Knowing what a great track should sound like - and the place it can be taken by warping and twisting it - is James Zabiela's forte. Layering different sounds with the aid of two Pioneer CDJ-1000s, a Pioneer EFX-1000, Korg Kaossilator, MIDI controller and a laptop, his hands and ears don't let up for a second, leaving any punters feet a-moving and mouth a-gap.

Zabiela’s demands for such a kit wherever he spins is a reminder that he's one of the scant few DJs who's pushing things forward in ‘09. James' style is trippy, bleepy and deeply - nay, downright - groovy. No wonder childhood idols Depeche Mode remain his heroes - like fellow tech-house don Mathew Bushwacka!, they all understand that the best electronic music moves both heart and feet. And if the magic's there, the spirit will fly as well. Watching him play, it’s easy to forget that making things look easy takes time to perfect. Zabiela’s crossed a few bridges - and a few national boundaries - along the way. "I haven't worked it all out yet," he adds. "But I do wish I could grow an extra arm sometimes!" James' career so far has been stratospheric to say the least. Swiftly snapped up by Sasha's Excession agency, he spent the next year taking on Eastern Europe, Australia, South America and the US of A, while still finding time to record well-received CDs for Renaissance and unleash a string of fine remixes along the way. Royksopp, Ladytron and progressive artists Spooky have all been under the Zabiela scalpel - and more are on their way. Pushing the envelope while still learning to cope with a real-life fan base and life on the other side of the record counter, it’s unlikely that James Zabiela will be taking a breather anytime soon. No wonder Sasha refers to James as the guv'nor. This is just the beginning.