Introduction

He’s collaborated with Damon Albarn, he dresses like a stegosaurus on-stage and he’d like Boris Johnson to remix his music: meet the UK’s hottest dance producer, Orlando “T.E.E.D.” Higginbottom…

Questions and answers

Hi Orlando, let’s start from the beginning: when did you first decide you wanted to become a musician?

I always liked the idea of being a musician when I was a kid, and when I was a teenager and actually thinking about careers, it was kind of on the list but I didn’t really know what I’d be doing. I knew that it was really f*cking hard to make a living out of music though, so it wasn’t something I was guaranteeing myself at all. I still feel very lucky to be able to do it.

Your dad’s a professor of classical music: what does he make of your records?

Erm… It’s not really his thing but he’s very supportive. And we overlap on enough music for him to respect my taste and judgment. So it’s great: I couldn’t ask for anything more really. Y’know, if he got really involved it’d probably be really difficult, but he just lets me get on with it.

Was going down the electronic route a way of rebelling against your musical upbringing?

No, not at all; not in any way. To be honest, I don’t really see any divide between what people call “electronic music” and what people call “classical music”: I listen to both, I like both and I see similarities. Both have exactly the same principles, it’s just that one is made with more care and intelligence than the other. I hope that people gradually stop seeing classical music as such a distant and scary thing, ‘cause it’s great!

For those who do find classical music scary, can you recommend a way in?

If you haven’t really ever listened to classical music then there are lots of fun pieces that are a good way to start. ‘The Planets’ by Holst is really great, and people will tend to find that they know a lot of it anyway. There’s lots of stuff out there that can draw you in.

So what were the key records that first got you into electronic music?

It was really the jungle mix tapes that I was stealing off my big brother that had me hooked at the beginning. And then the first albums that I remember buying were things like Kruder & Dorfmeister and UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction, and big beat stuff on Wall of Sound. Another early album that really got me into dance music was New Forms by Roni Size.

Have you still got the same tastes now as you had back then?

In terms of jungle, yeah. I still collect old skool jungle – I still love it. When I was a kid and when I was a teenager, I didn’t listen to house or techno music at all. I really hated it. And really, up until four years ago I wasn’t listening to any house music. Now I listen to a bit.

What changed your mind?

I guess hearing stuff that I finally liked, and also going out and seeing it work. I found a route in with certain sounds and then discovered stuff I really liked, which must be what happens for lots of people with music. It’s like, at the moment people are probably hearing David Guetta writing house music and going, “This is interesting: I bet there’s some better stuff out there.” (Laughs) And then going and finding good house music.

So, congratulations on Trouble. Can you tell us about your musical reference points for the record?

I was just playing around with dance music, really. I ended up singing a lot more than I expected and writing a lot more song-based stuff than I’d planned to. But it was just coming from different things that I love about dance music, from garage and jungle bass lines, to that early 90s rave and hardcore feeling, right up to deep house. I was just experimenting and trying to create something that was varied, and hopefully interesting.

How does the writing process work for you?

Well, I spent about a year and a half working on [the record] and I was touring a lot during that time so I’d have weekends away and a couple of days working on it during the week. It wasn’t ideal but I just kept chipping away at it, starting new stuff all the time and discarding tracks. I guess the album changed form a lot and just eventually got to where it is by me spending enough time on it and letting it become whatever it ended up being.

Is there anything you’d change?

Look, I’d be the first person to say that, of course, it’s not the best album in the world; it’s not perfect. I see these things as a learning process and, honestly, I have learnt so much writing it and I’m looking forward to letting those lessons sink in and writing a new one. I know that one day I might understand what kind of music I wanna write but it’s not going to be right now, not with my first album.

Do you have a favourite track on the record?

Currently, I really like a track called ‘Panpipes’. Because I’m enjoying performing it and it feels fresh.

You took part in Damon Albarn’s DRC Music project last year: how was the experience?

It was really intense, really beautiful, really scary. I heard a lot of incredible music and we managed to put an album together in six days, which was pretty impressive, I thought.

It was amazing hearing how, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, they take music from all around the world and do their own versions of it, like we do. They did Congolese Cuban music, Congolese rumbas, rap, reggae… Y’know, all these things that they’ve made their own and it was amazing to hear. And the amount of homemade instruments they had was just really inspiring. So there was a lot to take in. I would love to do a project like that again.

Do you think it will influence the way you’ll make music in the future?

Yeah, definitely. I learned a lot. It was really interesting meeting Damon and seeing how he works; someone with that experience and someone who’s been through what he’s been through. He’s a guy who’s managed to keep surprising people which is really rare and impressive. So it was cool working with him.

You’ve remixed a pretty eclectic bunch of people in your career. What initially attracts you to do a remix?

Either the challenge or that I really like the artist. So with Lady GaGa it was like, “Ok, here’s a challenge…” (Laughs) And with Friendly Fires, it was like, “Yeah, I’d love to work with those guys.” It’s something that I really enjoy. And I’ve learnt a lot from remixing: it’s been a place for me to try out my ideas.

If you could have anyone remix you, who would it be and what track would you give them?

That’s a good question! I would get… Could they be a non-musician?! For some reason I want to say I’d get Boris Johnson to do a remix. (Laughs) Yeah, let’s give him ‘Household Goods’. I don’t know what he’d come up with, but that’s why I want to hear it. (Laughs) I wanna hear Boris Johnson in the studio...

We spoke to Friendly Fires last year and they said you were “the future of dance music”. If you had to bestow that compliment on another emerging artist, who would it be?

Cool. I think Disclosure are gonna have a really big couple of years.

You’ve got a pretty hectic touring schedule ahead of you: any dates you’re particularly looking forward to?

Exit Festival in Serbia. I went about seven years ago and it was completely bananas. And Bestival. And some of the UK ones. And Lollapalooza in Chicago: I’m looking forward to that.

What can people expect from a typical live show?

Well if people haven’t seen me, they can just go on YouTube and watch endless fan videos… But I dress up as a dinosaur, sort of, and I play my music. I have dancers too.

Are you planning any surprises for the forthcoming dates?

Erm… I’ll just say yes to that. (Laughs)

What’s been the highlight so far and what are your ultimate ambitions for T.E.E.D.?

I still really love radio; having my music played on the radio is a massive buzz. And maybe something that I’d like to achieve would be to do another 6mix radio show or something like that. I’d love to do my own show but I doubt that’d ever happen.

Finally, we have to ask: why are you called Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs?!

‘Cause I wanted to call myself Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs! There is inspiration behind the name but it’s private...