Features
Q+A: Andy C
Some call him The Executioner. His colleagues at Ram Records call him boss. We call him Andy C, the man who is d’n’b
As a music maker he’s co-produced scene-defining tracks such as ‘Valley Of The Shadows’, ‘Titan’ and ‘Body Rock’, the first instrumental d’n’b tune to hit the Top 30 and enjoy daytime radio play. Last month he dropped ‘New Era’, a straight-up ‘Twist ’Em Out’-style banger that marks the start of a new slew of productions set to drop this year.
As a label boss he’s behind one of the biggest imprints in the genre which has signed, developed and broken bass behemoths like Chase And Status, Wilkinson and Sub Focus. Fresh from signing a unique development deal with BMG, Ram’s volume is set to get even louder.
It’s Andy’s role as a DJ that he’s best known for, though. Over 30 Best DJ awards don’t lie; over the years he’s set the benchmark with white knuckle double-drops, scene-shattering sets and, most recently, his All Night concept. In a genre that was once characterised by 45-minute banger-based blast-offs, Andy has once again ripped up the rule book and shown us that d’n’b DJs can dig deep for seven hours and keep the floor locked.
This month on March 24, Andy’s All Night show will hit a whole new height: Alexandra Palace, London. The 10,000-capacity preserve of huge bands such as Faithless, The Prodigy and Rudimental, Andy is one of the elite league of DJs to host their own solo show there, and the first ever d’n’b DJ to sell out the venue on his own. Even in a career as decorated as his, this is a serious moment. He reckons it’s his finest achievement yet.
So is this your career highlight?
It really feels like it. D’n’b is my life, it’s all I’ve ever done. To get that many people under one roof celebrating the music I’ve dedicated my life to is pretty cool. Backstage there are these pictures of everyone who has played there. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin – all these iconic acts. The sense of history is mind-blowing. Every artist I’ve spoken to who’s played there has said what a landmark show it was in their career.
I’m picturing you kicking back and shooting the shit with Liam Howlett...
Ha! Not Liam, but I did get a really nice message from Sister Bliss and I’ve chatted to Rudimental and Major Lazer who’ve both done it. No calls from Mick Jagger or Keith Richards yet! What I didn’t realise is how well known the venue is around the world. Russian friends, American friends. It’s mad!
