Quickfire: R&B producer Dallas Austin, who has worked with the likes of Kelis, Madonna and TLC, was in London recently and plans to return to discover new artists.(Forum)

Why have you been in the UK?

I'm in London doing the new Duran Duran album. I grew up on UK music, listening to people like U2, The Smiths and Depeche Mode, so it's really exciting to be working with someone like Duran Duran. Also, I want to see what's new over here. I'm looking to set up an operation in the UK and I'm looking for new acts to work with.

Tell us more about your plans.

I want to figure out what's being done well in the US and apply it to UK acts, rather than breaking artists in the US and then having them come here. I'm looking at a couple of things in urban British pop at the moment but I'll be back in September and I'd like to see a talent showcase of solo performers. I always see a lot of cool things when I come to London--like Texas or Duran Duran or the Sugababes, whose new album I'll be working on--and there's a musical movement that could be launched by adding the quality I like so much in US music to the UK.

What is lacking in UK R&B that stops it doing well in the US?

British R&B is just not that good compared to the stuff we make in the US. But the US is a very hard place to break because we're saturated with R&B acts and in the US they spend so much on artist development that it becomes hard to compete with.

Could this be the start of a new era for British acts in the US?