In 2012 Michael Dodman AKA Huxley solidified himself on the global scene through his breakthrough single ‘Let It Go’. The Hypercolour released track went on to become one of that year’s biggest singles, even Resident Advisor gave it their seal of approval with a 4/5 review and a ‘RA Recommends’ stamp. The track’s use of minimal elements for maximum results really showcased his impressive grasp on electronic music, and since then Dodman has become one of the scene’s most booked DJs and producers with further releases on Aus, 20/20, Defected, Rinse and more.
It is easy to see why he is so popular as his DJ sets can traverse through the whole spectrum of electronic music, keeping it interesting but never straying too far from the right side of groove. Be it musically or philosophically (his Huxley pseudonym is inspired by famous philosopher Aldous Huxley), Dodman is a real explorer who is always moving forward, and of late he has adopted an harder edged sound. His Balance Selections mix is a perfect snapshot of what the Englishman is all about today. It connects the dots through various dance floor moods that keeps it interesting throughout for a satisfying listen.
Balance Selections Q+A
Name:
Michael Dodman
Location:
UK
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/huxleyofficial/
Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/huxley_uk
Alias/Producer name:
Huxley, Hux, Martinet
Labels affiliated with:
Aus, No Idea’s Original, Knee Deep In Sound, Do Not Sleep
My last 3 releases:
What music did you listen to as a child?
My dad is very much into a multitude of music, when I was younger we listened to a lot of different stuff. Usually it was in the car or while eating a family dinner, but not all of it was good. My brother also played keys and my mum was into singing, so it was a very musical place to grow up. What I can remember us listening to is people like Jackson Browne (still a favourite of mine), Lionel Richie, Mark Knopfler, Van Morrision, the list goes on. I think the first concert I went to was Phil Collins at Wembley. You can’t go wrong with some Phil Collins! ‘No Jacket Required’ is a classic. When I started on my own way though I got into a mixture of Oasis and Old Skool, stuff like Manix, Baby D, pretty much anything on Urban Takeover – the list goes on. That was probably the first time I really started to mould the music I make now.
When was the first time that you realized that you liked electronic music?
The first time was after hearing the Dreamscape compilations, when I was about 11. My friend brought them round to my house, and I’d never heard anything like it before. I think one CD was DJ Randal, DJ Sy and Slipmatt and the other one was Mickey Finn, Top Buzz and I can’t remember the last one! But that was the first time I consciously listened to it. It spurred me on to give up the guitar I was learning and beg my parents to get me a pair of decks. My first ones were a really crappy set from Soundlab. I had no idea what to do, I didn’t even know what beat matching was. Growing up in a small town, not surrounded by other DJs (at the time it wasn’t as cool as it is now!), it took me a while to get into. I carried on buying tape packs from raves like Helter Skelter, Slammin’ Vinyl and later places like Garage Nation.
When was the first time you saw a DJ in a club?
The first time that I saw someone in a professional club scenario was when I went to my first rave at age 15. I’d said I was staying at a friends and back in those days the door man didn’t give a shit if you looked 15, just so long as they didn’t ask, they didn’t care. If I’m completely honest, I have no idea who the first DJ I saw was, as the lineup was massive and I was still shaking from actually getting in! This birthed a love for raving though and I continued to go to those kind of events until I finally moved onto garage and house music.
Which producers/artists/acts inspire you?
This really changes every day. Obviously people like Kerri, MJ Cole, MAW, Wookie and lots of others have affected me along the way, but really what inspires me these days changes on a day to day basis. It all goes on what I’ve been listening to recently. I definitely go through stages, I get bored very easily.
What is your current production and DJ set up like?
Studio –
iMac running Logic X
Midi Keyboard
Arturia Beatstep
Micro Korg
Alpha Juno
Polivok
Emu Proteus 2000
Roland MC303
Roland MC202
Roland TR8
Korg MS20
Moogerfooger Ring Mod
Dave Smith Tetra
Adam A7x & Genelec 1090a Monitors
I do a lot in the box, and mainly use Omnisphere & Trillion for synths and basses, and still sample quite a lot from old records.
DJ –
4x CDJ2000NXS and DJM900 are my preference, but I’m getting more into the Allen & Heath. I’m actually thinking of doing what some people think of unacceptable and starting to play with Traktor and a controller(s). I’ve got that setup at home and I like the way everything works together. I used to have 1210s on my setup (I still do at home), but my back is fucked and I can’t carry vinyl anymore!
What releases do you have on the horizon?
There’s lots of new stuff coming out! I’ve actually started making a lot more house music again, and have a release coming on Moon Harbour, another one on Moda Black and loads more too which aren’t announced yet! It’s a very busy year for me!
Tell us more about the podcast you made for Balance?
I made this in my studio, sweating my arse off on this hot day with no fan and no windows! I used Traktor and X1 with an Allen & Heath Xone mixer. Pretty basic, but that’s all I need! Musically it’s got a lot of the stuff I’m feeling at the moment, I tried to include new bits, but I kept reaching for stuff from the vaults, and it’s quite a varied mix when it comes to when the music came out. It was really fun to do actually and it reminded me how good that Lee Jones remix of Flowers And Sea Creatures is!
My Recommendations
The top track in my DJ wallet currently is:
Christian Nielsen – Intergalactic
If I could recommend only one of my tracks for you to listen to it would be:
Hayze – Brighter Days (Huxley Remix) – I love the vocal on this one and think it was unfairly slept on!
My favourite Balance compilation is:
More recently I really liked Darius Syrossian’s mix, that worked for me. Historically though it’s probably Nic Fanciulli or Radio Slave’s!
The last movie I watched that I really liked:
xXx. It was terrible, but good terrible!
My favourite TV show:
I watch quite a lot of TV. At the moment I’m rewatching all the Sex and the City seasons. I’m also a big fan of something called Community. If you ask anyone they’ll tell you my best in TV is shit.
If I could choose anyone to compile a Balance comp it would be:
Right now it would probably be The Martinez Brothers.
Tracklisting
1. Flowers & Sea Creatures – International (Lee Jones Watergate Mix)
2. Mara Trax – Hohoes
3. Downtown Party Network – Keep on Running
4. Mr Statik – Panoflutamin (Kreon Couch Music Mix)
5. Adam Curtain – OD3
6. Hux – Madiloop
7. Art Alfie – Madame Larcier
8. Hector – Not At The Moment
9. Alex Kaddour – Foot Work
10. ANOTR – Jirna
11. Jansons – Panic at the Disco
12. Noha & Alex Tea – Panick
13. Smash TV ft Takis – I Need
14. Archie Hamilton – Telegram
15. Orange Tree Edits – Fo Ya (Jimmy Rouge Edit)
