Grime has changed a lot since the heady early-00s, back when pirate radio ruled, swapping CD-ROMs was the norm and London was the only city in on the secret. These days, Drake is rapping about Boy Better Know, Kanye’s repping Stormzy, and the genre is mutating, merging with other sounds, and sparkling brighter than ever.

Enter Darq E Freaker: the South London producer who has become known for his intense, bass-heavy production, eclectic collaborations and his ability to step outside of grime’s comfort zone to make something that sounds entirely fresh. His latest release Don’t Freak Out (premiered exclusively below) is exactly that, combining his power-packed approach to sound with vocal cuts from some serious musical talents, including Dai Burger, D Double E and Chynna. Listening to the mixtape in full, you get the feeling that Darq is a music obsessive, experimenting with sounds like others might try different foods. We caught up with the producer to talk US/UK crossovers, his love of Missy Elliott, and what he means by “urban electronic”.

How did you get into producing?

Darq E Freaker: I got into when my friend whose dad worked at Island records gave me a copy of FL Studio. At the time I was still in school, so I was looking at producing music more as a game you play on the PC than as a profession. From there, I dabbled in and out of producing until I decided to produce a collection of tracks when I was working at a record shop, and then put them out.

Peckham is known for its creative scene. How did growing up there shape the music you’re making?

Darq E Freaker: Being from Peckham and listening to radio as a child, I was exposed to music all the time. At that point, music in the UK was transitioning from drum ‘n’ bass into garage, and then subsequently garage into grime. At around sixteen, I left Peckham and started going to raves in East and really became exposed to different types of electronic music. So being from London, in a more general sense, has shaped my music.

You’ve described your sound as “urban electronic” – what do you mean by this?

Darq E Freaker: I feel like there’s a wide range of music that finds itself categorized as “urban” – grime, R&B, hip hop, trap etc… So this music is “urban electronic” because it features electronic sounds you hear in an urban environment, but also because of my background and the backgrounds of the featured vocalists. 

Tell me a bit about this mixtape. You’ve utilised the voices of such a broad range of artists, from D Double E to Rick Ross and Chynna. Why did you choose these artists?

Darq E Freaker: With the exception of Gunplay and Rick Ross, the people on this project are musicians I’m friends with, who also make types of music that finds itself in the “urban” category. So collectively, all these individual collaborations come together as my own kind of survey course of “urban” music. The tracks are my reinterpretations of each vocalist’s world. 

You often merge the sounds of UK grime and US hip hop. Do you feel there are similarities between the two genres?

Darq E Freaker: The energy, tempo and vibes of grime are comparable to pockets of hip hop. You can see connections between Waka Flocka Flame and Tempa T’s “Next Hype”(a track that I produced) or the double time rapping on Missy Elliott’s “Is That Your Chick?” and Jammer’s “Destruction VIP”.

What do you think this generation has to offer that previous generations haven’t?

Darq E Freaker: Hypersensitivity and connectivity. This generation is more susceptible then ever but also more connected, so pop music has this more powerful global presence. Obviously, interconnectivity is something that is kind of beaten to death, but the ways in which the internet has opened up channels for collaboration and sharing are this generation’s greatest gift. A lot of music, this tape included, would not exist without the internet. That level of collaboration didn’t used to be feasible. 

What inspires you to be creative?

Darq E Freaker: Life really inspires me, but also hearing music that I wouldn’t have thought of. That inspires me to put a spin on whatever I’ve heard. Not to necessarily attempt to make it better, but to educate myself by exploring it. For this particular project, exploring different pockets of urban music my friends are involved was a big inspiration. 

Which artist do you think is criminally underrated and why?

Darq E Freaker: Producers like MikeQ, whose work invites you into a realm of music you might be foreign too. Also, Jace from Two-9 – he is as good as the rappers who are at the top the game right now. In grime, P Money, Ghetts, and Kano are all criminally underrated but I feel like people are waking up to the fact that there’s a lot of good work by a wide range of grime artists that aren’t being focused on right now. Also, maybe not criminally underrated, but I really love Grimes. 

What does 2016 look like for Darq E Freaker?

Darq E Freaker: Pink and blue.