When not hosting Rinse FM’s much-loved breakfast show or dropping heat for Hyperdub, you can catch Scratcha DVA buying novelty glasses. When he’s not doing that, he’s focusing on his own label, DVA Music.

DVA Music has primarily been a means for Scratcha to release his own warped takes on grime and UK house, but on its next release, DVA007, he’s opened the label up, presenting the debut release by Manchester newcomer GuGu. You can stream clips of the release below, and so you actually have a clue who you’re listening to, we sent GuGu some questions to answer.

Who’s GuGu? Where do you come from?

“I am Giulio Erasmus aka GuGu aka Jules from South Manchester…”

How did you get into making music?

“I’ve always listened to diferent types of music, mostly older stuff like jazz, r’n’b, jungle, soul etc. When I got to know how to use prodcution software, keyboards and sampling I started composing music daily. I try to make the kind of music that I would wanna find and buy in a record shop really.”

Tell us about the tracks on this single. They’re kind of in a weird place between really bassy funky and more jazzy traditional house, ‘AC Riddim’ especially…

“The tunes are kind of like soulful housey melodies with shuffling drums and ab it more bass to give it that club vibe. ‘AC Riddim’ has alot of Latin and Caribbean influences to it I suppose, the bassline is simple – kinda like a bashment bassline but hard which I liked the idea of.

Where’s the Afro Cuban name come from, and how did you end up releasing on DVA?

“The name comes from the Afro-Cuban rooted samples in ‘AC Riddim’, plus both tunes have a Latin shuffle type mood. I sent one of the tunes to Scratcha, ’cause I heard he played alot of house and funky stuff, and he belled me asking if I was willing to come have a chat about maybe releasing the track. Luckily I was on a train to London for [the Notting Hill] Carnival at the time so I went to see him and we worked out a deal to release it.”

What else do you have going on right now?

“Keeping busy working on loads of different tunes and little projects up in Manchester, I’m not just a house and funky producer, I work with different genres which can be heard on my Soundcloud. I’m a DJ as well so hopefully you’ll see me about soon. I’m also gona start workin on a 0161 mixtape with tunes from upcoming Manc talents as well as more releases on DVA music next year.”