BBC RADIO 1’S NEW MUSIC GURU ON LAUNCHING A MEDIA EMPIRE FROM HIS BEDROOM
I like thinking outside the box. No one wants to be in the situation we’re in but we’ve got to make the most of it, and I’ve tried to do that. I started Quarantine Karaoke on Instagram, and we got some huge artists (Glass Animals, Este Haim) to come on, so I ended up taking it to Twitch. That was when I really started to think about tech and what I could use to make my house a professional setting.
I really invested in gadgets. The Shure SM7B is the best microphone going. I got myself a little TC Helicon GOXLR mixer, which allows me to run audio, video and separate channels like a proper studio mixing desk. I also got a dual-monitor PC setup and lights behind the monitors. I’ve even got my own green screen, so I’ve basically turned my living room into a TV studio.
I have to be creative when looking for new music. Streaming platforms are nice, but they’re not always quick enough with their turnover of new music. I find a lot of the stuff I play through talking to people in the industry, but being a Radio 1 presenter means you have to be open-minded. There are certain things that blow up on Tiktok and become viral sensations overnight, for example Curtis Waters’
Stunnin’, a brilliant pop song that deserved radio play.
My job is very different to what John Peel did. I suppose John would have been sent records that he’d have listened to on the way to the studio and just decided to play them there and then. The industry was probably a lot freer and a lot more fluid, whereas now there’s a lot more structure. Then again, it’s never been easier for people to get their music in your ears, rather than sending a CD in the post and crossing their fingers. Who had the harder gig? That’s not for me to say!
Headphones are very important to me. If I’m listening to music for work I use my Beyerdynamic DT 990s – with velour cushioning, of course. They’re studio-quality and let me appreciate all the details. If
I’m out and about, it’s always Bose QC35 IIS. I swear by those things. They’ve lasted me for so long, and I’d never go back to buds.
I started streaming to make my videogame obsession productive. I play games all the time and needed a way of justifying it to my girlfriend. My Twitch stuff is a separate entity to my radio work, and it can be difficult to translate to people that you can watch someone play games and be entertained, but that’s definitely shifted during this period. I’ve been out there grinding pretty hard every Friday and Sunday.
I’ve started a Call of Duty:
Warzone tournament with my mates that we’re building into something bigger. We’ve had Sigala, Frank Carter, Slowthai, Connor from the Vamps… I really like the idea of bringing gaming and bands together with a bit of competition.
Music and gaming go hand in hand, and never more so than now. The interesting thing with
Warzone is when you’re riding around and they’re playing tracks that Activision have licences for. There have been so many iconic game soundtracks, but there are more ideas to be thrown about in that area.
I’m looking forward to seeing what gaming brings in 2021. The last thing I tried to play was Cyberpunk 2077 and it flunked on me hard, even after the update, so I’m leaving that one for a bit. I’m a big Far Cry guy so I can’t wait for Far Cry 6, and I’ll be getting stuck into
Hitman 3. I might have to get on Resident Evil Village as well. I’m terrible with horror but I’ll have to do that for the stream. Not for myself!
“I STARTED STREAMING BECAUSE I PLAY GAMES A LOT AND NEEDED A WAY OF JUSTIFYING IT TO MY GIRLFRIEND”