Bailey on his Ministry of Sound Radio show, his Soul In Motion event, MC Fats and where you can catch him this autumn…
Ministry Of Sound Radio are repping the drum & bass sound right now, are you enjoying it over there?
Yes, a hell of a lot! MOS have given me freedom to present drum & bass the way I think it should be done. It alleviates all pressure so I can just be me.
How would you describe your show to a newcomer?
It’s a place to come and learn about all things to do with drum & bass. Every sound and movement past, present and future.
We hear there’s a live stream from Sun & Bass again this year… tell us a bit more about that…
We’re broadcasting live from the festival in Sardinia on Ministry of Sound Radio for six solid hours featuring me, Bryan Gee and Fabio with Grooverider all doing two hours each. It was a blast last year so Sun And Bass invited us back for more.
Your Soul In Motion event seems to be getting bigger and bigger… how did it come about and what have been the highlights so far?
Need For Mirrors and I felt there wasn’t enough happening culturally within D&B, especially on weekdays, so we decided to make an effort to change that. It’s hard to pick a highlight to be honest. Every one we’ve done so far has had its own special thing about it, whether it’s a spur of the moment back2back with a special guest passing through London on tour or a last minute addition to an already talent filled and free line-up.
What are you plans for it during the autumn?
I can’t talk about that yet but I will say, special things are ahead. All eyes on SoulinmotionLDN on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the unveiling.
Gotta shout out the MC Fats Fundraiser on 10 October at Great Suffolk Street Warehouse… how’s he doing at the moment?
He’s seen better days having now lost both of his legs below the knee to diabetes but I give thanks for his strong spirit. The list of tragic and emotional things he’s been through in the past year would mentally break the average person. Fats has shown a tremendous amount of courage during these times. An example to be looked up to.
His album’s got a ton of great tracks on it… any particular favourites for you?
Tracks by Will Miles, S.P.Y, Random Movement and Makoto all get a regular spin from me but there’s so much to choose from on both albums and EPs for all occasions, plus now there’s talk of deluxe album with even more tracks!
What new producers are you feeling right now?
Philth, Scar, Pennygiles, L Side, Scartip, Acid Lab and Unreal are producers showing great potential.
Are you looking forward to your two hour set at Shut That Shit Down on 19 September?
NO… but in a good way! It’s pre party nervousness. Very rarely do I get a chance to play a set this long. I’m going to dig deeper within my music to put together an interesting journey for two hours. I used to love playing those in-depth kind of sets. It’s been a while.
Where else can we catch you this autumn season?
Apart from helping run Soul In Motion on the first and third Wednesday of every month I’ll be doing Bukem In Session at Fabric, the Raindance 25th Birthday, Therapy Session in Porto and that huge MC Fats charity event to name some.
Ministry Of Sound Radio is broadcasting live from Sun And Bass in Sardinia on Tuesday 9th September from 5pm – 11pm (UK time)… tune in online at ministryofsound.com/radio.
Bailey is playing alongside Fabio, Grooverider, Rob Smiley and more at Shut That Sh*t Down: Deeper at Rhythm Factory, London on Friday 19 September. For full info head to their Facebook event page.