For those who don't know your deep history in the music world, it seems like John Osborn came out of nowhere in the last three years. Do you feel like you reinvented yourself and will your past stay in your past?

Yes and no.  I have reinvented myself, or I'd prefer to say I just evolved, but I don't think the terminology really matters. In London I was heavily into the 90's Techno scene, particularly the UK sound at the time, Pure Plastic, Ifach, Cristian Vogel, Subhead so on. When I moved to Berlin in 99 I slowed down and was little bored with this really hard sound, but all I could find for alternatives at the time was either Drum n Bass or the very Latin influenced house. It seemed to me to be very 'trendy' and didn't really make much sense, so as a result I found myself listening to more electro, this evolved into meeting a friend and we started an electro outfit called Neonman. This was all in 2001 and before the term Electro Clash even existed. I know it was trash, disposable and quick and dirty. This at the time appealed to me, but the nature of this sound was very much like a comet, burn bright, quickly and fade to black even quicker. Then one night in 2006 I was in London, at a house party and the music that was being played got me, it was like being reunited with a really cool old friend that just got even cooler in absence. From that point the band Neonman ceased to exist and John Osborn as the dj returned. So to answer your second question: My past is my past, but I am in no way ashamed of it, nor do I regret it - it is something that shaped and made me who I am today.

You recently started a new label called TANSTAAFL with friend and partner dj October. What's the idea behind the label and what music can we expect in the first releases?

We will focus on around four releases a year from a very select crew of people. All the music that comes from these people will be run through October's studio in some way (The Red Temple, or Behind the Red Door) so that each and every release will have a similar flavor, but will be different in arrangement and musical terms. The label will have a sound that is one step beyond a 'style', each release will sound like it was fried in the same pan, but the actual food and flavor is different. This way the TANSTAAFL RECORDS sound will be very strong and each release united. The genre of music that TANSTAAFL will release will flutter somewhere between House and Techno, straight for the dance floors and probably the darker ones!

Design is a big part of your daily life. What are some of the interesting design projects you are working on and how important is the visual aspect of your dj career?

The two mediums have always been linked for me, when I was younger I never thought of music as a career option, but I loved it so much and saw that design was a way to be involved in music and to keep my parents of my back by learning something that 'had a future'. As I studied at Saint Martins for my final dissertation I interviewed Tomato, the visual side of Underworld, about exactly that close relationship between dance music production and graphic design. I get a great buzz still from working on music related design, and I have done many a commercial 'bread & butter' design job to subsidize my musical career. Now those jobs are becoming less and less, and when I work on design stuff it is now normally more stuff I actually intrinsically enjoy. I recently redesigned the Hotflush 12" series, I am still doing the Sub:stance party artwork, which is now a global party and everything visually related to JackOff comes from me - and this is a really nice aesthetic right now.

You are also involved in JackOff Records and events with Elie Eidelman. How did this connection come about and how is JackOff different to TANSTAAFL?

Elie was actually my booker when Neonman became successful, but before that happened I met him at TwenFm when he was standing in for the DJ who played before me! Then later when I 'returned' to House & Techno I started a party called Jackson. At the time Elie was doing a party called Half Off, and as we knew each other very well over the years, we decided to do a night together, so we merged the two names together and came up with JackOff. We then continued to do these parties for almost over two years in Berlin before Elie started the label. With JackOff Elie is very much the driving seat as to what comes out and I am more of a consultant, kinda like the Pet Shop Boys model - I'm the dude in the background with the synths haha! JackOff has a much broader house sound, which reflects Elie's style and tastes that ranges from dubber hard stuff right through to more uplifting sounds, I guess I get consulted more in the dark dubber stuff..haha!

Tanstaafl Signal radio show on Twen.Fm has been making waves in the international scene. What do you think makes this show unique and so successful?

If I am really honest, I do not know, I can only guess. Maybe because I have been doing radio shows, regularly for nearly 10 years now and I am not scared to talk, and that I really believe in the radio format as apposed to the 'podcast' format. I was doing the show myself every two weeks, but since I started the show under the TANSTAAFL SIGNAL name, dj October took over one show live from Bristol. This is for two reasons, one it was just getting too much work for me with a hectic dj schedule and design work, and two it cemented the connection between the two cities under the TANSTAAFL name. Also I have a lot of well known friends that do amazing guest mixes on the show, so I guess that helps! haha!

You recently are back to the production seat. What releases can we expect from you in the near future?

Yeap! Well currently the first release under my name John Osborn, and the first release on TANSTAAFL is out now, which has had a tremendous response, I am tidally flashed by how well it has done. We have actually had to repress the 12" before it even got released so to say! Then there will be a JackOff release with a super fine Quarion remix, and then another release on TANSTAAFL and a remix on TANSTAAFL. That is what is planned 100%, but there is more material being worked on, and I have also started a 'co-production' project with an old friend of mine and that is sounding very promising indeed, but as yet we have no name, so this will also see the light of day someday!!!

Taken from SLIM Mag November Issue

Artist of the Week: John Osborn will air Tuesday November 15th at 18:00, with repeats Wednesday at 12:00, and Saturday at 10:00.