Having already inducted Sydney hero Simon Caldwell and the ever-present techno legend Jeff Mills into ITM’s Honour Roll series, we turn now to another similarly offbeat dance figure, Wesley Pentz, better known under his DJ and production moniker of Diplo.

Seemingly a poster boy for diversity in dance music, Diplo has done a bit of everything. From producing (former?) indie stars like M.I.A. and Santigold to working with big leaguers like Tiesto and even Christina Aguilera, not to mention beating the drum for baile funk and dubstep early on and letting loose records from Rusko, Blaqstarr and the Major Lazer project co-created with Switch on his Mad Decent label, Diplo’s activity over the last decade can only be described as prolific.

What’s more Diplo continues to excite in the flesh, regularly visiting Australia on his own – his dropping of TISM in the Boiler Room a few years back was inspired – and recently under the Major Lazer banner. He’ll be bringing that show back to Australia as a part of the Stereosonic festival, and ahead of his arrival inthemix secured the enigmatic producer for a number of conversations about his evolution, his detractors and what motivates him to keep going and creating.

2010 has been particularly busy for you, can you take us through the number of projects you’ve undertaken this year?

“The summer was so busy and so productive for me, I produced a lot records for a lot people like Die Antwoord, I did a lot touring for Major Lazer, I put out a bunch of new artists on Mad Decent and I even did an advertising campaign for Blackberry. All of that stuff is just starting to come out now and I can sit back and ride that while making a whole bunch of new shit. That’s the most important thing for me.”

What is it about producing stuff for other people that really appeals to you?

“I love working on other peoples’ records because it’s cool to watch it develop from the time I’m in the studio to when it’s out there and they have to go and promote it themselves. It’s like planting trees, you know? I did this record for Bruno Mars when he was starting out, and now that guy is blowing up and he’s putting out that record and it’s this big deal that we did it together.”

Even there you’ve already mentioned both Die Antwoord and someone like Bruno Mars that you’ve worked with. What draws to working with so many different acts?

“If anybody calls me to work with them, I’ll fucking work with them. If I don’t like it then I won’t do it, but I’m not going to shut myself off from that opportunity because some kid on the internet doesn’t think that’s cool. I did this Tiesto record, a Lil Jon record, a Snoop Dogg track and then the record for Rolo Tomassi all in the one month almost. I can do a punk album, a pop record and a dance track and I just don’t give a fuck, you know? A lot of people don’t like me because I can make a dubstep record and then make a pop record and I dissed the M.I.A. record, but I just do whatever I fuckin’ want. If people don’t like it I don’t give a fuck. All that matters in the end is that I get people talking. Some people like what I do and some people don’t, but I don’t really care.”

MAJOR MOMENT: Bursting forth to indie/dance infamy with the ‘Piracy Funds Terrorism’ mixtape, Diplo and then girlfriend M.I.A. reveled in a collection of hijacked beats, twisted together with an array of mutant beats from the producer to become a warning shot of what the pair would go on to create together.