HEADS KNOW TAPE 026: Big Dope P
An interview and DJ mix from the Paris-born producer and Moveltraxx labelboss.
Photo: @yourssincerelydrew
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When UK label Planet Mu released Bangs & Works Vol. 1 in December 2010, it changed the trajectory of Chicago’s footwork scene forever. Many consider the compilation to be the starting point for the genre’s mainstream acceptance, bringing names like DJ Rashad, RP Boo, and DJ Spinn to prominence across the pond. But what people might not know is there was already another, albeit smaller imprint, based in Paris that was just as tapped in — and it had been releasing footwork and juke for years at this point.
Founded in 2007 by a then 16-year-old Thomas — who would go on to be known as Big Dope P — and his friends, Moveltraxx melded a love for hip-hop and dance music through vinyl-only releases from artists who would become the trailblazers of their time. In February 2008, the label put out Waxmaster (AKA Wax Master Maurice)’s Make Em Juke EP. In February 2010 — ten months before Bangs & Works — TRAXMAN and DJ Rashad appeared on the label’s Da Movelt Posse Episode 2 compilation, which would be the official release of the latter’s iconic “B Day Sex” remix.
Now based in London and Birmingham, Big Dope P has been championing often overlooked electronic music genres through Moveltraxx for the last 18 years — and all the while releasing his own music. Last year, the labelboss released his sophomore album, Toto La Castagne, a project that not only paid homage to the genres that helped shape his sound, but also expanded the map of where he could take listeners sonically. Always a tastemaker, he’s releasing the record’s remix EP on January 31st, and it brings reworks from the likes of Jana Rush, DJ ADHD, bastiengoat, Dj Manny, Spooky Bizzle, and Rico the Wizard.
Roll Big Dope P’s tape full of 2025 Moveltraxx teasers and read on to learn how he became obsessed with music, where his passion for music history came from, and his hot take on gatekeeping.
Happy New Year, Thomas! Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?
Happy New Year, Arielle! I’m usually not a New Year’s resolution guy, but in 2025 I’m definitely aiming for a better work-life balance. I struggle a bit with that, but am determined to take more time for me and my close ones. Maybe cut down on sugar, too, but it’s complicated because the UK finally sells acceptable candies now. What about you?
One of mine is learning how to produce music… Moveltraxx debut?
OK, that’s exciting! I can already tell you are going to make heaters. Please send me as soon as you feel comfortable sharing tracks. Pauline got the PDF agreement ready 😈
I’m only half-joking, but on a more serious note, when I trace my love of digging, I can think of listening to my brother blasting music he found on forums from across the hallway in the house or listening to my dad’s burned CDs in the car during long road trips. Can you think of any childhood memories that prompted your love of music?
I love that. Yes, those early memories definitely shape our music palate. I grew up being exposed to a lot of soul, new jack, Tunisian music, and prog rock at home, and a lot of French and US rap outside. I don't have one specific childhood memory in mind, but when I really loved a song, no matter the genre, I was very obsessed with it — listening in repeat mode, trying to spot every small detail, and was very curious about how it was made which both intensified my love for music and sparked my interest for producing, I guess. This happened with "As" by Stevie Wonder, "Respect" by Alliance Ethnik & Vinia Mojica or "You Don't Know Me" by Armand Van Helden, to name a few.
How has your digging process changed from when you started in music until now?
As a teen, I used to go to record shops and download stuff off Soulseek, but I gotta admit I’m slightly lazier these days as I receive dubs and recommendations directly from artists I love and tons of demos or promos from all around the world. I still have intense digging phases with 1 million Discogs tabs opened, except now I can actually buy the records.
You discovered electronic music when you were 15, but you had already started producing hip-hop two years before that. I read that you were drawn to dance music’s sampling of ‘70s and ‘80s soul/funk and disco — is that what you listened to growing up?
Not really. My mom listened to ’60s soul and ’90s R&B/new jack swing, but I also grew up on French and US rap, and I was particularly obsessed with the beats. At the same time, French House was all over the radio. When I realized that many of these producers were sampling the same type of records, I developed an obsession with funk and disco — especially the era between ’77 and ’84. It was the records sampled by rap and house producers that really drew me in.
I think we might be the same person because that’s also my favorite era of music — Ohio Players are one of my top artists ever. You also launched Moveltraxx at a young age — you were just 16 at the time. Did you have other projects, whether in school or other extracurricular activities, you can recall that displayed your leadership abilities early on?
Where I come from, I think we all grew up fast. I don't even think I had leadership abilities or anything, but I had a strong sense of responsibility and a burning passion for music from a very young age. Nobody around me was into dance music because, in France, there was this weird barrier like, "rap is for the hood and dance [music] is for the rich," so I did my own research with no one trying to influence me — a blessing in disguise, as I was able to develop my taste in a very pure way.
