Thriller by Michael Jackson

"I remember the gatefold cover and I remember clearly the first time I heard it was summer and my parents opening up the doors and having friends round when I was younger. He was just the ultimate pop star and the music... it's weird when you heard something like 'Billie Jean' for the first time, that the combination of sounds - soul, electro, etc - then sounded so fresh. How he'd go from funk soul on one track, then into something really poppy. 'Thriller', the song, isn't actually my favourite. I prefer the rest of the album to it, funnily enough, but I think he made such a massive mark with this album. For me, that was his definitive statement."

"What's your karaoke song? Last time I did it it was in Virginia. We were drunk after the show and did Michael Jackson's "Pretty Young Thing". Wale stumbles in and starts singing with us - we put it up on youtube. "

"I love what he was trying to say in that song, it touched me. He was trying to connect people and give them this earthy feeling - that we're all connected in some way. And the melody is just incredible. “The funny thing about this song is that you can drop it mid-set, maybe mix it into SVW's “Right Here” to keep it moving. You’ve got to find ways! That's the beauty of the whole DJing thing. Why not drop “Nice & Slow” and then the tempo of “Human Nature” is around 60, 63, 64 BPM. If you double it, it's the same speed as a fast dance tune, so you can just put a dance beat underneath and then you're in the mix. So this one I try and play out when I can. “The sample was used everywhere too, and this is one of the things I love about hip hop. The ability to take a classic and flip it. It's what makes DJing so great too."

"That record, and that image, and that video... it was powerful because I was afraid of it. More than just a regular horror movie, because at some point, logic will kick in. 'Freddy Kruger's not real'. But Michael Jackson is real, you know what I'm saying? I don't think it can be denied how brilliant he was. Michael Jackson was one of the most obviously brilliant things I've ever seen. Off The Wall was just as good as Thriller, if not better; it's the iconic image of Thriller that makes it so good."

"Michael Jackson was probably his biggest at this time, it was the early to mid-80s," he continued. "I'd dance around the living room with my glove on like every other kid at that age during that time. It's almost as if pop music is kind of something I loved so much as a kid, and then when I was 13, 14, 15, I kind of left it behind because I didn't think it was particularly cool."

"I’m always inspired by Michael's marriage of incredible lyrics and unbelievable production. When I want to make something timeless I’ll always reference Michael Jackson. I think one of the best songs in the whole world is 'Billie Jean.' I can go on and on about MJ."