Atlanta welcomed Klute (Tom Withers) at Format on Thursday, January 24. It was definitely a night of hard beats, but in a low-key setting. Quite a good combination. Check out the following interview with one of the UK's finest, and then read the review of the party.

Lunar: How did you get the gig in Atlanta? It was a first for you, right?

Tom: The gig in Atlanta came through Christy at Encore who runs the Format night. Christy has been connected with 31 Records for awhile and it was only time before we worked together. I must say it's been a pleasure. I also really enjoyed Atlanta. It's got a great scene and there seems to be lots to do, and the people I met all seem quite genuine.

Lunar: I have to say that I did not expect you to come as hardcore as you did, going from my experience listening to "Casual Bodies." Do you consciously take a different tack when you're spinning versus producing?

Tom: I did play particularly relentlessly hard that night at Format. I was a little pissed off at how the sound system was reacting so I went in hard. Generally, though, I do tend to play quite hard but I mix it up a lot more. I do enjoy the energy of hard music when it's loud.

Lunar: If you had a mission statement when producing music, what would it be?

Tom: "Have a good time, all the time."

Lunar: You could say my foundation is hip hop and that I kind of fell into the rave scene. Somehow, though, I'm sure it was fundamental to me being able to understand electronic music. Did punk music, and your band, The Stupids, have any impact on your drum and bass stuff?

Tom: Most definitely. Punk was my introduction to song writing and musical composition...I'd say it really affects the way I put things together, it influences my general sound production...I'm a big fan of the "wall of sound" production sound. Punk and D+B are both forms of D.I.Y. music...and have lots of energy.

Lunar: Does anyone really understand drum and bass?

Tom: Lord knows...it depends on how you look at it. I've got my own way of looking at it and I relate to people who look at it in a similar way to me. Some people look at it in their own way and that's just cool, too. There needs to be as much diversity as possible. The only people who get me down in D+B are the people that moan and complain about it. Don't moan...do something about it.

Lunar: What should we expect from the new LP for Certificate 18?

Tom: What new LP for Certificate 18? When I get more time later this year I will be sitting down to work further on my third album, most likely for Commercial Suicide.

Lunar: What's in your personal CD player right now?

Tom: Jeez, looks like its gonna be Manic Street Preachers - Holy Bible. I'm going through a little phase at the moment checking out the Manics. I love their melodies. I have a pretty broad taste in music...one minute it's one thing, the next it's something totally different.

Lunar: How much of your personality goes into your music? I mean, if the only way you could communicate is through sound, would it be an accurate depiction of who you are?

Tom: Fucked up, moody, romantic, deep, ambiguous...jeez, I don't know. I would say that a hell of a lot of my character goes into my music, and I'm developing that all the time. There's also quite a lot of humor in my music too, but I disguise that.

Lunar: What's happiness to you?

Tom: Romance. Melancholy. Humor. Peace. Records. Music. Love.