Q&A with… DJ RANDALL

With the days racing ahead until we welcome you lucky people onto the farm for our twentieth year, we thought it only appropriate to catch up with one of the most seasoned DJs in the drum ‘n’ bass game, DJ Randall, before his set in the Cubicles.

Hi mate, thanks for taking the time to have a chat with us! Iʼm guessing youʼre preparing for a busy summer? Tell us a bit about what you have lined up this year.
Ez boys, yeah man it’s real busy at the moment which I’m thankful for, we’re up and down the country and abroad… just repping at loads of festivals, club nights, podcasts radio shows and livestreams.

Itʼs safe to say youʼve been in the scene for a while now and must have seen it go through itss ups and downs, what do you think of the current d’n’b scene and do you think itʼs being represented well at UK festivals?
Think it’s being well represented at the moment all over the country… it’s diverse, all angles of the genre is being represented over the past few years at festivals.

Although you have your hands in many d’n’b baskets, itʼs pretty impressive that youʼve made such an impact in the scene and have established yourself to the level you have, predominantly through your second-to-none mixing skills – could you briefly explain how you grew to be in this position?
I have no idea on that… all I can say is that I’ve had a passion for this music from an early age. From hip-hop in the 80ʼs to acid house in the late 80ʼs through to the 90ʼs drum ‘n’ bass/jungle era to current times. Always loved playing music to people and I’m blessed that I’m still here in this game and people out there like the way I play, the sound I bring them in the clubs and the radio. Really humbled by the love…!

Being in the day and age of social media, and with bedroom DJ equipment becoming more and more affordable, weʼre seeing a huge rise in amateur DJs looking to make their mark on the scene. What advice would you give up and coming selectors for them to stand out from the crowd and show versatility and uniqueness in their mixes?
Think as a DJ you always have to have originality in your set, selection is the key (not always the mix) and always knowing how to read a crowd work out what they want!

Weʼve been loving ‘Song and Danceʼ, can we expect to hear any more productions and/or collaborations from you in the coming months and will we be hearing any previews at Nozstock?Looking to get back in at some point with DLR, and Jaybee (when he lands in the UK). But at the moment just loving being out the repping the music… On Mac2 Recordings label got DJ Trex’s first Album High Time LP landing end of August 2018.

So let’s talk about Nozstock… you came down in 2016, did you enjoy your set and what do you think of the festival?
Loved the vibe of Nozstock the last time I was there was with Marky & GQ, from the setup of the stage we played on, to the live shows going on over there… was really impressed with it, 360 degrees of music is what a festival is all about… “we all come together”.

This year you’re back for the Metalheadz showcase and we canʼt wait! Itʼs been a pretty big year for the label and theyʼre showing no sign of slowing down… what can we expect from this showcase?
Some real good music will be getting played on this night from all DJs, trust me it will be a great night of music!

Sounds like weʼre in for a treat. Last question from us, what are you listening to at the minute outside of the d’n’b/jungle world? Nas’s new album, Children of Zeus – Travel Light album, plus one for the old heads KC & the Sunshine Band – album track ‘I Get Lifted’, can’t stop playing it once a day at least.

Thanks so much for having a chat with us, we really appreciate you taking the time out to answer a few questions and we look forward to seeing you on the farm!
Yeah man looking forward to it…Thanks for having us again!

Make sure you’re in the Cubicles on Friday night to get a taste of Randall’s legendary energy and mixing abilities, and we’ll see you very soon…