We stop in with Jim Rivers, rising British DJ and newly minted to the Global Underground family for the next NuBreed compilation. A big deal considering it has been 7 years since the last release, and the series is known for launching careers for Sander Kleinenberg, Danny Howells, Steve Lawler, Lee Burridge, Anthony Pappa and Satoshi Tomiie.

Jim, Tell us about NuBreed 007,  what was your goal?

“It’s the same format as the original NuBreed, it’s a double disc compilation — so I wanted to try and cover as much as possible what I’m all about — this is the first compilation I’ve ever done, so some people will know my music a lot of people won’t, so that’s quite a challenge.  I guess the first disc covers some of the deeper, even jazzier edgier stuff.  I play stuff with a bit of a vocal, with a real groove, bumps and is quite melodic.

The second disc goes up a gear, main room vibe going from deep house to techno and everything in between. That’s what I play in a set, and I try to represent that in the CD.”

How do you adapt to such a variety of styles?

“I guess it depends on the party and the guy going before you and how long you’ve got.  In an ideal world I would like 3-4 hours, to set the tone really from the first record and sort of take up take it down throw in something that is a little different, play techno track take down again. You know there is so much music these days that I’m in to… it’s a challenge to try and incorporate it and represent it. At the same time a lot of people would say, aw Jim he is a progressive house guy, but for me I find that a little bit frustrating. I feel like there is quite a bit more to what I do, you know that part, but there’s more as well.”

Are you trying to break out of the progressive house mold like others in recent years…?

“I don’t know, a lot of people have tried to escape, I’m not trying to escape from it but I mean if you look at records that I released at the end of this year I did a record on Bedrock I did a record on Mouseville and  I did a record on 4:20 – so that is two ends of the spectrum and that something I intend to keep doing I love writing deep house and writing big groove records as well so that is not going to change, I don’t think.”

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

“Oh man I don’t really know, I like the groovy stuff that is coming through at the moment, kind of the tribally edge stuff -  I’ve always been on the techier side of things, you know I’m not someone who is going to jump on techno bandwagon but that influence has always been there for me.  I don’t really have set sound I’m going to write this style of music or that.”

What’s your next project?

“I’m currently working on an EP for Tronic – Christian Smith’s label he has really  brought back again so there is a variety of stuff I’m going to do, and more on 4:20 and there are other labels that I’d like to get on.  So I think a variety of music will be there, definitely some more housey stuff.”

What’s happening with your label, Misfit Records?

“It has kinda been a bit of a smaller affair.  I put a few tunes out myself, but at the moment it’s really going to be a platform for totally unheard of guys who have sent me records that are really good.  Its a platform to give them a little bit of a foot up in the industry  – giving an opportunity to listen to your record give you some feedback and saying “do you know what, we believe in what you’re doing we think you’ve got something, we’d like to work with you” – I know how that felt for me and the Misfit thing is  going to be about that you know, I think its really important to do that.”

Where are you finding producer talent for Misfit?

“I get sent so many records.  I’m no superstar, but even at my level you get drowned with music 80% of it is awful, but you still find these nuggets of producers who have invested and worked away in their bedrooms and they are writing really really good music. Often it’s not stuff that is heavily influenced by everything else they’re hearing  it’s stuff  they want to write.

You hear those tracks, they are the guys that you need to bring through, that could be the next Sasha or the next Josh Wink so I’m really into trying to invest in people that are passionate about what they do.  Someone gave me a chance giving someone else a chance is a very satisfying thing.”

Are there any hot producers that we should look for?

“Yeah definitely!  I mean there is a guy, I’ve not signed this guy, his name is Tom Budden based out of South Hampton England he is a friend of James Zabiela he is writing some fantastic kind of techy-housey records.  Really talented guy, good DJ as well, he is playing here in Miami with James and Nick at their party.

