TOM JENKINSON

I couldn't find a group that wanted to do what I wanted to do. No one was really up for it.

Doing something like that, quite radically changing your approach to sound in one go, could leave you high and dry. It's happened before where people have changed direction and then everyone's stopped liking their music.

The only way to find that territory is trying to keep your mind constantly open. That's the only way that you're ever going to see the sort of signs of where to go.

I'm always pleased with my work. Absolutely.

I don't know how many records I'm selling.

The main thing I'm into is going about on a bike, taking random routes; I'm really into the idea of making up journeys, and just seeing where they take you, because they always end up taking you someplace freaky.

I'm into music for all different sorts of purposes.

I've never really been that much of a fan of Ninja Tune.

I have a rough idea when I walk into a studio though.

I don't know that the best way to approach it is to try and keep up. When you're doing that, you're setting yourself into a one-dimensional sort of race basically.

The older ideas are rendering more and more bland music.

I'm starting to play all the melodies with kind of keyboard sound but playing it from the bass guitar.

I'd say that it's important for music to be there that gives you a challenge, that rearranges things in your head.

This current round of gigs, I'm just doing it using pure electronics.

There's a couple of tracks on the new record which is sort of using similar sort of rhythms as the drum and bass tracks but playing it all live. It's a new approach to it.

I like my stuff 'cause I only ever end up with tracks that I really, really like. It always appeals to me.

But I always communicate with the audience. I never pretend like I'm just in my bedroom making a track. The whole point of doing a gig is, like, a feedback thing between you and the audience.

But I don't really listen to much be-bop at all at the moment.

Yeah, my drum programming especially is based on my knowledge of playing a drum kit. For the bass too, definitely. It was the first thing that I translated any sort of ideas through. It must have shaped it somehow.

My history is really playing live - not writing or recording.

I'm not that interested in what people make of it, or how people consider me. That's nothing to do with me.

It's important for that to exist in a society that doesn't present you with any genuine problems.

I love traveling. I love just going about on my own, feeling I have no roots.

I was starting to feel really suffocated, using the sequencer.

I'm basically a musician.