On Tick & his Big Bad and Heavy Dubstep

On Tick will join us at Phanganist to bring us some Dubstep beats this Friday 4th of August, we catch up with him before the party...

What is your Koh Phangan story?
It’s a quite a weird story, firstly I was just traveling, I was 28 and met some people who lived here. I came back again in 2010 and lived here for a year, I partied hard and so thought I’d never come back.

I’ve been away from the island for 7 years and actually I’ve been in rehab. I spent time living between India, London and Sweden and got in a bit of trouble in London so was offered a 6 month spot in Buddhist rehab in Thailand. I spent 3 months at a place just outside Bangkok then 3 months in the Golden triangle which is very ironic ha-ha. Once I had finished rehab a close friend on the island asked if I wanted to live with them on Koh Phangan, I thought ‘fuck it’ and came back and here I am!

Why the name ‘On Tick’?
‘On tick’ is slang in England for getting something on credit and paying later. When we had our soundsystem years ago we had the basics but would need to borrow speakers, amps and records and pay afterwards. It’s just ‘blaggin’ it’ and nothing’s changed.

You say you have just got back into Djing, so when did you first start?
I was the annoying kid in the record shop and would steal the big flyers off the wall when I was 13 and see famous djs in their too and they were my heroes back then. I had a car crash in London, got given money and bought some decks when I was 16.

What made you want to mix?
Just growing up listening to jungle all the time, I was 12 or 13, a young kid seeing all these people in record shops and I used to skate a lot and one of my neighbours had decks in their windows and would mix whilst we were skating on the street.

What music do you predominantly play and why?
Firstly Jungle and Drum n Bass, but as I’m getting older I like Dubstep, a bit more slowed down, but old Dubstep. I listen to a lot of Dub, Reggae and Punk also.

You'll play friday at Phanganist, what kind of vibe will you go for?
It’s gonna be quite dark and heavy, big, bad and heavy.

Do you like the Phangan party scene?
I think I do, I enjoy the parties on the bays and some up on the East coast more, the more chilled vibe.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?
I am staying here till December, then I’ll spend one month in Europe with family and just enjoy the island.

And leave us with your music philosophy....
Again, Big, Bad and Heavy.