Audio: Hear Dirtybird’s Weiss Guide Us Through an Hour of Jackin’ House

What exactly is ‘real house music’? There’s hardly one umbrella term that could cover the breadth of four four, although ask Richard Dinsdale and he’ll likely come back with an answer. Recording as Weiss he’s recently become one of dance music’s newest talents, with Chicago’s distinctive jackin’ house sound among his most notable influences. While Chicago might be his main source of inspiration, his London hometown has also significantly shaped his career: he first got into house music in a serious way through visiting clubs like ours regularly through the 2000s, and his early career blossomed through a longstanding relationship with the London imprint Toolroom Records. Dinsdale has also recently become close to Claude VonStroke and his Dirtybird camp: as well as his recent EP for the label, he’s also played a string of stateside shows for VonStroke’s mammoth imprint. As we prepare to welcome him alongside the boss in Room One on 22nd July, we hit up Dinsdale for a mix and chat to hear more about his story so far. Download: Weiss fabric x Birdhouse Promo Mix How and where was the mix recorded? I actually recorded this one live in my studio on the outskirts of London. I try to record a lot of my sets live but wanted to do something specific for you guys. From where did you source most of the records? I’ve just returned from an amazing tour of Australia – most of these tracks are taken from what’s been working really well in my recent sets, along with a few new promos that I’ve been sent alongside a couple of new unheard ones from me. You recently described fabric as your favorite club in the world. Can you summarize some of your key memories and experiences that came from here? Yes of course – it’s very special to me, both in terms of memories throughout the years and also being one of those places that’s always stayed true to itself. The line-ups are among the most diverse in London, and it’s a proper institution with an amazing atmosphere every time you step inside. The first time I stepped foot in the club, I remember hearing music I’d never heard before and saying to myself “I will play here one day”. It was an incredible experience when I finally did in 2014, I remember having the biggest smile on my face the entire time. London’s nightlife has been a hot topic recently, with many people viewing the current situation in a negative light. Where do you envisage the scene heading in the next few years? I think it’s amazing that you guys fought for the club and managed to keep it going – after so many closures across the city it was a real shining light. The scene has certainly changed over the years, with things like bespoke one-off parties being one of the biggest factors affecting the clubbing landscape. It definitely feels like people are partying less in London at the moment, but in general the scene is great: the EDM explosion has helped dance music reach the masses, and genuine house music has reached a wider audience as a result. Where did you first come into contact with Claude VonStroke? He’d been supporting my music for a while, then we properly connected at the beginning of this year when I sent Walk With Her to Dirtybird. The label feels like a great home for my sound. We’ve been in touch since then, and they’ve been great supporters by inviting me to a number of shows across the USA too. I’ve actually just released another EP with them and have some more things planned for later in the year with them too. What are your plans for the rest of this summer? It’s a really busy time right now, which is great! I have lots of new music on the way, including a collaboration with the mighty Green Velvet dropping on Relief in August. In the coming months I also have a second EP coming out on Dirtybird, and tracks for This Ain’t Bristol and Toolroom. My gigs include stops in Ibiza, Miami, LA, Montreal and Croatia, and of course fabric on 22nd July :)