"What a challenge to try to define my musical 'DNA' through a two hour selection of tracks! Still, it is a great honour to have been asked, and I have found it to be a very satisfying experience. I hope that the playlist works as an enjoyable listen as well as marking crucial points in the evolution of my musical appreciation. The hardest thing was knowing where to start and choosing what to miss out. I could have included artists such as Howard Jones, Depeche Mode & Tears for Fears who I loved as a teenager for example, but instead I tried to focus on tracks that had the biggest impact on me when I first discovered them and have subsequently become musical reference points for my own compositions.
Looking back at my selection, it seems that the one common thread is Jazz, whether that's Johnny Marr's guitar chords, Larry Heard's synth pads or Ryuichi Sakamoto's piano riffs. Jazz can define an attitude as well as a sound, so maybe this explains my choices. I'd just like to say a massive thanks to all the friends, DJs, podcasters, musicians, producers, colleagues and students who have expanded my musical vocabularly over the years. I am eternally grateful, and I can't wait to hear what's round the corner!"
Tracklist:
1. Dauwd – What's There
This immaculately produced future-garage track from Dauwd blew me away when I first heard it on Giles Peterson's radio show in 2012. Dauwd sets the bar extremely high with his precision programming.
2. Lone – Pulsar
I've been a massive fan of Lone since I watched his first Boiler Room set. He manages to create a perfect blend of soulful 90's house with delicate ambient textures. In this track from his 'Ambivert Tools Volume Four EP' I can really hear the influence of 'Papua New Guinea' by Future Sound of London, especially when the breakbeat comes in.
3. Larry Heard - What About This Love?