This coming Easter Sunday, Grant Nelson headlines Shiva's Second Birthday soiree at The Whitehouse in London. Celebrating 20 Years of House Music on the night, we catch up with Mr Nelson to get his views on the history of house, Star Wars and his former life as a bingo caller....

We're well into our 20th year of house music now, what is it that makes the scene so special?

Even to this day, being into house music (whether it's clubbing, DJing, producing etc) is still a relatively "underground" thing. By that I mean that there are plenty of places you can go in the world where house music is still unknown or dismissed without a second listen. So even though there have been a multitude of massive hit records from the genre and thousands of over-commercialised clubs pushing the sound, it's still something of a speciality and to be part of a movement that has managed to ward off (for the most part) complete commerciality, is something that, I for one, am very proud of.

How did you get into house music?

I was a massive disco / soul-funk / rare groove fan and then I discovered electro in the early 80's. It just sounded unreal to me at the time. I was hearing sounds that I had never heard before, tracks like "The Smurf" by Tyrone Brunson completely blew my mind. From there I followed the natural progression into house and acid in the mid 80's and the rest is history!

What was the first record you ever bought?

"Music Inspired By 'Star Wars' And Other Galactic Funk" by Meco. A disco style, fully-orchestrated version of the Star Wars themes by an American producer called Domenico Monardo. It's mental, and to this day it still resides on my ipod!

What's been the proudest moment in your professional life so far?

There have been many, but one that sticks out is when I had just finished a Bump & Flex remix on the Aaliyah track "More Than A Woman". I was working on the mix in the studio late one night and eventually left to go home. I woke up the following afternoon to the news on TV reporting that Aaliyah had just died in a plane crash. I was shell-shocked and wasn't quite sure what to do next. I went back into the studio, everything had been left on as it always is (turning your equipment on & off vastly reduces it's life-span). Anyway, I hit the play button and the track was looping on a section of the vocal that was saying "Do you wanna fly with me". It was a really strange experience listening to somebody that had literally just passed away, but I managed to get it done. After submitting it I got a call from the offices at Virgin Records saying that Aaliyah's brother had heard the mix and he wanted to pass on his thanks for doing something that really honours her memory. That was an amazing message to receive, and one that I'll never take for granted.

Aside of music, what else has been your proudest moment to date?

I'd have to say getting married to my long-time partner Kate in 2002. We were married in Las Vegas, (not dressed as Elvis), with just a couple of very close friends including my best man Brian Tappert (head-honcho of Soulfuric records). We also had a blessing and a reception back in London for everybody the following week. That was a messy night!

What productions/releases have you got coming up?

I've just released a production library called "Chordworx" which is available on Traxsource. There is a new Swing City release due to drop any day now, and a new Nice 'n' Ripe release planned for May. I've also got a couple of remixes up on the board at the moment and I am currently working with several vocalists on new material.

What did you do for your last birthday and when was your birthday?

It was April 27th (I turned 37) and as far as I can remember I did bugger all. Trust me, getting the opportunity to do bugger all is something that happens very rarely these days! The following day I went to see Derren Brown live. I'm a massive fan !

What's the weirdest thing that's ever happened to you in a club?

I won't say where this was or who it involved, but a few years ago I had been booked for a gig abroad. It turned out that the 'promoter' hadn't planned on letting anybody else know about this gig, so there I was playing in a fairly big club, just a private party for this guy and a couple of his friends. They just sat there and watched me play for 2 hours and then they took me back to my hotel thanking me for a great night!! WTF? I do sometimes get booked for "private" parties, but they're not normally as intimate as this. This one just weirded me right out and left me feeling violated. LOL!

What's the best night out you've ever had?

Well there have been hundreds involving music, but aside from those I'd have to say the night I went to the world premiere of Star Wars Episode II in Leicester Square. I'm a massive Star Wars fan, and to have the film introduced personally by George Lucas was something pretty special!

So, what's your favourite record of all time?

Oh man, the killer question. There are way too many. Earth, Wind & Fire 'In The Stone', D-Train 'You're The One For Me (Paul Hardcastle Remix)', Herbie Hancock 'Thought It Was You', The Whatnauts 'Help Is On The Way'. I could go on all day...

What can't you live without?

My Wife, My Studio & Cornwall!

Before you were a DJ, what was the worst job you'd ever had?

It was a couple of weeks selling a 'miracle' de-odouriser product door to door. It’s basically a lump of rock that got rid of nasty smells. You try telling some old dear in Eastbourne that her house stinks! Paul Daniels bought a bulk load for his magic shows but that was seriously the only highlight during that dark little episode of my life. I was also a bingo caller for a short period and had to deal with being constantly manhandled by OAPs! Not something that I care to reminisce about very often!

What was the last record you bought?

Tamara Wellons "Life Is" - Brand new album from a brand new artist. It was actually sent to me, but I would have bought it in an instant! Totally sublime!

Who or what are your musical influences?

From a musical point of view - Maurice White, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rogers, Bernard Edwards, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Paul Hardcastle, Hubert Eaves III, James 'D-Train' Williams, Roy Ayers, George Clinton, Jeff Lorber, Bootsy Collins, Rick Wakeman, Michael Jackson, Larry Blackmon.
But the guys that turned me onto remixing were - Arthur Baker, John 'Jellybean' Benitez, Tom Moulton, Ben Liebrand, Shep Pettibone & Mastermind.

Is there anything unusual or weird about you that you'd like to share with us?

I suffer from an unexplained phenomenon called "The Taos Hum". Basically, at about 3am, I start to hear a very low frequency humming sound. It's always around the same time but I don't hear it everywhere I go. It lasts for a couple of hours then it fades. In some countries I don't hear it all, in others, like England, it can be unbearable in some regions. I've been to see specialists and had my hearing tested and there is nothing wrong with it, this isn't a form of tinitus! There has been quite a bit of research into the "hum", nothing from any official government bodies though, that offers various potential causes from military testing to digital TV signals. Personally I feel it has something to do with H.A.A.R.P. Google it and then ask yourself why you weren't aware of it!

(Note to self: let’s avoid giving Grant a set-time at around 3am! *LOL*)

What tunes have lodged themselves in your record box/CD bag and refuse to leave?

"Samurai" - Jazztronik
"Overdrive" (Timo Mass mix) - Spice 69
"Dancando" (Original Mix) - La Fiesta Sound System
"Special" (Louie Vega EOL Mix) - Sara Devine
"Night At The Black" - Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero
"You Don't Know" (M.A.S. Collective Mix) - Mass Syndicate
"All I Want" - Future Beat Investigators
"Dimensions (I'm Happy)" - Mekkah
"Stereo Flava's" (BT Edit) - Hi-Fi Mike
"Coracao" (Axwell mix) - Denis The Menace & Jerry Ropero

You DJ'ed at our launch party, are you surprised at how well the night has progressed?

I'm just so happy that all of the hard work and passion that you guys pour into these events is paying off. You've created something special at Shiva and I think that your crowd are well aware of that!

And, finally, what can we expect of you ahead of your set with Shiva for our Second Birthday?

As always, it will be smothered with special edits and remixes, made exclusively for my DJ sets, and those that follow me will know that the CDJ's get a good spanking every time I get my mucky paws on them!