FD started to make his name in 2010 with a string of releases on heavyweight labels such as Metalheadz and Critical.   With over 10 years experience as a DJ and promoter FD has a sound composed of an array of influences, including Garage, Techno and of course Drum and Bass.    

In 2011 he's been following on from his successes with further releases on Critical Modulations and a lot more to come including a release on Noisia's Invisible imprint.  
We caught up with FD to find out a bit more about him…  

Example :So FD our questions are finally here.  Your bio says you've been involved in drum and bass for over 10 years on the promoting and DJing side.  What prompted you to get in the studio?  

FD: That statement should include the studio too I guess as I started trying to first make tunes in ‘99 as well – but with a friend who was already a capable engineer and writer. I sat there, told him my ideas, was probably quite annoying and got a bit wasted.

We wrote some ok stuff though considering. About 5 years later, I finally sorted my own set up and went from there. I already well and truly had the bug by then though and it was something I really wanted to spend my time doing. For me, its just another integral part of the puzzle – in some ways, the most important (which is why its what I really want to pursue) but just another piece of the puzzle, a way to get deeper into it all.  

It also gives me such amazing satisfaction when I write something I actually like. It’s kind of like nothing else to be honest. And then hearing it out and seeing it work, it’s amazing. For me, that’s a rarity though, I generally dislike all my music which can be upsetting. But when I do like it, it feels very very good and so I just have to keep going and pushing myself.
 

Example :  Who influences your productions outside drum and bass?

 
FD:  I hope and think that’s where most of my influences come from. I’m always trying to find new music that I like. If I’m not looking a lot, I feel like I’m slacking and missing out. I can like anything if it’s good (to my ears) and it just depends what I find or am exposed to.

I’d like to say I was a little ahead of the current hype (thanks to mate Ben, who is well ahead of the hype!)  but Little Dragon are amazing – proper pop music. My girlfriend is Finnish so constantly showing me crazy Finnish stuff I’ve never heard of – but often incredible.

I’m also really into 4.4 stuff at the moment – Skudge, the way they are not house and not techno, Shed who is constantly pushing out killers (check his Wax, EQD and STP aliases),

Sigha who is pushing English techno to a new renaissance, are just a few examples there. Also hip hop, the feel, the sound, the sampling techniques – Premier, Pete Rock, Dilla, Q-Tip, RZA are just a few names.

Old music is also really important to me as this is what I grew up on – so Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis was on in my house almost on the daily so this has and had a massive influence on me. I’m also into a lot of bass music that I guess used to be called Dubstep

(which seems is now as much of a swear word to Dubstep heads as D&B became a swear word to D&B heads!) as a lot of these guys are really pushing boundaries right now – Pearson Sound, Pangaea, Objekt, 2562 are just a few.

Example :  What was the first and last piece of music you bought and why?  

FD:  “Bad” by Michael Jackson – I have no idea why now, pulled into the hype I guess! I wish it had been Thriller instead haha – amazing album.
The last was Boymerang’s “Balance of The Force” – I finally found a really good copy on vinyl at a flea market with the proper silver plastic cover and inner sleeves – back of the net! 
 

Example:  What have you got coming next in the pipeline?

FD:  The collab with Zero T, ‘After All’ on Noisia’s Invisible label, is out at the start of September and Fracture and myself have just sent off the masters for a Subtitles 12”, ‘Galvanise’ b/w ‘No Rest’, which I’m chuffed about.

I’m also really pleased to have a tune on the forthcoming Sun and Bass compilation album and a 12” for Warm Communications, a label I’ve always wanted to do something with and really respect. I’m also working on more stuff for Critical of course and a few others bits too, and a couple of collabs, so a few things.

Example :  What 3 tunes are never out of your box at the moment?  

FD: FD – Blue Sky Research
Naibu – Use of Weapons (Fracture & Neptune’s Astrophonica Remix)
Ulterior Motive feat. Code:breaker MC – It’s On