Joe Milli on London roots, party-starting energy & the refined simplicity behind Manifest Leisure | Faux Poly Interviews

From running raves as a teenager in Peckham Rye to building a reputation as a producer with a sharp, hook-led sound, Joe Milli’s journey has always been tied to London’s ever-shifting dance culture. With influences spanning UK Funky, Bass, Techno and beyond, his tracks carry the energy of the parties he grew up throwing while leaning on a philosophy of keeping ideas bold and simple.

Now stepping into a new chapter with his Deep Forest EP on Livity Sound, Milli reflects on the connections that shaped him, the evolution of his workflow, and how he continues to balance community, instinct, and experimentation in his music.

Can you tell us a bit about your background, where you’re from and how you got into making music?

I’m Joe from southeast London, originally from Peckham Rye. I’m a guitarist by trade so I’ve always been into music from an early age. I think my journey into dance music really started through running parties. Back in sixth form, we were sneaking into raves and I caught the bug. Not long after, I started putting on my own events and that ended up being a big part of my life for nearly a decade.

Before any of that though, I was DJing. My mate Josh Tautz had a pair of knackered old Numark CDJs, we’d hang out and have a mix. I started picking up records here and there and slowly built things from that side. Production came in later. I dabbled with Fruity Loops and Cubase at school, and did a bit more at uni, but nothing serious at the time.

It wasn’t until I hit my late 20s that I properly committed to making music. During lockdown, I was still working in hospitality, running pubs and restaurants — but it got rough. I ended up leaving a job under pretty convenient circumstances that allowed me to build a home studio. I bought some gear, finally got a legit copy of Ableton, and just got stuck in.

The first tunes were rough, obviously, but I didn’t care — it was about doing it. I wasn’t chasing anything at that point, just making stuff for the love of it… and eventually, some of it started to click. Also I gotta shout out my mum here also, probably the best selector I know. She might be the main reason why I have the bug for music.

Would you say the connections you made early on from throwing parties at 18 helped kickstart your music career?

Yes and no. There were definitely people who supported me early on — biggest shout to James & Tom (God Colony). I sent them everything, James has taught me a lot of what I know. Andy Lemay is probably another one to mention for giving stuff ears. But I think the era I came up in and the one we’re in now feel like two completely different worlds.

Back then, there was a stronger sense of community. Now, especially in London, it can feel like everyone is scrambling for a slice of the same pie. That said, having people around to bounce ideas off has always been important. My day 1 friend Jamie aka Big Kani has been a solid one. He’s been at it for ages, gives me so much energy to create. Even just sharing tunes, getting feedback, or sometimes no feedback at all…

Your sound blends UK Funky, Bass, Techno and more. What’s your approach when building a track? Do you usually start from rhythm, texture, or a sample?

Even though a lot of my tracks are quite drum-heavy, I actually tend to leave the drums till later. I might throw a kick down early just to get things moving, but the real starting point is usually a hook — something melodic, a vocal, a pad, a stab — just an idea with a bit of spine to it.

For me, it’s all about finding the core element that gives the tune its identity. It doesn’t have to be overly musical or full of parts, but it has to be strong. Once that’s in place, everything else builds around it.

I kind of think about it like making a tomato salad — you don’t need loads of ingredients, just really good ones. A few great components, like a proper hook, are enough to carry a track. The drums and other elements are like garnish — they elevate it, but the core needs to be solid first. (You can probably tell I used to cook…)

You seem to nail really simple but solid ideas. How do you decide when a track is “done”? Is it a gut feeling, or do you have a more methodical approach to knowing when to stop tweaking?

I try to get things arranged as quickly as possible. Once the structure’s in place it’s easier to tell what’s working and what’s missing. If nothing feels like it needs to be added sonically, and the arrangement feels right, that’s usually a good sign.

There’s definitely a point where tweaking becomes counterproductive — you’re just creating new problems rather than solving old ones. If it sounds good, feels playable, and has the right amount of space, I tend to leave it. You can always send it to someone for a listen or sit on it for a bit, but overworking a track is a real danger.

Most of the time, I’ll only take a track to about 70–80%, the rest gets handled in the mixdown. As long as the core ideas are strong and it feels balanced, I’m happy. You’ll always think, “Oh, maybe I could’ve added this or that,” but if people are reacting, heads are nodding and no one's clearing the room, then you’ve done something right.

With the Faux Poly release, I remember playing “Body” on radio and the studio crew just flooded in asking what it was. That kind of reaction tells you everything you need to know.

Is there anything exciting coming up in your pipeline — any future projects, collaborations, or EPs we should be keeping an eye out for?

I’ve got an EP dropping on Livity Sound Recordings in September. I think we start rolling things out in late August. I’m a fan of the label so it feels quite special to be releasing with them as they’re one of my favorites in the UK for sure. I know the camp fairly well, but I still wanted to really tap into the sound.

