Described by drum'n'bass specialists Liquid Funk as "a disko doctor with a PhD in ferocious funk", Nicky Blackmarket is one of the most sought-after drum'n'bass DJs in the country. "It was all about being constantly on the scene, you know, just a logical progression from there", he says about moving up the ladder from his days on the decks at pirate station Kool FM.

He's particularly noted for his effort in helping to establish jungle music, where sampled breakbeats at lightning speed, bass lines and hip hop rhythms are collaborated to produce a chaotic, intense form of drum'n'bass. "That's not for me to say - I let the people decide that", he responds however to claims that he was a pioneer of the genre.

Nicky's life seems to be the antithesis of a routine 9 to 5: "It all depends - one night I may be playing at a few venues, the other just focussing on one gig. That's the way the cookie crumbles". This often means playing in three different cities in a night, starting at 9pm and finishing at 5 in the morning, whilst running Black Market Records in London's West End through the day along with the likes of Ash-Attack and Profile.

Another unique factor is the virtual absence of any playlists, instead instinctually deciding what's going on the decks based on the atmosphere of the night. "Every DJ has a small VIP mix of tracks, everyone has that, but basing a night on an already decided playlist? That's not DJing, you may as well just bring a CD".

On Saturday Nicky will be bringing nostalgia to Oxford, showcasing classics from 1989-91. "This was really the time when British breakbeat music was just starting up, the beginning of what we're seeing today" he says, revealing the likes of Dextrous by Nightmares on Wax as part of his 'VIP list'. Well acquainted with Oxford's clubscene, he's unable to name one favourite venue: "The Bullingdon Arms, Coven II and the Jam Factory, they've all been great for gigs."

As for the future of jungle music, "it's progressing all the time - but also in a way it's not moving. Because it's a wholly British musical movement, and it's staying here."