This is it for today!
Thanks for all your questions and to Goldie for his time and answers. Until the next one!
guido656 asks:
There are some differing and often strong opinions on the emergence of ‘dubstep’, ‘dark step’ and everything in between - through the drum & bass scene all the way to pop music in the charts.
Do you think the sometimes negative opinions on the popularisation of emerging genres such as dubstep are justified, or should audiences and producers simply accept and embrace any new trend emerging from their scene?
alfredooo asks:
That story you tell, in that documentary, about giving the finger to Derrick May as you left him to listen to inner City Life in your car, wasn’t that a little bit juvenile?
What is your opinion now on May and his influence on UK dance culture?
wcote1 asks:
What song was pre jungle and made you go “wow I need to up my game and find a sound I love”?
OldRubberLips asks:
Hi Goldie, I met you once, anyhow, please tell us more about Rage at Heaven, we used to get down there Thursday nights, it remains my favourite club experience, oh my, don’t remember much detail but it was incredible!
DJCkay asks:
Hi Sir Goldie! I’m a Street Art Photographer and a DJ, knowing your background with Graffiti and DJing, would you ever claim a space on a wall somewhere in London and produce an artwork of your own? Would your Artwork be as an alias artist or would you let the world know it you? And for the DJ question, do you still get goosebumps when you’re behind the decks??
Eric Yo asks:
-What is 1 piece of advice that you have received to which you live by and that you feel could encourage others?
-What are 5 key books you feel we should read, and why?
Marziepan asks:
If you had to pick one of Reece’s Pulp Fiction, Dillinja’s Angels Fell or Source Direct’s Made Up Sound as Metalheadz’ finest moment, which would it be and why?
LordSpacebar asks:
What motivates the presence of orchestral music in the claustrophobic urban spaces typically defined by your musical work?
Is the aesthetic of orchestral music something you moved away from consciously after the 95-98 Metalheadz releases, or do you feel that is still present in some way?
What do you see as the common thread between your musical and acting careers?
*To clarify the second question a bit, I’m talking about the movies and stuff. Sorry for sounding like a Guardian reader.
LordSpacebar asks:
What do you think about the splintering of musical culture and the changes in the way tribalism used to connect music to contemporary culture? How has it affected you?
Cubano1 asks:
Drum & bass is shit these days, isn’t it?
Any idea why people gave up editing their breaks?
drumsdd asks:
Have you read John Niven’s Kill Your Friends? the DJ Rage character is rumoured to be based loosely on you, looking back do you see any parallels between the character and your younger self?
Jordan Williams asks:
Aside from the UK, where else have you found a thriving drum and bass culture? Of course drum and bass is globally recognised but where else does it enjoy an engaging following?
Also, what other genres do you really like at the moment? What do you think of Dubstep today?
djroca asks:
Does the Metalheadz logo have any connection with the Wolves football club logo linked to your time in Wolverhampton?
Eric Yo asks:
-What is 1 piece of advice that you have received to which you live by and that you feel could encourage others?
-What are 5 key books you feel we should read, and why?
allcrews asks:
How did you manage to extract Timeless as a musical arrangement living inside your head into an actual album via Rob Playford’s programming and production. Did you find Rob’s own musical ideas meant the album evolved into something greater. Did the two of you ever conflict over the album’s direction?
acidjordan asks:
Your fabric mix a couple of years ago was excellent. How do you find new tunes and how much time do you dedicate to listening to and seeking out undiscovered gems?
And we're off!
Here’s a picture of Goldie at Guardian towers:
And his first answer was to tonyroma’s question:
Do you compose your music using notation, or rely on a producer to interpret the sound you want?
Post your questions for Goldie
Emerging out of Jamaican soundsystem music, but forged in the pirate radio stations and claustrophobia of London, jungle was a revolution in 1990s dance culture and Goldie was its figurehead.
Producing and DJing as the leader of the Metalheadz label, the music he championed was full of skittering, quicksilver breakbeats and dystopian moods. He shepherded its evolution into drum’n’bass, ending up on coffee tables as well as grimy clubs, and made ambitiously symphonic tracks like the 22-minute Timeless and the hour-long Mother.
Still DJing today, he’s become equally well-known for his acting career, with gangster roles in EastEnders, Guy Ritchie flick Snatch, James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, and most recently in the play Kingston 14, where Goldie was praised for his “dominating taciturnity” by Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington. There’s also his frequent reality TV appearances in the likes of Celebrity Mastermind, Maestro and Celebrity Big Brother.
His next project is a pair of performances of his album Timeless with the Heritage Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall in July, and ahead of them he’s joining us to answer your questions. Post them in the comments below, and he’ll take on as many as possible from 1pm BST on Wednesday 13 May.
Updated
Really appreciate the fact we're here after all this time. Yes, people get too deep with questions - I'm just a kid from the Midlands having a fucking laugh. I'm just blessed guys. I'll try very much not to give Derrick May the finger again.
I have a postcode on my window, it states: I have learned so much from my mistakes in life, I'd like to make a few more.