One thing we’ve always been keen on here at INSIDE DNB is supporting up and coming talent, especially when they have the guts to reach out.
That was the case with Littlelegs.
About a year ago he reached out to us here simply to say hello, and we managed to strike up a bit of a connection not just with him, but with his mum too! Big Up to all the mums out there supporting their kids doing what they love.
Anyway, after lots and lots of backwards and forwards we’ve finally managed to get an interview and a Guest Mix organised and are pleased to offer a bit of an insight into what it means to be a young DJ in the modern world of drum and bass music.
Young DJs get a lot of stick from some of the older members of the community, mainly for using the sync button (like that makes you less of a DJ!), twiddling the knobs for maximum effect, and sometimes even for dancing like they’re actually having a good time, so not only have they got that to contend with, there is also the quagmire of social media and getting your name out there to deal with too.
So we’re pleased to have the opportunity to talk to a young DJ that has been both persistent and consistent in promoting himself in as many ways as possible, and plays some really high quality DNB and Jungle too.
Littlelegs! Welcome in!
Hello!
Tell us a little bit about who you are, how old you are and where you’re from.
I’m Littlelegs. I’m 14 and I’m a jungle DJ from Herefordshire, England.
Nice 1! You got into playing the decks through your dad, is that right?
Yeah! The biggest reason I got into drum and bass & jungle was through my dad. He is an old school raver who used to go raving to happy hardcore before he found jungle & drum and bass. It truly opened his eyes to music when he found jungle & DNB and up until he had my older brother he was still raving.
He kept listening to drum and bass & jungle even though he wasn’t raving as much, and he still has a huge love for the music. I’m so grateful that he listens to it, or I wouldn’t be st here today telling you about my DJing career!
Absolutely!
Big up to ALL the mums and dads and brothers and sisters and aunties and uncles spreading the original junglists vibes to their friends and families. That has been and always will be a huge benefit to hyper focused scenes like ours.
Tell us a bit about your DJ set up?
I got my first set of decks in 2022, which was a Numark Mixtrack Platinum FX 4, I then upgraded to a DDJ FLX6, and now I’ve got an XDJ XZ and an XDJ 1000 MK2.
Impressive! But if money was no object, what would your dream set up consist of?
Definitely 4 CDJ 3000 and an A9 mixer!
Young DJs face a lot of challenges from all sorts of different areas in today’s climate, so what have you found difficult as an up and coming DJ?
One of the biggest struggles with being a young DJ is probably the restrictions on letting younger people into club venues and 18+ festivals. Another thing is people not believing in you just because of your age, but because of my love for this scene I WON’T give up, no matter what.
What about the social media battle? There’s a lot of very opinionated older members of the scene out there who give young DJs (especially females) a really hard time. Have you experienced much negativity on your posts or mixes?
In all honesty, No! I’ve had an extremely positive journey so far and appreciate everybody who has helped me in any way shape or form!
Fair play. That is great to hear. There are quite a few others out there not having quite as nice an experience.
Have you found it hard to gain an online following? It’s quite a slog trying to break into an already saturated social media market, but you’re pretty active on Instagram. How has that worked for you?
It’s going well! I’d like to grow myself as much as I can before I leave high school! I’ve had a sick amount of HUGE DJs and producers follow me, and I’m forever grateful for their support.
You haven’t ventured into the world of Twitch DNB yet, either. Are you familiar with the platform, and is it something you’d think about doing?
I’m familiar with the platform, but I never really had an interest in Twitch. I don’t thin it’s something I’d do in the future.
The person who truly inspires me the most would be Crossy. His incredible knowledge of the decks and the music is insane and I’m very lucky to have spoken with as well as be followed by Crossy which is a huge accomplishment! Other people would have to be the rest of Born On Road, Stez! As well as Nicky Blackmarket.
So where do you draw your inspiration from? With 30 plus years of DJs out there, who would you say really gets you pumped?
Someone who has really helped me through my career so far would be Frenchish. He helped me from the very start. He helped me start DJing. I remember going to his house (as my dad was going to see his dad) and hearing him mixing upstairs. I was amazed! He is incredible with how well he can mix, and I couldn’t be more grateful to him.
That’s amazing, having the support from people that are willing to take the time out to give advice and guidance. Fair play to them.
If you could play on a dream line up, with DJs from any genre and country, who would you most like to share a billing with?
It would definitely be born on road! All of them inspire me to an insane amount, the way they mix, their tune selection, their humbleness. Overall they are all great people and it would be insane to work with them in the future!
And what about MCs? There are so many talented mic controllers out there?
Trafic MC and Eksman! Trafic did a dubplate for me not long ago and I drop it everytime I mix. Big up Trafic.
You were never tempted to get behind the mic yourself then?
Definitely not! It’s Djing for me, although I love listening to MCs do their thing, it’s not for me!
You’ve managed to secure quite a few decent gigs though for your age! Tell us a bit about your best experiences so far.
My biggest accomplishment would be playing my first set at Nozstock 2024! Definitely my favourite festival I’ve ever been to, and I had a brilliant set in the Muffin Man cafe!
You’re a junglist. Your sets tend to give a nod of respect to the classics, but also combine the best of contemporary jungle too. What is it about the genre that you love so much?
My dad! Growing up and hearing it opened my eyes up to the music for good! There’s something i see in jungle that I don’t see in new DNB. I like going back to where the genre we all love started and appreciating it in a way not many other 14 year olds do.
When you’re not mixing jungle, what other types of DNB do you like, and what about music outside of DNB?
I like rollers! The bass on rollers is insane and I drop a couple in my sets every now and then. I only listen to jungle and DNB to be honest. There’s nothing else I really like haha!
Your dad hasn’t been tempted to get on the decks with you then? No bedroom back to backs?
I’ve tried getting him on but its never worked.
You have the gift of being supported by both of your parents though, and your mum is clearly your biggest fan! She’s been great through the whole process of getting this interview together hasn’t she?
Yes! My mums great, she supports me in everything I do and always believes in me! I couldnt be more grateful.
What do your teachers think of your aspirations to become a DJ? Are any of them even aware of the DNB scene and what it’s all about? You must have at least one cool teacher?
Yeah! A cooking teacher who joined my school last year for experience really liked the fact I DJ, she was very supportive too!
Before we say goodbye then, tell us a bit about the mix you’ve provided for us. It’s a competition entry right?
It is! It’s a competition to the Big Love Festival in Cardiff. I’m currently at the top of the SoundCloud likes round which is amazing! I hope the judges like the mix.
And it being in Cardiff, we really hope you win, because we’re Wales based and will come down to see you play 🙂
Thanks so much! I appreciate all your support! Thanks so much for having me!
No problem! When I see you out you can buy me a pint.
