Sunderland-born producer Dharma has been steadily carving out a distinctive space within UK electronic music, blending influences from ambient, house, techno, breakbeat and jungle into a sound he describes as “a bit chaotic at times but structured.”

With releases on labels including Permanent Vacation, Me Me Me and R&S Records, he continues to build momentum with each new project. His latest release, One Clean Sock, marks a return to the iconic Belgian imprint, pairing a dark, electro-leaning title track with the more expansive and melodic Questions. We caught up with Dharma to discuss his musical roots, creative process and the stories behind the new release.

You started out performing as a multi-instrumentalist in orchestras and bands before moving into electronic music. How has that musical foundation shaped the way you approach production today?

It’s definitely influenced my style in the sense that a lot of my tracks are harmony and melody driven. My theory is pretty rusty, but I tend to make it work as much as I can! I have often thought about including more real world instruments into my tracks and maybe that will be something that I can do in the future!

Growing up in Sunderland, how did the local music scene influence your journey into electronic music?

Growing up in the northeast really set the groundwork for everything I do today. Going to clubs like World Headquarters and Cosmic Ballroom in Newcastle, as well as Independent in Sunderland opened my eyes to this whole new world of electronic music.

Was there a defining moment when you realised electronic production was the direction you wanted to pursue?

For sure. Prior to discovering electronic music, I always had this fascination with writing music but could never really find a band that would stick. Discovering electronic music, aged around 17 opened up the possibility of creating new worlds just from my computer in my room! It was a massive game changer and I’ve never looked back.

Do you still incorporate elements of your earlier musical training when writing electronic tracks?

For sure, although my music theory is pretty rusty, it does help and influence my writing process. I would say that attending music tech college at Gateshead and later studying music and computing and Goldsmiths probably had a greater impact on my writing.

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You cite artists like The Prodigy and Aphex Twin as influences. What aspects of their work have had the biggest impact on you?

For sure. With the Prodigy, their approach to sampling I’ve always found really impressive. With Aphex Twin, his music, for me at least, tells stories, and I find that incredibly influential to my writing style.

Your music often pulls from ambient, house, techno, breakbeat and jungle. Do you consciously try to blend genres or does it happen organically in the studio?

At times I can be methodical and aim to make a jungly track that blends ambient influences, it’s fun to experiment and see what works. Other times, I just go with how I feel, without much thought!

Your sound has been described as both distinctive and forward-thinking, how would you personally describe the Dharma sound?

I think the Dharma sound is a bit chaotic at times but structured. I’d say it’s a pretty true representation of me as a person, and as an artist, I find that that’s important.

Your new single “One Clean Sock” marks another step in your relationship with R&S Records. What drew you to working with the label initially?

Honestly R&S was always a dream label for me to showcase my music, and I’ve been incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to release with them again. Artists such as Lone, Aphex Twin, James Blake, Model 500, Tessela were integral to my journey, so having my music alongside those names is a trip.

The title track has a darker, electro-leaning atmosphere with a dense bassline. What was the starting point for that track?

This track was written all the way back in 2020, mid Covid. I remember wanting to just finish something within one session with alot of intensity.

The B-side “Questions” feels lighter and more expansive with big synth pads. Were you intentionally exploring two different moods across the release?

So Questions is honestly the opposite of One Clean Sock in terms of approach. This track was written in late 2025 with the intent of creating an expansive, intricate piece. This took me weeks to finish, unlike the title track which had taken me around 3 hours. I had sent a lot of music to Renaat over the years, 6 years worth! These are the ones that really stuck and I feel the vast difference in moods of each track serve as complementary opposites.

The title “One Clean Sock” is quite intriguing, does the name have a story behind it? I know I have a problem finding a pair of clean socks in my house!

So shamefully, the title of this track is as literal as my sock situation at that very moment. As boring as it sounds, whilst naming this track, I was struggling to find clean socks ha. Obviously I could have changed the name to something way better, but as silly as it sounds, I tend to name all of my music after whatever is going on in my life at that moment or how the track feels at that very moment. I like my music to be personal, almost like a diary. So it would be untrue to then change the name after 6 years, even if it is slightly absurd. As for Questions, I think at the time, I felt as if the track sounded mysterious, thus Questions made sense.

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When you were making these tracks, were they designed with the club environment in mind or were you experimenting more freely?

To be honest, I rarely write music with the club environment in mind, although that is something I am currently exploring! I tend to favour story telling over making club bangers, but recently I’ve been experimenting with marrying the 2!

R&S Records has a legendary catalogue featuring artists like Aphex Twin, Joey Beltram, James Blake and Gabriels among many other luminaries. How does it feel to be releasing music on a label with that kind of history?

Pretty surreal to be honest! Definitely something i’m extremely proud of.

Your previous work with the label included “Structured Chaos” on the In Order To Dance 4.0 compilation and the “Gracie” EP. How does One Clean Sock build on those earlier releases?

I think as an artist, One Clean Sock explores more darker territory than the previous ones which I think is an exciting left turn.

When you start a new track, do you usually begin with rhythm, melody or sound design?

I used to begin with Rhythm and get nowhere quite often so nowadays, I start with melody and go from there!

Are you someone who finishes tracks quickly or do you spend a lot of time revisiting and refining them?

I usually spend a lot of time on a track, I rarely revisit though. I often spend weeks on one track until it is finished.

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Your releases have received support from artists like Daniel Avery, Skream and Erol Alkan. Has that kind of recognition influenced your confidence or direction as a producer?

For sure, it’s always great to receive positive feedback from artists that I look up to, and it definitely boosts my confidence. When I lack confidence, I struggle to finish music, so i’ll take as much as I can get!

You’ve also worked with labels like Permanent Vacation and Me Me Me. How different is the experience between releasing on different imprints?

It’s fun to be honest, every label has a different way of doing things, but I’ve found it very useful to work with as many people as possible.

Remixing Man Power for Me Me Me connected you with another artist from the North East, how important are those regional connections?

Geoff (Man Power) has been incredibly helpful in my early career and gave me the platform to meet other great artists in the north east and beyond. It’s definitely important to meet your local peers as community prevails!

Your output has been quite prolific in recent years. Are you constantly producing or do you work in bursts of creativity?

I am constantly producing! It’s a forever ongoing process, and I guess I’ve really ramped up pace in the last few years for sure.

How do you feel your sound has evolved since your earliest releases?

I think my production has just gotten tighter and my overall writing process has improved just through practice!

What excites you most about the next phase of Dharma?

April onwards, I’m releasing music every month for the rest of 2026, so I’m really excited to get going!

Dharma – One Clean Sock is out on April 4th 2026. Get it on Beatport HERE.

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