Outside, I was hanging out with older friends and they saw a kid obsessed with genres they had no clue about, skipping school to go the French equivalent of Guitar Center to spend whole afternoons making beats on any machine that was plugged without being able to save anything and who wanted to spend drug dealing money on vinyl press and advances instead of video game consoles. They did not really get what was going on at first, but a few of them followed me and helped with all the aspects that needed an adult. I was supposed to focus on the music and they would be handling business, but what happened was we went through a succession of tragic events, including one of my partners being killed and another passed from illness, so I ended up being in charge of everything. It was leadership by default if that makes sense. I was still a minor when we signed Waxmaster's EP, so I had to send his advance via Western Union as I did not even have a bank account.
Since its inception, Moveltraxx has always been a label that spotlights pioneers. Where did your passion for honoring music history come from?
Growing up in France, the narrative around dance music was often built on lies. The whole "rap is for the hood, dance is for the rich" thing I mentioned earlier was largely fueled by major labels and the media's erasure of history and cultural appropriation. I went to school with people who genuinely thought techno was created by Daft Punk and David Guetta. Even before starting Moveltraxx, my first goal was to spread the message that this music belongs to all of us too. When I launched the label, it became vital to try and set the record straight, even if only on a smaller scale.
How do you balance both researching the roots of a genre and putting on those pioneers with seeking emerging talent and making sure they have opportunities?
When we started, there was no money at all in it. 100% fuelled by passion without even thinking it was possible to make a living out of it, as there was no established market or global interest for the music we represented. As things have grown and evolved, it’s been incredible to see more people getting into this music. However, with that growth comes people who don't actually respect it as a culture and are only here to make a quick buck and end up taking opportunities that should rightfully go to the originators. I don’t think things will ever truly be fair — that’s just not how the world works. And while I can’t control the actions of others in the music industry, Moveltraxx’s history makes it clear that we must remain a platform that highlights and promotes the real deal. If new opportunities are opening up, the OGs and the people who genuinely deserve them need to benefit first. It’s that simple. Highlighting new talent is also hugely important, but we have one straightforward rule for that: if you want to be a guest in this culture, don’t show up empty-handed. Bring something fresh to the table. Innovate while respecting those who paved the way. The OGs built the foundations, so they have every right to decorate the house however they like. If they want to keep serving the same recipe and it’s still fire, they have every right to do so, but new talents have to bring something new if they wanna sit at the table.
“If you want to be a guest in this culture, don’t show up empty-handed.”
There’s a debate in the hip-hop community right now about whether or not an artist needs to learn history to be one of the greats. Where do you stand? Do you think an artist can truly innovate without knowledge about what’s already been created?
Yeah, I have seen a few interviews with rappers clueless about hip-hop legends and the history of the movement, and I know it’s made a lot of people angry over the past few years. I think how much this matters really depends on the stage of development the scene is in. For example, hip-hop celebrated its 50th anniversary recently. The OGs and even retired rappers are still celebrated, the culture is pretty well documented. Of course, it's not perfect, but you got rappers that haven't dropped in decades at the Olympics or at the Superbowl, and movies about N.W.A. or Biggie being made with worldwide release while mumble rap goes platinum... hip-hop is pop culture now. It's huge. It's not going anywhere. History was made and now there are all these generations and schools and subgenres cohabitating. My point is, I don't care if a new rapper doesn't know who Grandmaster Flash is because he is still recognised and celebrated.
Now if we are talking about footwork, for example, it's a different situation. It has a very rich history already but that history is also still in the making. The genre is very alive and getting bigger every day with new people getting into it around the world so you have to constantly educate people because it's easier to steal credit from a movement that isn’t yet fully established in pop culture. Not that you have to be mainstream to be successful anyway but things can be fragile and need to be protected. Gatekeep. Not in a bad way, not to shut people out, but to ensure that anyone entering the culture treats it with respect, honors its history, and recognizes its originators. Otherwise, as we’ve seen with Jersey Club, there’s a risk of people treating it as just a trend or a “type beat” thing ignoring the deep cultural roots that built it.
“Gatekeep. Not in a bad way, not to shut people out, but to ensure that anyone entering the culture treats it with respect, honors its history, and recognizes its originators.”
You once said that London is the only city in the world you saw yourself moving to, but when I look at your influences, and Movetraxx’s discography, you seem to resonate deeply with Chicago. Why not try and make your way to the US?
You’re absolutely right. The only reason I’ve never seriously considered moving to Chicago is because of visa issues. My first US booking was in Chicago back in ’09, I was super excited to come and play with DJ Gant-Man and DJ Zebo who booked me but I ended up wrongfully detained by immigration services at the airport, physically abused and then deported. Ever since then, access to the United States has been complicated for me, to say the least, so I never even allowed myself to seriously think about moving there because it didn’t seem realistic. Technically, I could make it happen with a lot of effort, but the idea of jumping through hoops to move abroad doesn’t make much sense to me unless you’re escaping war or seeking a better life for your family.
