With Rid being a vinyl head at heart, he works hard to ensure that his work is full of soul. ‘Good music is good music’, a statement which helps Rid steer clear of limitations, creating new flavours everytime he is in the studio. Best known currently for his D&B track ‘Lucifer’, he took a curveball pivot into the world of house in 2023 with his track ‘Don’t Be Scared’ released on Unbelievable Records. 

Rid has always made an effort to channel rave energy within different aspects of his life. Although the path hasn’t always been without obstacles, especially after a decade old brain injury resulted in long term effects and partial deafness. Rid hasn’t allowed adversity to overcome his plight for music production and instead he’s used this to ignite his progression towards releasing music and helping others. He wants to show people that music production is an example that despite brain injuries people can still flourish, and his current climb is certainly a testament to this.

Miss Medik: DJ, Producer, classically trained musician from Somerset. Her vast classical background has led her to be the perfect creator of sublime liquid and orchestral drum and bass.

Who are you? Tell us a bit about who you are as an artist.

I am a liquid/orchestral D&B producer and DJ. I love combining classical music with EDM as I was classically trained but fell in love with drum & bass. I’m also inspired by 90s trance as I found it around the same time I found D&B.

What was your first taste of dance music? What got you hooked?

Drum & bass was the first music I felt a connection to. I discovered it in 2007 when I was 15. I spent my life not fitting in and drum & bass was the first time I ever felt like I belonged anywhere. It saved my life so many times. I was also passionate about trance music, but D&B will always be my passion.

What disabilities do you have?

Autism Spectrum Disorder.

How does your disability affect your life?

I have a very limited social battery, which means I can only be around people for a couple hours before I lose the ability to socialise. Being around people exhausts me so much that after a rave/event I spend about a week recovering, despite being completely sober. But I love being there and around people, so it’s a very frustrating limit as I want to do more. I become overstimulated easily which can lead to distress and needing to be alone or in a low stimulated area, which is difficult if I’m not at home. Then I’m out of control of how I respond to people or how I act. I am so worried about people thinking I’m rude if I’m burnt out or if I respond in a way that might be weird to them, so I generally try not to socialise. Autism also means I have constant high levels of anxiety, which makes everyday tasks difficult.

How has your disability influenced your music and who you are as an artist?

I love the sounds produced in D&B, particularly darker liquid. I think the sounds I create in Serum are tuned to these sounds that are really soothing to me. Drum & bass is my biggest special interest (alongside cows) so I think having autism has made me work harder and have more focus for the thing I love. If I’m having a meltdown or need big distraction from distress, I open Logic and mindlessly make music which I can then turn into something more logical when I’m in a better frame of mind.

What message would you like to share with people who have disabilities and are considering getting into music?

You may not see yourself reflected in the people you see on the lineups, but that doesn’t mean you won’t. There has been a big shift in gender, and I think a big shift in minorities is on the rise too. And don’t compare yourself to other people because there are things we can’t do the same as others, but equally, there are things we can do that other can’t. Go at the pace you’re comfortable with.