What else there, there is a couple of guys from Costa Rica who sent me about as bunch of tunes but again they’re just guys who sent me their music, and I got back to them and we got a little thing going and I used one of their tracks on the album so there is an endless supply of new guys who are trying to push their music – I guess trying to find the ones that you feel can not just go once but can keep providing a quality flow of music it’s just too many, too many to mention.”

When does the NuBreed tour start? What are you looking forward to the most?

“It’s already started really, I mean it is not like I’m going to be away for 3 months, it’s a “I’m everywhere in the next three months.” –  I’ve already played in Lebanon for it which was really really good.  Obviously we have a party tonight here in Miami, this weekend I’m in Mexico and Costa Rica then I’m coming back to the States in June and doing east coast and west coast and Australia,  Japan again and also in eastern Europe … so it is worldwide, it is great man its great.”

Do you have any memorable moments anything that stands out, best or worst?

“Yeah I’ve had some fantastic gigs.  For the first time I was in South America last year and I played Pacha in Buenos Aries and the crowd there was just, there were 3,000 people there we got to the club at about, I can’t remember what time like maybe 1:00 or something I wasn’t playing much much later. It took us ten minutes to get across the dance floor. We were like what is going on the whole crowd I played till like 8 in the morning! The whole crowd was there till the end. We had to hide so that they would leave it was just fantastic.

Then there were gigs like new years eve two years ago, I was in Greece in Athens playing at winery, a place that produces wine, and I turn up and there were families  in tuxedos and people smashing plates … it was awful especially when you are kind of climbing the latter a bit you get these really great gigs and then you get these awful gigs so you know, but at the end of the day I’m doing something I love and I feel very privileged to be doing it.”

Thanks Jim!

More about Jim Rivers

http://www.jimrivers.co.uk

http://www.globalunderground.co.uk/jimrivers/

http://www.globalunderground.co.uk/

NuBreeed 007:  Jim Rivers - in stores March 30th, 2009

Tracklist
CD1
01. Joash – Bubblegum Strings
02. Mike Monday – Stargirl
03. Florian Kruse – The Miracle (Dave DK ‘Magic’ Mix)
04. Burnski – Packing My Bags
05. Ilija Rudman – Ocean Colour
06. Didier Sinclair – Devotion
07. Will Saul & Tam Cooper – Through The Smoke
08. Luomo – Tessio (Stimming Mix)
09. Jim Rivers – By Any Means
10. The Viewers – Streethorn (Ben Watt ‘Buzzin Fly’ Edit)
11. Scope – Strung Out 2009
12. Lemon Popsicle – Zavoaie
13. 2’s Company – Drop Bass Kick
14. Beanfield Feat Bajka – Tides (Ripperton Mix)
15. Rockers Hi-Fi – Push Push (Rainer Weichhold Mix)
16. Jim Rivers – Forget About It
17. Tom Budden – The Tree Dance
18. Jim Rivers – Vibrant

CD2
01. Unkle – Heaven (King Unique Mix)
02. Kabuto & Koji – Drunken Slumber
03. DJ Yellow presents Mindz Kontrol Ultra – Space Soon To Vanish
04. Nobuo Ittetsu – Flow
05. Aril Brikha – Deeparture In Time
06. 16 Bit Lolitas presents Glowfield – Moiemaker
07. Plasmik Honey – Da Jungle
08. Itamar Sagi – One Million Oaks
09. Christopher Manik – Take It Back
10. Bradler & Dualton – Glow (Erphun Mix)
11. Nick Muir – 100’s & 1000’s
12. Guy J – Lamur
13. Claes Rosén – Captivating
14. Clinton Brown & Miltos – Pesticide
15. Jim Rivers – Stone
16. Andre Kraml – Safari (James Holden Mix)
17. Avilo – Rubicon
18. Tarrentella – Karma (Fiord Mix)
19. Paul Woolford – Heirbas

Global Underground Nubreed 007: Jim Rivers -  March 30th, 2009.