SoundOf: Gerry Read

We get one of the brightest stars of the UK house revival in for an hour of solid grooves and underground cuts.

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SoundOf focuses on the DJs and producers who are making waves in the dance music underground.

Each edition features an exclusive mix and interview with an artist who has been handpicked by the team at Ministry Magazine.

This week we have one of the most exciting young producers in dance music. Gerry Read first came to attention in late 2011 when he became the darling of respected music publications like FACT and XLR8R, who were mesmerized by his distinct, sideways take on traditional house.

Early tracks such as "We Are" and "All By Myself" and their return to a driving house-orientated sound really shook up a dance music scene that was still pre-occupied with labeling everything coming out of the UK as "post dub-step". This feat of creating tracks that re-wrote the rule book, while retaining dance-ability was made all the more impressive by the fact he was just 19 years old at the time.

Now Gerry Read is a regular and highly acclaimed name on the UK's underground scene, he has recently remixed American hip hop artist, Lootpack's Soundpieces: Da Antidote album in it's entirety and released it for free on his SoundCloud page. So we thought now would be the perfect time to get him in for a Spotlight mix.

Listen to the mix in full and read our exclusive interview with the illusive producer below.

MoS: First of all thanks for doing an exclusive mix for us, what did you go for in the mix? Is this a representation of what you play out now or more what you listen to at home?

Gerry Read: Hello, you're welcome. The mix is a selection of original tracks, remixes, edits & loops by myself, stuff nobody has heard yet. Some of the edits were made using just the record and an Alesis HR 16. So it's quite similar to my live set but I've gone with more disco stuff for this mix.

For those who may be new to your music, how would you describe your sound?

Headphone friendly house.

How did you first get in to music, when did you know you wanted to be a DJ?

I never wanted to be a DJ, I always wanted to start a band, but couldn't find anybody up for it. So I started off making jungle on fruity loops by myself and mixing it on turntables soon after when I was about 14.

What have you got coming up on the horizon?

More music on Aus Music & Fourth Wave and more bangers with Kevin Mcphee are coming.

You just gave away a whole album’s worth of great music, what was the thinking behind giving it away?

I just fancied remixing an entire album for a laugh, I decided to go for one with loads of tunes so it was more of a challenge. Giving it away was the only thing I could do with it really as it's unofficial.

What do you think of the state of dance music at the minute?

Unsportsmanlike

What do you like to do on your day off, what’s a typical Sunday like for you?

Walking round the woods looking for stuff to eat.

How do you prepare for a gig?

Having a bath, laying down on the bed, talking to my girlfriend on the phone, watching The Office etc

Who are your dream collaborators, past or present?

Someone like Moondog (not Moondog)

Tell us something we don’t know about Gerry Read?

I'm 23 soon, getting on a bit!

Tracklist

Gerry Read - "Arsenal"