A groove-led conversation with one of UK house music’s most thoughtful selectors, Medlar.
Few artists move as comfortably between dancefloor intuition and technical precision as Medlar. A long-standing presence in UK underground house, his work consistently balances warmth, swing and subtlety, drawing clear lines back to US house traditions while remaining rooted in the present. His appearance on Family Affair Vol. 5 for Razor-N-Tape feels less like a guest spot and more like a natural extension of a shared musical language.
Razor-N-Tape’s Family Affair series has always been about community, not hype. Medlar’s contribution, Body Ache with Daisybelle, slots neatly into that ethos. It is a track built around feel rather than formula, chunky and fluid, with a dreamy edge that feels just as suited to open-air settings as intimate club rooms. For Medlar, the connection to the label runs deeper than a single release.
We spoke to Medlar recently, here is what went down…
What does being part of Family Affair Vol. 5 mean to you as a DJ and producer?
I’ve been a fan of the label and J Kriv’s work for many years, so it’s of course a great feeling to release on the label. Whenever I’m in NYC I’ll make an effort to head to their store in Brooklyn. The whole team are clearly fully into the culture of NYC dance music, which is probably my biggest influence. They are a big part of the current phase of New York house and disco, so it’s a big honour for me to have a track on the label!
Your new track Body Ache with Daisybelle joins a diverse lineup on the compilation. How do you see this track fitting into your DJ sets and the wider RNT sound?
This track was very inspired by some US house tracks that I keep coming back to, including D’Pac – Everybody, a lot of the Gherkin Jerks records, and this ethereal, floaty, dreamy sound that is perfect for dancing to on a terrace or beach under the stars. I hope it’ll fit on the label alongside some tracks from the legendary Glenn Underground.
Your DJ style moves smoothly across house, disco, broken beat and beyond. How would you describe the core philosophy behind your sets today?
I like to stick to a certain area or energy of music across a set, but am a firm believer of taking risks in a DJ set and trying something that I think *could* be quite special in a specific moment. Of course it doesn’t always come off, but for the times it does, it’s worth the gamble!
When you are preparing for a night, what guides your selection process?
The time of the set, and the size and type of the venue all play a big part. As well as any new tracks I’ve found that I’m excited to share.
Are you led more by mood, rhythm, or the arc you want to create across the night?
It’s nice to have an idea of a starting and ending point, and then allowing the energy of the night to dictate where to go in between. So I would say energy is probably the primary factor. I do quite obsessively organise my tunes by the rhythm/swing too, and tend to bounce between sections of swung or more straight quantize grooves.
What three records never leave your USB stick and why are they so reliable for you on the dancefloor?
1. JEEK – Give Her What She Wants (Trans Form Vocal).. I always play a Tribal Records track and this one has been a favourite for a while, it ticks a few boxes; big 90s vocal house energy, great production and sounds great on most systems, and is a real ‘pick-me-up’ or panic button tune for most dancefloors if you need to either win them back or extend a peak time section.
2. Donna Summer – I Feel Love (Glenn Underground Remix).. Just an absolutely banging remix of an all time classic. This is another tune that can maintain and even lift the energy a bit more, but the vibe needs to be good enough to justify it.
3. Linkwood and Zaf – Yokai. My favourite release of 2025, a genius take on a Jan Fukamachi piece. I’ve started a few sets with it this year and it’s a perfect vibe reset if you may want to take things in a different direction to the previous DJ. Also a perfect record to soundtrack a sunset and then transition to something a bit punchier
You are known as a heavy digger. What is one unexpected or obscure record you have dropped recently that completely surprised the crowd?
I love looking for and collecting music but I never spend an insane amount of money on records. This has been a bit of a secret weapon for me for years, but there’s a track called Can I Get A Witness by Raw Tunes which is effectively some loops from Plane Love by Jeffrey Osborne, pitched up with some house drums on top. It almost has a trancey sound, and a unique energy.. in the right context this can be the highlight of a night, and I’ve never heard anyone else play it in the 15 years or so it’s been in my record bag!
Your background in cutting and mastering gives you a unique ear. How does that technical experience influence the way you blend and choose tracks during a set?
I have recently started again with my USB stick/record bag and only play tracks with excellent sound quality. I feel I could/should have done this years ago, but maybe didn’t have the ear before. It’s worth saying that many of the best DJs for this aren’t producers or engineers at all, so some people are born with it, but not me!
Do you approach vinyl and digital differently when playing live and does one format bring out a different side of your style?
I feel vinyl sets are a bit free-er and can go in different directions more easily. I do suffer choice paralysis when faced with a CDJ sometimes so rely more on organisation. I love playing a bit of both in a set and having some more precise sections using CDJs, then playing a few records to keep things fun for myself, and also I’m ultimately just a fan of the cultural history of the artform. One of my favourite sets of recent years was hearing Nicola Cruz play a techno set on vinyl at Night Tales in London, and it reminded me why I fell in love with this whole culture.
Name one classic track and one new release that have influenced your DJ approach over the past year.
Marco Polo – The Calling (East Side Mix) – A track I’ve played as often as I can since I discovered it, and another vibe reset tune.. by the end of the track the whole crowd is on board and dancing slightly differently.
Midnight Magic – Beam Me Up (Eli’s Mix) – Not a new piece of music, but it got an official release as part of the excellent Love Language compilation by System Olympia this year.. I defy a house dancefloor to resist this!
If you could map out the perfect Medlar set from warm up to peak, what kind of journey would you want the crowd to experience?
My perfect set would be an outdoor set, starting 30 minutes before a sunset, ending up in breezy darkness 3 or 4 hours later. Starting with things I’ve mentioned above like Yokai and The Calling, some Italian piano house, eventually ending up a lot more driving and less melodic, with some Tribal Records, 90s UK tech house and new stuff from Demi Requisimo and The Trip.
Taken as a whole, Medlar’s words reflect an artist deeply invested in feel, flow and cultural continuity rather than quick impact. Whether talking about digging, sound quality or the arc of a long set, his approach mirrors the values that have long defined Razor-N-Tape itself. Family Affair Vol. 5 feels like a natural meeting point for those shared ideas, rooted in history, shaped by community and built for the dancefloor.
The ‘Family Affair Vol.5’ is out now via Razor N Tape on digital with a vinyl release from the 16th of January. Get it here.
