For those who don’t know you, can you introduce yourself and give us a little intro into Melvo Baptiste?

Sure, I’m a DJ, Producer, Radio Presenter and an A&R guy. It sounds like a lot but they all pretty much feed each other.

Who have been the biggest musical influences for you to date? 

I guess this has changed as I’ve grown up, as a kid I was drowned in soul, funk & disco from my dad, he was a dancer on the London scene. My uncle, Norman Jay MBE (*pictured below) was also a huge influence, he is a respected taste maker with a diverse taste in music, he introduced me to so much music and helped to mature my ears. 

What can you tell us about the music industry. Is it as cool as we all think it is?

YES! Ha. It’s incredibly fast moving and your own taste/judgement is always there to be scrutinised, you certainly need thick skin to last. That being said, if music is your life, it’s incredibly rewarding and you get to talk music all day long with likeminded people!

You are signed to Defected Records and are a key part of Glitterbox which is huge – can you give us some insight into what it’s like to be standing behind the decks in front of thousands of people?

It’s a rush, time no longer becomes a thing, you are almost in a meditative state, where all of your focus is on one task. For me, it’s important to get into my flow quickly, then I can control the energy of the room. If a DJ tells you they’re not nervous, then they are either lying or have lost the love for it. Before I play a set, I plan so many different scenarios in my head, therefore being ready for whichever mood the crowd are in. 

You were set to play under Armand Van Helden for We Are Festival. What can you tell us about him and what’s it like to play at an event that big?

Ok so that particular festival was suppose to happen back in May, I always find the first bank holidays of the year are the wildest. Armand is such a top guy, he has so many hit records and is a dope DJ as well.

What can you tell us about the music you play and do you have a typical set?

I don’t feel like you can ever plan a set, you need to see how the DJ before you is playing and how the crowd is responding, then find a route out of that. It sounds so simple but I want to inspire dance and movement, funky, rhythmic & good grooves.

What can you tell us about playing in Ibiza? 

It will always be special; the island is so rich in history and memories. I think it’s amazing that even with so much competition with festivals taking place all across Europe, Ibiza is still so important to the new generation or ravers.

What DJs or vocalists have you worked with? 

The radio show has meant I’ve interviewed some legends - Jazzy Jeff (*pictured below), George Benson, Jocelyn Brown. Also the new school guys like Tom Misch. Radio really is my first love. 

You mentioned before that you have a record coming out that has been a long time in the making. What can you tell us about it? 

Yes I do! Middle of August it will be released on Glitterbox Recordings. I have worked with some extremely talented musicians to get the song to where I wanted, I’m really proud of how it's sounding and hopefully it gets a great reaction out there too. You can listen to it here.

When you’re not DJ’ing in big parties, festivals or events, you host your own radio show called The Remedy. What can you tell us about that?

It seems now we rely so heavily on algorithms to determine what new music we are presented with, I have always preferred the human element. In some form or another, I have been doing a weekly radio show for a decade now and my desire to break new music and connect with people over the airwaves has only increased. I have a new radio show called The Remedy, it is similar to my eclectic radio show back in the day, a bit of everything!

You DJ’d at The Edit Man London charity event for London Fashion Week. How did you find it and what did you think of the Nike AKs 1-47 that were created? 

It really was the perfect way to present such an amazing concept and shoe. People really showed up for it and was great to see Moses on the floor, expelling his infectious energy and passion he has for the campaign. The Nike AK’s are insanely hot! I’m scared to wear them though; I think they need to go on my wall.

You we’re telling us about your love for Michael Jordan. What was it about him you liked so much? 

He is a winner. He has that thing about him, you would never want to let him down, he was able to lift and carry the entire city of Chicago. He knew the level of expectation he carried but still delivered to the highest standard for so many years. He also knew his own mind and never allowed ‘yes me’ to change that.

Talking about Jordan’s – if you could pick three styles of Jordan’s from The Edit Man London website, which ones would you go for?

Jordan 4 Bred are hot! Also love The Jordan High Off-White and Jordan 4 Neon (*pictured below).

What can we expect to see from you in the near future?

I’ll continue doing my thing and enjoying this journey. One thing you can be sure of, I'll forever have a voice on the radio and be sharing music that I love. 

Melvo Baptise and The Edit Man London have partnered up to create an exclusive limited edition T-shirt to mark the release of his long awaited record which is currently racing to the top of the worldwide dance charts - Traxsource.

There will only be 100 T-shirts available which will be exclusively released on our site www.theeditmanlondon.com and the Defected Records website: https://defected.com/store/clothing.html