It all kicked off during January — classic dry Jan energy. Weddings and wine work are my bread and butter outside of music, and January's usually dead, so I had a bit of space to just lock in and write. I didn’t give the tracks any names, just “Dub One,” “Dub Two,” etc. I told myself I’d stop at 10… then it was 20… then 25. You know how it goes.

The EP’s called Deep Forest. Percussion-heavy, as always, but with more melodic touches and maybe a bit less bass-led than some of my other stuff. Still simple tracks with strong ideas, but this one leans more into sound system territory, exploring low-end subtleties and weight in a slightly different way.

Faux Poly number two is definitely on the cards as well — that's home. Joe, Warren & Devin are like musical family to me. I’ve got a track on the Welt Discos Compilation, an amazing team sheet for that one. Shout out Joe Delon! Beyond that, I’m just always working on stuff. For me, the goal is simple: keep making music, keep learning.

Looking back at Manifest Leisure and comparing it to your upcoming releases, how do you feel your sound has evolved? Are you intentionally trying to break from previous modes?

Yeah, for sure. A lot of it’s come down to refining my setup and workflow. Once I sorted my Ableton template and got everything in the studio properly wired in, it all started to click. I could sit down and get ideas out straight away.

Back then, it was just my Vermona Mono Lancet & TR-8. Now I’ve added bits like a DRM1, Model D and TD-3, but I still keep things simple. I’m not big on plugins so I mostly use stock stuff and stick to what actually inspires me.

Sonically, I’ve moved away from vocal samples a bit and focused more on drums and melody. But it’s not about breaking away from anything, it’s just natural evolution. You do something a thousand times, you get quicker, sharper, and more confident in your decisions.

Have you had phases where you felt stuck in a “style” or sound? How do you get out of that without losing what makes your music yours?

I haven’t had writer’s block in a while, but when it does hit, I think it’s important to just accept it — if you’re not feeling it, that’s okay. Forcing it never works. Sometimes the best move is to step away, go do something else, and come back fresh.

One thing that’s really helped me is remixing. Joe and Warren have a folder with stems from every Faux Poly release, and messing around with those can be a great way to get unstuck. You’ve already got the ingredients — it’s easier to make a meal. I did a remix of one of Guava’s tunes a while back, and that sparked a little creative run for me. It’s all about finding momentum in small ways.

What’s the most memorable set you’ve played recently, and what made it stand out?

One that really stands out was at Carpet Shop for African Acid Is The Future. I played after Maryisonacid who’s an amazing DJ and it’s her night. The energy was wicked, there was a proper freedom on the dancefloor, everyone was up for it. That feeling of being able to fully express yourself, without compromise, is what I’m always chasing.

I’m actually joining them again at OHM Berlin in August for a collab party with my old friend Dauwd’s label Psssh which is a mad one for me. I always love playing for Atrium, those lads do parties properly!

Another memorable one was The Goose, a tiny boat party for Stolen Groove, maybe 60–70 cap. Great system, intimate crowd, no clouty energy, just people there for the music. I nearly didn’t make it haha. I got dropped off in the middle of nowhere with all my records but eventually found it and the vibe was unreal. Sardines on the dancefloor, rotary mixer (not usually my favourite), but it just worked. Proper night.

Quick-Fire Round

• Dream B2B? — Donato Dozzy. Though let’s be real, it’d be me with a notepad, just watching him work. More realistically? Nala Brown. She plays everything, she has incredible range and an amazing taste. Just a wicked DJ all around.
• Most underrated DJ right now? — Lily London, hands down. Used to be one half of Daughters of Frank, her energy’s unreal. Did a B2B with her at The Greyhound and it was pure synergy. Also P. Lucas has to get a mention — he’s an absolute surgeon. Citizen, and Freya too. All serious talents, different styles, but all think and move on another level.
• Favourite club you’ve played in? — The second room at The Bussey Building (IYKYK). No stage, just the DJ right there with the crowd, 300-ish cap, sweaty, chaotic, perfect. Also gotta shout out The Goose, that tiny boat party was pure magic.
• A club you haven’t played but would love to? — OHM is happening soon, but The White Hotel is top of the list. Ambers too, love the ethos there. And yeah, Fabric’s obviously a bucket-lister.
• Go-to closing track? — “2000F & JKamata – You Don’t Know What Love Is.” Just blissful 2008 dubstep. Mala – “Alicia,” that’s the zone. As much as I play a lot of techno, I’ll always be a grime/dubstep/garage head at heart.
• One plugin or piece of gear you couldn’t live without? — The Vermona Mono Lancet. It’s on every track, even if you can’t hear it. I also love the TR-8 for working quickly. Plugin-wise: Waves Schepps Omni Channel — EQ, compression, saturation, multiband… it just makes everything punch.

📸 Photography by James Moyle