After her profile exploded in 2010 with the track What They Say, Coles has spent the last two years playing at some of the biggest clubs and festivals around the world. Her productions range from deep house to techno, through to dupstep and chillout – all with a skilful use of heavy bass – and it means that no one knows quite what to expect next.
“I listen to a lot of music from all genres,” she explains. “I always try to put my own slant on things. I never want to limit myself by putting down boundaries before I start a track. Usually I’ll just go for it and not have a genre or specific style planned out, and cliche as it sounds, it’s more about where my emotions naturally take me.”
Coles has just released her first EP in 12 months, Easier To Hide – the inaugural release on her own label, I Am Me. The title track is taken from her debut album which is scheduled for release in the first half of 2013.
All four of the tracks were written, produced, engineered and mixed by her own hand. On top of all those things she also designed the artwork for the EP! “I always produce, engineer, play and mix all my own productions and the artwork I enjoy doing too. There’s definitely less time to spare but I will always want my music to really be my music so I will always find the time.”
Just don’t single her out solely for being a woman in a male dominated industry. “I think it should definitely just be about the music,” she reflects. “I don’t want to be good for a girl at production. I just want to be judged as a producer on my music and that alone. I just hope as more women start producing and DJing it becomes less of a novelty and so the ‘woman DJ’ thing fades away.”
Coles was surrounded by music when she was growing up and her father even did the artwork for a Killing Joke album. That rich experience and her family’s encouragement has supported her chosen career. “I think they saw how determined I was to make it and how much time I spent working on production. I’m lucky to have super open-minded parents, and they totally understand what I do.”
The wide variety of genres and styles that Coles plays in her DJ sets have been one factor in her popularity. “I’m really happy that so many people seem to like my music. My influences are very diverse and I like making lots of different types of music and playing out tracks that don’t just come from one place.
“So I guess that in itself gives more entry points into my music than if I just made one niche sound. My sound will definitely always evolve, I never want to just stay in one place.”
That evolution will be encapsulated in Coles’ biggest statement yet. “My album lands in March time and that will be the biggest reflection of my work so 2013 is going to be a really special time for me. I’m really happy with it so it’ll be great to have it finally out there and see what everyone else thinks about it.”
Coles’ other projects have seen her work across a range of genres. Nocturnal Sunshine, her other solo name, is focused more on dubstep. “I’ve been focusing on my album recently but there will be more Nocturnal Sunshine releases in the future for sure and then eventually an album for that too.”
Her duo with Lena Cullen, She Is Danger, has been quiet due to her other commitments. “Lena and I haven’t been in the studio for some time as we’re both focusing on solo projects.” Apparently that one hasn’t been put to bed yet though. “You’ll just have to wait and see,” she says mischievously. “I toured quite a lot in 2012 and it took me out of the studio more than I would have wanted. Production is my first love so I will never get enough of it. It has been tough trying to keep a steady balance to both. Sometimes I wish there was two of me!”
For now, she is excited about touring Australia. “I’ve heard that the crowds give a lot back to the DJ and that of course that always helps to raise your game when you’re playing!”
BY SIMON HAMPSON
