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Exclusive: Redlight Premieres ‘9TS’ Video – Watch Now!

Redlight’s new banger is filled with wall-to-wall vintage Burberry…

By Tamara Roper

Last year Breach’s Jack got all up in our eardrums, played out in clubs before it torpedoed its way into the charts, declaring the pop-house crossover floodgate officially open. Since then, the charts have been dominated by fresh talent making old beats sound new, and all the better for it.

We knew Bristol born OG Redlight’s new track, 9TS, would form a life of its own after it was dropped last month. Minimal, repetitive lyrics and a wobbly bass line that calls out, “let’s party like it’s 1990, baby”, it’s a shout-out to the bread and buttery base of ’90s rave culture. Complete with a video of Burb’d up babes and ‘archive footage’, we caught up with Redlight before this exclusive premiere to talk fashion, influences and why Arya Stark is a bastion of UK dance music.

MTV UK: What is it about dance music that’s reaching out to nineties babies at the moment?

Redlight: I don’t think anything’s changed. I wasn’t born in the nineties, but I’ve been raving since then. The raves now are better for different reasons – they’re a lot friendlier now. You never get any troubles in parties. For me, 9TS is about the references, it’s not about being born after 1990. It’s for everyone, really. You see these generations come in and out of the clubs. It wasn’t really written for any other reason than just the vibe, man. It’s fun.

MTV UK: You’ve got a pretty wide fan base - we heard Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams saying 9TS was her favourite song…

Redlight: I thought it was hilarious when that popped up, a friend sent it to me and I thought, ‘that is too good’. I think she’s from the West Country so she’s a Bristol raver. That’s where I grew up, so there’s that link. I think she’s also obsessed with Shy FX- she loves Digital Soundboy.

MTV UK: It looks like she’s an early raver - she’s only 17!

Redlight: That’s the thing with the tune, you hit a really broad amount of people who get their own vision about what it means. Really, that’s what songwriting is about for me, allowing people to have their own interpretation of a song. It doesn’t have to be about what the person wrote it about, it’s about what you think it’s about. That’s nice when people get that.

MTV UK: Who do you reckon will be the references on a noughties baby track?

Redlight: A$AP Rocky. Rihanna. Redlight, obviously, if I do something for British culture that’s relevant. Cara Delevingne, maybe. I don’t know. Who’s had a big impact on this generation?

MTV UK: Kanye?

Redlight: Yeah, definitely! I love Kanye. He’s my number one; I think he’s really inspirational. I get a lot of inspiration from US hip hop, the inspiration from 9TS baby came from US hip hop, from an A$AP Rocky tune.

MTV UK: It’s interesting that you were inspired to make a nostalgic, British, dance track from a modern American hip hop song…

Redlight: I get a lot of inspiration from American hip hop. I’ve listened to it since I was little. It’s interesting because a lot of American DJs have asked for the tune and they say it’s going down wicked over there. It’s funny because no one was really wearing Moschino in the ’90s over there.

MTV UK: Did you have a go-to ’90s rave outfit?

Redlight: When I was 14 I never had enough money to buy anything. Maybe it was like a Russell Athletic long-sleeved T-shirt to begin with, and some jeans. Maybe a year or two later I was spending silly money on Versace, buying it in designer shops. Sergio, Moschino, print stuff. I sold it all!

MTV UK: Worst outfit that you wore in the ’90s?

Redlight: There could be so many, I’m trying to think. I had a pair of jeans that were like a four man tent. They were pretty shocking. How the hell were they in fashion? Even labels, that’s pretty bad. I had a Versace T-shirt that had a massive Versace logo on it. That’s a bad look. I think Moschino and that is cool now, but only on women. Not on me. I’d still buy it, I bought a vintage Versace silk shirt a few months ago, but it wasn’t for me. The video has all vintage Mosch and Versace, and vintage Burb as well!

Check out the video for 9TS above and roam through style gallery below if it’s got you feeling nostalgic.

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