Q: The sound appears to be very localised to London, are there any other scenes outside of town you know of?

A: Australia, it's the second home right now. I was speaking to Dee Kline earlier and he says its massive out there, I'm going out there in April. You've got America and stuff but they still prefer their nu skool sound, but Australia's the one.

Q: Yeah Australians are mad for it…

A: That's where it's at at the moment, but even in London its still a bit edgy - apart from Beatfreaks there are no other real nights, that's the main aim for all of us, to start doing nights.

Q: Which DJs and producers are leading the nu breaks sound and is there any hot new talent to keep an eye out for 2002?

A: Freq Nasty, Zinc - I've got great admiration for him to have done what he's done, it's not easy, and as much good press as he's had he's had a lot of bad press, especially from the drum 'n' bass heads. Dee Kline, Stanton Warriors, I like some bits of the Botchit stuff & some of the TCR stuff, that 2 Sinners track was perfect, it couldn't describe it any better

Q: What labels are kicking it?

A: Rat, Pulse, Skint – to see a major putting their full backing behind it is all good.

Q: How often are you DJ'ing out at the moment?

A: I've not had the time at the moment because of the album, it's all starting up again with the Australia and a few tours here and there. I feel I've lost touch with it for the last year.

Q: What does the rest of the year hold for you, what's you plans?

A: Well, there's the album, I'm gonna concentrate on the DJing at the moment, I've got enough releases left to take me up for the next 6-8 months, So, I'm looking to get them spread across other labels, not do so much with Rat & Pulse. I've got stuff done with Botchit andWireframe, there's a project that me, Ed [Ed209, label boss of Wireframe] and Nikki have got underway soon on Cyberfunk. Me and Ed, we're gonna do a mini album series every couple of months, a six-track release where we're gonna combine the labels. That's gonna be called Funkframe. I don't know how that's gonna shape up but we're aiming to do a mini-album every 2 months.

Q: You are interested in creating a more live sound, does this mean live performance or studio stuff?

A: My main aim would be to do a live show, but at the moment, because I've been doing it for such along time using synthesisers and stuff, it can get a bit tedious - you want to start getting your own people in, I'm actually planning to get a string section and live guitarist and vocalists, just mainly so I can be more original, so eventually I can take it to a stage.

Q: What about remixing – is this something that interests you?

A: Yeah, I'm mostly doing a lot of underground stuff at the moment, like 'Bish Bash' on Wireframe Records. I've done a couple of remixes for Warners on a garage tip as there's loads of crews coming through at the moment like So Solid. I also like people doing my stuff, because it's always interesting to hear another interpretation of your sound.

Q: In an ideal world, who would you like to remix?

A: Madonna - that 'Music' track, I'd love to do that. There are artists I admire but I don't think I'd have the balls to do it like Aphex Twin, I be like 'where would you go? How could you do it better than it already is?!' But Madonna, I've got so much admiration, being a female that's been doing it for 20 years or so, that wicked"

A: What are your 3 all time favourite tunes?

A: Bad Company 'The Pulse' is definitely one, Avalanches 'That boy needs therapy', that's wicked, I 've seen their set up just one sampler & an Atari, the way they've done it is amazing, sampling as an art form. The last ones gotta be something by the Wu Tang Clan off their first album – 'Shame On The Nigga' – that's a bad tune.

Q: And your three current favourite tunes?

A: Liquid Bass' by me & King Koop, Pulse number 11 coming out in 3 or 4 months, Ed 209's remix of Future Funk Squads 'Direct' and 'Fresh' by Freq Nasty.

Q: How long has producing been your 9-5?

A: For about a year and a half now, I had to leave my job because they lost a big contract, I was a builder. And I was like 'Well, shall I go out and look for a job?" but with the support of people like Dee Kline I though this was the time to start to trying to get the music going. If you do do a 9 –5, I don't care what you say you won't get there because unless you haven't got the worry of where the next penny's coming from you're not gonna keep making tunes and more tunes to keep supporting yourself.

Q: What non breaks related tunes are tickling your fancy at the moment?

A: I picked up Bjork's album and that's slamming, the new Wu Tang album, the Avalanches – I haven't stopped listening to that, although since I gave it to my brother I haven't been able to get it back, Roots Manuva, that sort of stuff.

Q: 'Nu Breaks' is that a term the scene's come up with or is that a name the media have attached to it?

A: It's media-inspired, but I hope that's not what it gonna be called because it's still got that nu skool breaks tag, it'll be hard to define the difference – nu breaks/ nu skool breaks, you know. I was thinking about it the other day you know, I think it'll just happen naturally at the end of the day it's the media who dictate these sort of things andit's the media that can make you or break you and it's the media who set the names, I guess you've just got to try and change that. I do think that this is a main concern that people have to get sorted out because at the moment it's brilliant crossing over, but that's all people are calling it "slowed down drum 'n' bass" or just "bassline nu skool breaks" which is not the case, it's taken from bits of everything, just like most other forms of music. Drum 'n' bass is not just drum 'n' bass, it's breakbeat, hardcore, techno, so what makes us different so that we can be coined as copycats? Its just rubbish.

Q: A few months ago, I noticed the media where getting right on the bandwagon - what's your opinion of the media's involvement with the new sounds that are coming through, is it something you are for or against?

A: The media can be good or bad - like I say, they can make you or break you. They are in full support of it, but I take the whole thing with a pinch of salt at the moment, like all these majors asking for remixes, that's brilliant but I'm not going to expect it to be like that all the time because at the end of the day people like the media are where the money is. Yeah, distance yourself from it, but if it's good, obviously get involved. The only reason to get involved with the media is if it's productive and promoting the sound. I've seen what happened to drum 'n' bass 3 or 4 years ago, it got slated, I see articles in Mixmag like 'Is drum 'n' bass dead', it's more of a scene where everyone's got to stick together and thankfully the people that are doing this are all very good friends, a very tight family in a way. I'm not too bothered about their opinions, if the records are selling then that speaks for its self.

Special thanks to DJ Quest for sparing the time & Nikki for sorting the interview, also special thanks to Giles @ the Player for organising the cocktails…

DJ Quest's album "Rat Sessions Vol. 1" is out now on triple vinyl.

For more information about DJ Quest email