1. This record is the very first on DJ Steaw’s new vinyl only label House Puff Records. That must be a great feeling to be chosen to be the very first artist to release on this label.  

Oh definitely, I was over the moon when he asked me to be the first release on the label. I’ve been a very big fan of DJ Steaw’s productions for a long time, I always play at least one of his tracks or label’s tracks in my sets. It really is top draw house/ techno music that he releases, so when he wanted to release my EP I was absolutely delighted!

2. You have mentioned recently that you have started putting a lot more effort into producing music. Do you feel like you have found your signature sound?

I’ve been working very hard in my home studio lately, I’m in a good routine which definitely helps me stay focused and finish more tracks. I think as a producer your sound is always changing and developing, every year I find myself liking slightly different music. I’m a huge fan of the deep French house music that’s around at the moment, so I think a lot of my recent work is influenced from it too. It can be very frustrating when producing your own music, in the 6 years I’ve been producing I’ve only really been satisfied with my work from the past couple of years. As time goes on you get better and better, and everyday I learn something new.

3. The first thing that jumped out at me when looking at this new record was the title for it. How did Berlins infamous Tresor influence this record?

I first visited Berlin at the beginning of last year, Tresor was literally one of the most incredible clubs I’ve ever experienced. It just had this aura about it, it felt like a club that was made for underground house and techno. The track is by no means a techno track, but I just love the club and really enjoyed the vibe of the track so lead to naming it after one of my favourite clubbing experiences.

4. What do you think it is that makes a club like Tresor so special?

The fact it’s open 5 days a week and it’s set in an abandoned power plant make it pretty special, I’ve never seen anything like it before. The sound system in there is so powerful, it’s well tuned and the people who go there are there for the right reasons. The no mobile phone policy helps create an atmosphere of purely dancing and not taking selfies too, which is a bonus.

5. Given the tough times that clubs in the UK have been through in the last few years, do you think there is something to be learned from cities like Berlin and how they handle their nightlife?

Clubbing should be treated as important as the culture of museums and landmarks are in cities- as they do in other European cities such as Berlin and Amsterdam. The UK is catching up now that London has a Night Czar but it needs to be applied in other major clubbing cities such as Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool.

6. You also started your own club night, LOLiFE when you were in Uni at Manchester. What pushed you to want to start your own club night at such a young age?

I really wanted to put my own stamp on the clubbing scene, I knew what music I loved and was dying to start my own event. A friend of mine called me up one day saying that a basement club in Manchester ‘Redrum’ were looking for promoters to run events- so it was the perfect opportunity. I started off by playing all night long sets for around 6 hours, it was great, I had the freedom to play exactly what I wanted. I’ve learned a lot from running LOLiFE, it’s not easy being a promoter, but when it’s done right it can be so rewarding.

7. One thing that almost every party strives to build is a sense of community between the DJ’s and the punters. Was this something you made a conscious effort to achieve at LOLiFE?

Definitely- LOLiFE has always been held at intimate spaces, the smallest being when we did a couple of parties in a 60 capacity barber shop. You will usually find a raw and genuine atmosphere in intimate spaces, sadly this can be missing in the impersonal super club experience. Our LOLiFE parties always have the same friendly regulars and then some newcomers, it really does feel like a big family.

8. The LOLiFE brand has grown massively over the last few years. What can we expect next from it?

It’s been a great journey, from being clubbing partner to The Warehouse Project to hosting rooms at Yousef’s CIRCUS events, with lots of other intimate events in between. Our next party is at the really cool ’24 Kitchen Street’ venue in Liverpool on Saturday 29th April. Once again it will be an intimate event, with myself, Baxter & O’Hanlon (the residents) and a very special guest from Fuse London which will be announced later on this week.

9. Speaking of clubs, you are set to play Printworks as part of Knee Deep in Sound. How do you think Printworks is impacting the London club scene?

Printworks is just what London needed, the space looks amazing. The line-ups have been strong for each event and the sound/ lighting systems in there are meant to be ridiculously good- I’m so excited to play there. Printworks seems to be having an extremely positive effect on the London club scene, the fact that it’s open in the day time is really cool too. Clubbing has been going through a tough time in London, with a massive decline in the number of large and small scale venues due to building developments and licensing problems such as the battle to save fabric. The space has a lot of history and is just what London needed for it’s cultural growth.

10. Printworks is a little bit different to normal clubs given its opening hours. Would the early set times change what you would play in your sets? Or is it business as usual for you?

If the party was outdoors in the daytime I would probably play slightly different music. But with it being a warehouse I am going to play my usual stuff, with a mixture of warehouse vibes and dub-techno/ house music. Obviously not going in too hard as I want to save some room for the DJs on after me!

Questions by G. Lewis