Linkwood, 41, is a fan favorite among those who know him. The UK artist, real name Nick Moore, found music through his brother, an avid record collector and member of old-school hardcore outfit Sublove with Jody Wisternoff, in the early ’90s. He launched the Linkwood project in 2003 with a pair of tracks on Firecracker Records, now a cult label founded by his friend House of Traps’s Lindsay Todd because he and Fudge Fingas “both had tracks kicking about but no label to release them on,” Moore recalls. Included on this first release, a three-track V/A, was “Miles Away,” a breathtakingly beautiful piece of deep house written by Moore with help from Colin Steele on horn and vocals from Joseph Malik.

Moore’s work since then has been slow: his discography is limited to just a handful of EPs and two albums, mostly scattered across Firecracker and Manchester’s Prime numbers, which is interesting for a self-confessed “lab-rat.” His latest album, 2015’s Expressions, required over three years to mold into a shape worthy of the public domain. “I feel no need to release records each week to get gigs over the world,” he continues. “I release records only when I’m happy with the music. It just so happens that this isn’t very often!” It’s not easy to pin a label on his music, but it’s often tinged with a lo-fi warmth, and broadly encompasses romantic disco and deep house, invariably with masterful control of melody. He bases himself in Edinburgh, Scotland, and keeps interviews to an absolute minimum.

Linkwood mixes are also rare and reveal a different side to his character. Instead of delivering a set of club classics that’s not uncommon in podcast series, Moore uses the platform to play the records he wouldn’t normally present in a club; the funky house B-side, or the easy-listening vocal-laden classic that just doesn’t have the energy to satisfy a crowd. On this particular mix, he intended to serve up some funk and soul, a soundtrack to late summer, if you will, but he found himself drawn to his dub house collection and lost himself there for much of the 90-minute mix. There are some lighter numbers, and even some reggae, but this latest chapter in the Linkwood narrative reveals a different side to an intently enigmatic artist who can do no wrong.

What have you been up to recently?

Working, a lot, holding down my day job at AOTN which has been great and working into the wee hours on my own music. I finished an LP recently with Greg Foat which is already in production so expect that soon on Athens Of The North Records. I started this mix with one of the tracks from it, and I’m nearly done with my next Linkwood album which I cant wait to get mastered and out the door. Myself and Otherlands have also recorded about 20 songs for a joint album that needs to be mixed, etc., but hopefully that will be coming soon as well.

I’ve not been playing out as much as I used to so I’ve really been able to focus on the music again and I’ve been loving it. Gigging every week can really interrupt my flow in the studio and I lose track of what I’m doing etc. It’s tough though as I love DJing just as much as making music, so hopefully all this new material will help get me back out there.

Where was this mix recorded?

Just at home.

How did you select the records that you included?

I actually thought I’d dig out some boogie and soul etc. seeing as it’s the summer, but then I found my Chain Reaction section and I haven’t played them for a while, so that sent me off on a wee dubby tangent.

Is there a wider concept to it?

No, not all really. I wanted to include one of my forthcoming tracks and other than that I just went with it, I guess.

How does it compare to what you would play in a club?

Oh, my mixes I do at home are nothing like how I play out. I’m really rough and energetic in a club! But I feed off the crowd. At home, I just like to set a mood, I guess, and try to make a mix that I’d want to listen to while working, etc.

What are your wider goals with music?

I don’t feel like I’ve even scratched the surface with my own tunes yet. I love the process, so hopefully, I get to just continue experimenting, health permitting. I’d love to work with more musicians and try out some new concepts. One day, I’d love to own a mastering studio.

What’s next on the horizon, as you look forward?

Well, as I said I can’t wait to get all my new material out so people can hear it. That’s definitely my current mission. I’ve also done a remix for Lord Of The Isles recently, which I’m really happy with. Neil [McDonald] is a good pal and he asked me to remix one of my favorite tracks of his, so it was a nice diversion from my own stuff.

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to download the podcast you will need to subscribe to our Select channel. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.

Tracklisting

01. Linkwood & Foat “Es Vedra” (Forthcoming on AOTN)
02. Central Ayr Productions “Hotter” (PPU)
03. Emerson “Sending all my love out” (Kalita Records)
04. Pole “Paula” (Matador)
05. Ever Moving “Lagoon Drive” (Get The Balance Right)
06. SVN “Untitled” (Club No-No)
07. Changez – Slownotion (Dub by DJ Sports)
08. Rhythm & Sound “Mango Drive” (Rhythm & Sound)
09. Rhythm & Sound ft. Tikiman “Music A Fe Rule” (Rhythm & Sound)
10. Vladislav Delay “???” (Chain Reaction)
11. Jack Peoples “Song 3” (Clone)
12. PG Sounds & DJ Fett Burger “Untitled A1” (Sued)
13. Tarwater ft. Tikiman “The Bridge” (Soul Static Sound)
14. DJ Guy “Basf Ferro” (Cjero)
15. Horace Andy “Let’s Live in Love” (Wackie’s)
16. Kofi “Didn’t I” (Ariwa)