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That realization coincided with a growing awareness of repetition across the wider scene. Certain sounds began circulating faster than identity could keep up with them, flattening distinction into familiarity. It was not a rejection of those influences, but a recog- nition that something more spe- cific was needed. The question became less about what worked and more about what actually belonged within the project.
“There was a moment where I no- ticed a sound I’d been working on suddenly showing up everywhere. The promos started flooding in and they all had the same ener- gy, same stabs, same structure. DJs were talking about it too, everything was starting to blend together.”
What followed was not a clean break, but a process of refine- ment shaped by accumulation and removal. Entire phases of work remained unreleased, tra- cing periods where fascination overtook identity and direction blurred. The distinction between influence and authorship shar- pened gradually, becoming easier to recognize in hindsight than in the moment. Progress came less from adding ideas and more from learning what to leave behind.
“I’ve got a whole catalog of un- released stuff ranging from har- dgroove to garage and hard dance, but most of those tracks either lacked character or came from phases where I was hooked on a sound and trying to replica- te parts of it rather than adding to it.”
Certain tracks marked that tran- sition more clearly, not because they were designed as state- ments, but because they allowed something new to emerge wi- thout constraint. The absence of expectation created space for risk, and with it, a different kind of clarity around what felt perso- nal. What began as experimen- tation revealed itself as direction. From that point on, the process carried a different kind of weight.
“The shift was learning to tell the difference between ‘I’m into this’ and ‘this actually sounds like me.’ A track that really marked that was Drum’s Dance, a B-side I did with Benwal. Because it was the B-side we could be more expe- rimental, and that was the first time I really let the heavy percus- sion lead and put it out into the world.”
THE LOGIC OF MOVEMENT
Rhythm now operates less as a framework and more as a conver- sation, built through interaction rather than alignment. Layers are introduced not to fill space, but to respond to what is already there, creating movement throu- gh tension and release within the groove itself. The process unfolds gradually, allowing relationships between elements to form befo- re locking them into place. What emerges is something fluid, whe- re structure is felt rather than imposed.
“It starts with call and answer. That’s what makes a groove ali- ve, the percussion needs to be having a conversation. I usually work additive, layering percus- sion and finding where the hits complement each other.”
The foundation is built without a kick at first, leaving space for rhythm to define itself before being anchored. This inversion shifts the entire dynamic of the track, placing groove ahead of impact and forcing each element to earn its place. Only once that internal conversation feels resol- ved does the rest begin to take shape. The result is a system where movement is established before weight is introduced.
“I have a sample library called West Africa that I keep coming back to for toms and percus- sion. Once the drums are talking, I grab the Minimoog or FEM BASO and get the bass locked into that same conversation. If the bass and the drums groove together, only then do I find a kick and work it out further.”
The test remains instinctive, al- most disarmingly simple in its execution. There is no external metric that replaces the body’s response, no analytical fra- mework that confirms whether something works. If it moves, it works, and that reaction be- comes the only validation that matters. Everything else follows from that initial response.
“I’ll have a loop running of the breakdown into the drop, and I know it’s working when I catch myself bumping my head harder and harder until
I have to turn
up the volume, stand up and just dance in my bedroom studio.”
“Move before you think. Does the music make you move without thinking about it? That’s the check.”
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