With The Records That Made Me, VF uncovers the vinyl releases that have influenced and shaped our favourite musicians, DJs and artists.

VF sat down with Hackney-born DJ, producer, and Can You Feel The Sun co-label head Parris, ahead of his upcoming set at Field Maneuvers, to talk about his earliest memories with vinyl, how his digging habits have evolved, and to discuss his eclectic range of musical touchpoints – from early grime to indie sleeze and everything in between.

Let’s start from the beginning. What are your earliest memories of vinyl?

One of my uncles was a DJ. He had this massive wall of records at my Nan’s house. I remember him playing a lot of hip hop, which really stood out to me, especially since my mum was more into CDs. I used to bug him all the time to play stuff when I visited.

Then I didn’t see vinyl again until around 2008 or 2009, when I started going out and eventually got into record shopping myself. I’d go to places like Black Market, Reckless, Sounds of the Universe, and Music and Video Exchange. Soho had loads of stores back then.

How has your relationship with vinyl changed over the years?

I definitely buy less now. Between 2017 and 2019, I moved house a lot, and moving records is just heavy. It made me more selective about what I buy. These days I mostly buy records for DJing, like old tech house or house from the ’90s and 2000s that I want to rip and play out. But I still grab the occasional pop or listening record too.

Why is it important to you to have your own music pressed to vinyl?

Coming up through grime and dubstep, vinyl and dubplates were everything. A record didn’t feel real until it was pressed. I used to cut dubplates myself up until around 2016. Having that physical copy in your hands makes it feel finished. It gives the music a kind of presence that nothing else does.

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Wiley – “Bow E3” / “50/50”

This one always stood out to me. I grew up in Hackney during the rise of grime — listening to Roll Deep, Boy Better Know — and this was Wiley’s first album on Big Dada.

The instrumental was produced by Maniac, who went to my school and was actually in my year. It’s raw, dark, heavy and Wiley’s flow is so strong on it.

Out of all his white labels and other tunes I could’ve picked, this one just connects the most. It reminds me of being a teenager and hearing grime as it was blowing up. I was 15, 16 years old, fully immersed.

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Digital Mystikz (Mala / Coki) – “Neverland” / “Stuck” [DMZ 12”]

I honestly think "Neverland" is one of the best dubstep tracks ever written. I got into dubstep when I was around 16 or 17, through a friend who had an iPod full of downloaded music. I used to go to his house, copy music off his computer. He was already out raving with a fake ID.

Later, I started hunting down physical copies on Discogs or from friends. Mala’s approach really influenced me: having a strong sonic identity, being creative, and still making music for the dancefloor. "Neverland" captures that energy perfectly. It’s genreless in a way, but it still fits that dubstep space.

Anthony Naples – Zipacon EP

This was the first house record I ever bought and the first one I really understood. I’d been buying records for a few years already, mostly grime, dubstep, and garage, but house hadn’t clicked with me yet.

When I heard this EP probably around 2012 or 2013 and it just connected. I liked the sound, the mood. It was the first time I felt like, “Okay, this could fit into one of my sets.” I was working at BM Soho at the time, so I was being exposed to a lot of music, but this one stuck.

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Lana Del Rey – Born to Die

A classic. I could’ve gone with Ultraviolence, but Born to Die made the most sense. It reminds me of my early twenties. It was that coming-of-age period of becoming an adult, going through growing pains, dating. I had a girlfriend at the time and we used to listen to it a lot.

It’s a perfect pop record. That nostalgic Americana sound creates a whole world. I love records that can make you visualise something you’ve never lived. This one does that beautifully.

Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future

This was one of the first bands I ever got into. Where I grew up, kids didn’t really listen to bands, it was mostly hip hop and grime. Going to college, meeting new people, and hearing new music opened me up to different sounds.

I remember this album coming out when I was 17. It had that electronic edge, and I think it’s genuinely one of the best British albums of its time. It captures that Skins-era teenage energy of the late 2000s, indie-rave and messy youth culture. It’s very specific, but it still holds up.

Field Maneuvers takes place August 15 to 17. Tickets are available now.