He’s just dropped a blinder of an EP, the aptly titled ‘Nightfires Vol.1’, so we got speaking to UK producer and DJ Kove about the making of this little bass-filled gem.
Hey Kove, thanks for joining us! So, you’ve been a bit quiet on the production front lately and have just returned with, Nightfires Vol. 1. What effects did last year’s touring have on your work in the studio?
Yo! It’s seemed that way but I can assure you there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes! It’s one of my downfalls that I can’t really work on a laptop on the road – I envy those that can! I need my space with my piano and guitars to write well, so being on the road tends to leave me in a bit of a rut when it comes to writing new stuff. It’s been nice to have a bit of downtime after the new year though, and really concentrate on getting as much music written as possible.
Did you feel playing out a lot and getting behind the decks inspired you with the new material?
I’d say so. Getting that physical feeling of a drop and the reaction from the floor definitely makes me want to make things a little heavier and built for the club. I try not to listen to too much dance music out of the clubs, I prefer to get my inspiration from other places and bring them into my sound, otherwise I can find things get a little stagnant. 
The EP is very versatile with a bit of everything on there. Is there a story or a theme behind it?
It’s music for the floor – that’s the idea behind the series. I really wanted to get back to making club-orientated music, and get away from the more ‘daytime radio’ sound.
Do you take a different approach in the studio when making the transition between house and D&B tracks?
On a purely technical/mixdown level there are differences, but really I like to approach both with the same mindset. D&B can be a lot more ‘full’ in terms of the amount going on at any given moment, which is something I find I tend to transfer to my house production, whether I mean to or not! But when it comes down to it, both rely on a good drop and a hefty bassline to get the floor moving.
How often can we expect a new volume of ‘Nightfires’? Is this an on-going series that we can look forward to?
This is definitely an ongoing series! I’m looking to put them in 6-8 week intervals, long enough to let people digest the previous volume, but frequent enough to keep the listener on their toes. Also new tunes can crop up at any time which can alter track-lists, as I want each volume to have a slightly different feel.
One of our favourite tracks is ‘El Camino’. If you could sum up the vibe of that one in three words…
Dancefloor, driving, Magnum-PI?
Have you had a good reaction when playing these tracks out live? How do you incorporate all of these different genres in your sets?
Yeah, the reaction has been great so far, from both D&B heads and house fans, which is always rewarding. I’ve never really struggled incorporating different genres into my sets, it feels natural. It’s all about flow I suppose, I would never go from playing two heavy dub tunes to playing two house tunes then back again, I like to dedicate a decent amount of time to each tempo so people can get in the groove.
Looking back on your touring last year, what stood out for you? Where do you feel you would most like to play in the future?
There were so many highlights from last year. The Bassrush tour with 12th Planet and Loudpvck was a right laugh, so many good memories from that. Hitting Australia and NZ for the first time was great, I’d always wanted to get out there, even though it was a fleeting visit. In terms of where I’d want to play? Japan and Asia. I’ve never been to that part of the world and I’ve heard its as far away culturally as you can get for a Brit.
Finally… if you could pick ANY two musicians, dead or alive, to make a tune with, who would they be?
Robert Plant, (70’s Plant, not faux-bluegrass singer Plant) and George Martin. Not necessarily a musician, but as a producer he was a true innovator.
