Influences: Forriner

“Adam The Ants were the first band I fell in love with. At the age of seven I fondly remember going down to “Woolies” with my mam and my pocket money to buy my first ever record which was “Ant Music.” From then on in I became obsessed, collecting all of their records and covering my bedroom wall with posters and memorabilia. My mother and her friend also used to take great pleasure in doing me up in make up like Adam….I loved it! I haven’t chosen “Ant Music” here but something I’ve grown to love more by them and shows them in their early, raw, state rather than what they became when they hit the charts. Whenever I’m back at someone’s house for an afters or whatever and the inevitable YouTube sesh starts, I always put something on by them. Definitely an influence.” – Lee

“There is so, so much electro that influenced me that I could write about here but this track is one that I frequently go back and refer to. Raw, basic, naive, electro-funk. When this scene, b-boying and everything that came with it hit the UK I was completely hooked. So many conversations with other dj’s, artistes and friends from all over the country who had the same experiences around this time. A huge influence.” – Lee

“Hot Chocolate were always on in our house. This was down to my mam…she loved them, especially Errol Brown. I remember her sitting on her chair with her eyes closed, head back, totally engulfed in the music. Sunday afternoons were definitely a Hot Chocolate day, again there are so many to choose from but “Brother Louie” is something I still play today at the right time in the right place. A great record and a heavy influence.” – Lee

“I grew up with Rik Mayall. I mean I didn’t actually grow up with him but he was always there. Engrained on my psyche. I loved him as did many others and was absolutely devastated when he passed. For me and friends to still be regurgitating and quoting lines from the Young Ones to this day and on a regular basis is a testament to the the influence that they and Rik have had and still have on me.” – Lee

“Ok so there are many, many more b-boy culture docs or films that are much more relevant than Beat Street and probably more credible but this is a movie I’ve watched more than anything else in my entire life. I know it word for word, scene for scene and it had an enormous impact on my life, growing up and doing what I do now. From studying the moves, the music, the clothes, everything has had and still has a major influence. 

“Let me go with you Kenny!”’ – Lee

“Riff Raff was the name of a party held in Leeds at the infamous West Indian Centre of Chapeltown and would be the home to my first introduction into rave and dance culture. At 15 years old me and my closest friend Will Sheerin attended our first outing to the filthy, over-crowded venue. At the time I had no interest in dance music whatsoever. Listening to hardcore and death metal my imagination conjured up some crappy clubland tracks if someone was to mention “Dance Music”. Looking back now it was a completely unpretentious atmosphere, unlimited freedom of expression with the DJ’s clearly enjoying the night as much as the crowd. Pretty much overnight I was beginning to seek out this electronic sound and began making music of my own immediately whilst continuing to religiously attend the night. This is a very definite influence for me and the kick-starter to my musical career.” – Oli

“After spending a number of years learning to DJ using CD’s and consuming digital music. I finally managed to get my hands on a pair of technics 1210’s. This is one of the first records I bought to play on them and will always stay close to my heart for a number of reasons. Not only did I find it utterly impossible to mix, a learning process that would stay with me forever, it also opened my eyes to a much more artistic, rough sound that would affect me for years to come. Now open to buying music from record shops as opposed to online I was exposing myself to a far greater breadth of music, spanning multiple genre and becoming enthralled in digging culture and the hunt for hidden gems. Its this excitement that still inspires me to span huge soundscapes when performing as opposed to being confined to one linear trajectory.” – Oli

“A lot of my key influences in music have been experiences as opposed to specific records. My first trip out to Berlin is undoubtedly one of these experiences. Heading out there NYE 2014 with my girlfriend of the time and a close friend. None of us knew where to go or what to see, we had plenty of recommendations from friends and regulars to the city but being spoilt for choice in Berlin left us at a complete loss of what to do. After witnessing the most insane display of fireworks at the Oberbaum Bridge we made a decision to head to the well renowned Salon Zur Wilden Renate. Put simply I had never seen anything like it in my life. I can’t say how long we spent in there for sure but I left with a completely different outlook on how a party should be. I was exposed to new sounds of slow, weird and trippy disco that I hadn’t heard before seeing artists such as Manfredas, Sebastian Voigt, Peak & Swift and Cosmo Vitelli. It was a special night for all of us. There were many memorable tracks from that night that still inspire my music today.” – Oli

“I grew up around Jazz being played in our household a lot when I was younger and with Clarinet being my first instrument I have always taken a lot from the genre. Much like the culture of dance music, Jazz conjured a freedom of expression within people and challenged them to go beyond their assigned role in society. I like the idea of an underground culture or movement influencing the future of a civilisation and giving way to a more open mindset. Its this freedom of expression within the music that I like to carry over into our musical endeavours exploring any channel and outcome without being worried about the boundaries of “genre” that plague a lot of current artists.” – Oli

“Something that sparked my creative appetite more recently was the “Northern Disco Lights” Documentary. It basically follows the story of how a few Teenagers in Tromsø set off a chain of events that would transform the future of their country. I was amazed by the environment they lived in and how I could hear this reflected in the sound they were creating. Mountains, snow, starlit nights and of course the Aurora Borealis. Being so shut off from the rest of the world they all share this creative freedom which most people strive for, largely uninfluenced by other sounds of the time they were free to create something of their own. This inspires me to do the same and feel comfortable with my own musical journey instead of looking to mimic other artists or sounds.” – Oli