From spray cans to tough jams - Interview with Richard Sen

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

by Tat

When it comes down to street knowledge as an artist and DJ then few can go toe to toe with Richard Sen. With an old school mentality, an eye for the visual and an ear for great music on the fringes away from an ever-growing pool of OK sounds, Sen has stayed true to himself and his culture throughout his long career whilst remaining a keen advocate of new music. His artistic career began back in the 1980s as one of London’s graffiti fraternity under the guise of Coma. He later embraced acid house retaining what he had learned from tagging trains and listening to hip hop to carve out his own path. Several productions and compilations later we discussed his journey and plans going forward.

First of all, let’s talk about the Sounds From The Flightpath Estate compilation you have contributed a track to - Tough On Chug, Tough On The Causes Of Chug. It’s a killer track title alone, how did your inclusion on the release come about?

Talking of compilations, you put together ‘Dream The Dream (UK Techno, House And Breakbeat 1990-1994). It’s full of forgotten classics that have stood the test of time. How enjoyable was it bringing that release together?

Are there any plans for a second edition?

You also remixed some of the tracks from that release, which probably wasn't straight forward?

I really enjoyed your Powercuts compilation (The Essential B-Boy Classics). And there’s your This Ain’t Chicago compilation which explored UK house and acid. If you had the opportunity to curate another compilation of tracks, what genre and era would you love to cover?

You share a common background with a few graffiti artists that embraced acid house and have wholeheartedly. How much have those formative hip hop and graffiti years informed the music you have gone on to create?

What made you turn your attention from a spray can to a turntable in the late eighties?

Your graffiti tag Coma returned in 2021 as part of a rare vinyl release on the Grafiti Tapes label. How did it feel to bring together those two identities as an artist and musician for this project?

There’s a disco and post punk feel through a lot of your productions, very much noted in The Padded Cell releases. Where do those genres sit within your world?

80s hip hop, graffiti and illegal raves all have an edge about them and a defiance to authority. How important was that to their development and how crucial is that mindset today given what’s going on in the country?

You present a regular show on Do!! You!!! Radio. For people unaware of it, what kind of sounds can they expect to hear?

How important is that medium for you in terms of shaping your tastes but also sharing your discoveries?

How often are you getting time in the studio to record?

Are you working on anything you can tell us about?

Where do you discover new music?