etc lol.

Favourite place to DJ?There have been a number of notable gigs but I think my favourite ever set was at Era in Cape Town one year when I was down from London visiting. The crowd was on fire, my friends were there and it was the first time I played all my own productions and they didn’t suck!

What’s the thing you love most about DJ’ing?That feeling when the music just takes over, you stop thinking about what you gonna play next and just fall into a trance. And for me the biggest thing is making sure people on the dancefloor are getting down and having fun - that gets me off.

How did the move from DJ’ing to production come about?It was actually more from my studies - I did a sound engineering course yeeeears ago and due to some of the subjects - we had to get composing projects. I started dabbling then and it just kind of grew and consumed me.

What’s your production set up?

Who are the producers you admire the most or young talent you’ve heard and think we should know about?

You’ve worked with so many quality names, what’s been the highlights to date?Each artist and producer I’ve worked with always seems to change me a small bit - either pushing me to try get better at something or hear something in a different way.

And if you could work with anyone in the scene right now who would it be?See my above list lol but also there are some great vocalists and I’ve always had a sweet spot there - Jamie Woon man that’d be ace.

What’s been the best and worst parts of running the label?

Is the labels’ sound a reflection of your musical taste or more diverse than that?I suppose it’s a current snapshot of just some of the music I love. Of course this changes over time but at the heart there has to be something that resonates with me in every track.

From a DJ point I’ve been lucky to play gigs in Switzerland, Prague, London, France, Amsterdam and Poland. Highlights being the travelling and experiencing of new cultures.

Has the return to South Africa helped the label profiles given the interest SA music right now?Yeah we are definitely working with more local artists than before which is great but as with anything there is some heavy saturation going on in the market down here.

What do you feel has made deep house such a strong community in South Africa?The same thing that has made it community worldwide. The music has a depth of soul and spirit which speaks past colour. Let’s say SA peeps also like to throw some shapes lol

What keeps you going, pushing the music, promoting, DJ’ing…?I’ve been doing it for so long it has just become a part of me - I couldn’t really imagine not doing it - that would leave a pretty big hole in my soul.

What else is on the cards for the rest of 2020?For myself I have some nice releases on the way and some fresh new collabs I’m excited about.

More to enjoy:

Matt Prehn

Interview

Let’s start with your background - you’re South African but lived in London until recently moving back to Cape Town - how did all that come about?

Do you consider yourself a DJ or Producer first?I definitely prefer producing to DJing these days so let’s go with that although it used to be the other way around. I don’t like putting tags on it especially these days when everyone and their dog is a producer/dj/label owner/promoter etc lol.

Favourite place to DJ?There have been a number of notable gigs but I think my favourite ever set was at Era in Cape Town one year when I was down from London visiting. The crowd was on fire, my friends were there and it was the first time I played all my own productions and they didn’t suck!

What’s the thing you love most about DJ’ing?That feeling when the music just takes over, you stop thinking about what you gonna play next and just fall into a trance. And for me the biggest thing is making sure people on the dancefloor are getting down and having fun - that gets me off.

How did the move from DJ’ing to production come about?It was actually more from my studies - I did a sound engineering course yeeeears ago and due to some of the subjects - we had to get composing projects. I started dabbling then and it just kind of grew and consumed me.

What’s your production set up?

Who are the producers you admire the most or young talent you’ve heard and think we should know about?

You’ve worked with so many quality names, what’s been the highlights to date?Each artist and producer I’ve worked with always seems to change me a small bit - either pushing me to try get better at something or hear something in a different way.

And if you could work with anyone in the scene right now who would it be?See my above list lol but also there are some great vocalists and I’ve always had a sweet spot there - Jamie Woon man that’d be ace.

What’s been the best and worst parts of running the label?

Is the labels’ sound a reflection of your musical taste or more diverse than that?I suppose it’s a current snapshot of just some of the music I love. Of course this changes over time but at the heart there has to be something that resonates with me in every track.

From a DJ point I’ve been lucky to play gigs in Switzerland, Prague, London, France, Amsterdam and Poland. Highlights being the travelling and experiencing of new cultures.

Has the return to South Africa helped the label profiles given the interest SA music right now?Yeah we are definitely working with more local artists than before which is great but as with anything there is some heavy saturation going on in the market down here.

What do you feel has made deep house such a strong community in South Africa?The same thing that has made it community worldwide. The music has a depth of soul and spirit which speaks past colour. Let’s say SA peeps also like to throw some shapes lol

What keeps you going, pushing the music, promoting, DJ’ing…?I’ve been doing it for so long it has just become a part of me - I couldn’t really imagine not doing it - that would leave a pretty big hole in my soul.

