From months in Thailand to a deeply personal trip to Peru, Tyke’s travels have given him a fresh perspective on life and music, influencing everything from his daily routine to the way he approaches production. His album Changes offers a glimpse into that mindset, bringing together his creative approach to music and his growing interest in Taoism.
With a new album alongside long-time collaborator Prestige and a forthcoming EP with DJ Hype, Tyke has spent much of his time in the gym, travelling and locked away in the studio. Having called Playaz home for over a decade, he credits Hype and Daddy Earl with helping him find his feet again as a producer after years of heavy touring.
We caught up with Tyke to chat about his recent adventures, the spiritual side of his music, working with Prestige and Hype, and why he’s more interested in following his own path than keeping up with what’s trending.
It’s been a while since we last caught up with you. How was your summer, and how have you been balancing everything?
It’s been great! I actually had my ‘summer’ a bit early: I was out in Thailand from November through to the beginning of February playing some shows, which was an amazing mix of work and downtime.
Since I got back in February, though, it’s been straight into the studio. I’ve barely seen the sun this summer because I’ve been working consistently, but I always knew in the back of my mind it was going to be a good one, and it really has been. I’ve spent loads of time with friends and played some great festivals and shows.
Balance-wise, it’s definitely tough. Aside from music, I train hard with calisthenics and play a lot of football. Balancing that physically draining schedule with staying mentally sharp in the studio is a challenge, but while I can still do it, I’m going to give it everything. I’m just grateful to wake up every day and do what I love; I never take any of it for granted.
How was your recent trip to South America?
It was amazing! Toward the end of last year, around September, I headed out to Peru on a personal journey. I’ve been lucky enough to explore parts of South and Central America over the past few years through DJing, including places like Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico, but getting to go to Peru for myself was really special.
I’m so grateful that my work gives me the time and freedom to travel, explore different cultures, and work on myself. Coming from a working-class background where we didn’t have much money growing up, I didn’t even leave the UK until I was about 25. I genuinely never thought I’d be travelling the world like this. When I started touring in the US over 10 years ago, it felt like an impossible dream, so achieving all of this still blows my mind.
This recent trip was kind of the icing on the cake of a personal spiritual journey I’ve been on. I lost my way a bit for over a decade, but I’ve really rekindled that over the last few years. Taking the time to look inwards and find the true essence of yourself is so important. Not everyone gets that opportunity whether it’s due to family, relationships or work commitments that don’t permit it, so I’m deeply grateful that I’ve been able to use these past few years to do that work. At the same time, I know everyone’s path is different, but for me, having this freedom has been incredible.
Did it change your perspective on things?
In some ways it did, but in others it just cemented things I’d already been coming to realise.
During the trip, I spent a week at an ayahuasca retreat, as well as travelling around Peru. Peru itself has this incredible, sacred energy. Even in the lead-up to the ceremony, just travelling through the country helped me work through things I’d been carrying. Working on yourself isn’t a one-time event where you reach a finish line; it’s an ongoing, daily practice.
Coming out of that experience, I felt like I was starting fresh, but with a whole new depth of understanding. It really stripped away the idea that we are defined by our jobs or titles — that I am ‘a producer’ or ‘a DJ’. Those are things I do and love, but they aren’t who I am. At our core, we are the conscious spirit behind all of that.
The biggest realisation for me was about the music itself: because we all come from the same ultimate source, there is no real separation between any of us. That means the music I make cannot be ‘mine’; it is all of ours. The ego wants to claim ownership and say, ‘I created this, this belongs to me,’ but in reality, I’m just tapping into a shared creative energy that belongs to everyone.
It brought me back to doing everything with unconditional love, in the service of others and with complete non-attachment. If you’re truly doing things out of love, you can’t be attached to the outcome; you just put it out there without expecting anything in return. As producers and DJs, our true role is manipulating sound and energy so people can connect and experience genuine emotion. I’m fully aware of that purpose now, and I approach every track and set with that mindset.
Do you have any plans for more adventures of that nature?
For me, the real adventure is an ongoing, daily practice. Whether I’m travelling or at home, I’m constantly working on myself through daily meditation, reflection, yoga, calisthenics, and eating a dharmic diet. Trying to live a dharmic lifestyle and practising non-attachment is something I carry with me everywhere.
In terms of actual travel, absolutely. I completely fell in love with Asia when I was out there—the people, the vibe and the energy are incredible. Everything is energy, and being surrounded by people who feel and see the world the same way really helps raise your vibration. Living in a fast-paced city like London can be tough at times because the Western lifestyle is so different, so it’s super important for me to step away periodically and surround myself with that kind of grounding energy.
I’ll likely head back out to Asia towardss the end of the year to play some shows, catch up with good friends, and recharge. It gives me that perfect reset before coming back to lock into the studio, because ultimately, I just love being creative
We’ve noticed that some of the concepts behind your music lean towardss openness and spirituality. Have your recent travels influenced any of the music you’re currently working on?
