Josh Gregg

Josh Gregg shared his views on the influence of big tech in the industry, his creative process and how making a living from music has affected his creative process.

For the past decade, "UK underground innovator" Josh Gregg has worked tirelessly to carve his niche in the music industry. Dubbed the "rising midlander," DJ Mag recognised his knack for creating tracks and crafting sets that mesmerize audiences from the heartlands of Britain to the dancefloors of Europe and beyond. A deep knowledge of electronic music determines his style as a performer as well as a producer.

Do you have a ritual when composing music and how do you stay inspired after all these years?

My current workflow is to get a black coffee on the walk to the studio and start with a totally blank canvas. I make loads of different kinds of stuff and I want to just embrace whatever I'm feeling on any given day. I'm surrounded by music all the time so I don't struggle for inspiration really, it's all I've basically ever stuck to.

When producing, are you more in the box or do you use Outboard too? Could you share with us a single unit or tool that is a true game changer for you, and why?

I've gone through phases. Sometimes more digital, sometimes hybrid. This year is the first time I've ever had an actual studio outside of the home so I'm currently turning on every piece of outboard gear I've collected over the years hahaha.

My current hardware synth of choice is the Korg Minilogue XD - only picked this up recently but it's super versatile and seems to be on every new track. In terms of things I use daily, Soundtoys Decapitator is the best plugin of all time.

How do you feel about music producers having to DJ in order to bring in an income? What would you need to be fully dedicated to music production? Do you think it’s still possible to make a living strictly from production?

I don't love it, and I don't love DJs being booked for their tunes they make rather than their selection. Both end up in a concert culture of people waiting to hear the hits.

In any form of music it's near impossible to make a living solely off your music - let alone more underground scenes, the only answer currently is to put on multiple hats. Artist, producer, mixer, mastering engineer, doing stuff for brief and picture. It all adds up.

In 2020, when I lost all my gigs I started working full time alongside music and I weirdly found it creatively freeing. Spent less time worrying about bills, and more drilling down on what I actually want to do rather than what I needed to make to play more. I now work full time in music aside from my own stuff so it's the best of both worlds!

How is making a living from music affecting your creative output? Do you feel as free as when you started?

It's definitely changed the way I approach things. I try and be a bit more strategic with my time and make quick decisions rather than spending days on end tweaking a project, it's meant I've made more music in the last 12 months than any year of me doing this. Genuinely this is the most free creatively I've ever felt as I'm not tied to any outside brands or associations, I just want to work alongside inspiring people and concepts that push things forward.

At Outboard, our aim is to establish a new way of remunerating music producers , fairly and transparently. Why did you choose to come on board?


I think modern music is crying out for alternatives. Tech companies have devalued art for the benefit of consumers (everything you could ever listen to for £12 a month....). It's ending up at a point where releases are essentially media campaigns and the music is a byproduct.

I think curation is one of the most fun things about music. Discovering new shit you'd have no clue about if you weren't shown it is how I first fell in love with this. Honoured Brawther has chosen 'First Sip' for OTBD008 and I hope people enjoy digging and finding it.