Sweet as the Nut

Currently one of the UK’s most forward-thinking DJs, Alexander Nut plays at LuckyMe’s club offshoot, ‘Baller's Social’ this month. Hailing from Wolverhampton but now based in London, his weekly, Mixed Nuts show on Rinse FM is one of the station’s most popular, with listeners tuning in across not only the city but also the world, via the internet.

His mix CD for the Rinse series released earlier this year received widespread praise, while his digital effort for FACT Magazine has become one of their most popular downloads. Both have acted as the perfect primers for a sound he describes as ‘hip-hop’, but, thanks to the myriad styles he drops, surely only in its broadest sense.

“I’ve been DJing since I was seventeen, but up until about four years ago, never considered doing it professionally”, admits the 26-year old. “When I first moved to London, I actually left my records and turntables back in Wolves but going out to club nights, I met like-minded people and friends who were doing stuff and this encouraged me to start mixing again”.

Work placements in the music industry and a job at Fabric helped draw Alex into the business and he also began being asked to play clubs and spots on radio.

“Things just started to build up to the point where the penny eventually dropped. I was so immersed in music, it seemed a natural progression to go full time with it”.

In an effort to raise his profile further, he also produced a series of mix tapes, and it was probably these that had the biggest impact on kick-starting his professional DJing career, though he found it challenging trying to create something representative of his sound.

“It was hard for me, I didn’t know how to present it to people because I was into so many different styles, and things were quite separate bsck then. Dubstep, grime, hip-hop, there wasn’t the melting pot of styles that there is now. I did one called We Love Radio, with hip-hop and soul stuff and another, called Something In The Shape Of with dubstep and grime on it. I gave them out to everybody, friends, people I met at clubs, pretty girls, DJs. They became really popular and I ended up doing three volumes of each”.

It was these mixes that helped him get more slots at clubs and ultimately, the attention of Nomad, the host of Plastician’s show on Rinse FM.

“He pushed me toward Geenius and Sarah Lockhart who run the station”, explains Alex. ”I was a regular listener and also went to FWD, the night where most of their DJs play at. They asked me to do a show, though initially, I don’t think they really understood the sort of stuff I was playing…it was before Flying Lotus’s experimental style became so influential; people weren’t really familiar with what I was playing, but there was definitely a small scene bubbling under. I did a Saturday afternoon, returned the following week and now I’ve been doing it for over two years”.

With his eclectic show pretty much embraced by Rinse listeners from the off, the station seems like the perfect home for him.

“It really reflects the current sounds of underground Britain, particularly what’s going on in London. Broadcasting online, it goes on to influence not only the rest of the UK but also the world, though it’s still a pirate on FM in London. The people running it make sure the DJs they recruit are the pioneers of the sounds they represent”.

Although, the only ‘hip-hop’ DJ on Rinse, he’s got the freedom to go beyond this style, which he particularly enjoys.

“As much as I call it hip-hop, people wouldn’t necessarily say that’s what I play solely. I do feel that the roots of my music always come from that style, whether it's grime, funky or dubstep. It might seem a strange outlook but for me, like hip-hop, it’s all street music, regardless of BPM. As a result, I’ve definitely got the most eclectic and leftfield show on Rinse. If I play a house track, then a dubstep track followed by a grime record, nobody will question it and I really appreciate that”.

Aside from DJing on Rinse and regularly at clubs such as FWD, Cargo, Deviation, Fabric and Plastic People, Alex also runs his own music promotions company, All Young Kings, which has helped develop his understanding of the industry and also means he’s always switched to hearing new sounds and artists.

“I’m looking out for new music every day, it’s literally non-stop. When I get home I’m constantly online looking for stuff…I dig through second hand record shops; if a CD’s in a bin, I’ll take it out and see what it is…anywhere I can acquire new music I will. I also get sent a lot of music by close friends who have a similar taste”.

However, Alex actually deleted his MySpace page as he was getting sent too much stuff, but puts a positive spin on this, arguing that now only artists and producers truly determined to reach him, will.

As well as plugging new artists, he manages producer, Sam Shepherd, AKA Floating Points and the pair run the Eglo record label.

“I’d supported one of his tracks on the radio, but only first met him properly at CDR, a club night promoting new music by unsigned artists. We chatted, got on really well and a friendship developed. He kept giving me music which I really liked, but no one was putting it out. Initially, I thought I could help him get signed but because of my promotions work, decided I was in a good position to release it myself and that’s how Eglo came about”.

Alex admits their main focus isn’t the label due to other commitments (Sam’s currently working on a PHD, Alex is busy with All Young Kings), but their handful of releases have been well received and all sold out.

“We’ve a good level of control, we want to make sure that everything associated with Floating Points and other artists on the label is handled properly. We want to support friends and our peers making music; we want sustainability, longevity…to develop artists’ careers.”

So, what does he think of LuckyMe, a collective who seem to share a similar musical mindset and approach to Eglo?

“Hearing their output, what Dom and the whole crew are doing, it’s like finding kindred spirits. It’s exactly the music I want to hear and they’re making it. Once I spoke to Dom, I realised we were on a similar level with our way of thinking. They’ve been a huge influence on my sound and I think what they’re doing is brilliant; I can’t wait to hear the Hudson Mohawke album when it’s finished. Basically, they’re at the forefront of the scene, trying to stay one step ahead, but also keeping true to themselves, I’m really looking forward to playing at their night and catching up with everyone”.