aka Duncan Reid, Linus Loves is label mate of Mylo and co-owner of their Breastfed label. He knocks out similarly cute, kitschy, and phat electro with a modern twist – all dirty basslines, bleeps and squeaks with rock elements and taut beats. He’s created some superb remixes alongside his awesome debut LP ‘Stage Invader’. 2007 should see him get even bigger, and with a rare London appearance at PUSH Warehouse Sessions on Saturday 9th December – London’s about get a taste of what this hotshot is all about.

So what’s the Linus Loves story? When did you first get bitten by the music bug and how did that lead on to you first making music?

When I was really young I was obsessed by football but when I got a bit older I swapped that for pop music and I’ve been caught up in it ever since.

What was the first complete track you ever made and was it any cop?

The first thing I ever did was a bootleg of a Wings track which I called ‘Song For Stella’ – it’s not something I’d do now but at the time I was really pleased with it.

What equipment do you use to produce your music? Do you feel different set-ups lend themselves better to producing certain types of music?

Most people use plug-ins but I’m lucky that the studio I work in has loads of old synths – I think you get a much better sound out of the hardware.

What are your feelings on your debut album ‘Stage Invader‘ in retrospect? Were you pleased with the feedback it received?

Yeah, I was really pleased with the feedback. I get mails all the time from people who have just discovered the album. We were always going to have to deal with people’s expectations after the success of Mylo’s but we just wanted to put out a strong album and I think most people agree that we did that.

Given how some of your tracks sound, I’d take a bit of a stab in the dark and say you’ve been quite influenced by computer games over the years. Fair comment or no?

Surprisingly not. I’ve never been a gamer, just not my thing. People think “Stage Invader” is a pun on ‘space invader’ but it’s actually quite literal – more stage invasions!

And what about Linus Loves the DJ? Do your sets sound very similar to your productions or are there some other bits you like to throw into the mix?

I think my productions are getting influenced by DJing – I don’t play much from the album in a set but I play a lot of my recent remixes, they’re more suited to the clubs ‘cos they tend to be a bit harder.

People can’t make it as DJs these days unless they are also producing tracks. Discuss.

I know people say that but I think it’s a bit of an exaggeration. There are producers who aren’t great DJs and they get found out and there are DJs who don’t produce but they storm clubs so they get booked. Obviously, one helps the other but not a guarantee.

You are labelmates at Breastfed with a certain Mylo. How did you guys first meet? Was it through the label or prior to the label’s inception?

I was given a demo and thought Myles was about as good as it gets so I offered to start a label with him as a showcase for him.

Do you still see him a lot or is he constantly busy or away on gigs?

We both live in Glasgow so we do meet up when we need to go through stuff but he is away a lot.

Speaking of which, have you spent much time playing abroad? What have been your most enjoyable trips away?

I’ve been away a bit this year but probably more next year. I really liked Autralia, Melbourne and Sydney were both really good.

2006 is fast drawing to a close...what have been your highlights?

I’ve been pretty busy with remixes this year so highlights would be some of those – Dada Life ‘Big Time’, the two Justin Timberlake singles and Scissor Sisters would be in there. I’ve just done Kelis new single and Mika ‘Grace Kelly’ which I think are my best yet so a good end to the year.

What about next year? What’s planned for you and the rest of the Breastfed crew?

I’ve got a few things planned but they need to stay up my sleeve for now...

And finally – what does Linus love?

L.O.V.E.

Linus Loves plays at PUSH Warehouse Sessions @ Village Underground in London on the afternoon of Saturday 9th December alongside Eric Prydz and Mr. C. See www.ticketweb.co.uk for tickets.