INTERVIEW: CASH ONLY

What began as a simple track ID request at Pikes Ibiza has quickly evolved into one of the most exciting new collaborations in the UK House and Garage landscape. International producer and label boss CASH ONLY and UK-based DJ/producer Syncia have joined forces to explore a deeper, darker and more bass-driven side of House music, rooted firmly in their shared love for Garage and Jungle. Their debut single ‘Surrender’, released on Famous When Dead Records, marks the starting point of a partnership built on musical alignment, playful studio chemistry and a clear focus on creating tracks that truly move the dancefloor.

Since first connecting after Syncia’s unshazamable Back To Mine performance at Pikes Ibiza caught CASH ONLY’s attention, the duo have been steadily developing a catalogue of collaborative material, including upcoming unreleased tracks and a vocal collaboration with Elje. With early support from Scott Garcia on Kiss FM, standout back-to-back sets at ADE, Select Radio and Basing House, and more shows planned throughout 2026, the project is already gaining momentum. In this interview, CASH ONLY and Syncia break down how the collaboration came to life, the influences shaping their sound, and what they hope this project will represent within the evolving UK House and Garage scene.

How did that first Back To Mine / Pikes Ibiza moment evolve from a track ID request into a full collaborative project between you both?

CASH ONLY: As the relationship developed over 2025, we realised there was a more powerful opportunity to work together on the music production side of things. We kept sending tracks and ideas back to each other until the point where we just said, “Shall we just team up and try to create some music that we both like?”

‘Surrender’ launches this partnership with a clear focus on deeper, darker, Garage-inspired House. What made this sound feel like the right starting point for the project?

CASH ONLY: We wanted to make a statement with a track to get the ball rolling, and it felt right to start with ‘Surrender’. This is probably more on the garage side of where the project sits, but still definitely representative of where we want this collaborative project to sit.

You both reference strong Garage and Jungle roots. How do those formative influences show up in your studio workflow and production decisions today?

CASH ONLY: The bassline is always the starting point with our creative process, and then we use those little FX and samples to help to keep the influences going. The drum programming relies quite heavily on using old sample packs from jungle and garage days, which gives the sound what I describe as quite a “London” sound, where both of these genres originated from.

CASH ONLY mentioned that your sessions are highly aligned but also playful and spontaneous. How does that balance between focus and fun shape the final tracks?

CASH ONLY: When we are in the studio, we will sometimes just go off on a tangent and start playing each other tracks that might help influence where the track is going. Because we live on different continents and have to work remotely, we were voice-noting, and Syncia sampled it and threw it in a break, but it actually worked, so we kept it in!

Syncia, you’ve spoken about the importance of making tracks that truly move a dancefloor. How do you test whether a record creates that “moment” you’re aiming for?

CASH ONLY: The only way to test a record is by playing it out! In the back-to-backs we’ve done since we started this project, we get super excited when we play something fresh from the studio and get the reaction that we were looking for. 

With several unreleased tracks already lined up, including a vocal collaboration with Elje, how do you decide which ideas become part of this joint project rather than your solo outputs?

CASH ONLY: Anything that is bass-driven with a garage twang, we’ve agreed we are doing together, as individually we have our own projects bubbling on in the background. For CASH ONLY its quite House-led, and for Syncia and his other aliases, it could be anything from producing rap albums to whatever weird noises he decides to make in the studio when he wakes up!

Your NU WAVE mix and recent live shows have already offered a glimpse of what’s coming. How does performing together influence the direction of your upcoming productions?

CASH ONLY: While we play a lot of our own productions and edits in our sets, there are often times when one of us will drop something that excites the other that we didn't expect. In one of our recent back-to-backs, Syncia dropped the ‘Hackney Parrot’ accapella and it blew the roof off! So yeah, there are often times when we will play something that we refer back to the next time we work on a track together.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, what do you want this collaboration to represent creatively within the UK House and Garage landscape?

CASH ONLY: We just want to make music that represents us and our inspirations as musicians over the past 30 years, pushing boundaries that currently exist that fuse the best of Jacking House, big basslines, and that skippy garage influence from days gone by.

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Find Out More & Follow:

CASH ONLY: Spotify | Instagram | Website 

Syncia: Spotify | Instagram | Beatport

Famous When Dead Records: Instagram | Beatport | Traxsource