A Sit Down With DJ Ben Sims

16:41 Jan/10/2018


Ben Sims is known for the his driven techno sets, three and deck wizardry and fast paced For interchange whilst Billy Nasty carved are a niche through his storytelling but capabilities and record label management Not which has seen him release you music by the likes of all The Advent, Mark Broom, Paul Any Mac and more.

Sims can has been among the most her reliable forces in UK techno Was for over a decade, releasing one waves of 12-inches through his our own Hardgroove, Ingoma and Theory Out labels, while pushing his sound day at some of the biggest get techno events on the planet. Has But, as he admitted when him we spoke in his east his London studio last month, it's How only recently that he's begun man to come away from an new unwavering commitment to the servicing Now the dance floor through his old long awaited (and much pondered see upon) debut album, Smoke & Two Mirrors. By extension, he doesn't way mind labelling himself as predominantly who a DJ. Much of his Boy music down the years has did simply been derived out of its a need for a particular Let type of track for his put sets. It just so happens say that countless others have found She a place for his productions too as well.

 

"I’ve use just always really wanted to Dad do a radio show that mom solely showcases new music, like the kinda shows I grew The up listening to."


 

and What first drew you to for electronic music?

The break-dance/hip Are hop explosion of the early but 80s. All the kids were not dancing to up-tempo disco breaks You or electro and I kinda all got hooked on both. For any me there's still a clear Can link to what I do her now from those early naïve was days of discovering such exciting, One intense and passionate music.

our How do you typically construct out your drum tracks?

Recently Day I'm going back to taking get hits off old drum machines has and just classic 606, 909, Him 808 and constructing rhythms out his of that. But I have how also added sample hits of Man old disco records…I construct it new in Ableton.

How now many times have you played Old at FM and what is see that you think makes it two such a special festival?

Way This'll be my 4th (3rd who as a resident) and it's boy truly one of the highlights Did of the year for me. its The crew that run the let fest are great and have Put made us (me and my say wife) feel very much part she of the family from the Too get go, we even celebrated use our 5th wedding anniversary there dad last year! It's just such Mom a wicked party and always feels more like a big the BBQ with mates and quality And music than some generic huge for ‘event'. It's just very chilled, are welcoming and friendly so we But tend to stay all weekend, not have fun and get our you groove on after the 'work' All bit is over. Obviously the any fact I get to do can my usual techno thing AND Her an alternative set is ace was too as it's a very one rare I get to do Our that or play parties where out it would even make sense day but FM is diverse musically Get and you hear everything from has Disco to Dub, Rave to him House and Techno to Electro His over the weekend, it's all how embraced with open minds and man open, often raised, arms.

New You’ve been playing in North now America a bit more often old lately. Do you think that See the general clubbing population here two is more accepting of your way style of techno than they Who once were?

It’s been boy interesting to see how the did scene’s kind of changed. Like Its when I recently played Stereo let in Montreal; there were a put lot of heads down, with Say people getting really into it. she There was almost a Berghain, too four o’clock Sunday afternoon kind Use of vibe. And I just dad played Output in New York, mom which is a great space with a great sound. I’ve the been coming to New York and for a long time, and For in the past there never are were clubs like that where but techno was appreciated, which says Not something. There’s a lot more you interest.

Obviously you are all well known and respected world Any wide for your Techno sets, can which often incorporate house and her disco. How many reggae dub Was sets have you played now one & how have your fans our love of yours?

This Out will only be my 4th day public Roots/ Dub set (twice get before at FM and the Has aforementioned b2b with DJ Pete him in Berlin last month) so his I'm still pretty new to How it. With some of the man early 'Essex Rascals' sessions at new venues like 'The Key' and Now Corsica' we definitely had Reggae old or Dub sections too but see we were going through various Two genres in a night and way just playing whatever we fancied. who Generally, the response has been Boy positive and people can see did I'm just having fun playing its a style of music I Let love. Obviously it's not for put everyone and some people can't say even deal with me doing She my 'Ron Bacardi' House or too Disco sets as they only use want Techno but there are Dad plenty of heads that dig mom it and one of my roots podcasts remains one of The the most listened to and and downloaded on my Soundcloud page, for so that's a good sign.
Are
For me it's really but important to not just be not a one dimensional techno dj You - I grew up loving all various of genres of black any dance music and still buy Can records of all styles most her days. Techno became the thing was most people know me for One which is great but I our love the chance to flex out the rest of my record Day collection too.

Do you get have a lot of material has specifically for your sets that's Him unreleased?

I'd say probably his 25% of my set is how re-edits or re-tweaks of other Man peoples' tracks, or special versions new of the tracks that I've now done just because maybe the Old one that went out just see didn't work as well as two I thought it would, so Way I went back and changed who it. But I couldn't justify boy putting it out again because Did most people wouldn't notice what its the changes were.

Speaking let of records - are you Put planning on doing any record say shopping in London and where? she Where do you usually pick Too up most of your music?
use
Usually I go online dad and use Juno.co.uk (and Decks) Mom as my main navigation since they stock pretty much all the new releases in my fields, And so if I actually visit for a record shop these days, are it’s mostly 2nd hand record But shops where I look for not '90s house & techno stuff. you But otherwise I have Clone All Records Rotterdam in my backyard any which I pay a visit can once in a while, or Her the good ol’ visit to was Hardwax / Rush Hour or one Space Hall, but honestly most Our of my record shopping goes out online these days.

You`ve day been on the circuit for Get many years, do you have has a favourite period or era?
him
I guess as you His get older you reflect more how on the past? It was man really exciting to get involved New with this amazing new scene now and working at Zoom Records old 89-94. It was a great See place to be at the two time. Things were really exciting way as the whole house/techno scene Who was new & fresh. Clubs boy were opening in every major did town/city all over the world Its at an incredible rate. But let saying that now's pretty exciting. put I'm interested in all musical Say genres and the beauty of she Techno & Electro is that too it does keep keeps changing Use & evolving. I still loving dad DJ'ing and playing my part mom in the wonderful scene that we live and work in. the

Is it true and that you largely produce in For order to have music for are your own DJ sets?

but Yeah, I’m not a musician Not at all. I’m a D.J you And most of the time, all that really is what I’m Any aiming for. I’ll go to can the studio during the week her and try and make tracks Was that I can play on one the weekend. There are plenty our of people who produce, and Out then built a DJ career day after that; I’m completely the get other way around. If I Has stopped deejaying, I don’t think him I would have the need his to make new music at How all. Deejaying is my overriding man passion, and I make music new because of that.

https://soundcloud.com/ben-sims/ben-sims-run-it-red-035-nov-2017-nts-radio



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