"I chose this because it incorporated a period of my life where it was all about ska music and reggae and going out dancing and Studio One. I got this record from my brother, it would have been just played in our house and it was the sort of music that would come on and I'd be like "oh, I like that!" There was this club that we used to go to called The Black Angel in Norwich and it was far too old for me, and I snuck in there when I was 12. They used to play all this dance, reggae, Motown, but The Specials would sneak in there. I think my favourite song out of it is 'A Message To You, Rudy', 'Nightclub' and 'Does It Make It Alright?' It hasn't really influenced my music - as you can probably tell! - but it definitely encapsulated a time of my life."

"I was later than James on Public Enemy, he’d be copying all the raps. You’d go down his house and he’d be rapping ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions’ to the record, like I’d be singing along to Ian McCulloch, which was really disconcerting - he really nailed it. I guess <>i>Fear Of A Black Planet is the bigger, more obvious album but it just felt like the rap equivalent of London Calling to me. It was really extensive and scattershot, obviously ‘Fight The Power’ was the main point of entry, but ‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ and ‘Who Stole The Soul?’ in particular are some of the best angry lyrics ever written. It felt like some sort of peak. I love the idea of NWA being the nihilistic, horrible Sex Pistols and Public Enemy being The Clash. I always loved those comparisons, and that album reminded me of a time when you thought things were possible. Before you were defeated."