AIL Talks to Groove Assassin

We talk to Groove Assassin about clubbing in London, career highlights and how it all began in a Sheffield amusement arcade…
AIL Talks to Groove Assassin picture

Groove Assassin AKA Nick Moss has been DJing and producing for close to twenty years. His career has seen him take to the decks in Miami, London, Bali, New York and Ibiza. We caught up with him in promotion of new mix album, Groove Odyssey Sessions Vol 1.


What can party people expect from a Groove Assassin, Groove Odyssey set - the styles and sounds?

I'll probably keep it nice and bumpy with a few vocals thrown in with a mixture of some new tracks and some classics with one or two special edits I've been working on to keep the vibe bouncing and set the mood.


Do you have any secret weapons you can share with us?

I've just finished working on two new remixes for Groove Odyssey. I’ve always got a few exclusive edits to road test but I like to keep those under wraps until the night as they're secret weapons :)


Can you tell us about the Groove Odyssey LP and your mix on it? Also what's new in terms of productions, remixes, projects etc?

I'm very honoured to be involved closely with Groove Odyssey and extremely excited to be getting to mix the compilation. There's a whole host of brand new material on there from the likes of Louie Vega, Mr V, Barbara Tucker, Michelle Weeks, Sarah Divine, Leroy Burgess, Bobby and Steve, Sean Mccabe, Matt Early, Pauline Henry, Bizzi, Lifford and myself plus many more.

I've just finished two new remixes for Groove Odyssey - Bobby & Steve & Michael Hughes ft Wyen Solo's 'Smile' and ' No Strings'.


How does playing in London, especially at Groove Odyssey and Ministry Of Sound, compare to other cities or countries, and do you count London as one of your favourite spots?

I've actually only played at Minsitry of Sound once before, alongside Osunlade, so I'm really looking forward to getting back there - the venue and system is incredible. Compared to other countries and cities I'd say MOS is probably the most recognised club in the world - it really doesn't get much better. London has always been a fave of mine and it's great to catch up with friends I don't get to see every weekend and MOS seems to have the perfect blend of locals and tourists to help create that special atmosphere.


How does it feel to have been working in House music for the last 20 years and what are your proudest moments/memories?

I've seen a lot of changes in the scene over the years - some good, some bad - and clubbers are a lot more clued up nowadays and know exactly what they wanna hear. There are so many more styles/sub genres of house these days, when I started there was just one sound.

I'm very grateful to still be part of it and I've travelled the world, played at some of the best clubs and have been blessed to produce records & remixes for some of the best labels in the world.

A few special moments from a DJ point of view include getting to play alongside my all-time favourite production duo, Masters at Work for Groove Odyssey, spinning at clubs like Pacha, Space, Amnesia and Cafe del Mar in Ibiza and Cielo (NYC); spinning at an open air party for 4,000 people in Jakarta, Indonesia alongside Stephanie Cooke; playing eclectic sets at Kudeta, Bali; touring all over Australia and getting the chance to DJ at some incredible locations around the world and meeting some great people along the way who've now become close friends.

From a production point of view, having my productions played by the likes of Masters At Work, Larry Heard, Tony Humphries, Kerri Chandler and Roger S is massive - I was buying their records as a teenager and still am now! To receive recognition from them in the way of playing my productions makes all the hard work worthwhile!


How do you manage to keep it fresh and new? Is it a case of pressure as a DJ/Producer to always be one step ahead in the house/techno scene?

I think it's essential today to keep one step ahead and it's great that there's so much music out there that's easily accessible through many different download sites. Obviously the quality is not so controlled but it makes it all the more fun searching and digging out tracks, and it's always nice to have that so-called ' secret weapon ' that not too many people have picked up on. I'm still buying a lot of vinyl, be it new stuff or collecting old bits I missed from Discogs etc. It's essential if you wanna be that one step ahead. There's a lot of stuff that never sees the light of day on a digi release.

I love many styles of music and hate being pigeon-holed and I’d like to think that people can hear from my mixes & productions that I'm not just laying down one particular type of sound and that I take inspirations from many different styles. It's all about keeping it fresh - don't be scared to throw something in that other DJ's wouldn't - that’s what makes you standout above the rest.


You grew up in Sheffield. How much of an influence did that have on your path towards music? Were there any other major influences such as key people, DJ's, producers or clubs etc?

Sheffield's had a major influence on me musically. I grew up listening to pirate radio stations, and one in particular called SCR, which played a variety of different sounds from house to reggae and beyond. I also spent a lot of time hanging around at the local amusement arcade. I was addicted to video games and the arcade was a real street level culture and was the perfect place to pick up knowledge and learn about underground music. It was really a melting pot for DJ's, graffiti artists, break-dance crews and nerdy computer geeks and there were people selling and passing around mixtapes from early electro to hip-hop, early house, disco, funk, jazz-funk etc.

Local DJ, Raw also worked in the arcade and was part of a local break-dance crew, Street Crew, and they travelled around Europe breaking. His knowledge of disco, funk, jazz-funk, electro break-dance and house was second to none and his mixtures were legendary in Sheffield on the underground scene. I spent many years hanging with him, soaking up his knowledge and learning and later we started producing together and had a few releases on Glasgow Underground, Black Vinyl. He was and still is a major influence on my musical path.

Since 2001 I've been flying the flag solo as Groove Assassin but back in the day it was Groove Assassin(s) with a couple of different people. Club wise places like Hacienda and Hard Times were really the only places I was going to and they were the pick of the bunch really up North.


Finish the sentence. A good set starts with…

A beer?


And ends with….

A sambuca?


Haha. And what track should we be listening to as we head out the door this weekend?

'Smile' Groove Assassin Slam Dub by Bobby & Steve and Michael Hughes ft Wyen Solo on Groove Odyssey.


Groove Assassin mixes the debut 'Groove Odyssey Sessions Vol 1' Album. All info on the album can be found at www.grooveodyssey.com

Published Mar 28, 2013