When it comes to genreless or open-format DJing, Alexander Nut is redefining what it means to be a DJ in the modern era. From his earliest memories tuning into a local Wolverhampton radio station to witnessing the birth of Jungle and countless other sounds, the founder of Eglo Records, musician and resident at NTS and Rinse FM has always prioritised musical curiosity and storytelling in his career.
Rejecting strict genre boundaries, Alexander Nut‘s DJ sets explore Hip-Hop, Soul, Jazz, House, Jungle, Broken Beat and more, connecting threads across decades and continents. With his new EP Present Under Construction out now, Alexander Nut shares how sound system culture, British electronic music and his favorite genreless DJs have shaped his approach to mixing and curation.
The beginning
One of the first DJ mixes I heard that really enraptured me was Massive Attack’s 1994 Essential Mix for Radio 1. My friend had taped it to a cassette and I held onto that thing for a very long time. It was an eclectic mix of US Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz and soundtrack scores. It really opened my mind up to the possibilities of what you can do in a DJ mix.
I had already developed a passion for radio as a little kid. Thanks to a family ritual of tuning into ‘Motown Mondays’ on a local Wolverhampton radio station, along with my trusty radio alarm clock which I had next to my bed. My little alarm clock radio gave me 24/7 access to the FM dial. I would spend hours listening to absolutely everything. From local Reggae radio shows to some New Wave weirdness on John Peel. The variety of sounds and styles was always my thing.
As heavy as I was into a lot of Black music, from Hip-Hop and Reggae to Jazz and Funk through to House and Dance music, I was just as interested in Rock, Pop and electronic stuff. There was something that tied it all together, I just couldn’t put my finger on it back then.
Growing up in the late 1980s and early 1990s, things were always really tribal. The various musical sub-cultures of the times tended to occupy different spaces. There were clear cut lines. But there was also a lineage that interconnected it all. Be it shared roots in Jamaican sound system culture, the commonality of technology, the need to dance in community or a passion for the new wave and an expression of soul. There were always various points at which all of the sounds converged. So if you learn about its history and you come to understand those moments in time, you’re able to tell stories through playing music. Unlimited by genre, tempo or timezone.
Musial connectivity
Hearing the early days of Jungle was exciting, and an inherently British take on the sound and style. Where Breakbeat culture collided with Reggae, Hip-Hop and Acid House. To me, Jungle shared the kindred spirit of Hip-Hop. It was a continuation of that DIY, Breakbeat-driven culture. A lot of those artists in the UK who pioneered Jungle, Broken Beat, Garage, Hardcore and various other incarnations of electronic dance music came from that first wave of US Hip-Hop and Electro. The influence of popping, locking, breaking and graffiti reverberated and splintered throughout the country, sparking new ideas and inspiration.
It was a mixture of all of these different sounds and styles, with the underlying current of sound system culture, that gave the UK its own distinct and original style. This is what I feel my style of DJing is born from. But instead of playing one particular genre or the latest incarnation of its spirit, I like to play through the whole journey. From its beginnings in Soul, Jazz, Reggae and Funk through to Hip-Hop, Electro, House, Jungle, Broken Beat and Garage. I like to play the music that joins the dots.
A lot of people call it ‘open-format’ DJing, but to me, that’s overlooking it a bit. There’s a particular corner of DJing that I’m interested in. And to some degree music production and creation. It’s rooted in the journey and evolution. From the first wave of Hip-Hop and its roots in sound system culture, it morphs and regenerates itself through a variety of sounds and moments in time. You can hear it in House, Jungle, Techno, Garage and Broken Beat. The shared use of machines and instruments like the MPC, Linn Drum, SP1200, Roland 808 and 909. I’ve never been someone who is tied to one specific genre of music. But there’s definitely a common thread in all the music I play in a DJ set.
Some of my favourite DJ’s, in no particular order are as follows: Mark Pritchard, Osunlade, Bobbito Garcia, Theo Parrish, Kool DJ Red Alert, Benji B, J. Rocc, Mr Scruff, Dez Andres, Giles Peterson, Kenny Dope & Louie Vega (MAW), Marcellus Pittman, Jah Shaka, Goldie, Dego, DJ Spinna, Tony Touch, Floating Points, Josey Rebelle. The list goes on and on.
Alex’s genreless highlights
Soul II Soul and The Wild Bunch
Both Soul II Soul and The Wild Bunch (who later became Massive Attack) really encapsulate that pioneering spirit of Black British sound systems and musical movements. Those that took inspiration from the past and synthesised it all into something completely new.
Africa HiTech
I really love this Africa HiTech mix from Rinse FM in 2011. Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek did a bunch of club sets and radio shows around the time of releasing their 93 Million Miles album. It’s a beautifully mixed and selected bunch of tracks. On paper it could sometimes seem like they are worlds apart. But in the context of the mix, they make perfect sense together. Drawing on Ghanaian Highlife, Chicago House, Dancehall and Grime and Footwork. It goes off!
Theo Parrish
It’s always exciting when Theo Parrish drops a new mix. But it’s extremely rare we get to see one on video. So it was great to see this new mix of his go up recently. Theo’s DJ sets are mystic; he can really take you on a journey. He’s a master of the vibes and he’s always going to give you those Chicago and Detroit sounds. Genres definitely don’t limit his selection. It’s emotive DJ’ing and story telling.
Around the time I started DJing, Kenny Dope dropped his 1998 ‘Hip-Hop Forever’ mix. That was also a big influence on me. I used to play it a lot. Which of course then led me into the world of Masters At Work. It was only a few years later that I was able to put two and two together and come to understand that a lot of the artists and DJs I liked, no matter what the sound, style or genre, were coming at things from a Hip Hop perspective. Though in their own way. To me the likes of Goldie, Dez Andres, Kenny Dope, Tony Touch, DJ Spinna, J-Rocc and DJ Markey could create and express themselves from the original, foundational essence of Hip-Hop. So, no matter what sound or style of music I’m playing, I’m playing it with the foundation and approach of being a Hip-Hop DJ.
Questlove
I really loved Questlove’s epic weekly mix sessions during the Lockdown era! Seems like a distant memory now, but his YouTube broadcasts are seared into my memory. It was just a wonderful deep dive through the aisles of a connoisseur’s musical memory. A passion and knowledge too vast to be classified by genre. The time permitted for regular deep dives through a plethora of sounds, styles, artistic celebrations and musical movements. Using DJ’ing as a tool of language, communication and upliftment.
Words by Alexander Nut
Follow Alexander Nut on Mixcloud and Instagram and check out his new EP Present Under Construction, out now.