By Sam Moir

It’s 3.30 am, Benga’s just left the stage at Sheffield Union’s Tuesday Club Dub Police special.

It’s been a year to remember for him. He produced one of the tracks of the year with Katy On A Mission, released Magnetic Man’s debut LP to acclaim and wrapped the year up by bagging a Radio 1 DJ In New DJ We Trust slot which kicks off in January.

Having had Trolley Snatcha and Caspa on the line-up earlier in the night, it was left to him and Youngman to close the show, “That was one of the best gigs I’ve done all year. Not to forget the fact, it was on a Tuesday. “I’ve played all over the world and that was the one of the best ones.”

In October came the highly anticipated Magnetic Man debut album. An album that spanned a mixture of genres from dubstep, d&b and even classical, Benga prouced the record alongside Skream and Artwork.

“I never thought it would be sitting in the top five. At one point during the week of release, we were 600 sales behind Cliff Richard. When did you ever think you’d be saying stuff like that?”

When album tracks I Need Air and Perfect Stranger charted highly in the Top 40, the former in the Top 10, it heralded the start of dubstep as a mainstream genre.

“It’s that time, that era where everyone wants new music. It’s become popular music but not like pop music in the charts.”

At the start of the decade, it was Hatcha who first started selecting from young producers Skream and Benga. Benga says, “Let’s not forget the fact that we have been doing this for ten years and the foundations have been there.”

“We just didn’t expect it to do so well.”

Benga fans will know the instrumental had been floating around many of the other producers for a while. “The funniest thing is when I first made it, I thought it was wicked. But the first time I played it out, it killed the dance.”

Youngman jumps in, “The first time I heard the riddim, I was vibing to it. I must have heard it a few times and I was like, ‘Yo Beni, you need to give me that beat.’”

“But to be fair, Katy absolutely caned it.”

Benga adds, “All I do is sit at home, overwhelmed by things people tell me. I heard Katy On A Mission opened up the commonwealth games.”

The music hasn’t stopped there for Benga. Earlier in the year, he teamed up with Youngman to release Ho and One & Only. The pair instantly hit it off and whenever Benga DJs out now, Youngman emcees his set.

“We started working together after meeting on a random one and apart from the release we’ve done, we just have a good connection.”

“It just means now I can concentrate on what I’m doing when I’m mixing. I can also play a few things down tempo because he knows how to hype it.”

So to 2011, Benga and Skream have been given their own In New DJs We Trust slot to wrap off a fine year for the duo. The best mates regularly banter about who is winning.

The last couple of years have been meteoric for the pair. For every achievement ones had, the other’s come back with something else.

Benga jokingly says, “I’m going to keep it real and say Skream.”

“But I’m tight on his back.”

Related Links | Benga’s Website | Follow Sam on Twitter