Also I still need to travel back to Paris. Chicago is a nine-hour flight from France, while I can travel from the UK to Paris in just two hours.
On January 31st, you’re releasing the remix compilation for Toto La Castagne, the Castagne Club EP. What are the ingredients to the perfect remix?
No strict rules, but I generally prefer remixes that take some creative distance from the original track. I love when a remix takes a small element from the stems and builds an entirely new world around it. In my opinion, the best remixes feel like collaborations — like imagining what the song might have sounded like if I had made it with the remixer from the start. That’s also the approach I took when building this release.
For example, DJ Manny is one of my favorite footwork artists ever, and I wanted to hear how he could take the funk elements of my track and place them in a true juke/footwork context. Rico The Wizard, who had a band and a record label (Crydamoure/Le Knight Club) with Guy-Man from Daft Punk, has been one of my biggest influences (I still play those records sped up, which upsets purists sometimes). But when he delivered a French Filtered House remix at 145 BPM, it felt like everything had come full circle. Spooky has been my favorite Grime producer since I moved to the UK, and hearing boogie elements in an 8-bar/grime context is rare. It’s another example of a remix that feels like a true collaboration between two artists. The same goes for Jana Rush, bastiengoat, and ADHD. To me, official remixes are essentially features.
In the history of remixes, are there any off the top of your head that you think are better than the original?
Oh there are A LOT, even on Moveltraxx. Sinjin Hawke’s flip of Boylan or more recently Qemist's remix for Chiara Noriko, I guess when you name a song and people think about the remix before the original it means something. The first that comes to mind is Todd Terry's remix of Everything But The Girl which got so big it was branded like it was the original in many territories.
What’s the best BPM and why is it 160?
Haha, yes, 160 for life! You can make super clubby 4x4 tracks, groovier stuff, halftime beats, and so much more. I don’t know, it’s just such a rich tempo to work with. We’ve got this party called 160 Unity with Seb from Tropical Waste, Kode9, SHERELLE, and myself plus guests from Chicago. It’s 160 BPM all night long, and it’s never boring—people stay from the start until the very end!
Which artists, DJs, producers, labels, or collectives should heads know?
Definitely the artists on the remix EP and anyone affiliated with Moveltraxx in general. The TREKKIE TRAX family in Japan has been killing it for a while. Also, BFlecha, who is featured on my album, runs a label called Arkestra Discos out of Vigo, Spain, and they’re keeping things super fresh. There’s a new collective in Paris called Deeper Horizons that I find really interesting. I’d also recommend Feadz’s Rinse show if you want to discover amazing new music and classics across different genres. And, of course, everyone featured on my HEADS KNOW mix!
What can we expect from this mix?
First play of Manny’s remix, a few tracks from my album Toto La Castagne, gems from the Moveltraxx catalog, and a sneak peek at some of our 2025 releases! Packed with dubs and a solid showcase of what we are all about.
Is there anything I haven't asked you that you want to talk about? Anything you want to promote?
Ah yes, so we have this 160 Unity party that I absolutely love, So, for your London-based readers looking to have the time of their lives, for the next one we’ve got an incredible lineup: RP Boo, DJ Spinn, Kode9, THEMPRESS, Seb b2b Jeneen, sohotsospicy, and myself—all at Venue MOT on February 21. Come through, there aren’t many tickets left tho.
There's also a beautiful limited edition zine + double tape from the first party with live recorded mixes from DJ Earl, SHERELLE, Kode9, and myself. Big love to Seb Wheeler for making that happen by the way. He is really important to all of us.
Support Big Dope P on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, plus check his tour dates on Resident Advisor.
TRACKLIST
Big Dope P - Do Your Thing (DJ Manny Remix)
Pretty Liyah - Birthday
Big Dope P feat. Littlez - Top Shelf
DJ Phil & DJ Manny - ShakeALilSum
Flex Blur - Flex Blur Express
DJ Pleasant feat. Kree 23 - Whats The Matter
Kill Team SCX feat. Mr. MFN eXquire & LEX Nyre - King Of Iron Fist (DJ Earl Remix)
Big Dope P feat. TT The Artist - Get It Poppin
Heavee - Icemaster VIP
Dastardly Kids feat. HiTech - Baddabing
Lauren Flax & DJ Slugo - Ghetto Shh (Big Dope P Remix)
DJ.MC - Make Room N Da Circle
DJ Rashad - You Know I Do
DJ Phil - House Love
DJ Roc & Katie Got Bandz - Drop Down Do A Split
The Blessed Madonna feat. Kylie Minogue - Edge Of Saturday Night (Big Dope P Remix)
Rea feat. Sylla - On The Road (Thys Remix)
DJ Manny - Shake Sexyy
Big Dope P feat. Katie Got Bandz - Stomp Yo Ass
Hache P - FC Gobelins
