14 FAKTS INTERVIEW WITHGEORGE SMEDDLES

Q: Please introduce yourself

Hi, my name is George Smeddles, and I’m a DJ & Producer from South London.

Q: One person you'd dream to have a coffee with?

This is a hard one! So many people have inspired me over the years, some of which aren’t here anymore, like Frankie Knuckles and the late Paul Johnson to name a few... But as I always name music producers in these interviews, ill switch it up a bit. It would have to be David Jason. I’m an obsessive Only Fools & Horses fan and have always wanted to meet him. I bet he would have some unbelievably funny stories to tell!

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

It would have to be to fly. I don’t know exactly what I would do if I could, to be honest... probably go around playing pranks on people knowing me!

Q: If given the opportunity to create a film score, which movie would you choose and why?

The Lion King! It was my favourite film as a kid. I love African music, it’s all so soulful, and I have always aimed to include these kinds of elements in my music from the beginning. 

Q: Who has been the most influential in your music career? And who has been the most influential in your personal life?

Musically I would have to say my family and Kerri Chandler. I was brought up on his sound, along with Masters At Work and Chez Damier, to name a few. I think that mid-90s underground house sound is unmatched. In my personal life, it would have to be my family again. They inspire a lot of my music, and I still send them tracks as soon as I finish them to get some feedback before it goes anywhere else.  

Q: Could you share with us your journey – the good and bad experiences that have brought you to where you are today?

It’s a crazy world we live in, let alone the music industry; that’s a whole other kettle of fish, haha!

I would miss my gigs at the weekend if I were to sit here and tell you about all the highs and lows. However, what got me where I am today is hard work in the studio and staying humble and grounded by listening to the closest people I have around me. But most of all, just doing my own thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in the ever-changing sounds of the music industry and get sucked into the hype. I’m just here to make house music that I want to be proud to look back on.

Q: Everyone goes through ups and downs, what’s one habit you adopt to push through the downs?

Thinking about the highs help me get through the lows, and making music takes me away from all the bullshit. If I’m having a block & don’t feel inspired, then I don’t force it. I go to the gym, train hard, play golf, and even ask to work with some friends to get some normality and help put a regular sleep pattern in place. Basically, switch everything up... you just have to remember things always get better and hard work pays off!

Q: What is one pro work ethic that you would recommend to the readers/listeners?

Just looking after myself the best I can, really. I eat well (when I can), run, or go to the gym to keep my head in a good place. I mostly listen to other music that’s not house music when I’m not at gigs or in the studio. I would love to say sleep pattern, but I really struggle with this. If you get that right, it’s a massive help to your mental state, which reflects in the studio!

Q: How has your music style evolved over the years?

My sound at the beginning was heavily influenced by shows I was going to in Ibiza, where I had lived for three years when I first taught myself to make music. Since I got back, I’ve been working on that sound and subconsciously tailoring it to what was working in sets and what I enjoyed hearing when I was out. During COVID, I didn’t feel like putting out club music when no one could dance together, so after COVID, it was like I had pressed a reset button. So now, with my new label and lots of new music, I’m excited to share the new wave of music I have coming!

Q: If you were to venture into another music genre, which one would you choose and why?

Garage, it’s the other main genre I was brought up on. A lot of my tracks are inspired by garage music, and it’s a sound that I love playing out. 

Q: Could you name 3 tracks that got you into electronic music and why?

Armand Van Helden ‘You Don’t Even Know Me’ - My all-time favourite track.

Kerri Chandler ‘Love Train’ - This was the first ever vinyl record I bought, and it is still one of my favourite tracks to play out today.

M People ‘People Elegant Slumming’ LP - it was the album I remember my mum having on repeat when I was little. It is probably the first music I ever remember hearing and I still love these tracks today, so it would be rude not to include this one!

Q: Can you recommend a hidden gem in your home country that would be perfect for a rave?

Close by to where I have just moved, there’s a big round underground space below a roundabout. It’s just before you go onto the M25. I would love to see a rave in there!!

Q: Could you tell us about your upcoming releases and plans for the year?

My latest release just dropped on WAFF’s label NATURE. Then for the rest of the year, I have a release coming on PIV, a 3 three track EP on Darius Syrossians Moxy Muzik, and a release on my label South that I haven’t finalised yet!

Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself that most of your listeners are probably unaware of?

I once bought a big pub near my house for £2000 so that I could put a studio in the basement. I had never had a studio before and couldn’t find anywhere close enough to my home to rent or build one.I went into the pub to ask if I could rent one of the ten rooms upstairs and soundproof it for a studio, and the landlord then said I could possibly build one in an old wine cupboard downstairs in the freezing cold beer cellar. He then told me he was planning to move back abroad soon and would sell me the pub. After some bartering, we somehow agreed I could take the whole pub on for £2000. The following week, I returned and gave him the cash, and he left. I wish he would have mentioned the £16,000 debt he had left on the pub in unpaid bills, lol. But it was nothing a few raves in the pub couldn’t sort out.. so I put on a few parties every weekend, and after a month or two, we paid up everything, and I was making music in my new studio in the cellar! The things I have done for music! haha.