“I get bored easily,” says Hugo Chegwin, widely recognized as DJ Beats from the BBC mockumentary People Just Do Nothing – a series that transformed a group of misguided pirate radio enthusiasts into national icons. Yet, long before Kurupt FM received a BAFTA, Chegwin was steadily building his writing resume with artists like Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith, Plan B, and Mary J. Blige. The lines between parody and excellence have always been blurred in his career, but his latest venture is serious.
Now, under his own name, Chegwin appears poised to be taken seriously as a solo artist. His debut EP ‘Shark Tooth Necklace’ will be released later this year, featuring the single ‘With You’ featuring KOJ and an impressive collection of vibrant tracks that combine polished production with a distinctly urban, London feel.
And we explore why Keith Chegwin may have been the original influencer.
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Hi, Hugo Chegwin! I absolutely love People Just Do Nothing; it’s such a significant show.
Thank you.
Did you always think that the Garage scene was perfect for a parody sitcom?
It’s kind of like Spinal Tap for our generation. Every music genre has its colourful characters or those with outlandish perspectives on life. We genuinely made pirate radio; we were those individuals. It’s funny how often young people approach me about it, often watching it with their fathers or friends at university.
I’ve always regarded it as a warm satire.
Yes, because we genuinely care about the music and culture. We approached it earnestly, right down to our attire. The humor targets the characters, not the music. Kurupt FM’s music isn’t meant to be exceptional. The humor comes from them being fools in that environment. Yet, it profoundly impacted our lives.
And it certainly benefited the Garage scene as well.
When I was younger and attending festivals, Garage wasn’t prevalent. They were playing techno, and I struggled to find tracks I liked. Nowadays, however, Garage is as common as Dub Reggae or Drum and Bass. It’s featured at every festival. Most of the major UK artists today include a Garage track in their albums. It’s our music.
Why did you choose the title ‘Shark Tooth Necklace’ for your new EP?
As a child, a shark-tooth necklace was the coolest souvenir you could get while on vacation. I was brainstorming names when I created a tune with a guy named Jiambo, who mentioned a necklace. That got me thinking about shark tooth necklaces all the time, you know, with the black rope chain? It’s cool.
You’re also releasing a single this week (‘With You’, featuring KOJ). That's exciting.
I feel a bit like David Brent, “releasing a single.” You have to do something, right? KOJ is quite young; he enjoys partying, meeting women, and falling in love. So, he wanted to write about that. I aimed to create a track suitable for a rave or festival—something fun and loud.
What inspired you to start making beats?
I came from... I wouldn’t say a broken family, but both my parents started new families. This left me largely to my own devices, which was sometimes good and sometimes not. However, my dad was creative, so whenever I asked for music gear, like a MIDI keyboard or a PC for Cubase, I got it. Turntables for Christmas, that sort of thing. Mostly to keep me occupied and happy.
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The EP sounds fantastic. It's very contemporary, polished, and showcases great songwriting. Clearly, those Ivor Novello awards weren’t chance achievements.
There was a time when I thought I would contribute much more to pop music. But it's a ruthless industry. I learned a lot about song structure and keeping listeners engaged, especially given how short attention spans are now. Understand the rules so you can break them.
What kind of rules?
Quick intros, verses, pre-choruses, choruses, second verses, pre-choruses, bridges, outros—little arrangement techniques. I’m not claiming they’re particularly innovative, but Pharrell and Timbaland often experimented with DJ-style tricks—dropping the beats or cutting the snare at the start of the second verse. Until now, I hadn’t released my own music, except at 19 during the dubstep phase, where I absorbed everything at raves like Forward and Plastic People. My then-manager went to school with me when everyone was a producer or a DJ.
Do you think you’ll delve back into pop music? Is there another Emeli Sandé hit in you?
I just want to create something hard-hitting. Not necessarily gang-related, but I believe if I could infuse elements of Alchemist or Mobb Deep into pop and introduce some UK bass sounds into the charts, it would be fulfilling. ‘Next To Me’ was a big hit, but
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“I tend to lose interest quickly,” remarks Hugo Chegwin, widely recognized as DJ Beats from the BBC mockumentary People Just Do Nothing – a series that unexpectedly transformed a group of