Zero T answers our Usual Questions...

 

What's your earliest memory?

Being in Baghdad in 1983, rowdy!

 

What were you like in school?

A total messer, spent most of my time doodling or getting up to no good, but had an uncanny knack for getting away with it every time!!

 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Well, from about 15 years onwards... THIS!!

 

What are you good at that would surprise people?

Convincing people that my ideas are actually theirs and miniature ping pong!

 

Have you ever been arrested?

Touch wood, not yet - had some very close calls though.

 

What are you scared of?

Going deaf.

 

What's been your worst job?

Packing / unpacking trucks full of scrap metal at a junkyard one summer, near death experiences on a daily!

 

What are you obsessed with?

The fairer sex and old Optical productions.

 

What do you hate right now?

Sony PlayStation - c**nts.

 

What's the best record you've made?

'Best' is for others to say but my personal favourites are: 'Refusal' ft. Steo [Integral], 'Natural Selection' [Subtitles], 'Big Boss' [Commercial Suicide] and probably the 'Waterfall' 12" with Calibre [Signature].

 

What's the best piece of advice you've ever had?

Better to regret something you've done than something you haven't.

 

Who's your all-time hero & why?

Roy Keane. What do you mean why??? Cos he's f**king Roy Keane - ultimate badman.

 

What's your vice?

Spinach and feta boreks. Can't tell you my real one - my mum might be reading!

 

Who was your first love?

Beth from Neighbours.

 

What do you spend your money on?

Faberge eggs and tobogganing.

 

What's the worst item of clothing you've ever worn?

Probably the No-U-Turn t-shirt I made with a kit for putting numbers on sports jerseys. I cut out the No-U Turn sign and ironed it on. I was only 15 - vibing!

 

What's the coolest thing you own?

Vintage samurai swords from Kyoto, my dad's jazz collection of vinyl he put together in the 70s when he lived in America and a match ball from a Euro 92 Ireland qualifier signed by the Irish squad.

 

What was your last big treat for yourself?

Well, not big but got a pair of black Air Max BW Classic Mesh Colourway with a red trim (my all time favourite shoe).

 

If you had a Tardis, what time would you go to?

Early 70s, get loaded and go check Fela Kuti, Pharoh Sanders, Dexter Wansell, James Brown, etc. Maybe go back to 1997 and kidnap Optical.

 

What would you change about yourself if you could?  

I'm not rich, I'd like to change that if I could!

 

What can't you live without?

Food, water, air and sweet sweet loving.

 

What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Sing Katrina & The Waves' 'Walking On Sunshine' whilst doing 600 one-handed press-ups.

 

What was the first record you bought?

The first music I ever bought was Jacko's 'Bad' on cassette, first vinyl was Jonny L - 'I'm Leaving' shortly followed by Krust - 'Jazz Note'.

 

Who or what makes you laugh?

Total Wipeout - absolute TV gold (if you can get past that 'fun-sized' Hammond prick). I'm also feeling Pablo Francisco at the moment.

 

What's the best piece of equipment you've ever used?

This beard trimmer I've had for years, been to hell and back and still going strong! Quality.

 

What was the best set you've ever heard?

Tough one, maybe Kemistry after Goldie live in Dublin on the 'Timeless' tour in 1996. Doc Scott @ Sun & Bass 2006 also was tasty. Actually, fuck all that, Orbital @ Point Depot, Dublin 1995.

 

Have you got any travel horror stories?

Plenty. To painful to relive though, they mostly involving the words Ryan and Air.

 

What's the most memorable crowd you've played to?

Proably @ Propaganda in Moscow. It's free in but they have 'face control' which I'm totally against on a moral level, but thoroughly enjoyed the benefits on the night. Face control means they only let in fit girls and dudes who look like they can pay for drinks and in Russia that equals paradise. Otherwise The Funnel in Dublin 98. Anyone who was at Bassbin's nights there won't have forgotten - an intensity yet to be matched for me!

 

What was the last non-drum & bass album you bought?

Lamont Dozier - Lamont [1982]

 

Who would be playing at your ideal night out?

Jill Scott, Premier, Jimi Hendrix, Fela Kuti, Doc Scott, MAW and Orbital. Maybe MJ Cole doing a classics set too.

 

Who would you like to co-produce with?

So many people outside of d&b. Within: Optical and Matrix (if I had that Tardis), Doc Scott, Break.

 

What tune would you like to remix?

Shaun Escoffery - 'Let It Go'.

 

Where do you surf on the internet?

YouTube mostly. YouTube DJing is the future, the only limits are what track titles you can remember (and cunty copyright infringement) - it's replaced the CD player in my living room.

 

Finally, you have 30 seconds to plug what you’re up to. Go!

I've remixed a track called 'Givin Up' for a band called One Eskimo, check it out here. Also look out for Zero T + Bailey - 'Cloverfield' (Integral), Zero T + Mosus - 'Headspace' / 'Top Shelf' (ft. Spikey T) [Liquid V], Zero T - 'Hang Twice' (with Beta 2) / 'Daisy Chain' [Good Looking).

 

I also have a forthcoming appearance on Alix Perez's LP '1984', it's a track called 'Suffer In Silence'. Upcoming collaborations include Icicle, Alix Perez, Beta 2, Rockwell, Ulterior Motive, Mosus and FD amongst others.

 

Zero T in the Knowledge download store

www.myspace.com/zerotdnb

 

• Zero T
,
• The Usual Questions

Related Links:

• The Usual Questions: Seba
• The Usual Questions: Fanu
• The Usual Questions: Mary Anne Hobbs
• The Usual Questions: Klute
• Doc Scott Interview

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