Grant Dell’s name is woven deep into the fabric of UK underground house. As a DJ, producer, and co-founder of Swag Records, he’s been part of a movement that prioritized groove, individuality, and dancefloor connection over trends and hype. From the raw energy of early London parties to a catalogue that still resonates with diggers today, his work has always been guided by instinct and a deep respect for the roots of the music.
With the “Purple Kutz EP“, Dell returns with a set of tracks shaped in a newly built studio but firmly anchored in a lifelong relationship with dub, reggae, and club culture. Stripped-back yet full of intention, the record reflects an approach that values space as much as sound – music designed to breathe, to move, and to last.
We spoke with Grant about rebuilding his studio, the philosophy behind his productions, the legacy and rebirth of Swag Records, and why, after all these years, the dancefloor still remains the ultimate reference point.
Torture the Artist: Hey Grant, tell us something about your day.
Grant Dell: My day starts early with at least two cups of coffee. Then, once emails are checked, I fire up the studio unless I’ve got a gig coming up, then I go through records – old and new.
Torture the Artist: The “Purple Kutz EP“ feels steeped in dub philosophy – space, groove, patience. Where did the record begin?
Grant Dell: I moved to a new house over a year ago and rebuilt my studio there, and the 4 tracks on the EP are some of the first I wrote here. The title comes from me calling my new studio setup “Purple Patch Studios”. I’ve always liked to have a name for my setup. The phrase “purple patch” means a winning streak or a golden period; it’s often used in sports. So the record began here. My first jams in the new place became this EP, and the dub philosophy comes from me growing up with that music. It’s in me, in a way. I was listening to and buying reggae and dub from the age of 13, so when I started writing music, it just came out of me.
Torture the Artist: The percussion on the EP leaves a lot of breathing room for bass and synth textures. Do you think of rhythm almost like architecture when producing?
Grant Dell: Yes, rhythm is the structure – build from the bottom up. I try and make all the percussion speak to each other, a question-and-answer kind of thing, and at the same time try and keep it as sparse as possible to let the bass and textures do their thing around the rhythm.
Torture the Artist: The outside tracks lean toward vocal emotion while the inside cuts feel deeper and more hypnotic. Was that contrast deliberate?
Grant Dell: Most of my tracks will have a vocal reference or part; this is something I’ve always done, and I feel it can set the mood of a track – gives it more of a message, depending on what vocal I have used. The track order on the EP was not deliberate, just what we thought was a good running order.
I’ve always gone into my productions thinking as a DJ.
Torture the Artist: You’ve said you were – and still are – a DJ before you’re a producer. Do you think that mindset fundamentally changes how you make records?
Grant Dell: I’ve always gone into my productions thinking as a DJ, from years of being on the dancefloor or behind the decks, listening to how tracks unfold and what works and does not work. I try and make all my arrangements DJ-friendly, as I feel it helps a track work and deliver its purpose, its message. You know – making sure the drops and breaks, and when the bass comes in, are all in the right place and it’s mix-friendly.
Torture the Artist: When writing/producing a track, are you imagining a particular moment on the dancefloor?
Grant Dell: As the track starts to unfold, then I would get a vibe of what type of mood it’s going to set – is it becoming a peak-time cut, a deeper heady vibe, or a straight-up mixing tool. Sometimes this can change though. If I start something and leave it for a while, when I go back to it, I might delete a lot of the parts I’ve added, and the track could then take a completely different route.
All good DJs tell their story differently, but for me the first 4 to 5 records and mixing.
Torture the Artist: What’s the moment in a set you live for most – the first groove locking in, or the point where the room suddenly understands the journey?
Grant Dell: I think when the room starts to understand the journey. I like to get that across within the first 4–5 mixes. I like to layer my mixing, not too many breakdowns at first, lock them into the set. All good DJs tell their story differently, but for me the first 4 to 5 records and mixing are important in my mind.
Torture the Artist: What set you played throughout your career comes closest to your imagination of a perfect set, and why?
Grant Dell: Wow, that’s a tough one to answer, as there have been so many special moments over the years. Recently, I would say the set I did in Brussels with the OOZ Collective and with Sono Ventura Records. The crowd just clicked straight away with what I was playing. For me, it was a proper set of tech house – harder-edged stuff peppered with some deep vocal tracks. Such a great, responsive crowd for that party and what I played.
Torture the Artist: Swag Records was such an important hub in the early days – not just a label but a meeting point for DJs. What did that space represent for the scene at the time?
