Get Toddla T talking about music, and you can’t really stop him. In the kindest possible way. Ever since the age of 10 (!) he got his first pair of decks and started to learn to DJ the Sheffield artist became besotted with music. At first it was US rap, then via his hometown’s productive music scene it became electronica. Two decades down the line, anyone familiar with his recorded output (two solo albums, many, many production and remix credits) and his radio shows (he’s still a regular on Radio 1 and 1Xtra) knows that he’s a man with a broad palette. Toddla’s a guy who overspills with enthusiasm for music – be it reggae, grime, hip hop, dance, jungle…

That’s the main thing I took away from this episode of Midnight Chats: Toddla’s infectious pursuit of knowledge and adventure for new sounds. It was recorded at his studio in west London. In it, he discusses the rise of grime (and it’s future, given he has been a key champion of the movement in the early years), how he went from flogging shoes in a Sheffield trainer shop to DJing across the world and why, in these divided times, his beloved Notting Hill Carnival showcases what he thinks is best about British culture.

Toddla T’s new album ‘Foreign Light’ is out on 28 July.

Listen to more episodes of Midnight Chats, our previous guests have included Ghostpoet, Laura Marling, Ryan Adams, Flying Lotus, Mac DeMarco and many, many more.