DJ & producer False Persona has rapidly gained recognition with his boundary-pushing sound that blends electro, breakbeat, and experimental techno with a raw, underground edge. With performances at iconic venues like Tresor West in Dortmund and Fold London, he’s caught the attention of both fans and industry heavyweights alike. Recently sharing the stage with artists such as Mall Grab, Effy, and Aloka, False Persona’s electrifying sets and unique style are propelling him to the forefront of the underground dance music scene.
We sat down with False Persona to talk about his musical journey to date, how he keeps DJ sets captivating and his favourite soap opera.
Hey False Persona, thanks for sitting down with us! First things first, what motivated you to start making music and what’s your earliest memory of DJing?
Hey! It’s an absolute pleasure, thank you so much for inviting me. As a kid I actually had this weird hyper-fixation on break and street dance culture but after trying that out for a few years (and being pretty bad at it) I realised it was more the music that drew me in.
I got the game DJ Hero for Christmas when I was like 10 and was pretty much hooked on anything DJ related after that. Making music came 3/4 years later when I started getting into garage and deep house. Also GTA IV + V radio stations opened me up to so much music from different eras. I think those games were a really amazing bridge for new generations to cross into different genres and sounds.
Growing up in Bournemouth, what type of music did you first get into and who was your favourite artist? Would you say living in this town played a part in shaping your music preference?
I wouldn’t say Bournemouth really had any impact on my music taste to be honest, in fact it’s kinda the opposite. The town as a whole is way more tuned in to indie/alternative/metal which was never my thing growing up. I definitely had more of an affinity to Birmingham (where I’m originally from) where hearing ravey music being blasted from cars was a lot more commonplace, but most of my music taste really stemmed from years of watching Boiler Room streams and scouring through SoundCloud / YouTube.
Disclosure were definitely my biggest influence throughout my teen years. Their music opened me up to so many amazing artists from that ‘post-dubstep’ era like Burial, Joy Orbison, James Blake and pretty much anything from Hessle Audio.
Your production and DJing style is quite unique, blending high-octane chaotic sounds with captivating and intricate melodies. How did you approach developing your sound as an artist?
That’s a question I’m still asking myself, haha. I kinda just make whatever feels right in the moment, but definitely still don’t feel like I’ve developed a distinct sound. I guess that’s up for other people to decide. In terms of production, I tend to spend around 9 hours frantically chopping and programming drums and percussion until my brain physically can’t take it anymore and forces me to shit an idea out that I won’t come back to or finish for 3 years.
As for my DJing style, I can’t really seem to stick to a speed. Being influenced by so many genres, I like to run through lots of subpockets of music instead of pigeonholing into one sound for hours on end – something which I find a bit boring. Each tempo has something completely different to offer which is so much fun to explore. Some of the hardest tunes on my USB are like 80-100bpm, so if I’m tryna bring the pace down from a heavy jungle/dnb section… Just do a bit of maths, find some tracks that are half the tempo and you’re all of a sudden in a nice chuggy vibe where you can bring things back up to 120, 130, 140 etc.
I’m yapping and probably sound like a total bellend, but yeah when done tastefully it’s kinda cool to watch the crowd realise that the pace has completely changed, without really even having to touch the pitch fader at all.
You recently joined the Fragrance Recordings family, releasing the long-awaited Crazy EP in collaboration with Mall Grab and a single ft. Le3 bLACK titled “Set Them Right”. Talk us through your creative process when making these tunes, was there a specific story or inspiration behind them?
Set Them Right was the first track Lee and I worked on like 3 years ago which we sat on for so long just waiting to give it the right home. I sent Jordy a bunch of demos including Set Them Right on a whim back in 2023 and then literally a few days later he was playing them out at venues like Printworks. It was a really surreal thing!
Crazy literally just started out as a 40 second clip with some chords and vocal sample that I fired over to him on Whatsapp and then a few days later we pretty much had the full track laid down. As soon as Effy and Jordy said they were starting up their own label there was absolutely no hesitation when it came to releasing with them. Two of the loveliest people and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the support they’ve shown me over the past couple years. Fragrance for life 🌺
You’ve played at some of the UK’s leading venues and further afield in the past year, including FOLD London and The Warehouse in Leeds. What’s been your favourite space to play in so far and what clubs are in your sights for this year?
As much as I’ve completely milked it for ‘content’ since November, The Warehouse has to be one of my favourites. The lighting and sound system are absolutely nuts and just the sheer history of the club is just wicked. Also northern crowds just do it better, period.
Stepping away from music for a minute, what are some of your other hobbies or pastimes?
Going to the pub, watching Eastenders and doom scrolling for hours on end. I like to live life in the fast lane.
You’ve also created your own label – Etched, with releases from rising talents such as Ben Prophet, Noni-Mouse and Dufraine. What can we expect to see from the label in 2025?
Tom Place and Hedchef will be dropping an absolutely gorgeous EP on Etched in the coming months – as for the rest of the year I’m sorta just going with the flow. Etched is really a passion project that I don’t like to treat as a ‘label’ as such, more of a showcase of artists and music that I love! It’d be really cool to get some merch out and maybe even throw an event though, but who knows.
If you could give aspiring artists three pieces of advice, what would they be?
Don’t expect too much of yourself, experiment with different tempos and take care of your mum.
Looking ahead at what’s on the horizon, are there any exciting projects or big plans you can share with us?
At the moment I’m just finishing up heaps of half-finished music from over the past couple years in my new studio. Consistency is something I’m working on so instead of writing any new stuff I’m trying to expel old ideas before they get too stale.
Finally, what’s your favourite track by another artist that you wish you’d made?
Minor Science – Workahol
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