What else is on the cards for the rest of 2020?For myself I have some nice releases on the way and some fresh new collabs I’m excited about.

Do you consider yourself a DJ or Producer first?
I definitely prefer producing to DJing these days so let’s go with that although it used to be the other way around. I don’t like putting tags on it especially these days when everyone and their dog is a producer/dj/label owner/promoter etc lol.

Favourite place to DJ?

There have been a number of notable gigs but I think my favourite ever set was at Era in Cape Town one year when I was down from London visiting. The crowd was on fire, my friends were there and it was the first time I played all my own productions and they didn’t suck!

What’s the thing you love most about DJ’ing?
That feeling when the music just takes over, you stop thinking about what you gonna play next and just fall into a trance. And for me the biggest thing is making sure people on the dancefloor are getting down and having fun - that gets me off.

How did the move from DJ’ing to production come about?
It was actually more from my studies - I did a sound engineering course yeeeears ago and due to some of the subjects - we had to get composing projects. I started dabbling then and it just kind of grew and consumed me.

You’ve worked with so many quality names, what’s been the highlights to date?
Each artist and producer I’ve worked with always seems to change me a small bit - either pushing me to try get better at something or hear something in a different way.

And if you could work with anyone in the scene right now who would it be?
See my above list lol but also there are some great vocalists and I’ve always had a sweet spot there - Jamie Woon man that’d be ace.

Is the labels’ sound a reflection of your musical taste or more diverse than that?
I suppose it’s a current snapshot of just some of the music I love. Of course this changes over time but at the heart there has to be something that resonates with me in every track.

Has the return to South Africa helped the label profiles given the interest SA music right now?
Yeah we are definitely working with more local artists than before which is great but as with anything there is some heavy saturation going on in the market down here.

What do you feel has made deep house such a strong community in South Africa?
The same thing that has made it community worldwide. The music has a depth of soul and spirit which speaks past colour. Let’s say SA peeps also like to throw some shapes lol

What keeps you going, pushing the music, promoting, DJ’ing…?
I’ve been doing it for so long it has just become a part of me - I couldn’t really imagine not doing it - that would leave a pretty big hole in my soul.

What else is on the cards for the rest of 2020?
For myself I have some nice releases on the way and some fresh new collabs I’m excited about.

Do you consider yourself a DJ or Producer first?
I definitely prefer producing to DJing these days so let’s go with that although it used to be the other way around. I don’t like putting tags on it especially these days when everyone and their dog is a producer/dj/label owner/promoter etc lol.

Favourite place to DJ?

There have been a number of notable gigs but I think my favourite ever set was at Era in Cape Town one year when I was down from London visiting. The crowd was on fire, my friends were there and it was the first time I played all my own productions and they didn’t suck!

What’s the thing you love most about DJ’ing?
That feeling when the music just takes over, you stop thinking about what you gonna play next and just fall into a trance. And for me the biggest thing is making sure people on the dancefloor are getting down and having fun - that gets me off.

How did the move from DJ’ing to production come about?
It was actually more from my studies - I did a sound engineering course yeeeears ago and due to some of the subjects - we had to get composing projects. I started dabbling then and it just kind of grew and consumed me.

You’ve worked with so many quality names, what’s been the highlights to date?
Each artist and producer I’ve worked with always seems to change me a small bit - either pushing me to try get better at something or hear something in a different way.

And if you could work with anyone in the scene right now who would it be?
See my above list lol but also there are some great vocalists and I’ve always had a sweet spot there - Jamie Woon man that’d be ace.

Is the labels’ sound a reflection of your musical taste or more diverse than that?
I suppose it’s a current snapshot of just some of the music I love. Of course this changes over time but at the heart there has to be something that resonates with me in every track.

Has the return to South Africa helped the label profiles given the interest SA music right now?
Yeah we are definitely working with more local artists than before which is great but as with anything there is some heavy saturation going on in the market down here.

What do you feel has made deep house such a strong community in South Africa?
The same thing that has made it community worldwide. The music has a depth of soul and spirit which speaks past colour. Let’s say SA peeps also like to throw some shapes lol

What keeps you going, pushing the music, promoting, DJ’ing…?
I’ve been doing it for so long it has just become a part of me - I couldn’t really imagine not doing it - that would leave a pretty big hole in my soul.

What else is on the cards for the rest of 2020?
For myself I have some nice releases on the way and some fresh new collabs I’m excited about.