Hi Groovecutter, you've been on the scene for a while, tell us a bit about yourself, what got you into Djing and production and when did you start?

I have been into dance music from a young age and having two older brothers into clubbing helped expose me to the scene. I got my first set of belt drives at about 14 and started a massive vinyl habbit, spending every spare penny on vinyl. This continued for many years and I started to play out in local bars. At about 18 I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life, so while at University (getting my back up marketing degree if the whole music thing fell through!) Istarted going in for competitions and won a few which gave me the confidence to approach some local clubs and start playing to larger crowds. Then when I finished Uni, I started an online record shop and did that for a few years while playing the local bars and clubs. A few years back, I opened a record shop and soon built a studio in the back as I had always wanted to start production. I teamed up with a guy I had met though the shop and we did a few bootlegs, one of which was 'We Close Our Eyes', sampling the old Go West classic. This got loads of support and ended up getting signed to Nebula (Virgin/EMI). It got a video and ended up at #33 in the UK chart. Off the back of that we started to do a few remixes for Ministry (switch - a bit patchy, probably being the best!) and other labels. Then I decided to go it alone so I could do exactly what I wanted to. Since then on the DJ front, I am a resident DJ for Dirty (Soul Avengerz' night) which sees me monthlyfor Dirty @ Pacha (2nd Sat of evetry month, plug plug!!), Bi-monthly for Dirty @ Glam (Marbella) and also a resident for Positiva Calling @ The Cross. Other regular bookings include Playroom @ The Zap, Subculture @ Area, Peach @ Heaven. On the production side of things, it pretty busy at the moment. I have just had two original tracks signed to Ma Jolie Musique in France (Antoine Clamaran's label) and completed loads of remixes for labels like Data, Hed Kandi, Toolroom, Cayenne, Free2Air, Gusto.. including: Judge Jules & Michael Woods: Lonely Tonight, Out Of Office: Hands Up, Uniting Nations: Do It Yourself, Herd & Fitz: Additions, ASBO: Let The Beat Hit Em, Danzel, Ill Beat Hustlers.. And loads more

You've produced some amazing tracks over the last few years, what influences your style of house music?

I would say I am influenced by my early years of playing house from about 1993 onwards. I love pianos and big breakdowns. I love ultra funky basslines. I also love the euphoric breaks in the classic trance epics from about 1997-2000. So take all that with a hint of a tougher bassline and you get what I am thinking when I get in the studio. Sometimes I might go a bit more funky, sometimes a bit more driving. But I always try and make a tune that will tear up any dancefloor I play at. I havent really got into this whole electro thing. I like a hint of a dirtier bassline but straight up stripped down electro just aint my thing and from what I see at the weekends, people are starting to get very bored of it. Each to their own, but I like chunky driving funky house music with balls!

What are your own personal favourites that you've produced?

I suppose I always like my last production as it shows exactly where I am right now. The last couple: Judge Jules & Michael Woods: Lonely Tonight & Out Of Office: Hands Up sum up exactly what I think is going down very well at the moment. We Close Our Eyes was probably the most simply put together track and one on a production front not a massive showcase of my skills, but
it will always have a fond place in my heart as it was my first chart entry and seeing the video on MTV still makes me laugh (it's the one with two martial arts girls fighting and ripping each others clothes off, the fight scene is a remake of Kill Bill)

What do you think about the scene at the moment, what do you think about electro and Tech house?

Electro and tech house....hmmmmmmm. Tech house - Not for me personally. Just too heads down and moody in my opinion. Call me cheesy but when I am out I love to dance my socks off and have my hands in the air all night, and the places I play are crowds like this who know how to party and I will supply a soundtrack to ensure the hands are up all night! Electro, some good, some bad at the moment. I do play some of the funkier electro, but in that sense it aint a new thing, its been around for years. The whole stripped down electro isnt for me, again its just too moody. I have never aspired to be a 'cool' or 'underground' dj or thought of as such. This allows me to just play good tunes and not worry about how long its been out, whos produced it, or what genre it fits into. If its gonna get the crowd going mental - I'll play it.

Funky house dwindled away a couple of years ago, but seems to be making a come back with added attitude, what do you think about this new sound we are pioneering?

For the past year or so, electro has seemed to be the order of the day. However, there has been a solid band of 'funky' house producers still producing good quality house music and not jumping on the bandwagan. I think it has settled a little bit now and we are at a stage where some really tracks are starting to appear that a are a good mix of funky, but also encompassing the new influence of the dirtier electro edge. The great thing about house music is that there is no rules and with production being so accessable these days, everyone is free to express themselves in a way that they want. A lot of house tracks these days wouldn't have sounded out of place being played at Trade a few years back, yet these days we call it funky house and then it was hard house. Whats in a name eh? House is house and long live it in all its forms!

Are you heading off to Ibiza this year, whats your favourite club over there?

Ibiza is on the cards, but need to get a couple of dates locked down. I have a weekly show on HFM Ibiza (94.4-94.6 FM) every Saturday evening from 6-8pm (which I do from London), so there should be some dates playing for the radio station's partys. Should be August/September. Can't complain though as I am a bi-monthly resident for Dirty @ Glam , in Puerto Banus (Marbella).
Glam is an awesome club and when Dirty take over it's immense! Couple that with temperatures of about 38C and it's not a bad gig to have ;) My favourite club in Ibiza has to be Pacha, it's a magical place and the prouction they put on is just mind blowing - something for all the senses!

Swoosh has been created in response to an ever growing demand for uplifting party music, how much are you looking forward to this event?

Not much! Only kidding - looks set to be a great night and with this one being on my birthday weekend it could get messy!!

And finally, where else can our crowd catch you over the next few months?

23 Jun - Swoosh @ The Telegraph London
23 Jun - Positiva Calling @ The Cross London
07 Jul - Subculture @ Area Watford
14 Jul - Dirty @ Pacha London
27 Jul - Dirty @ Glam Marbella
03 Jul - Dirty @ Glam Marbella
11 Aug - Cut A Groove @ Pacha London
31 Aug - Peach @ Heaven London
08 Sep - Dirty @ Pacha London
21 Sep - Dirty @ Glam Marbella
13 Oct - Cut A Groove @ Pacha London
10 Nov - Dirty @ Pacha London
08 Dec - Cut A Groove @ Pacha London

Catch Groovecutter making his debut for us at Swoosh on the 23rd June at the newly refurbished Telegraph! Dont forget to wish him a happy birthday! Don't Forget to click I'll Be There!