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What got you hooked on dance music?

Judge Jules and Carl Cox got me into it. I used to listen to Jules every Friday and Saturday night. I loved all the melodic stuff and from then on I was hooked!

Were you a clubber or a secret bedroom lover of the music?

I was both really - bedroom lover to start with because I was too young to go clubbing. Then, when I eventually got a decent fake id and was let into clubs I would go most weekends.

When did the passion turn serious?

It was when I moved to London when I was 17. I came just to get into music and slacked off doing any more education so it was a case of it will work, not it has to work.

Do you remember your first professional dj gig?

Yeah, it was Serious at the Cross 5 years ago. I was so nervous I nearly didn’t play. But after a few drinks it was ok (or at least I hope it was).

You regularly play the likes of Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Slinky and Inside Out. Where can we catch you over the next few months?

I haven’t been in the UK that much recently. But over the forthcoming weeks I have Gatecrasher Summer Sound System – which I can’t wait for. I am off to Hong Kong, Poland, Ireland, Inside Out and Ministry of Sound.

For more details check out www.myspace.com/simonpatterson and www.simon-patterson.com.

You also became involved in production as a solo artist and as one half of the massive Dogzilla (with Richard Kayvan). How did this come about?

I don’t dj as Dogzilla and I don’t want to be known as Dogzilla so it was important to have my own identity and separate myself away from that sound. So, 3 years ago I made F16 and from there I just developed my own vibe. I will still do the Dogzilla stuff but it is hard getting in with Richie Kayvan because we are both busy doing our own thing.

Who are your biggest influences?

I love what Signum do. Their grooves are always right up-my-street. I love all the psy stuff too so I take influences from all genres really. I take bits and pieces from everyone I like and try to combine into one.

You have had great success with your solo productions. Tell us about your latest – Smack.

Well, Smack was the follow up to Bulldozer so it is really flowing on from that. I spent a long time on it and couldn’t decide what to do with it. But I am glad I did because it has sold more than Bulldozer did in one week and Bulldozer sold a lot of copies! And to be number 1 on every download site is incredible. I am very proud because not many artists have done that.

Any chance of a debut artist album?

I spend too long on tracks to do one at the moment. I get caught up in trying to perfect elements of my music which means it would take about 5 years for me to finish an artist album. Haha! One day I definitely will, just can’t see it happening right now…..but who knows?

What do you think of the so-called “nu-school trance explosion”?

I think it is good that trance is making a comeback. All over the world it is massive so it will never go away. There are so many talented people making it now that it is hard to ignore all these great tracks. So it had to come back in some sort of way. Long may it continue!