Andy C is a name synonymous with drum & bass. At the tender age of 15, Andy along with Ant Miles released Valley of the Shadows under their Origin Unknown alias, a track that would blast the young DJ to the forefront of the dance scene and be a classic tune for generations to come.

Not one to sit back, Andy also set up Ram Records, a label that this year not only celebrates its 18th birthday, but has also released Andy’s Nightlife 5 album, the latest installment of the one of the most successful series in drum & bass history.

Making his way to Australia for New Years celebrations, inthemix’s Tom Griffin chats to Andy C about his new album, an addiction to mixing and surviving on three hours sleep a night.

Looks like you just finished up a gig over the weekend in Birmingham. How was the night?
Yeah, it was fantastic. We did a Ram Records night up in Birmingham and it was really good. And now just getting ready for Prague, man. We’re really busy; always a crazy this time of year.

And you’ve just finished off your new album Nightlife 5. How does it feel?
It feels fantastic. We had the idea at the start of the year, with the process starting in the summer and it just seemed to go on and on and on. There’s always new tracks being made you know? People send you new material constantly and you always want to make it as upfront as possible.

So right up until the last night that I was mixing it we were signing in new tunes. So yeah, was good to get it done, man. I had Red One knocking down my door in the morning when it was being mastered, you know. So all great!

And so you’re coming down to Australia for New Years and touring your new Nightlife album. What can we expect from your set?
Yeah, basically will be bringing over the freshest dubs, the brand new D&B music from all the crew and just intend to have a party. The good thing about the Aussie crowd is that their just up for it wherever you go.

We’re over in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. It’s just going to be great, man. It’s such a great way to start the year. Myself and GQ come over and just feel the vibes and energy, you know? Everyone’s just so positive. No matter what’s going down, everyone’s just always up for the party.

Ram Records is 18 years old this year. That’s an incredible time period; how does it feel to have reached this milestone?
It’s amazing man, 18 years has just flown by. You don’t know where to begin. There are just so many memories, so many good times and so many people who have been involved in the longevity and keeping the whole show going for 18 years. And what’s cool is that we are at a really good place after 18 years. With the amount of fresh talent we’ve got on board, it just feels like there’s another 18, no problem.

When Ram started, it wasn’t a serious concern, but then over time it morphed into what it is now. I love the fact that we’ve never lost the focus and we’ve always been working at it. The label’s like the backbone of everything so I’m well proud if it.

And when you look back to the early days, especially around the release of Valley of the Shadows, what are you memories of those days, do you remember them with fondness?
Yeah, I remember them with fondness – the innocence of it all, the naivety of it all, the discovery. I mean Valley of the Shadows was a tune that happened by accident, just myself and Ant in the studio having the best time ever. The tune wrote itself. We were just dancing around man; we were literally having a party. The tune wrote itself in four or five hours, it was just that beautiful freedom you know?

Because we hadn’t made a tune like that before, it was fresh and at that time we didn’t have a sense of definitive direction musically. And it gave us that. The whole thing about being around the scene in those days, it was really about the discovery and excitement of it all. And you kind of lose that as the years go by. So I definitely remember those years with fondness.