Josh Butler Interview

From winning DJ Mag's Best of British Breakthrough DJ award to starting his own Origins Rcrds label, now home to pioneers such as Marshall Jefferson, Todd Terry and Robert Owens, Josh Butler has bridged the gap between house's earliest beginning and its current resurgence in popularity.

Joining Secondcity at his ENd party this Friday 18th September, we caught up with Butler to talk about his Playstation production roots, forthcoming Kerri Chandler collab and Coronation Street...

Your Beatport bio says you're into everything from ambient to hard house, or at least were. Can you tell us about your origins and how you got to where you currently are.

I was introduced to dance music at the age of about 12 or 13, mum used to buy the odd dance compilation CD, Pacha, Dance 99 etc. which started to get me excited about these genres. They were mostly more commercial styles but I distinctly remember falling in love with more underground dance music sounds when I heard the live broadcasts from Homelands Festival on Radio 1. Hearing the energy of the crowd noise and the uplifting sounds of trance I was fully hooked and sat in my room for hours on end listening! Shortly after a family friend lent me a dodgy copy of the Music Playstation game where you could arrange sounds and build basic tracks. That was my entrance to the rabbit hole and I'm now quite a way down with no sign of escaping yet.

What have been your hottest moments of the summer?

Glastonbury was definitely a fiery highlight. I've also been buzzing to be back in Ibiza almost every week this summer playing for Defected, Do Not Sleep and Cuckoo Land. 

Music wise, its been great to release 'Solar Wind' on Cuatero's Sanity records, which I made with Darius last year. Then on Friday I'll be releasing the collaboration I did with Kerri Chandler on my own label Origins Rcrds which includes a Nick Curly remix.

We saw a recent picture of you with Todd Terry and Dennis Ferrer. Are there any of your house heroes that you haven't met yet? What's the best/most surprising bit of advice that any of them has given you?

Of course there are a load more heroes that I would love to meet and even work with, but one of my biggest mentors has been Kerri Chandler. We played in Paris together a few years back and he invited me down to the club early to help him soundcheck. We were there for over two hours as he explained how he sound checks each room, what is important for me to look out for in club systems and he also told me stories of his journey so far. I will never forget that evening!

Nile Rogers asked you to tour with Chic. How did that happen? Did house go down with the band's older fans?

I was actually talking to someone about this again the other night. It's so surreal to think that it happened. At the time I didn't think too much off it, you know it's sometimes easy to submerge yourself in these situations without realising what's actually happening until you have time to reflect back.

We kept the house music to a minimum actually, bar a few Chicago tracks and classics which went down well. One of the nights Nile walked on stage playing air guitar to Ultra Nate then gave us a hug... a pretty special moment.

Your label is called Origins Rcrds. What's forthcoming on it?

I have just released an EP from a young producer called Ben Sterling. Next up we’ve got music from Timmy P and also System 2 with a wicked remix from Bushwacka! Also, as I mentioned before, my own track with Kerri plus Nick Curly on the remix.

You Facebook page says 'He has global ventures on the mind'... Do you have anymore details of these future plans for world domination?

I'm going to be heading back to the States in November for three weeks, which will be my longest tour there yet. Until then it's back and forth to and from Ibiza, and off to quite a few festivals around Europe.

DJ Mag awarded you 'Best Breakthrough Producer' in 2014. If you could choose, who would you pass the accolade onto this year?

Good question... there are a lot of talented producers around, but I think it would have to be Hauswerks.

Name three tracks that sum up what you're likely to play at Egg

Truth Be Told - 'Somniac' 

Spirit Catcher - 'Superimposed (Borrowed Identity Remix)'

Ben Sterling - 'Besides Me' ft. Jacquie Smith

Tell us one thing about you that fans won't already know.

I was totally obsessed with Coronation Street and religiously watched it for like eight years! I've only recently managed to drag myself away from it!