Turno Reflects on “Brick Lane”: An Interview on His High-Energy Love Letter to East London

We’re thrilled to sit down with one of drum and bass’s most exciting and authentic voices, Turno, as he celebrates the release of his latest track and music video, “Brick Lane.” A high-energy tribute to East London, this track brings together a powerhouse collaboration with grime legend D Double E, rap royalty Morrisson, and rising star Catching Cairo. The music video, directed by the ever-talented Broken Antenna, captures the essence of East London’s vibrant, diverse culture—from iconic bagel shops to the heart of Queen’s Market. In this interview, Turno shares the inspiration behind “Brick Lane,” the powerful sense of community that shaped its creation, and his thoughts on the evolution of the UK music scene. Welcome, Turno, and congratulations on the new release! Let’s dive in.

Can you tell us about how “Brick Lane” came to be and what inspired the track?

We were just vibing out with some reggae flavors, and between CC and the other writers in the room, the word ‘Brick Lane’ stuck out, and I think the hook pretty much wrote itself. The song just stayed as an idea until RCA signed me, and Sej (the A&R) really liked the track and the potential it had! He suggested sending it to D Double E and Morrisson, as they’re both from east London, along with Catching Cairo. Obviously I was like, ‘Yessssss! Great idea!’ Then the concept started forming about how different ethnic backgrounds and cultures are so important to the fabric of where we live, and we wanted to celebrate that!!

You mentioned the importance of community and togetherness in this song. Could you elaborate on how these themes shaped the production and lyrics?

I think what really brought the concept into reality was when we all linked up to record and write Morrisson and D Double E’s verses. Catching Cairo also re-recorded and added some extra adlibs and harmonies. It completely changed the drop and energy of the track, as before it was just a rough sketch with a basic b-line. This is where we all met properly for the first time and actually got to know each other. We played around with the track, recording both verses, and started to form the arrangement.

We all spoke about the importance of culture and how many different ethnic backgrounds there are in London, and how this makes up the community! Once Morrisson laid down his verse, the lyrics just confirmed our passion for the same vision. The video is even more of a statement to all the above, as we represented as much of east London’s diversity as possible!

What was it like bringing together such a powerful lineup with D Double E, Morrisson, and Catching Cairo? How do you decide who to collaborate with, and what makes for a perfect musical partnership?

Ah, lost for words! Any single one of them artists I’d be gassed to work with, let alone all three!! Super humbled and grateful!

Catching Cairo the Queen of DnB

D Double E, Grime GOAT

And Morrisson Rap Royalty!

And it was Morrison’s first ever DnB track, so that’s crazy!!

When deciding, it really has to make sense. You’re telling a story, so everything needs to sound and feel the part; it’s all about staying authentic but putting your stamp on something! Chemistry and respect are everything! If you all share the same vision, it makes the song so much more powerful, and with ‘Brick Lane’ it has such a widely relatable message that we really hope it connects.

“Brick Lane” is a vibrant tribute to East London. What does East London mean to you personally, and how did you make sure that energy came through in the music?

Only Fools and Horses, cheeky cockney banter, football factory, Green Street. Shoreditch: I did a couple of parties there years ago. Great food and great nights out! I think the song has the soul and spirit of ‘Brick Lane’ with its shakeup and proper carnival flavors with massive inspiration from the jungle and going raving as a kid. I wanted it to have all the emotions and energies of a night out!

The video seems to capture the heart of East London’s diverse culture. How did you and the team approach the visuals to reflect the essence of the area?

This was vital to the process, and we really did want to represent as much of the community as we could! Obviously, we asked D Double E, Morrisson, and Catching Cairo what places were close to their hearts and what made east London great to them. As I’m Italian, I wanted to get Pellicci’s involved alongside my family; we wanted to capture the real east London authentically and wanted the video to have a raw grainy edge to it. Every lyric is represented by a relative visual, which adds so much more depth and character to the story!

As a staple in the UK music scene, how do you feel about the growth and recognition of drum & bass over the past few years?

Awww, man, it’s crazy! I never thought it would be this popular worldwide. Especially the more underground sound, which seems to be translating really well. I think lockdown really helped the genre, as a lot of kids found it through TikTok, and that really helped boost the fanbase with the next generation! It’s nice to be able to grow the genre our way with full creative control, keeping it authentic to the roots. The amount of opportunities that have come from it is crazy. I wish I could say some of the people I’ve worked with in the last year, because it’s mental… but you will find out in due course!

You’ve had such a varied career, but is there a particular moment or track that you feel was a turning point for you in the music scene?

Hmm…there’s definitely a couple for sure that stick out to me. Music-wise, ‘Badman Nah Beg Fren’ really did a lot for me! I made it just after I quit my job over 10 years ago, and before that, I only really made Jump-up DnB as I was working full time and didn’t have the time to expand my palette. After I quit, I could allow myself to let the music go down other routes, and this track really did gain me a lot of flowers from my peers. The support was great too! I still play it in my sets now, so it really has stood the test of time. I think a lot of people will say that’s my best track!

Also ‘The Invaderz’—this was my first track that got heavily supported by the majority of the scene and really turned a lot of heads! It was on Mampi Swift’s label Charge Recordings, and Andy C really did it wonders when he played it every week at his XOYO residency! This track really set the precedence for what I had in my locker, and everything rose after that was released!

Show-wise, Boomtown playing to 30,000 ravers at B2B AMC was an absolute dream! It was and still is one of the best moments of my life. Walking up those stairs and looking out onto the masses of people was something I’ve never experienced. I had my family with me and some close friends, and it was so special! It felt like how I imagined being a DJ would feel like when I was a kid!

GAMETIME! My audio/visual show, which took over two years to create! This was everything I had been working for. To be able to create a bespoke story with matched visuals and production to really create an experience for the raver was an amazing experience! And to launch it at Drumsheds to 15,000 people was one of the biggest achievements of my career! I managed to bring out Dizzee Rascal, D Double E, JME, and P Money, which was a bucket list moment! We then went on to sell out Outernet London for the biggest show of my career, and what a show it was! Keep an eye out because GAMETIME 3.0 is coming!

Who were some of your early musical influences, and do any of those inspirations still shape your sound today?

I say this every interview, but DJ Hazard has always been the main influence—he’s the reason I wanted to write music and DJ on big stages. I firmly believe he shaped the Jum-Up sound in the earlier years, and his sound blew me away every time!

I’ve listened to all types of music in my life. I’ve had the rock/metal stage, trance and dance, rap, and electronic music, so I feel like my musical palette is pretty open. I definitely think that helps when working with different artists because I can relate to them depending on their musical backgrounds

Do you see any new trends or emerging sounds within the UK music scene that you’re particularly excited about?

I don’t watch it too much, but I really think the whole music scene is much more open to trying new things, working with new artists, and creating something new and fresh! It’s not alien anymore to hear rappers on DnB, and that goes for other genres too. This is super healthy for the scene because it opens us up to new potential fanbases. So I’m all for it! And I think it’s only going to get bigger.

Just remember, anything is possible if you put your mind to it. So get creative and never give up spreading your message!

Listen to “Brick Lane” here: