Graeme Sinden dominates the club scene in his native UK. Sinden (he performs under his last name only) has also toured with M.I.A.; collaborated with Santo Gold and Kid Sister; and remixed tracks for Björk, Crystal Castles, Lady Sovereign, Mark Ronson, Robbie Williams, Estelle… the list goes on and on. In other words, even if you haven’t heard of him, you’ve definitely heard him. Before spinning to a packed house in Barcelona the other week, the DJ/producer/ tastemaker chatted with us about his new label, new music, and new clothes.

Jared Abbott What’s the one thing we should all know about your new label, Grizzly?
Graeme Sinden Well, as you can probably tell from the name, it’s got attitude!

JA So, in addition to having attitude, what are some other requirements for getting on the Grizzly roster? Does your lineup primarily your friends and already established artists? Or will you be seeking out new talent, listening to millions of demos, and all of that?
GS I’ll be doing all of the above, really. I think great music arrives in all forms, so you can’t discount the demos. [Besides], who says “established” people make great music all the time? I think it’s important to dedicate time to listening to unsigned music, [and] I’ll actually be introducing quite a few fresh faces and debutants. But the first Grizzly release, [from] SBTRKT and myself, is a natural collaboration that developed out of friendship—and there will be more like it.

JA Nowadays, it seems like everyone has their own label. How will yours stand out from the rest?
GS I plan to keep the quality high, and to only release music that is decent. There’s an over-saturation of music in general, but especially of remixes [made to] overcompensate for lack of quality [of the original]. I also won’t be tread the same sort of path as labels that stick to genre music. Grizzly is about mixing it up and keeping people guessing.

JA You’re releasing in both digital and vinyl formats. Why both?
GS I’ve been a vinyl buyer for years, and I still get a buzz [from having something to hold in my hand]. I love record shop culture—I think it’s a bit more real than shopping online. I’ll always prefer to get music that way, I guess.

JA Can you tell me a bit more about your work as a producer?
GS I started producing through Switch. He showed me the ropes. I would listen to my old jazz, soul & funk records and find the most interesting parts for sampling, then take them over to his studio. In our early tracks together, we used a lot of samples—they were the backbone. [But] for me, the hardest part about making a track is finishing things, seeing an idea through to the end.

JA As a DJ, you seem to get your hands on all the new songs before anyone else. How much of your set is brand new music, and how much is big club hits?
GS My sets have changed a lot [over time] and will continue to do so, but I think you always have to maintain a balance. You have a duty to the dance floor, but there are many ways of fulfilling it and making it interesting at the same time. These days, I think I’m little bit more uncompromising—but not in a stuffy or arrogant way. I think other DJs can try too hard to please by playing the hits or being too patronizing towards their audience.

JA What are you really into at the moment? What’s in your current set?
GS Tons of stuff. In the club, I love that people have become more open to something other than 4×4 house. I do love repeating kick drums, but I’m really drawn to beat patterns, so right now I’m feeling the global–tropical–afro stuff. It’s a nice cross-pollination. I also love all the post-dubstep new-garage stuff that no one’s found a label for yet. House is pretty healthy right now, and I’m getting into more techno things, too. Ultimately, the music I’m loving right now is more soulful [than before]. I got tired of all the wobbly, noisy stuff—it was getting too aggro and dude-ish. Outside the club, I’m into R&B, hip-hop, bashments. The Dream, Usher, Nicki Minaj—that’s pretty standard. Plus loads of African music.

JA So that’s your musical style—what about personal style? Where do you shop?
GS My style is smart street. I like caps—but not fitted ones—and cardigans and [Oxford] shirts. I still wear printed tees and trainers, but those are more likely to be Converse All-Stars or Common Projects. [I also wear] a lot of Japanese brands that I’ve picked up on my travels: Original Fake, Neighbourhood, Comme Des Garçons, VISVIM, Head Porter. When I’m in London, I like the shop The Hideout. It’s the original.

www.myspace.com/graemesinden