Elastic-limbed Leeroy Thornhill first made his name as hyper-energetic dancer for The Prodigy’s live band, but it’s also a lesser-known fact that in the early days, he was the only other member of the crew other than Liam Howlett to play live keyboards in the outfit. Perhaps for this reason, it wasn’t a great surprise that in the wake of his departure from The Prodigy, Thornhill’s debut artist album ‘Beyond All Reasonable Doubt’ as Flightcrank emerged through UK imprint Copasetik Records in 2001, a debut offering that showed Thornhill fusing breakbeat and dubby elements, with even mixing input from dub legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry on one track.
While studio production might seem at first to be a newly-acquired skill for Thornhill, in reality he’s been experimenting in the studio for quite some time, even back to The Prodigy’s fledgling years. With Thornhill emerging from studio sessions on his upcoming ‘Miami Bass’ flavoured album project to play at the Big Day Out festivals right around Australia, ITM’s evilchris cornered him to ask about recently reuniting with The Prodigy as their opening DJ, working with Hyper and just what he’s keen to see at the Big Day Out (he is a veteran now after all and should probably be entitled to some kind of special pass). Just don’t tell the Lilypad crew he called them ‘old guys’...
ITM: When did you first start DJing? Was this something you’ve been interested in for a long time, but not necessarily as well-known for?
LT: I started when I was 17 with rare groove and hiphop. I’ve always been into music, but I never had time while I was in The Prodigy.
ITM: How did you first get into Miami Bass? I can certainly hear elements of Miami Bass in a lot of the Prodigy’s tracks, whilst you were still with them…
LT: I heard it the first time the Prodigy went to Miami – early nineties, but yes, there are elements of all music in The Prodigy’s music.
ITM: I understand that you’re currently working on your new artist album; how is it sounding so far? Any idea as to when it is expected to be released?
LT: It’s coming along – it’s dance music, DJ-style stuff, really. I am just taking my time until I am happy with everything and have tested it out in clubs before I release it, but I hope it will be out later this year.
ITM: You’ve also recently done remix work for The Prodigy (‘Hot Ride’) and Jungle Brothers, as well as production work with DJ Hyper. What sort of stuff have you been working on with Hyper, and how did you first make the jump to remixing / production?
LT: I have always had a dabble in the studio since The Prodigy started. I am still learning, but I have been really lucky to work with some cool people. I am doing some vocals for Hyper’s new album, it sounds pretty cool. His toons rock!
ITM: Is Flightcrank still an ongoing project for you? Is this new artist album a Flightcrank project, or something different entirely?
LT: No, Flightcrank has been put to bed. I did a load of gigs with my band which went really well, but it’s hard focussing on DJ/dance music and a rock band. At the moment, I am in the studio writing mostly electronic stuff.
ITM: You worked with Lee Perry during sessions for the first Flightcrank album; what was Perry like to work with? Any crazy stories?
LT: I didn’t get to meet the great man. I just passed him the parts for the mix. Shame – the guy is a legend.
ITM: You’ve certainly had a packed DJ schedule over the last couple of years, with an Ibiza residency as well as tours of Europe, Malaysia, Japan and Singapore. Is it hard to balance such a packed diary with production work?
LT: Sometimes it’s hard, but you are always hearing new music, so you quite often have an idea of what you want to achieve when you go in the studio. Nowadays, you have so many programs for the laptop as well…
ITM: I understand that you just reunited with the Prodigy boys as their official tour DJ – how did this go? It must have brought back a lot of old memories?
LT: We still see each other anyway, but it was a great laugh and a great buzz to see the show – and getting a different buzz from it. I am so into the new Prodigy album – it was great to see the guys transform it for the live show.
ITM: You’re touring around Australia as part of the Big Day Out festivals – anything you’re particularly looking forward to checking out while you’re here?
LT: Everything I can – that’s what’s so cool about the Big Day Out – with more than one day, you get a chance to see loads. You will find me at the Lilypad Stage – a bunch of old guys; it’s their tenth year, I hear…
ITM: What sorts of tracks can audiences expect to hear at your upcoming shows – what’s rocking your box right now?
LT: I like to play quite pumping beat-oriented stuff, but all sorts of sounds running behind the beat, it’s hard to say. I like to follow the crowd’s vibe – if they like it hard, I try to keep them happy, but if they like a bit of a journey I am into that too. As for what’s rockin’ my box…the one with the blue label…the one with the red label – sorry, I’m not too good with names! DJ Icey does it and I’ve got some great bootlegs – should be cool!
You can see Leeroy at one of his remaining Australian tour dates:
Tue 25th Jan – Candy’s Apartment, Sydney (BUY TICKETS)
Wed 26th Jan – Big Day Out, Sydney (SOLD OUT)
Thu 30th Jan – Big Day Out, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
