Hello Bradley, thank you for taking the time to speak with us we're thrilled to have you back in Beirut.

Majd Al Alam: Your DJ sets can never truly be defined by one sound but they are quite wordly. It seems that wherever you go, you tend to dig a little deeper into the culture and make it your own. Tell us what drives you to do so?

Bradley Zero: One of the most exciting things about travelling for me is to get to know the musical scene and history of the region I’m playing in. Some places I go, I’m well connected to the current scene and can play music by people who might be in the crowd. Some cities I play in might have a particular historical connection to the culture; for example last time I was in Sheffield I got to play a mix of 80’s electro and early Warp bleep techno records in a sort of ode to the City. When I get to go to countries whose musical DNA is far removed from that of my own UK /US / Caribbean foundations, discovering new artists and genres is always inspiring - whether it’s from digging in record stores and markets or exchanging new music with locals. These discoveries might not always work in the club, but will always find a way into my radio shows. Playing recently in Marrakesh, it was great fun to include north African music that could fit in with a more dance-floor focussed approach. You have to dig a little deeper to avoid accidentally playing something that would make half the crowd cringe, but i think this approach widens the palette and makes for more interesting, site specific DJ sets rather than a one size fits all approach. It does go wrong every now and again. I thought I could impress some Australians by playing a rare extended Hi NRG remix of Kylie Minogue. Didn’t go down so well.

MA: Let’s talk about Peckham. It seems that however we look at it, Peckham always works its way back into everything you’re involved with. And although most of the artists on Rhythm Section aren’t from there, they also seem to have a certain unspoken love about the place (Al Dobson Jr.’s Rye Lane Volume I, II and III, Henry Wu’s Good Morning Peckham and Chaos in the CBD’s Midnight in Peckham…). What is it about Peckham that has drawn you all towards it?

BZ: Well, Myself, Al Dobson, Henry and The chaos in the CBD boys all live or lived in Peckham, which is still my home and the core of all our activities as a label and party, So it’s not a coincidence or a plan - It’s just a bunch of people trying to make sense of their surroundings.

MA: Rhythm Section has skyrocketed in the past few years, giving it worldwide recognition and being supported by the likes of Giles Peterson. Tell us a little about the early days and how it all came together.

BZ: Rhythm Section was founded as a radio show in 2009 - initially as an outlet to share music I'd discovered. Sharing was always at the heart of the operation. This need to discover and share musical vibrations manifested itself as a continually growing record collection which then required a platform for these records to be heard. That gave birth to the dance which began in 2012, shortly followed by the regular NTS show. These things led to a lot of new music coming my way which necessitated a platform on which to release the music - so the label was born! Since then, the whole operation has grown really organically - from a devoted local gathering to a continent spanning collective whose influence is felt from Mumbai to Melbourne, and has made it possible for me and the ever growing collective to take the message farther and farther afield. I couldn't have dreamt that the act of sharing music we believe in could have taken us this far, and there was never really a long term plan. I take each day as it comes and pinch myself every now and again just to check it’s all real.

MA: Rhythm Section has been responsible for pushing some great artists in the forefront (Henry Wu, Al Dobson Jr., Chaos in the CBD, Neue Grafik and 30/70, etc..). A while ago, you released the first of your sample pack series. Is this your own way of encouraging new faces to the label?

BZ: Yes! in 2017 we finally got our own office and studio space, headed up by Rhythm Section team member Z Lovecraft. We started this space to act as an incubator for future talent, not necessarily for artists who’ll release with us, but anyone who needs space to grow and experiment. We thought the sample pack would be a great way to spread the word about our studio to potential up and coming artists whilst also giving them the raw materials needed to get going with production. The response was astounding and it was actually one of the most popular releases we’ve done recently. The plan is to open up the series to other artists on our label and within our extended network in future

MA: Although I personally would rock any RS record on the dancefloor, the label is not really viewed as your typical dancefloor go-to sound. Is this the reason behind opening your sublabel International Black?

BZ: Yeh, although there’s not really a single sound that defines the label - it’s definitely not known as a label that produces functional club tracks. I think most Rhythm Section releases have a narrative and can be enjoyed at home as much as experienced in a club situation. We didn’t want to change our approach too wildly - but at the same time we all enjoy and play a lot of functional club music in sets. It felt right to strip things back and create a new home for these sounds - free from a narrative, untainted by expectations and personality.

MA: You’ve been known for hosting some of the most intimate parties in London all while helping shape Boiler Room from its early days into the vastly popular platform it is today. How do you balance these dualities.

BZ: The early days of Boiler Room where such an exciting time. We where, essentially 5 young kids left in charge of steering this mighty ship into unknown waters. There were no commercial constraints at the time and we essentially had carte blanche to do what we wanted. we could follow our passions and curiosities and had this huge platform to allow us to make them come true. It was indeed quite the contrast to be hosting Boiler Room and growing Rhythm Section at the same time. On one hand I was all over the internet, hosting a live show on youtube which was broadcast to an unlimited number of people worldwide. We were taking advantage of the new wave of social media; in-fact being at the very vanguard of it. On the other hand, I was hosting a locals only, underground vinyl jam in a Pool hall in the suburbs of London, with a No-photos rule and a distinct lack of ‘ headliners’. It was about showcasing the locals and forging links with parallel scenes across the globe. In hindsight, I think these things balanced each other and kept me relatively grounded - I got my fix of big names and inspiration from the grand masters of dance music at boiler room, whilst having the time to develop my own community and provide a very intimate experience which was in many ways, an antidote to the madness of the online scene. My passion always comes back to discovering and sharing - so long term I knew I was far more interested in creating a platform for up and coming musicians rather than just being known for hosting established ones. This is echoed through the label, the radio shows and the parties ( with the occasional exception :) ) The trick now, is to nurture the continued growth of our artists, label and events whilst keeping true to our core mission of breaking new ground. Here’s where the experience from the Boiler room glory days really kicks in! If our plans for 2019 are anything to go by, we’re about to break a whole lot of new acts whilst building on our past successes - It’s set to be a vintage year.