Despite holding down residencies at Bugged Out and Back 2 Basics, James Holroyd isn't one to rest on his laurels, or live in the past. Playing and making music is a lifetime passion that doesn't look like ending anytime soon. So nice to get some time and some words from him about the past, present and future.

Where are you living at the moment, and what are you up to?

South Manchester. Sifting through music as ever but in preparation for a few nice things coming up.

A lot of my peers and I grew up listening to you play out at some of the places you’ve been resident at, they were formative experiences for a lot of people but what were yours growing up?

Alternative scene was first. Indie, goth, post punk, pop and lots of live stuff. It was an amazing time musically. Young free ‘n’ stupid. The first club where I felt was a scene was called Raffles in Wakefield. Crazy little top floor, dancefloor. Sisters, Joy Division /New Order, Bauhaus, Cure, Talking Heads, Soft Cell, Combat Rock ‘n’ Tom Tom Club, Bowie…..’Being Boiled’ to ‘Baker Street’. Glen Riff Raff/Electronic Glen was the DJ. I Met Dave Beer and Ali Cooke around that time. Lots of ace and creative people.

Then getting out to the Blues clubs of Leeds Bradford and Sheffield. Reggae, later morphing into bleeps (Matt Anniss’ ‘Join the Future’ book really took me back there). Also, across to Manchester in ‘87 (no prize...Hacienda!). It was often pretty quiet on the first few visits, and suddenly it just seemed that something extraordinary was happening. I vividly remember a virgin hearing of ‘Big Fun’ and watching from the balcony on a Friday night. It was on new frequency. A moment that still goosebumps me.

Most Excellent shortly after that, with Justin Robertson and Greg Fenton. Blackburn raves, Blackpool. Basically, always out and about with a posse. That included Dave, Ali and Huggy and some older crew who knew where the good stuff was happening.

Ali and Dave soon decided to spark Back to Basics up in response. The first flyer said, “for the more discerning clubber”. I think it was unique in its inception, and truly had a DIY sense, and carried some punk ethos with it.

Going back to the beginning, what was the first gig you got paid for, do you remember how it went?

Back to Basics ‘91...Cziz was one of the early residents, he was playing before me and booby trapped the mixer so the headphones cue was playing through as I played my first track…It was all daft fun, and I could play the lights too from the booth…I’d never been on two decks before. Dave had really encouraged me, and the most surprising thing was that he said have another go. I seem to remember a NYE shortly after, top floor, which was where the club had started. It was ace up there, more of a chill out room, but still quite a party. No house was allowed up there. Think I got £30.

When Bugged Out started at Sankeys, it felt like it was in proper bandit country. Compared to now, Ancoats seems like a world away. What’s your take on how Manchester’s changed from then to now?

My first years in Manchester I loved the decay, and I’m still partial to Northern gloom. Pretty much everywhere 400 metres from town was abandoned, and hardly anybody lived in the city. It was desolate and gradually got more spooky as you headed down Jersey Street. There was advice to people to travel in and out in groups in the club...The mill was pretty much the only functioning building with the club on ground floor and a few start-ups and studios upstairs…everyone got robbed.

Now it’s couples with cute dogs queuing at bakeries and chic restaurants and all the buildings are either demolished replaced by shiny new ones, or beautiful grand old lofty type things in the mills. I do actually love it now. A mate did some t-shirts with ‘Make Ancoats Rough Again’ on. I’d swap it back 30 years if I could though. It was an amazing period...and every Friday.

It was the Electric Chair’s 30th birthday the other day. Everyone who went has a story or memory of those nights, what’s yours?

Luke and Justin (Unabombers) just got the best crowds together and the music was open. The camo netting getting ripped down was a kind of a ritual at the Music Box. I was in Leeds most weeks on Saturdays, but it was monthly, so I’d often get back over and hit the endless after parties. The first time playing there, at the Roadhouse was amazing. I’d been up all night and got everyone in my flat out. We’d been playing records all night in there - and that was how I packed my box. Being young is good.

Basics and Bugged Out were great, I mean so great, cards on the table this is personal experience but, what made them that in your opinion?

They moved into a gap that needed filling and went against the grain. New ideas, DJs, music. And a crowd that were there as a community, at both places. They had great ringleaders, and it was never a cash in.

