Ron: Have you thought about adding a laptop to your mix set?
James: I have, but then I’ve seen so many DJs use laptops in clubs that have crashed. So maybe when they bring out a laptop that is more stable, I’ll be interested.
Ron: From what I gather, seeing you spin live and watching you work, everything is a real part of the experience, and I’m guessing just pressing buttons on one laptop wouldn't be the same thing?
James: It depends what you’re using the laptop for. If I want to scratch, you still use the records, you know, you use the two records like you would with using records, which happens to be a laptop connected to the mixer. Yes, I guess it’s like sort of less magic in there, isn’t there?
Ron: I know you scratch on CD, do you scratch on vinyl also?
James: Yes.
Ron: How are they different?
James: Not too different really, I mean once you can scratch on records you can scratch on CDs as well. You can use the CDJ just like a record, so that you can do extra things like you can loop the samples, so you can start transforming and it will always stay in the loop and you could be really rough, obviously with a CD, because it’s not going to jump because you’re just scratching a sample, because the CDJ plays ahead of itself, that’s how it works. You can do like little hot cue tricks and it’s kind of, you know, start pushing the record round and hitting the cue bar at the same time so you can do like different types of scratches on the CD.
Ron: As I said, it’s almost like you’re remixing live as opposed to just mixing records.
James: Yes, I know, it’s mad. I think DJing these days has to be more than just playing one record after another. It’s nice to have fun too, I guess if I’m having fun with the toys and playing around then people will hopefully find it interesting and have fun as well.
Ron: Having fun, that’s great advice, do you have any other advice to other up and coming DJs?
James: Just do it all for the right reasons, I guess is the best advice anyone can give.
Ron: Which is basically for the money and the sex?
James: Yes, exactly.
Ron: Just teasing. I am wondering, how do the crowds in the US and Europe differ? Like last night, did you know you were in an American room? Did the crowd look different or respond differently?
James: Oh yes, definitely. I mean, it’s just totally different, everywhere you go it’s totally different. If you go to Asia it’s different, if you go to Australia it’s different. Everyone has their different character traits, you know, Scottish people and Irish people like to drink a lot and shout. When you go to Eastern Europe to somewhere like Hungary, the people are just really into the music, they’re just nuts and bouncing around, for whatever reason, maybe they’ve lived a more oppressed life so therefore they have to bite it harder. And in America you’ve got that massive message board-Internet culture, and there’s a lot of trainspotters, so it’s just different everywhere you go but everywhere’s great. I wouldn’t say I preferred one place to another.
Ron: Have you experienced the Oakenfold effect where you’ll do a set and the next day you’ll look on the Internet and your playlist is posted?
James: Yes, but I was like lucky because I don’t play a lot of records people know, so they’d have to try and guess them all.
Ron: In a few words, how do you define your musical style?
James: I’m not really sure, it’s just really house and breaks and techno with a bit of twisted melody here and there.
Ron: Talking to the UK DJs I’m noticing that, well, you’re a UK DJ, or would you call yourself that?
James: Yes, well I’m from England, so yes.
Ron: Mostly there’s not just like a techno DJ or a trance DJ, even the big names are blending textures together and blending genres together, do you see the music going in that direction as well?
James: Yes, well, I’ve always sort of played a bit of everything. I was never one to play like six hours of the same tribal house or whatever.
Ron: That would make you an American DJ. <laughing>
James: I don’t know. Yes, the trouble is that my DJing just reflects my musical taste, I like a bit of everything, so that’s the only explanation for that really.
Ron: Where do you find your music? Do you buy records everywhere you go or do people send you stuff?
James: Yes, I go on Juno which is an Internet website in London, they’re a record shop and…
Ron: Juno.co.uk?
James: Yes.
Ron: Wow, great store.
James: Yes, it’s excellent, you can sit there and listen to all the samples and they’ve got a good techno section and yes, it’s ace.
