Scuba was kind enough to answer some questions preceding his upcoming show at Kingdom Austin on September 30th. Read below to learn more about the man behind Hotflush Recordings and some of the deepest techno sets in the business.

If you could give some advice to yourself as you just were getting started in this industry, what would that advice be?

• Don't give up. Work hard and you'll get your chance eventually.

What was your relationship with music prior to producing?

• I was always doing something from when I was a young kid onwards. I played in bands and did all kinds of stuff. And of course I went to tons of shows and just immersed myself in the whole thing, it's all I've ever been interested in really.

You mentioned in a previous interview that you see “DJing as a creative challenge in itself, and putting on a bunch of hits in a row doesn't really meet that creative challenge." Have you had any recent gigs where you were really pushed creatively in your DJ set?

• Actually I'm planning to play one tonight! I'm at Deep Space in NYC with Francois K and I've got loads of all jungle, electro and all kinds of other stuff to play. Should be fun.

What balance of hardware versus software do you prefer to work with when producing?

• I've recently moved back to hardware, having spent many years working almost exclusively with software. It depends on the sound you want and your workflow. Sometimes a change, whatever the direction is, can be a huge catalyst for creativity.

In the past you haven’t been afraid to put Len Faki and Taylor Swift in the same sentence when discussing what you’ve been listening to. What are you favorite things about both pop and the more underground side of techno?

• I've always loved a good pop song, you can't beat it. Obviously underground techno is a completely different aesthetic, and I don't think you can really combine those two things. But that's not to say you can't appreciate both of them. People are a bit too obsessed with tiny differences in musical styles, and as a DJ there's a lot you can put together while keeping it coherent. I wouldn't play those two artists in the same set though haha.