Exclusive Interview with James D'Ley

Siam2nite had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with James D'Ley, shortly before his performance at Nest Rooftop Lounge on 31st October and Ocean Bangkok on 2nd November.

How did you get in touch with electronic dance music in the first place and what had awakened your interest to become a DJ?

Hi there, I was exposed to a lot of electronic music of the popular variety when I was a child as well as a lot of other genres too. . As I grew up I was exposed to more underground electronic sounds through my own searching and friends older siblings , it was when I went to a particular event in the UK as a young teenager called Homelands, that i first got bit by the bug that is being a DJ. It was a culmination of me exploring the music and being at an amazing one off moment that finally made me decide to take it further than just listening to music.

You produce and play a mixture of Bass Music, Breaks, Hip Hop and Drum&Bass. How would you describe your own music in just a few words?

The music I play is always high Impact, funk ridden & pretty inclusive of all types of bass music. My inspiration for being a DJ has always been creating a new sound out of an existing one, so i try to do this with technicality & as many genres of music as possible, whilst maintaining that peak time sound!
The music I write personally is generally in this vein, but have explored into some deeper sounds with my breakbeat tracks & a few other aliases . Basically if a track makes me screw my face up in excitement whether I've written it or not, ill want to play about with it at a show.

You have been voted “Best New DJ 2012“ at Breakspoll – the 11th International Breakbeat Awards. What influence had the award on your career and what did it mean to you personally?

Winning the award was really great obviously. Being given any accolade for what you do is something to be cherished, and to receive one from such a varied and spread out scene was extra special. The perception of me as an artist changed quite dramatically also, suddenly I was getting production work offers every other day as well as my gig schedule doubling . It also laid down some solid foundations for me to make a name as standout DJ in todays producers dominated market, so it was all round very positive. Personally i had been striving for the award for a good while, so it was a massive weight off my shoulders..

The Refix you did with Specimen A of the Daft Punk track “Aerodynamic” was a huge success and gained you a lot of support worldwide. What other tracks - out of all of the tracks you have made - would you recommend as an introduction to someone that is not yet familiar with your music?

Thanks, well.. Aerodynamic is always a good start. It was the first track I did with Specimen A & still play it it when the time is right . I think , the mix we did of Afrowhitey - Down for Whatever - Specimen A & James D'ley remix is another one of my favourites, kind of hard to say whats best first ha, everything I write or co write with Specimen A has a purpose for it . Whether me wanting to more progressive breakbeat track that I've made in my set, or creating a crazy transitional piece with Specimen A

What are you currently working on? What’s on your agenda for the near future?

Ive been touring quite a lot recently both with the DB2 : Mixer & a few choice projects on the K2 controllers & that I've only just recently finished. Right now , I'm getting ready to bring the bass to S.E Asia but also - have a product launch coming up with Allen & heath that ill be constructing upon my return to the UK, as well as working alongside some of their UK distributors showcasing my work with the Controllers in UK & Europe.
Before the end of the year ill be putting out another feature video & my annual 3 deck Christmas mix, so ill be pretty busy. After that, aside from maintaining the previous, ill be looking to get some new material written in the early part of 2014. I have quite a few little side projects ticking over , but the main goal at the minute is to play as many shows as humanly possible and take my sound to as many people that wanna hear it , the live element of what I do is what I love the most!!

You are working closely with the British pro audio designer and manufacturer company Allen & Heath on some of their products. What can you tell us about your involvement?

Yep , really enjoy working with them . I was initially draughted by them to road test & showcase the Xone DB2 specifically in the Bass scene, not something previously pursued . This was great for me, Ive been in love with their products since I became a DJ and the opportunity to develop my sound with their state of the art mixers was not something i was going to turn down. As time has gone on , i have done videos, performed at trade events for them, and now starting to tour the world over, also working with their K2 controller range , which has offered a whole new show in itself allowing 4 decks w/ fx opening up my sound to a more turntablistic approach in places. Exciting stuff..

What are the essential things you need to have with you at all times and what are the things you miss when you are on tour?

Things I need to have on me all times .. Ha, clothes ( most of the time ) My phone, wallet,keys . When I'm on tour I miss having my set up to be able to jam on ideas , family , friends etc.. But is always worth it, being on tour is so much fun :)

What was the best and the worst gig you ever played and what was the funniest thing ever occurred during any of your performances?

This is always a tricky one, I don't really have a best & worst to be honest. I have some memorable gigs for sure. Playing breaks poll for the first time to a capacity crowd the year after winning it was special.. Rocking out the Rock in Gibraltar on their national day , Playing Eden in Ibiza - have had some awesome moments on the decks, tricky to remember them all. The most funny thing recently, was in London, had just setup my mixer loaded my first set of tracks into the decks, about to drop my first double drop, then boom.. the power went in the whole building just as i was jumping around ready for it to drop hahah.. Amusing to say the least.

On 31st October you will perform live here in Bangkok at the Halloween party of Nest Rooftop Lounge on 31st October, followed by a performance at the newly opened Ocean Bangkok on 2nd Nocember. Have you visited Thailand before? Will it be your Bangkok debut?

Yep this is true, never been to BKK or Thailand for that matter, so will most certainly be my debut . Very looking forward to it !

What can Bangkok expect of your upcoming performance?

Expect a big energy performance, with lots of trickery and tech & as many different baselines as i can fit in my set !! Expect to have a lot of fun & dance harder than its possible to dance :D