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Interview: Netsky

The word ‘Netsky’ to a computer scientist would mean a computer worm, an unwelcome virus that spreads and infects via email. But the Netsky I was to interview raids our computers in a very different way — via iTunes.

Netsky (a.k.a. Boris Daenen) is one of today’s biggest names in drum and bass and liquid funk. He started teaching himself to produce around the age of 15. “I don’t have the patience for manuals or tutorials,” he told me. “I always loved finding out what different knobs and filters would do.” Boris dropped out of university in Belgium to pursue music, but part of his first album was made while he was still studying. “For some reason you could wearyour headphones in class, so that’s what I did… I feel if you want to follow your dream you should take a year to give yourself a chance to see what you want to do, but it’s important to set a deadline on that.”

I asked Boris if he felt he had reduced his room for improvement by becoming one of the best in the world at what he does (despite being only 25!). He claims the opposite, that each time he improves as an artist there is even more to discover. “There’s so much to learn and so many people I look up to and I think it’ll always be that way… It’s just impossible to be the best in music, there’s so many other producers and cool genres that you could never do. Which is cool, it keeps you focused.”

I ask if his live sets ever begin to feel routine? “I’ve always felt nervous before any kind of appearance,” says Daenen. “I always want to do really well, it’s important to have that feeling and I think the day that will go away is when it becomes a 9-5 job. That’s really not what I’m trying to do with music.”

Classical music, soul and Motown are all genres Boris enjoys listening to, all of which seem to be as different as it gets from drum and bass, “Then again it’s very close to drum and bass as well, it’s not impossible to combine drum and bass with classical music for example. The only thing I can’t listen to is really hard rock, or funk rock. That’s not really my thing.”

He claims it’s “a real disease” to be a producer; it’s difficult to listen to music in a relaxed way. That’s why he enjoys classical. He tells me, “It’s the most honest music, it just shows a melody, and there’s no production to it.”

Some of Netsky’s favourite places to play include Coachella, New Zealand and his hometown of Antwerp, but he is eager to perform for the first time at Red Rocks in Denver. He also sounds excited to return to Oxford in a few weeks with ‘Netsky LIVE!’. “We’ll be bringing some special guests. I’ve got a drummer, a keyboard player, an MC, some guest vocalists, and a whole production show… The drummer plays all the drums live, he’s a machine. He really kills it.”

I was eager to talk about Daenen’s third studio album, of which there are hints of a release early next year. “I really enjoy working on different styles of music now as well. I think it’s really important for producers to step out of their comfort zones, to try and break out of the projection of what people think you are. I think it’s important to surprise people.”

Any hints about the title? “I haven’t really made up my mind yet… People have been telling me I should call it 3 after 2 and Netsky, but I’m not sure — It’s gonna include some really weird collaborations and I’m excited about that!” Netsky and 2 both send shivers down my spine. Boris’ creativity is mind-blowing and his skills in a production studio are to match. His third album is going to have thousands of eyes and ears locked on to it. If you’re a fan, keep your eyes and ears on his autumn tour when it reaches town.

Netsky plays the O2 Academy on November 5th.

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