Are you excited about Friday’s switch? What does it involve and what are going to be the highlights in your view?

I’m really excited and the highlight for me has been studying all my hip hop records the last few weeks in order to work out my dream hip hop set. I guess everyone should expect a fun set made from the best classic hip hop, disco and funk tracks history has to offer.

How do you feel about going back to your “roots” and playing hip hop? What are some of your all-time favourite hip hop tracks? Will we be hearing them?

It’s a challenge to play a different type of music again as the vibe and energy between hip hop set and a house set are very different. A hip hop set is more of a constant groove on the dance floor whereas my house sets have highs points and low points in terms of energy. Some of my all time hip hop tracks that I’ll definitely spinning will be Lyrics Born “Hello”, Jurassic Five’s “Universal Rebolution”, The Alkaholiks “Damn”, KRS1 “Sound Of The Police”, Katalyst “Uprock This”.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of all music, but I feel that hip hop is under-represented in “real” clubs. Bar underground hip-hop events, the style generally seems to be equated to pop. How do you feel about this issue?

I think people should be open minded about everything, so Friday may be beneficial for people to give a different type of music a try – hopefully they may actually like it!

YU is a great venue for the punters, but what about for the DJ? How is the vibe on a Friday for Ear Candy at YU?

Yu is the easiest and best place to DJ around. The sound system is very warm and bass heavy, the crowd are friendly and open to the music I play and that DJ box is great for looking after your friends when they come visit. A good night for the DJ is all about the crowd – a large, vocal and energetic crowd equals a great night!

Which venue anywhere in the world would you like to play at most?

I guess the Terrace at Space in Ibiza is the most revered venue to play in the world and looks pretty ideal to me. Outside, warm and in Spain… What more could you want! There is a certain mystique to playing there, like playing centre court at Wimbledon, and it would certainly be an honour to play there just once.

I understand that you actually began your career in hip hop, and that hip hop is still a major influence on the tunes you play? Is it easy to combine the love of house and hip hop?

It’s not easy but it can be done. There aren’t many house tracks with rapping or hip hop sounds. However using accapellas of hip hop tracks and a computer I’ve been making a few bootlegs that satisfy both musical loves.

As well as hip hop, what are the other influences on what you play? I remember when you played Song Two – by Blur at Kink, this was absolutely awesome!

After hip hop, rock is a close second. If anyone has any good Led Zepplin house bootlegs, please give me a call!

Congratulations for your placement in the inthemix50 at number 13, how does that feel and where do you think you’ll go from here?

It is a huge honour to be anywhere on the ITM list and it really does make you feel good as quite honestly, I had no idea if I’d even be there this year. That clubbers vote in this poll, and it is the greatest honour as their opinions are the one’s that matter the most to me. From here on I just hope to keep playing the music I love in great clubs, all that voting stuff is purely in the punters hands.

What else do you do with yourself other than your two jobs, and DJing? Is there a better half to Shamus?

I am just as crazy about movies as I am about music. I used to work on feature films and have made a couple of Tropfest shorts as well. There is a better half to Shamus and she’s a movie nut too, so if we’re not working we’re probably watching some crazy French film before eating beautiful dinner. Food is my other love.

It’s nice to be able to chat to the DJ before or after the set. Do you agree that it is important?

Before I played records, I remember talking to the DJ and having them respectfully speak to you or listen to your requests as being a good feeling. Once I started to DJ I remembered this and tried to emulate it myself. Being polite to the crowd, who are effectively my boss, just makes good sense to me as without the crowd I am unemployed. I believe it’s important but that’s just me…

You have recently be getting into music production as well as playing it. Are you enjoying this part of the music industry, and where do you see yourself taking it?

Making music is very rewarding as the buzz you get from playing your own record beats any other tune by a long way. My aim is to make and release as many good tunes as I can whilst working with all the amazing musicians we have in this city.

Has there, in your mind, been a highlight in you DJing career?

The night I played after Sandy Rivera at Zen, now Candy’s apartment. He’d just written “Finally” which will always remain one of my favourite all time songs, so DJing after him was a huge honour. However what made the night so special was than once he finished and I started, he stuck around listening to my whole set and dancing with my friends. As an encore at 6am I played Guitarra G’s “Banda Sonora” and I dropped the accapella of “Finally” over the breakdown as Sandy and I were stood side by side, singing the words to the crowd. Perfection…

Ear Candy’s Switcheroo takes place this Friday, July 16, at YU. DJs playing hip-hop in the mainroom are Shamus, James Taylor, Samrai and Will Styles, while Mark Dynamix and Andrew James will funk it up with house in the side room.