We recently chatted with a very interesting promise in the world of Dance music.

Whenever you’re hunting for a groove that feels truly grounded nowadays, it’s easy to get lost in the slipstream of “influencer DJs” who prioritize the aesthetic over the output. Sometimes you want an artist who understands that the dancefloor, much like a stadium, is a high-pressure environment where only the disciplined survive. Enter HASKELL.

Moving from the international rugby stage to the tech-house circuit, HASKELL (James Haskell) has spent the last decade proving that his presence behind the decks is backed by genuine technical grit. With a catalogue that already reads like a “who’s who” of premier dance imprints such as Toolroom, Nervous, and IN/Rotation, he kicks off this year by releasing on Strangelove, with ‘Ice‘.

And his interesting story, paired with a killer release, of course, led us to have a little chat with him. So, sit back and read on, as we present you our interview with HASKELL.

How did ‘Ice’ come to be? We’d love to know how it became the song that it is today.

Ice came about through me being sent a vocal by Alex Jones from Dent & Peaker. Alex occasionally sends me musical ideas and sketches, and this one immediately stood out. The moment I heard the vocal, I absolutely loved it—it had a mood and a character that I knew I could build something special around.

From there, I spent time constructing the instrumental, really shaping the groove and energy to complement the vocal. Once I had a solid foundation, I sat down with Dean Ramirez, and together we refined it into what became Ice. The whole process felt very natural. It was bumpy, it was cool, and most importantly, it felt authentic to the kind of music I wanted to make at that point. The end result was exactly what I’d hoped for—something that felt both underground and playable.

Where did the main musical hook and stabs come from? That funky chord/phased out stab pairs with the crystal-like melody so well!

The chorus-based stab was an idea I originally put together myself, and then Dean and I refined it together in the studio. That collaborative process really elevated the track. It was one of those moments where everything clicked quite quickly.

What I loved about Ice was the energy—it felt slightly different, but still familiar enough to connect instantly with people. Everyone I played it to responded positively, and that reaction was really reassuring. You could feel that it had something about it that worked on a dancefloor without trying too hard.

How would you describe your overall approach to making music? What’s your process when you sit in the studio and start a song?

My approach to making music is very much twofold. Sometimes it starts with a vocal—something that instantly sparks an idea or emotion—and other times it begins with a reference track, where I hear a sound or a direction and think, that’s the world I want to explore.

From there, I’ll either sit down with another musician or dive into samples, vocals, and textures until something clicks. Referencing is incredibly important for me. It gives you a sense of direction and helps you avoid going completely off-piste, which is very easy to do in the studio. Whether it’s building a track around a vocal or shaping an idea inspired by a reference, the goal is always the same: create something that feels cohesive, purposeful, and honest.

Which artists have influenced or inspired your sound?

There are so many artists I admire in the music world. People like Mark Knight and Carl Cox have had a huge impact—not just musically, but in how they approach their careers. I also really respect artists like Mojaxx, Tony Romera, and Low Steppa. These are people who genuinely enjoy what they create, and you can hear that passion in their music.

More recently, I’ve also been loving what Max Dean, Luke Dean, Josh Baker, and Silverlining are doing. It’s a slightly different sound to mine, but I really admire their production flourishes and attention to detail. That creativity definitely feeds into where my own sound is heading.

What moments have made you realise your music is connecting with people?

I’ve genuinely been blown away by the response to my music. Streaming numbers and Spotify stats are great, but they don’t always tell the full story. The real moments for me have been seeing artists I truly admire playing my tracks.

Hearing people like Mojaxx, Carlita, and Skepta play Go Deep—which I made with Martin Ikin and Gene Farris—was a massive moment.

Seeing those notifications come through, knowing that people I looked up to were selecting my music in their sets, really made it all feel real. That was a big milestone for me.

What’s your view on phones and filming in clubs?

For me, people need to dance—that’s the priority. If you want to film a moment here and there, that’s fine, but in reality, most of those videos never get used. You don’t watch them back properly, and they don’t capture how the moment actually felt.

There’s this mentality now of if you didn’t film it, did it really happen? I completely disagree with that. You should experience the moment. Some of my best nights have been when my phone’s run out of battery and I’ve just been fully present on the dancefloor. Music is about dancing, connection, and release—it’s not about posting content.

If you weren’t in music, what would you be doing? Any other careers you were/are pursuing that could’ve become your parallel universe you?

If I wasn’t in the music business, I think acting would be something I’d really enjoy. I love performing in different forms—whether that’s DJing, public speaking, or podcasting. I’ve built a life around performance, and that’s something I value hugely.

I’m also about to launch my own tequila, and I’ve got a few other exciting projects on the go. Music started as a hobby for me, and it’s turned into a job—and that’s something I don’t take for granted. I’m lucky to be doing something I genuinely love.

Final Words

A great story we had here with us. Huge thanks to HASKELL for the chat, and to the team behind for making it happen. You can listen to ‘Ice’ below. Stay tuned for our latest endeavours in the world of Dance music.