Blacksmith Radio Vol. 3 with Apiento

Where are you these days, and what's currently keeping you busy/occupied?

I’m in Los Angeles. I’ve got a few things going on and it’s all pretty interesting. I manage a few artists who are all doing great things, then we have a record label, well three, with some great releases coming up and then the website and forum too and some other projects.

On the label we’ve got a new compilation coming from Mad Professor of some wonky releases from the ARIWA catalogue that renowned graphic designer Trevor Jackson has done the artwork for, we’ve also just had Paul Weller in the studio with Mad Professor for the label, which sounds amazing, and then we have as new single from Alex Kassian with a top remix and finally a new project from an artist I am looking forward to developing called Léna C.

Music is really making the world go round right now tbh. I am also working on a few projects here in L.A which I can’t really say too much about.

For anyone who doesn't know, how would you describe TestPressing?

Test Pressing is a home for music that sits to the left (or the right) of the mainstream. It’s a home for anything good. It originally came from a balearic perspective but over time it has just become anything we like really that fits our ears. It’s now a music forum, website, label, merch house, radio show on NTS and probably a few other things… In many ways it keeps me sane.

What's on your coffee table right now, records, books, mags, objects?

Well tbh I spend all my time at my desk and right now and on that there’s just some objects that I find inspiring. A camera, some delay pedals, some small toys etc. In our house we don’t really use the coffee table like that… It’s more a place for snacks when watching films.

How did it start, what got you into music in the first place, and how did that turn into a living?

Mnnn… I got into electro when I was little (maybe like 10 years old) and records like Planet Rock by Africa Bambaata and the Electro compilations on Street Sounds, though our house was always full of music. My older brother, he had the worst taste though he did have Pink Floyd and Prefab Sprout, then my sister was mad into The Smiths and The Clash. From the electro thing it naturally led into hip hop until one day my mate Mark turned up with this House Hallucinates album (the sleeve is still the most acid house thing ever) which had early acid tunes on it, and that was it really. We were converted to house music overnight and just getting lost in that world. It’s funny to think how revolutionary and futuristic house music sounded back then.

I got into it from a work perspective when I dropped out of college for the second time after studying law, and had a job on Oxford Street for a day and was moaning to my mum how horrible it was… She gave me some advice which was ‘to go and do something you love’ which might have been the greatest thing anyone had ever said to me to that point. Just someone backing you to go for a job you want to do... So I rang some record labels (there wasn’t loads in those days) and one was William Orbit’s Guerrilla and they needed someone and that was it. Game on. From there I went to GPR (killer techno label) and then Junior Boy’s Own where I worked for years.

What does your usual day-to-day look like now?

Well I’m up early as a lot of the projects that I work with are in Europe in a different time zone, but generally it goes a little like this… Answer Whatsapp’s (as they are the people I deal with day to day), answer Insta messages (little break as its always something random), do calls and meetings until around 2, then finally get to the email inbox when Europe closes off around 2/3 after a quick snack then hit the to do list. I just bought a nice sub for my monitors so playing music at my desk has taken on a whole new meaning too. Where I sit there a window just to the left and the birds sit there so it’s a nice way to spend the day.

Outside of music, what else keeps you inspired and excited, could be anything: food, film, people you follow, a place you go.

I like walking the dog and playing tennis. There’s always something interesting on near where we live too. I was playing loads of tennis but work has got a bit busy. I live right by Griffith Park though which is a beautiful park so getting up there for sunset is always nice. Also, there is a brilliant pool here at the Rosebowl Aquatic Centre and swimming is just so nice for your brain. Other than that I’ve managed to break the Insta habit, thanks to a recommend on our forum for something called ScreenZen, so I’ve started reading again which is something I realise I was really missing.

You've run TestPressing since 2008, what's kept you loving it this long?

Honestly it’s just music and people. I love talking about music and spreading the word on things I (and the guys at TP) love and luckily we have a website to do that. I love listening to new music, though being honest that goes through phases as you get older. Sometimes I need a few weeks off and just want peace but when I am really in the zone for listening to music its like flying… I just find it so inspiring and want to just get lost in it. And from there, as I’ve got a big mouth, I just like telling people about the things I think are good so its a natural step to still loving doing it whether that’s the radio, forum or website.

On to DJing, as that's a big part of your career. Where do you enjoy playing the most, and what excites you about it? How do you prepare your music before a gig?

Love International in Croatia in the summer is always a highlight. We program that alongside the team there and I play each day kicking things off for whoever follows after me. We’ve had some brilliant DJs through the years and some really brilliant times. Other than that Los Angeles where I am is always fun and playing in New York City is always a fun one… In London it’s all about Om or Giant Steps for me at the moment. Om literally has one of the best systems I’ve heard - a very natural follow on from Plastic People. Prep wise is just a case of trying to play a load of new things so going through promos and seeing what is exciting. Playing new music no one has heard and it landing is always the best feeling.

Talk us through the playlist you made us, what were you going for when you picked those tracks?

It’s music to zone out to, work to, listen to if you want to relax and just a lovely listen really. There is a new band I love called Hug and I guess from there it was easy to move into a horizontal zone after kicking off with that.

We're all about clothes that last, no-nonsense, built to hold up. Musically, what's your equivalent? If you had to name just a few, what are the records that have never left the rotation?

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra self-titled album and ‘Broadcasting From Home’ are perennials, the Art of Noise Ambient Collection, Heaven or Las Vegas… Electronic wise the FUSE album on Warp is just brilliant and any early Carl Craig records won’t steer you wrong.