James Holden interview conducted in London on the 18th of September by Hugh Lawton and Declan McDonnell exclusively for novdance.com.

NOVADANCE: First of all James, how did an Oxford Maths graduate become a highly successful Dj/Remixer/Producer?

JAMES HOLDEN: Thats the easiest question to answer, I was extremely lucky, thats it to be honest!

NOVADANCE: You have done work with Sasha, what was it like to work with one of the legends of the dance scene? And is he even a legend to you?

JAMES HOLDEN: It was a bit scary at first, but you know when Northern Exposure was around I was more into European Techno, Sven Vath kind of thing, Orbital and more wierd kinda sounding stuff. When I was doing my A Levels I was hanging around with a group of lads who were big into Sasha and I still liked my techno. They were constantly telling me that Sasha was a legend and when I started to work with him I realised they were so right. He is a legend, a real legend and a very nice guy too!

NOVADANCE: Your music first emerged in the highly 'Trance Soaked' year of 1999, how do you feel your musical tastes and styles have changed since then?

JAMES HOLDEN: I did quite like trance, before 1999 there was CD that Billy Kilty did, it was like a progressive house thing with that very melodic Techno feel to it. I loved it and thought it was amazing and when I heard it I thought 'thats the music I want to make'. I was writing quite wierd stuff and then quite trancey stuff as well, but once you do that big trancey sound I didn not feel the need to do it in my next track. But the melodies of trance appeal to me and the fact that trance is emotional is a good basis for any track.

NOVADANCE: There seems to be a new breed of Dj's that have emerged in the last couple of years who grew up when dance music was moving 'overground'. Having witnessed this transition yourself, how do you feel about people who have latched onto dance music purely for commercial reasons and do you feel that dance music is going back 'underground'.

JAMES HOLDEN: Dance music as a whole is definitely going back underground. The whole brand of Superclub/Superstar Dj does just does not work in my opinion. No one is good enough to justify a ten grand dj fee just for playing records. I mean it just cant last can it? When I started clubbing it was all about the small little venues and that added to the excitement. People juts having it and enjoying themselves and thats what its all about.

As for the upcoming Dj's, James Zabiela is a personal favourite of mine for what he does. You never know what to expect from him and I am sure he is going to go all the way to the top. As for the new breed of Djs that are coming up, I find a lot of them are doing the same stuff, playing the same tracks so all you hear is the same kinda music - and that wont last.

NOVADANCE: Are you intimidated by being so young in this industry or do you actually feel its an advantage and it gives you a fresher train of thought than the more experienced Dj's and producers?

JAMES HOLDEN: It is intimidating because I have been screwed for being young and I have seen it happen a lot since all the shit wiht me. I have known a lot of other producers my age who have been fucked as well even the older more experienced producers. The artists are out there doing their thing because they want to get their music put out and the money minded people find it very easy to take advantage and rip them off. I have seen it happen wiht a lot with a whole lot of different lavels where they are just being so unfair to their artists.

Myself and Gemma actually give advice to a few people in relation to artists - kinda a 'How to get signed and not get fucked over by a record company'. But with dance music going back underground again hopefully it will change to benefit the artists rather than their record companies. As for it being an advantage, my age, it can be yes I suppose it is sometimes.

NOVADANCE: Computers and Technology are obviously very important to you in terms of production. How do you feel about your music being copied and distributed on MP3 format? Do you feel like sometimes you are 'being done'?

JAMES HOLDEN: Its a half and half thing. You write music because you want people to hear it. Also its quite hard to get hold of records - I really dont mind that all my old stuff is available on the internet and thats good because you want people to hear it but the downside to it is this. My new track 'Nothing' went up onto the internet on MP3 when it was not even finished. Someone just streamlined it out of a live set and put it out and it was not even finished, I had not even done the final mix for it. So thats annoying because there was still lots to be done to the track and for people to have that version on a MP3 was a bit gutting to be honest. But in the same breath I make music because I want people to enjoy it and hear it.

NOVADANCE: Dj's such as Kevin Saunderson and Luke Slater are utilising the new digital developments such as 'Final Scratch'. Have you ever used it and do you think it might help the little known bedroom producers to be recognised more quickly?

JAMES HOLDEN: I think its a good thing, but final scratch itself has a little way to go. I think once it gets there it will make a big difference and I believe it will benefit those little known bedroom producers that you talk about.

NOVADANCE: Top British DJ Mr C was recently quoted as saying that '80% of British Dj's are shit'. Do you agree with him and what for you makes a good Dj?

JAMES HOLDEN: I dont like to say that anyone is shit to be honest with you, its hard to tell the difference between a good Dj and a gread Dj. The problem is that a lot of them are doing the same thing, same tracks, same sound etc. There are so many 16 year olds who are Dj's who could do exactly the same as the 80% that Mr C talks about and thats probably why he said that. I think being a really great Dj today takes a little more. You have to try and push the right sound and that kinda thing and I think that Dj's that have their own sound offer that little bit more. In relation to what makes a really good Dj, once you enjoy it and I like when a Dj surprises me with his tracks. A lot of Dj's just play the big tracks or they just play with what their record company sends them. I dont think theres any point in that to be honest, I like to hear different stuff thats new and fresh no matter what sort of music it is.

NOVADANCE: You were asked to do an 'Essential Mix' for Pete Tongs show on BBC Radio 1. Bearing in mind that this for some was their first taste of James Holden, how did you approach it and was it a fully live mix, or was some studio tweaking involved?

JAMES HOLDEN: Would you believe my fuckin mixer broke the day before I was due to do it so I had to do the whole lot on a computer! A pain in the arse, I never even thought about that to be honest. I just thought that I was doing two hours of music, but instead of doing a club set I just thought that people are going to be listening to it at 2 in the morning so I just played really good music, kinda a journey thing. I just did not want to play tracks to kick people and make them dance. I wanted to give them a different feel and make it more varied than what they would usually hear. It was good fun.

NOVADANCE: What club is the best club in the world that you have played in, and why?

JAMES HOLDEN: Thats a very difficult one - Extreme Festival in Holland was amazing, it kinda had that underground feel to it even though it was a massive festival so that was cool. I also did this gig in Greece this year which was amazing as well.

NOVADANCE: In relation to Dublin and coming to play at Melodica, are you looking forward to that?

JAMES HOLDEN: I cant wait to be honest, the whole idea is amazing yet its so simple and a lot of people have overlooked it because its so simple. It has not been done before and thats what appeals to me. Its fresh and its new. Also Nick (Warren) has played The Redbox in Dublin many times and I know he loves playing over there because of the reaction of the crowd. As well as that I believe my sound combined with that of James Coakley will offer a little more musically - so yeah - I cant wait. Plus my Mams partial to the odd pint of Guinness so I might bring her over with me for the gig!

NOVADANCE: With regards to 2002 and beyond, whats in store for James Holden?

JAMES HOLDEN: Well I hope to have my new track 'Nothing' released in the next couple of months. Plus I have about 20 unfinished tracks in the studio that I have to get to. Plus I am still writing new stuff all the time. I am off on tour to Australia and New Zealand at the end of November so I am looking forward to that as well. So really just to keep working and writing tracks and developing new sounds.

Hugh Lawton, Declan Mc Donnell.