Grant Dell: It was a special place and time for all that was involved, in the shop and the studios upstairs. It was a community of like-minded souls. The studio was open to all of us, which allowed us to all be creative and express ourselves. With all the in-house labels, we could create and then release, which in my mind you couldn’t get more rewarding and encouraging. You only have to look at the interest nowadays in all those releases and artists and labels to hear we were creating something special that has stood the test of time in the scene.
Torture the Artist: Now that Swag Records is being relaunched, what do you hope the new chapter can bring to today’s underground?
Grant Dell: There is a new audience now. So many of the younger generations have discovered all of this music and the great artists that were involved in Swag, and it’s exciting. I hope it inspires them all to DJ, be creative, and feed the underground.
It’s not just going to be represses of old Swag releases that sell for silly money on Discogs.
Torture the Artist: What are your plans for the label – will you re-release some of the old EPs, which have ridiculously high prices on Discogs, release new music from artists from the first hour, or start all over?
Grant Dell: The new version of the label will be a mixture of some old unreleased and hard-to-find classics and new stuff – all from artists that were involved in Swag and the affiliated labels. Also some tracks from up-and-coming artists, as I feel that’s what we were all about back in the day. It’s not just going to be represses of old Swag releases that sell for silly money on Discogs.
Torture the Artist: What’s personally your favorite release from the Swag catalogue, and why?
Grant Dell: Again, a tough question as there were so many. They were all good, and for different reasons.
Torture the Artist: Your influences span punk, dub, dancehall, Chicago house, and Detroit techno. Do you see those worlds as separate – or just different branches of the same rhythm tree?
Grant Dell: Just branches of the same tree, in my mind. For me, dub is the foundation. For others, they might say disco as a reference to what we have now. But I believe the likes of King Tubby set the foundations of what we call “dance” music these days. He was the first to introduce breakdowns and drops in arrangements, muting out the bass or drums and then bringing it all back in again to create an atmosphere in the track. He invented the remix. But there are so many others I could mention that have also helped shape the evolution of this music, but then it would need to be a separate interview altogether.
Torture the Artist: Let’s talk digging. Are you still spending long hours hunting for records?
Grant Dell: Yes! Always, from physical shops to online. I bought my first record when I was about 9 years old, and I haven’t stopped since then. I love the hunt. I love heading into London to check out the record shops and what’s new and old. I’ve done this for many, many years through different genres.
Torture the Artist: What are the last three records you discovered that really excited you?
Grant Dell: If I tell you, I’d have to kill you. <laughs>
Torture the Artist: Do you remember the first record that made you think: this is what I want to do with my life?
Grant Dell: Different records for different reasons. But the first house record that made me want to get more involved with the house scene was “LNR – Work It to the Bone”.
Torture the Artist: You’ve played everywhere from underground temples like Wiggle to global clubs across continents. What makes a dancefloor truly special?
Grant Dell: All becoming one, without trying to sound too cheesy. What I experienced with those early parties like Wiggle, Heart & Soul, and Kerfuffle was a togetherness – 400 people brought together by the music, bonded over that music, and becoming friends. That, to me, is a perfect dancefloor. A different era, I guess – no mobile phones, just the music and the décor and the fact that no one wanted to leave at the end of the night!
Torture the Artist: Let’s get playful for a moment – what’s a track you secretly love that would surprise people in the underground?
Grant Dell: The Bucketheads – The Bomb. I first heard Eddie Richards play this the week it came out at a Wiggle party. The place erupted. Then the track went on to be a big hitter worldwide – but Eddie got there first. I still like it because of that memory.
Torture the Artist: After decades behind the decks, what have DJing crowds taught you about human nature?
Grant Dell: Wow – I have met a hell of a lot of decent humans through the early house scene, and before that in the punk scene – a lot I am still friends with now. So, for me, it’s been good characteristics – but I have also met some twits along the way. <laughs>
Torture the Artist: If a young producer asked you today how to survive in this industry for thirty years, what would you tell them?
Grant Dell: Have a backup plan! In all honesty, I think hard work and commitment get you places, but it’s a fickle industry. All I can say is to believe in yourself, be positive, and if it feels right, then you are on the right path. I have stepped in and out over the last 30 years, and that has helped me, but we all approach things differently.
Torture the Artist: Last one – when someone drops one of your records late at night in a dark room, what do you hope it leaves behind?
Grant Dell: A feeling to search deeper into this wonderful music and scene and discover the artists and DJs – old and new, that make it what it is.
Words by Holger Breuer
Torture the Artist 