A lot has been written about the art of the resident DJ, what’s your take on it?

It seems to be approaching extinction at present. But if you have a regular night (Back to Basics was weekly for over 20 years) you get a crowd that trusts the residents and come as much for them as the guests. Warming up is still my favourite thing. A scene set, a backdrop an atmosphere build. I think the music requires feeling and a soul of some sort at that time. Finding records that fit into that space still drives me. Those kinds of records sound nice for home listening too. If it sounds good with jazz cigs, it’s in the bag.

Giant Steps is a different thing again, what’s your angle of attack on gigs like that compared to say, opening for the Chemical Brothers?

It’s a real treat. The massive hi-fi thing is amazing, but very different to play on. Records that sound good you get to play right through at GS, so all textures and musical things. Great pressings and productions. The music has to be all over and definitely colourful .it changes from daylight to night which is nice to play around with I think it takes a couple of goes to get the hang of it. There are a few hours at the start for bean bags. Ambient and immersive through to frenetic worldy stuff.

The Chemical Brothers gigs are big punchy, warm rig things. The attention to detail from both things is outstanding. Its generally indoors and dark so there is more scope for the darker shades I always keep any ear/eye on things and there is always a box or folder on the go for things for these gigs. Quite often things that wait for that moment. More moody and sonic and nearer a Bugged Out warm up style. A tempo build, things that tickle the receptors. The Chemical Brothers set hits at all your emotions musically and visually, and is freed up as fuck but again, you need to try to build an atmosphere. An anticipation.

You’ve done a few back-to-back gigs (playing with Ruf Dug and Justin Robertson for example) do you try and outdo each other, or is it more like a team effort?

It’s a bit of both. It’s not something that I have regularly done in the past, and you have to know and respect the other person’s music. If a party is good, it’s a very positive thing, to try and add, make each record better or progress. It can also encourage tangents and curveballs. Ruffy is a tangent. We recently had a real ace party going called Open Secret. A sort of 3 on, 3 off thing. Quite a lot of tempo changes, and he’s left me with wrong speed psytrance to follow!

You’ve been playing for a long time, so must always be searching for music? How connected do you feel to new music that’s coming out now?

Always searching. I consider all music I’ve never heard as new music. I think as you get older, it becomes harder, as many things are derivative of stuff you’ve been into in the past. Reissues and eras come back, and I’m a bit ‘nah’ about it. House stuff is really difficult, and maybe 10 or 15 tracks a year really get me. There is also the constant stream of digital. It’s a tap you can’t turn off (I think I read that somewhere). That said, great new music is there, it’s harder to sift out, but it always evolves one way or another.

What’s happening with the Begin stuff these days?

There has been a gap. I’ll admit to being a slow coach but I’m constantly making music with ideas on the go. Distilling them into something new, and with a freshness at the moment, but got some nice stuff and collabs finished. I love making music. It’s therapeutic, sometimes joyous, and sometimes torturous. Addictive though. I did a live thing again last year in Manchester and I was into it. So, I’ll be doing it again when the next stuff is out, which will be by the end of the year.

You’re playing at Wild Wood Festival this month, and after that any plans for the rest of the summer?

First time at Wildwood. Really looking forward to it as it’s built a rep I’ve been hearing about from anyone who has been. It appears to be run with love. Superhuman Tom (PBR Streetgang) is involved, and he has been tickling me up about it. It’s in some beautiful rural spot in Cambridgeshire. I love festivals as it gets me out of the city and connects all the tribes. On Friday I’m playing a Golden Lion stage thing there. It’s a great lineup that’s been cooked up by Gig and Waka and Matt Hum. The Saturday I have a slot with Neil Diablo before Crazy P Soundsystem. On the Sunday a warmup with Luke Una on the É Soul Cultura. There are gonna be lots of friends there from up here and crews converging from all over. We need to get together more, now than ever.

Then more nice times with lovely people. Glastonbury and Love International on the bounce in the next month. So festival silly season - but very family feeling affairs. Going to Pikes too, 27th July. Can’t wait to reconnect with the summer people and wear shorts.

If anyone has Sven Vath’s doctor’s number, I wouldn’t mind booking a blood transfusion for early August.

James Holroyd plays at Wild Wood this weekend.