Early Career
Hint's first releases were on the Deep Water label - an imprint based in Leicester in the UK. Shortly after the first promos of his debut EP Beau Selector were circulated amongst DJs, Hint was invited to record a Peel Session at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios, which was broadcast in May 2002.
Hint subsequently signed to Bristol-based label Hombre Recordings and began work on his debut album Portakabin Fever. The album was so called because it was written and recorded in a mobile home by James using an Akai MPC, guitar, bass and keyboards. The songs were then mixed with engineer 7-Stu-7 at State of Art - the Bristol-based studio owned by Geoff Barrow of Portishead. Once the album was complete, including cover art and a comic booklet by graphic artist Will Barras, it was released worldwide on 22 April 2003 by Hombre Recordings in association with another, larger independent record label - Ninja Tune.
Several of the songs from Portakabin Fever have appeared on television, including uses as incidental music in shows such as Top Gear, C.S.I. Miami and Location, Location, Location and uses in advertising for brands such as Britvic's J2O and Whittaker's Chocolate.
To support the release of the album, Hint toured Europe as a DJ with Hexstatic and Pest. At 2003's Big Chill music festival Hint was joined on stage by Bonobo on bass and Minotaur Shock on drums, the trio performing under the banner "The Hint Touring Band". Both artists also contributed remixes to Hint's track "Count Your Blessings".
From 2004 until 2008 Hint was also a member of the Futureboogie collective, DJing as a resident at their Seen club nights in Bristol and London and regularly contributing to their internet radio shows.
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