“It was sheer determination on my behalf. If I get something in my head that I want to do then I go for it. I got my job with Judge Jules on that basis. I asked him time and time again for an opportunity and he kept on turning me down. I eventually got the chance, probably just because he got sick of me hammering his door. I had this strong belief that I could do what I can do and that got me through.” For a man who moved to London from Dublin ten years ago with the sole goal of working in A&R, Patterson concedes he was a man of many contacts when he first propositioned Judge Jules, but if he had not had valuable advice earlier on his career, he may not have had the forethought to stay focused.
“I worked for Nick Halkes who signed the Prodigy. He was the biggest perfectionist and I learnt so much from him. He came down on me really hard on a lot of occasions. He just gave me a kick up the arse. He gave me the mentality to never give up. Not to leave things unfinished. Having that belief instilled in me from an early age and knowing how hard it is. To have a mentor like that definitely stood me in good stead.” Having an employer who lead by example, Patterson realised that to be successful, regardless of your choice of discipline, a driven focus is essential. While competence can open doors, those who thrive are those who strive. “Even working for Jules, he was the epitome of a business man and professional. I was lucky enough to be around people like that and to see how hard you have to work. I don’t think at I’d be half as good as I am now.”
“Even getting into A&R was a tough slog for me initially. It is a hard path to take. In DJing to be against so much competition, there are so many talented DJs, you have to consciously be ahead of the game. It is very easy to have a little success and then become stale, and not move forward. The most important thing for me is to be constantly moving forward and developing, to not get stuck in a rut. That is the hardest part.” Though his diverted arrival at DJing means that he is not necessarily competing against his peers, Patterson is adamant that extra insight into playing the professional game will pay off for him long term. “To try stay in front of your peers and to ensure your tracks are always individual, it is definitely not easy. I knew it was going to be as hard as this. But I am in it now, I have been reasonably successful and played big shows, I have had tracks people have liked, that is all you can do. Just keep focusing. It is such a short lived career you just have to do the best that you can do, so you set yourself up for when you are in the past, so to speak. But I am ready to do the work and put the effort in.”
Having achieved two different careers to acclaim in a decade is no mean feat. While Patterson is clearly pleased to have made the transition successfully, he advises those still working their way up the ladder to “never give up. You have to have the belief and determination. It is very difficult sometimes with knock backs all the time. There are so many good producers out there who are making amazing tracks and are way better than most people, but don’t seem to get the recognition or the opportunities. I think the reason they don’t; you haven’t got enough determination, focus or drive.”
