How did you first get into making music?

I was very much inspired by the early dance stuff coming out of the UK. I basically taught myself slowly as a kid of 14 or so. It was an escape for me at the time and gave me focus.

You’re known for fusing together seemingly contradictory sounds in your works; is this a case of cherry-picking aspects you like from different genres or is it more of a natural process?

If things audibly fit then perhaps I've proved they aren't contradictory. A lot of the idea of "genre" is an indoctrination based on sales talk. The more music you listen to, the more you realize this, I think. Perhaps part of my method is an attempt at deprogramming this idea.

Is messing with preconceptions a big part of what you do?

It isn't that conscious a decision, really. I am not fighting a "battle" in that sense. I think I've just come to realize that has been part of my own process of creativity over the years by having to talk about it to people. It's useful to know this about myself. In fact, the idea that this is more acceptable today means we can all work towards bringing more of our true voice into the fray without pandering to the idea of "making it."

What kind of environments and situations inspire your style of production?

I think my DJ sets have mostly over the past few years, but certain situations such as being in nature recently have been very useful; to remember where we come from.

You say your new EP, Inversion, owes a lot to when you were 16; can you expand on that?

Essentially when I was a teenager I became such a big fan of the Metalheadz sound, and Inversion is an homage to that. I most certainly had my brain altered by years of being quite singularly into that style of music.

How was working with Goldie--and having the chance to sift through his archives?

Goldie is like an uncle to all the artists on the [Metalheadz] label, he has a way of conceiving things and conveying ideas in abstract ways that I think only other artists would understand. He knows about abstraction and lateral thinking, which is why I think his music always sounds like a sideways take on drum ‘n’ bass—beautiful and distorted, and this essence is inspiring for so many people. Regarding the archives, it was quite surreal. Really humbling to hear things I never thought I'd hear on their own.

Are there any other genres, or perhaps collaborations, you’d really like to tackle?

I don't really think like that, but I would very much like to make some music with Saul Williams and Kate Tempest one day.

You’ve released music under many different aliases; do you view these as completely separate entities?

Only really three names—2tall, Phillip D Kick and Om Unit—plus Dream Continuum, a collaboration with Machinedrum, They are separate in a sense of their function and place in time; they are chapters.

What kind of vibe can we expect from your Bangkok show?  

I will be trying things out to see what works. People might have a pre-conception of me as a drum ‘n’ bass artist now but I don't just play that music out. In fact, I rarely play your standard style drum ‘n’ bass. Sometimes I can see people are bored, but I try to bring a vibe in my own way and hope for the best! Sometimes I play 140bpm stuff; weird spacey stuff, dub and hip-hop too. 

If you could name just one, what’s your most memorable live performance?

Well. I only really DJ ever, but I'd have to say playing at Koko in London last year was a big one--that's an honour!

What’s next for Om Unit

Time will tell!