Yeah, definitely. Traveling gives you the chance to read more, switch off and meditate. As soon as you leave home, you’re naturally forced to be more present because everything around you is new and you’re more alert. When you’re truly present, the false ego has to take a step back, and your true self comes through.
Because I’ve had that space to read and work on myself, I’ve found myself deeply connected to Hinduism and Buddhism on a spiritual level, as well as to spiritual and religious texts more generally. My travels in Asia really brought that side out more, too.
For example, my album Changes is directly based on the I Ching Taoism is something I really hold close to my heart. Discovering Taoism and reading the Tao Te Ching, and then the I Ching (the Book of Changes), was amazing. It’s not a book you just read straight through; it’s something you turn to when you’re at a crossroads or looking for guidance.
A lot of the tracks on the album are just trying to get a good message across and reflect where we’re at in our lives right now. I think all music is like that for everyone: you write about and express what you’re experiencing at that exact period in your life. That might change in five or 10 years, who knows, but right now, this is where we’re at
Your album with Prestige has been a long time in the making, with several samplers arriving over the past year. You’ve also been working together for ages, how has that creative relationship developed throughout the album process?
Me and Alex Prestige have been working together for years now, about 15 years, something like that. Honestly, the creative process hasn’t really changed since the beginning. The style of music we make has evolved as we’ve grown up and what inspires us has shifted, but the way we work together is the exact same.
Obviously, we never work in the same physical studio because he lives in Russia and I’m in the UK, but we make it work seamlessly. The great thing is that we trust each other deeply. What I might not be as great at, he’s a master at, and vice versa. We just have this incredible balance that’s hard to find.
As for the album timeline, it hasn’t actually been that long in the making — just over a year and a half. It got to a point where we had about six tracks and realised, ‘Oh, we can make an album out of this.’ As time went on, we kept writing better tunes and throwing them into the mix. Looking back at what we’ve achieved, we’re super grateful and proud. We’ve never followed a formula or chased trends; we just focus on ourselves and make music straight from the heart
You’ve called Playaz home for quite some time and we hear you and DJ Hype have an EP in the works together. What can you tell us about that collaboration?
I’ve been signed to Playaz for about 13 years now, and it genuinely feels like home. When I first joined, it was a massive step up and a huge achievement, but I sometimes felt out of my depth and tried changing the way I did things. At the same time, I got extremely busy with DJing—playing massive headline sets like New Year’s Eve shows and constantly travelling. Because of the late nights and that heavy touring schedule, I didn’t have enough time for the studio. Pre-COVID, I ended up becoming much more known as a DJ than a producer, even though at my core I’ve always been a producer first. Trying to balance that crazy DJ life with the studio and making music that fit what I was playing out was a real challenge.
Over the last six or seven years, especially since moving into the Playaz studio and working closely with Hype and Daddy Earl, everything changed. Taking their advice helped give me back the belief that I didn’t need to chase something I wasn’t; just being naturally me and focusing on what I’m suited to make was good enough. Seeing and hearing that support from the label has made me feel so much more comfortable.
As for the EP with Hype, it’s really cool. All of the tunes came about so naturally and were never forced — it was just us jamming, having fun, and vibing off each other. Hype knows what I’m good at, and we just clicked. The key is that it’s just good music made from the heart with the right intentions. We test the tracks out early, and if we’re vibing, we have the confidence that others will too. It’s not about following what everyone else is making right now; it’s just us doing what we do. True to a real collaboration, you can distinctly hear both of our influences coming together to make one cohesive sound, and we’re super happy with how it’s turned out.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for your music and the label?
Listen, I’ve been working so ridiculously hard that we’ve got a lot lined up. First, we’ve got the EP with Hype, and then the album coming out. Beyond that, I’ve actually already got even more music ready to go. I could easily have thrown some of this new material onto the album, but there’s been a real shift in me and in what we’re making, so keeping it separate feels right.
Looking ahead, the plan is just to keep doing things with love and maintaining that real connection with people. When you go out to shows and meet people in the scene, it’s about not seeing yourself as separate from anyone else. Sometimes people get caught up in status — whether it’s who they’re hanging out with or where they’re at in their careers and society — or the ego tries to teach us that we’re different so it can control and manipulate us. But take drum and bass out of the equation for a second, and we all come from the same ultimate source anyway. And even with the music, we all share that one core love for drum and bass, which proves we’re connected no matter what our achievements or status are.
For me, it’s about keeping those real connections alive, being an active part of this community, writing good music and inspiring others while feeling inspired in return. Ultimately, love and creativity go hand in hand, just like the universe constantly expanding, reproducing, and putting out this beautiful, non-stop energy. That’s what I want to keep doing.
