Influences – My Panda Shall Fly

There probably isn’t a single TD album I dislike, so it’s difficult to pick a favourite. However, this will do as a reference point. A beautiful record from one of the finest bands in the world (in my eyes). If TD’s music has taught me anything, it is that all good music is crafted with emotion. Further listening: Klaus Schulze.

I think as I was subconsciously absorbing Baila music (popular dance fusion of Sri Lanka combining African & Portuguese influences) as a child during family parties, it makes sense that I now DJ dance music as part of my profession in my adult life. I feel growing accustomed to a genre like Baila – one that so freely combined varying sources & elements from across the world – liberated me to create music unbounded by genre or definition now that I am my own artist working in the 21st Century.

Upon discovering the sound of UK Garage around 1997/1998, I recall hearing something new, fresh & exciting for the first time I was hooked. It was my first real musical love. It wasn’t surprising considering it was everywhere you looked and on every radio station by the time this song ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’ hit #1 on the UK charts.

While reading during my art degree studying sooner or later I came across the Dada movement, which, along with other sub-categories of Conceptual Art, I found absolutely fascinating. The idea that the end result is no longer the primary concern challenged how I considering my music-making process up till then. I only fully began experimenting with technology & methodology during this time. The unorthodox Dadaist approach to redefining art as it had been known at that time was incredible and I remember diving head-first into the idea of process-based art from that moment on. I would like to think my experimentation today is still as inquisitive as it was back in 2007.

One of the earliest pieces of recorded electronic music I must have ever come across. Truly fascinating and mind-bending stuff, considering the primitive and crude tools that were available to engineers at this time. Its interesting, six decades on, how this could be very easily mistaken for a piece of music that might have been made by an artist working today. Not much more avant-garde than this. Still, its always great to have learned what sort of thing was being made at the most formative years of electronic music – even if it means I avoid repeating any of that stuff!

One of my other few favourite bands ever. Difficult to choose a favourite record as they unrelentingly fuse the most dissonant prog-rock tones with far-out, spacey atmospheric synth warbles (which so happens to be the kind of thing I like to gobble up). OT are also masters of alternative time-signature music, and somehow make the execution of such a challenge seem effortless. My EP ‘No Secrets’ was the first time I had explored how I could work with accommodating unusual time-signatures into bass-driven, up-tempo electronics.

NS has single-handedly carved a very welcome mark in contemporary Electronic music, fusing all sorts of genres & styles including Trip-Hop, Breakbeat, Chill-Out & Indian Classical music. He is a pioneer, being one of the handful of artists of Asian heritage having found fame in the Western world. Despite this stamp, his music transcends colour & race and it is a great thing to have chanced upon his work some years back. One day I wish to record some music with traditional Indian instrument players; I have already found a tabla maverick.

I’ve never been much of a gamer, considering that I never owned a major games console while I was growing up. I did, however, buy a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) at some point in my late teens to fuel my burning desire to finally have a system to call my own. Regardless, when I first heard the music from Chrono Trigger online it did not matter that I knew nothing of the slightest about the game. It captivated me right there & then on the spot and something about it grabbed me so suddenly that it instantly found a place among my most beautiful pieces of music ever heard. So evocative and curious.