In the space of just four years, English techno act WHYT NOYZ has risen from an unknown name to a staple of some of the world’s biggest electronic music labels. Now a solo project of David Sidley, WHYT NOYZ was formed in 2010 by two best friends to formulate their take on sleek, hard-grooving techno – having been raised on a shared diet of electronic and black music. Hip-hop, funk and soul all played formative roles before he discovered house music thanks to the likes of Joey Negro and Masters At Work and began playing in local clubs. His passion for techno soon followed. “As I got more into the electronics of sound and this symbiotic relationship between man and machine, I began to dig deeper” he recalls. The powerful rhythmic components of the WHYT NOYZ sound also give a nod to his background as a drummer – something he has been doing since the age of 6. He began producing in 2007. Fusing the groove of post-minimal techno with live percussive elements, deft rap samples and high-impact effects, WHYT NOYZ’s is a resolutely contemporary sound – but one that still gives subtle nods to his past. “As my creative mind has developed, so has the sound” he says of his blend of digital and analog. “It has evolved into something more considered and memorable. A sound that has a stronghold in something peak-time and driving but with melodic elements to help captivate the mind.”