DR: Hey hey Mr. Thomas, I’ve known you for a number of years now, since you worked in Tempest and then moved over to Three Shades records. You’ve been knocking around Brum for quite some time, what do you think of the current music scene here at the moment and what would you change?

PT: I think the scene in Birmingham is very up and down and it a very difficult scene to judge. Its no longer 1999 when every man and his dog was going clubbing. Having said that, there is as wide a variety of electronic music parties in Birmingham as there has ever been which is great. Godskitchen are still going strong, while the likes of Below have been throwing some cool off the wall parties. What would I change? Probably that clubbing attendancies would go back to how it was in 1999!

DR:You’ve got countless number of gigs this year from Global Gathering to tours in Hong Kong and South America; what country and event do you most enjoy playing at?

PT: I like to play in the more obscure places. Poland and Ukraine have always been 2 of my favourites. Poland was the 1st place I ever played abroad and its always great to go back. But its always good to come back and play the Godskitchen & Dex In The City events in Birmingham and of course the Global Gathering festival is always a great party.

DR: Your productions are proving to be a massive success for you over the past couple of years, what can we expect from you in the future?

PT: Well I have recently been putting extra time into producing as its a hugely important thing to me. I'll be working on a few collaborations this summer, with the likes of Redanka, Funkagenda and Dex resident Myke Smith. I have forthcoming material out on Whoop, Toolroom, Baroque and Cosmonote Blue, plus some tasty big remixes which i'll keep under wraps for now. I'll be concentrating on more original stuff in the second half of the year too.

DR: Dex in the city is arguably one of the cities most exciting and original parties, what other parties have you got lined up for the rest of the year?

PT: We will continue to throw free parties every now and again as its good to give something back to the people who support you. We have some Uni tours lined up, and are really excited to be involved in the Gigbeth event in November, where we will be hosting the main room at the Medicine Bar. Another warehouse party is high on the agenda too.

DR: DJing wise you’ve worked along side some of the biggest DJ’s in the world, what DJ past or present with you would like work with?

PT: Sasha has always been my favourite dj so whenever I play on the same bill as him its always special for me. Listening to him play made me passionate about the music that I'm into. I am really looking forward to playing alongside him at the Global Gathering festival in Ukraine.

DR: What would you say your best moment in club land is?

PT: Hmmm that's a tough one. DJ wise, I would probably say playing after Sasha at Global Gathering last year. Seeing 15,000 people go nuts as I dropped mine and Funkagenda's remix of Perfect Motion was a surreal moment. The fact that it was my birthday made it extra special. But I have also had many great moments as a clubber. Seeing Carl Cox drop Pete Heller - Big Love on the terrace at Space was a great moment, and seeing Sasha at The Bomb in Nottingham, which holds about 250 people was also one of my favourite clubbing memories.

DR: What’s your worst?

PT: I had a gig in Poland last year in a small place called Lodz. For some reason the residents who were on before me, I think they were called Six Million, decided I wasnt a 'proper dj' because I was playing on CDs. I tried to explain to them that CDJs were the way forward and that vinyl was on its last legs and they should drag their sorry asses into the 21st century. Dont get me wrong, I love vinyl and worked in record shops for nearly 6 years. But almost every record I play is pre-release so its also a way of getting music heard without having to wait for it to get signed and then released into the shops. These guys were having none of it, and kept banging on at me and sending their friends up to have a go at me! Iv never played anywhere where DJs have been so disrespectful. I nearly lost it and tried to throw a monitor at one of them. Then afterwards the club owner had the bollocks to try and rip me off by paying me too little! That ended up in a minor scuffle in the car park at the club. Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm mild mannered, so they must have really pissed me off.

DR: What was the first record you ever brought?

PT: If you are talking dance records, it would be Atlantic Ocean - Waterfall. It was the first track I mixed the very first time I had a go on a set of decks. The next day I went and brought a copy.

DR: I believe it’s your Birthday weekend when you play for us, what would be you perfect present?

PT: Actually its not my birthday weekend when I play for you, my birthday weekend is the weekend after at Global Gathering, but its close enough! The perfect present... how about signing Eto'o, Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry for Aston Villa?!

DR: Are you a blonde or a brunette man?

PT: Definitely brunette, which is a good job considering my wife is one!

DR: Cat or Dog?

PT: Cats by a mile! Cats are my favourite animals. My wife brought me one when we moved into our first place together. Wanna see him? Check out www.myspace.com/imafatcat

Thanks for that mate, we're really looking forward for you to play for us, also good luck with your Global Gathering Gig, looks amazing... Until Saturday, xDRx

For more info, tour dates and current releases check out: www.myspace.com/djpaulthomasuk