These days Eddy Temple Morris is doing things in reverse. His trousers are getting lower, he’s rocking dancefloors everywhere and his musical tastes are getting wider, which is lucky for us because his latest release ‘Dance Rocks’ is the biggest eclectic mash up to hit us in recent years. With influences as diverse as his fan base, Eddy talks to Planet Notion about how he became the true king of crossover…

When you’re not on XFM, you’re out doing live sets! Do you get any time off? Describe a typical weekend in the life of Eddy Temple Morris…
I don’t get much time off these days, and my Remix radio show, which used to be on a Sunday, is on a Friday now so I never get a full weekend. I’m a single dad with custody of a beautiful seven year old boy, so weekends off may involve a bike ride with him along the canal to London Zoo, or to visit a castle (he’s mad into knights and medieval stuff.)

The indie dance crossover sound that you champion so well really took off last summer with Ibiza Rocks. Which acts have been mostly influential to you and your sound?
When I named Ibiza Rocks it was going to be a dance crossover night at Manumission, but it turned into an wonderful indie night at Bar M, and a TV series on Channel 4 – this year it looks like I’m going to take Remix Night to Ibiza, to do what Ibiza Rocks was meant to be in the first place: A dancefloor that rocks. As far as influences go, my first nightclub soundtracks were the dance rock crossover of their time, DAF, Cabaret Voltaire, Dead Or Alive, Sisters Of Mercy in the 1980s, then Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy in the 90s, and labels like Wall Of Sound, Mo Wax and Skint. Bigbeat was a huge influence for me, and more recently, the UK Breaks scene, Evil Nine and Adam Freeland, Tim of Utah Saints/Beat Vandals and right now the energy of Pendulum, the filthiness of French electro-disco-punk music, and the panache of Phones.  

Probably because I used to smoke weed all the time and put everything in my life off, but I gave up just over two years ago, and started the project soon afterwards. It’s taken me, and my amazing management and label (Avalon and Botchit & Scarper) till now to clear all those tracks!

CD1, the mix, is just a representation of what I do when I DJ live in a club, it goes from electro-breaks to drum and bass. I just put some of my favourite tracks from DJing at Manumission, Ibiza Rocks, Cargo, Razzmatazz, Ministry etc in one seamless mix. I wanted certain artists to be there, artists that I’ve really loved and supported over the years: Freestylers, Kasabian, Snow Patrol, Delays, Pendulum, Adam Freeland, Evil Nine, Infadels, Atomic Hooligan.
CD 2, is separate tracks, for DJs to play out, and some rare and desirable mixes that didn’t get onto CD 1. XFM listeners have been waiting years for me, or someone to release my mix of Blue Jeans, by Ladytron.

It’s a direct reaction against the American ethos of having to be the winner all the time, (while I appreciate not all Americans are like that) I hate that whole 'we are the greatest, we only play to win' attitude that testosterone heavy jocks are brainwashed with (before being sent overseas to murder non Christians). I'd rather do things for the love of it, and be a Loser, but be happy losing. It's an old fashioned ethos of being happy just taking part in a game, rather than having your happiness depend on the outcome. It's more personal than that too...I used to work and be friends with a man who turned out to be so horrible I can't even say his name without ruining my day, and the only thing he cares for is money, that's his whole world, money, success, more money, fame... and he's the type of person who'd step on anyone to get that. I'm the opposite, so I'm a Loser...and very happy being a Loser.

According to Wikipedia.com, your dad is a Baron! Were you not tempted to follow him into the world of politics?

In a word...no. My dad is a Labour peer and while I’m proud of some of the things he’s done in politics, like taking a stand against Capital Punishment, Poll Tax, and being instrumental in the downfall of one of the most evil despots in British history, Margaret Thatcher, I couldn’t do it. Not in a million years. It would both bore me shitless and frustrate me witless.

I find I’m doing things in reverse...as I get older my trousers are getting lower, and my taste is getting wider. The more I consume the more I love, I can’t see myself narrowing anything when there’s so much fantastic music out there. I feel that I’m representative of a greater musical consciousness, everyone’s taste is widening, and crowds in clubs are so much more eclectic, so DJs like me and Tom Middleton can paint with a broad brush and a huge palette of colours, while DJs like Erol Alkan, bless him, has narrowed right down to his dirty, crunchy electro thing.

Every which way, sent by post to 30 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7LA by record labels, artists, DJs, producers, Publishers, promotions companies, agents, managers, bands, roadies, press people, kids in bedrooms, the lot. Some found on MySpace, some send as downloads, or given to me in the form of demos in clubs and gigs, I’ve even been stopped in the street and in the supermarket and given demos. Some precious tunes and battle-weapons given by a vast network of producer friends and colleagues.

Modular are on fire, and Kitsune and Ed Bangeur are all producing amazing music. Wall Of Sound is having a particularly fine renaissance, and majors-wise, the dance arm of EMI seems to be targeting my box with some success recently. Breaks wise, Against the Grain, Fingerlickin’ and Botchit’ but my favourite label of all has to be 'White'.

You do so many gigs, where is your favourite place to perform?

That’s a tough one: the main room of Manumission at Privilege in Ibiza is a trip, over 7000 people, and Razzmatazz in Barcelona is such a pleasure, with a really savvy crowd and great sound system, but I think my favourite environment is festivals. Glade, which I’ve done every year is a special highlight, as is the Secret Garden Party, my favourite festival ever. The best reaction I’ve ever had was at Reading Festival two years ago, and on tour with The Prodigy around the same time.

Describe the last time you went out partying/clubbing?

I gave up all drugs over two years ago now so if ‘partying’ is a euphemism for getting off my tits and staying up all night, I’d have to reach far into the memory banks...I’m so busy as a DJ that my experience of ‘clubbing’ now is playing there myself, I can’t even remember the last time I went to a club just for the sake of it. If I get a night off I’ll spend it with my neglected girlfriend.

What are your plans for the summer? Ibiza?

Yes, definitely, for some more Ibiza Rocks and Manumission action, i love it there, and I’m getting around elsewhere on the island for the first time, which is exciting. Secret Garden Party 2007 will be awesome, on the last weekend of July; I've got some of my favourite new bands playing on my Remix Stage, obviously I can’t announce who they are until it’s all signed and sealed, but my favourite new bands include The Girls, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Goose, A Human, Reverend And the Makers, The Officers… Make of that what you will.

Eddy Temple Morris's 'Dance Rocks' is out now on the Botchit & Scarper label.

Words: Lauren Tones