I was talking about this the other day actually on my Facebook page and regardless of the genre I think I just respond to music that ‘connects’ with me somehow, on a personal level. I guess it comes down to the ‘heart & soul’ of the music above anything. I’m just as taken by the dripping rock’n'roll ethos of something by Dead Weather as I am by the savage drop of an Excision dubstep monster … and equally the compulsive techno groove of something by Alex Di Stefano will ‘get me’ whilst on the other hand I will be singing my HEART out to something like ‘Station Approach’ by Elbow. Music for me is about a personal connection & a passion – I couldn’t care less about what other people say & think. I just trust my own personal judgement and I’m comfortable with my own choices without having to justify them to anyone.

In some ways that sounds a bit corny or a bit ‘focus group’ but that’s more a reflection of the terminology and the use of the word ‘marketing’. I’m keen to develop relationships with the people who buy into & enjoy what I do, and technology is just a facilitator that allows me to do that in a way that’s inclusive and reciprocal.

It’s a constant juggling act, but deadlines are to be embraced. They are your friends. They ensure that you buckle down and commit to studio time as & when you need to and it’s very rare that I’m late with delivering something to someone … time just becomes more elastic as you reach the deadline.

I’m as guilty as anyone of buying into the ‘trade mags’ in whose interest it is to constantly hype the newest, latest updates & softwares, but at the same time I’m more than aware that none of this ‘new-hype’ really matters. Look at what Hawtin’s been capable of in the past by massively restricting his sonic palette – you can say the same of many musicians over the years across a whole load of different musical fields. What really matters are the quality of your ideas, and more importantly, that your workflow expedites  these ideas rather than hampering them.

Obviously the music needs to fit the bill for me, but just as important is that our artists understand the need to seize the networking opportunities that are out there for everyone. The more output we have from them to work with, the better, and the release of singles or even albums is now just part of that process and not the be all & end all.

I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you.