Toronto-born San Francisco-based producer, ill.Gates has had a long and prolific career in music. An experienced DJ and black belt electronic music producer, Gates has created a global fan base with his unique beats and forward thinking approach to digital culture. We caught up with him to discuss the rise of dubstep, his music production seminars and the Blue Man Group.

Which 3 ill gates tunes are you most proud of and why?

Fok Julle Naaiers . I finished my new Die Antwoord remix of ‘Fok Julle Naaiers’ the day the original came out and it’s crushed in every city I’ve played it. I really like what I brought to the track. Having that video to work with was great and inspiring too.

Open Your Eyes. I made ‘Open Your Eyes’ in Israel as a parting gift to my old dog Tricky who recently passed. She was great and one of my best friends. I love thinking of her when I see people raging to it. That’s what I would want when I die.

The Friction Labs remix for the BBC. They challenged me to remix this crazy Indian song Aag Da Kariya by Dr. Zeus… waaay outside of my comfort zone. It took a while to find a feel that was a fusion of the two styles but the end result really works well in a live setting.

All three of those tunes are available for free at llgates.com here: illgates.com/music/free-music

Do you think the growth of dubstep has helped the glitch hop scene begin to step out of the shadows in terms of mainstream recognition?

Yes. Definitely. Dubstep has gotten people more accustomed to lower BPM bass music. Now they are more open to hearing other lower BPM bass music and learning to appreciate the sound. Crossover acts like Bassnectar, The Glitch Mob and Pretty Lights have begun to show us what’s really possible and now Skrillex put out that killer Koan Sound EP on Owsla… It’s an exciting time for Glitch Hop, even if most of these new listeners still don’t know that Glitch Hop is a genre.

I have heard about your lecturing and seminars. Whatʼs the core message you try and get across to aspiring producers and musicians?

The core of my message is empowerment. People get so bent out of shape comparing themselves to other people that they nullify 90% of their potential. Think of the history of music. How many times have we seen some upstart kid change the game with cut, copy and paste? I want to help people see what they’re capable of themselves, what they have to offer and how to be empowered and confident enough to go for it.

What’s the biggest mental hurdle a producer needs to overcome to reach a professional level?

Artists need to overcome the idea that some magic fairy in a suit is going to come handle their business and promotion. Until you can make your music into a business, nobody worthwhile is going to want to help.

I heard you met Bill Gates on your travels. What do you think of the changes people like him and the late Steve Jobs have brought to the creative industries around the world?

The work of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs makes everything I do possible. Gotta give respect where respect is due… period.

As someone with a unique perspective on the issue, do you see the global electronic music scene as a vehicle for any future political or social change?

Music has the power to create enthusiasm and curiosity in people and I love to see people use it effectively. In the past bands like Rage Against the Machine, Dead Prez and Public Enemy used great music to teach a lot of people to question what’s going on around them, but Electronic music as such has remained largely apolitical. Dubstep has to an extent opened people to the inherently political sound of Dub music and I think the current situation with The Arab Spring, Occupy, etc. has affected people quite deeply. The time is right for Bass music to step it up politically. Through my sampling, track titles, and the political content on my social media channels I try to be more than just another pretty bass.

Whatʼs the best show you have ever played?

A world record 21 DJ sets in 5 days at Burning Man this year. So so fun… I accidentally set the record at 15 last year and then I heard of a few DJs were going to try to break it so I had to up my game. I was originally going for 19 and then lost a set somewhere in the dust but I ended up with a surprise dawn set on Camp ?uestion Mark’s MASSIVE PK system followed by riding off into the morning dawn playing dancehall on the Purgatory Cruiser. I won’t be forgetting that particular Thursday night of that particular Burning Man anytime soon.

Who should long time glitch hop fans be listening to in 2012?

TED Talks and Alan Watts for a start, and then check out what’s going on in Australia and South Africa. There has been a lot of focus on what the US, UK, and Europe have been making but there is a whole world of Glitch Hop out there that you might miss out on. I’ve been really feeling Spoonbill, Opiuo, Liver, Greg Reve, Sibot, Circuit Bent, The Nam Shub Of Enki, Dj Fuck and MC Totally Rad, Son In Aquarius,  Enig’matik Records, etc.  I’d also watch out for more Glitchy Moombahton, I’ve been hearing it a lot lately.