I've been coding music for 20 years or so - basically since I first got hold of a computer that was capable of making primitive tonal sounds. Over the last few years, I've finally started to feel that I have the ability to get at least some of the sounds inside my head out into reality with a quality and accuracy that is satisfying.

Such a hard question. I've said, in other places, that anything you hear is an influence, for better or worse. Tacky pop music, stupid ad jingles, movie soundtracks, and the marvellous analog special effects our reality comes equipped with - they all enter your head and become part of your music palette.

I think this question is likely more strictly about musical heroes - those artists and acts that you consciously try to absorb and understand, and who affect you deeply.

It's easy to babble on with lists of favorite acts so I'll just point to a random few from some different genres that I feel have definitely had some impact on me: Candlemss, KLF, Philip Glass, Eat Static, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Front 242.

What inspires you to compose?

Some days I just wake up with a tune in my head and have to go dig it out. Other times I get asked to produce some music for this or that. Mostly it comes down to these two things - I don't very often sit down and decide to write something just for the sake of it.

I guess, behind everything the real motivators that inspire me to compose are a those things that inspire me generally. Horses, H.P.Lovecraft and empty places.