2014 saw Doctor P release just two tunes: Going Gorillas and The Sound Of Science.

2015 saw Doctor P release three tunes and two remixes: Business, Bubblehead and Alphabet Soup plus his and Flux Pavilion’s remix Robots Can’t Dance’s Bada Bing and a new version of his own Going Gorillas.

With any luck, 2016 we will see him release even more as he’s tackled his beastly inner-self critic and hopefully invested in a few more hotel suitcase racks. Most importantly, he’s really excited about the current state of dubstep musically and at shows across the world. Here’s how 2015 looked through the clinical eyes of the good Doctor…

2015 According To… Doctor P

“Last year I had two tracks out.  Is that enough to call myself a musician? Not really. So last Christmas I made a conscious decision to release more music and set myself a goal of getting more tracks out this year; I aimed for eight. I’m not sure how many I’ve had but it’s definitely more than I released in 2014…

“Why don’t I release more than I do? Because I’m a huge self-critic! That’s what always holds thing up. I’m never happy on tracks but I have to put them out at some point or they’ll never come out. I’ve just concluded that I’ll never be totally happy and just get it out there and hope for the best.

“What I am very happy with now is the direction my music is going now. People are a lot more open minded to ideas these days, which is really important. I remember doing a drumstep track a few years ago and it caused controversy. It sounds so crazy nowadays because everyone makes different styles now but back then it was a shocker! Fans and producers are open minded, which is great and it means we can be a lot more creative with our ideas without fearing the dreaded backlash.

“That said, there’s been some really strong proper dubstep out this year. I won’t lie; I was worried that the scene would fade away at some point a few years back – even though people have been telling me dubstep was dead since 2008 before we set up Circus – but this year has been really consistent with both the shows and the music which has been coming out constantly at a very high quality.

“In fact I’d say dubstep is stronger this year than it was in 2013 and 2014 when house and trap took over. People like Skrillex have been key in this by putting out proper dubstep tracks and not shying away from the genre. Eptic and Habstrakt have kept it real, too… They haven’t jumped ship, they’ve been doing their thing and doing it really creatively. I’ve been listening to those guys for five years now and this year they’ve totally nailed their sound and I reckon the best is yet to come from them, too…

“Shows-wise London has been great for Circus; we’ve hosted a few Ministry Of Sound shows and I’m always sceptical beforehand but it always kicks off. It used to be dubstep every night in every club; now half the clubs are gone and the other half are playing house so when there is a dubstep night people come out in full force and it’s intense. Especially in London. People in London are really in tune with music; it’s a very energetic vibe. Denver has that vibe, too. They know the music inside out and are really into it. Further afield I’ve had incredible events in India and Japan this year, which were firsts for me. Proper life goals. The scene is growing hugely in the east.

“Another interesting thing for me in 2015 has been watching Flux make his album… Although watching him do it has made me never want to make an album; He looked so stressed the whole time. It’s taken him years! He nailed the philosophy before he made the album which made it harder for him but made it a much better album as a result. It’s a great piece of work.

“As for next year I’ll be trying to make even more singles, keeping the dubstep flowing. And maybe, just maybe, I might release some other non-dubstep stuff…

“It’s time to admit that I’ve been making house. Well… Music without screeches and hard drums. Right now I’ve been making it purely for fun. Not showing anyone, not planning to release it. It’s been a really exciting exercise and I’m wondering if it’s the right time to put it out under a different name. Will I let people know that it’s me behind it? I’ll probably talk about it but I won’t go over the top and use my Doctor P social media to sell it. I mean, that’s cheating isn’t it? If you make something new and fresh then it should enjoy its own development and not piggyback on something that’s already established. Who knows?”

Three artists Doctor P has been excited by in 2015

The Staves

“A folk act; they’re three sisters and they’re English. It’s a huge departure for what people know me for but I need that contrast. I can’t listen to a dance track without analysing it and thinking ‘how did they do that?’ I can’t enjoy it for what it is now. So if my head isn’t in dance music then this is what you find me listening to!”

Habstrakt & Eptic

“I’ll put these down as one artist as they’ve collaborated a lot and, like I say, they’ve just killed it this year with really defined sounds and creative ideas. I never tire of these guys.”

Kanye West

“I’m a massive Kanye fan. I know he comes across the way he does and he acts the way he does but musically he can do no wrong in my book. And I love his new stuff more than his old stuff. It feels like he’s stopped caring and makes whatever he wants to make. He’s stopped trying to be cool, which is a great thing in my opinion. He’s been incredibly creative the whole way through, he’s always doing something fresh. I love him.”