1.Growing Up
My dad was a DJ so there were about 40,000 records around me and I used to help him organise them. When he used to sell any to record buyers who’d come to the house, I’d help him. By the time I was ten I’d pretty much memorised his entire collection by their covers, so I knew which records he didn’t have and which were doubles.
2.Inspirations
My inspiration came from film soundtracks, sound effect albums, and one specific Muppets record, which has to remain secret. Because of my dad’s collection, it included loads of weird records you couldn’t buy, like strange sound effects and laser gun sounds; that’s what I used to listen to. In my teens I became a massive hip hop head, and then opened up to soul, funk and disco, all the way to drum’n’bass in the mid-’90s. Throughout all of this I was heavily influenced by the work of Michael Dudikoff and Sam Firstenberg.
3.Your Crew
My crew consists of seven ninjas. Each ninja wears a different coloured mask and has a special skill. When I get into trouble I can activate a ninja to help me with the aid of my secret ring, which I can’t talk about. Even telling you this might have already compromised the situation.
4.The Music You Make
I mix all styles of electronic music from deep house to jump-up drum’n’bass. I’m not concerned with the styles, I’m more concerned with the tempo and like to play around with the speed of a record a lot. Plus I play about 100 records an hour, so you have to keep up. I also jump around a lot.
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
Anything that enables me to jump up and down wearing a mask and play the records I like has got to be a good thing, so all I can say is the music scene right now seems good to me. The best thing is to be able travel around the world meeting new ninjas. I’m looking forwards to meeting the ninjas in Australia because last time they were bonkers.
I’d love to talk more but I’ve just been called out on an urgent mission: there’s a party that needs to be rocked.
Jaguar Skills plays with Deckhead, Double Upand more at Chinese Laundry on Friday January 24.
