CF: How and where was this mix recorded?

As I recall, this was recorded some time in May over a pizza and a couple of beers at Colectivo Futuro’s headquarters.

CF: How did you first get involved with music? When did you start diggin’ and collecting records?

I got involved with vinyl in a serious way while at university in the 1990s. My friend had a small collection of funk and jazz LPs and I caught the bug from him. We would go digging anywhere that sold records all over London and picked up as many bargains as we could. We spent a lot of time trading with other collectors and dealers, as well as DJ-ing as much as possible to fund the habit and keep getting new sounds. The internet came along and made all that disappear – but it is much easier to get information and contacts nowadays!

CF: Where does your alter ego Porncop come from?

I started out by specialising in soundtracks and library music, and a friend commented that a lot of the music I was playing out sounded like it was taken from porn or cop/thriller films (which in many cases it actually was!) I then used to refer to any tune that hit the right spot as a ‘porncop’ sound, and the name kind of stuck, even though I moved into other musical areas as well later on.

CF: Do you have any crazy digging stories you could share with us?

One that sticks out in my memory was about 15 years ago, when two friends and I were tipped off that an old fire station in Norfolk had had a clearout, and among the junk they were getting rid of were a few boxes of library records. They were planning to sell them at a village fete in the middle of nowhere the following Sunday. We were doing a gig in central London on the Saturday night, and decided to drive up there afterwards. So we set off at 4am straight from the club, and somehow found the right village after a few hours’ drive. But there was no sign of life. We knocked on the door of one of the only houses there, and found out from the person who lived there that we’d got the dates wrong, and the fete had actually taken place the previous Sunday. In desperation we asked the guy if he remembered seeing any records on sale, to which he replied, “There were a few boxes, yeah.” Somehow, we actually got him to remember who had bought them, which amazingly he did – and even gave us the buyer’s address! We drove to the house, which was about 20 miles away, and rang his doorbell – but nobody was home. I think we waited about an hour outside his house before shoving a note through his letterbox and starting the long drive back to London. We never heard back from him, unsurprisingly!

CF: What do you normally listen to at home? What are 3 of your favorite albums past or present?

I listen to all kinds of things at home, but mostly jazz, funk, soul, modern soul, disco, jazz funk, jazz-rock, library music, soundtracks, old school hip hop, dub and dub poetry, samba, bossa nova, Brazilian funk, MPB, bits of salsa and anything slightly exotic, quirky with a good groove and/or a bit of character!
Choosing favourite albums is so difficult – in fact, like a lot of diggers, my favourite is usually the one I bought most recently! But I never stop listening to ‘The Hanged Man’ (music from the 1975 TV series) by Alan Tew, including the two library records it was drawn from – “Drama Suite vol. I & II” on the Themes International label. It’s just a uniquely British, laid-back funky sound from start to finish. I also love Earth, Wind and Fire’s first album, pretty much everything by Roy Ayers during the Ubiquity era and “Maria Fumaça” by Banda Black Rio – totally infectious Brazilian-flavoured jazz funk.

CF: What would you advise to someone who is just getting started with his record collection?

I would say that you have to experiment, and be prepared to make mistakes! Make sure you connect with people who share your passion, because these are the people who will help you learn more about what you want to hear, and will open your mind to new sounds and genres. Finally, try to be patient – it’s tempting to over-pay for something that you’re really into, but waiting and then finding that record at a good price is the most satisfying of all. Finally, beware of the phenomenon that a record you don’t own always seems better than one you do – this bit of basic psychology will help you make wiser choices and avoid bankruptcy!