Bio
Well a little bit about me. I`m from the UK in the West Midlands, and started getting interested in Music and Disc Jockey work way back in 1989. After visiting a local youth club and watching the older kids spinning the turntables and making noise, I decided to take a hold of the platters and try and have a go. I guess it started from there, i was hooked. Early YearsAt every opportunity i would try and get involved in DJ or radio, anything related topractisingin my bedroom or Playing music for audiences. Now bare in mind thatpractisingin my bedroom consisted of using an old record player, whichformallybelonged to a local neighbour who was clearing out their attic. And also the use of a very basic Philips radio cassette player. I would practice mixing from Vynl (Yazz & the plastic population or Ben Liebrands war of the worlds!) to the weeks recorded top 40 on cassettes, and not forgetting talking into the recorder and sounding like i was talking to my invisible friend or had a serious case of juvenile schizophrenia.In 1993 i worked as a young disc jockey presenter on a local charity radio station. Along with a group of friends we raised money for World Food Aid and helped support the crisis in Africa. Technical tortureAfter leaving school in 1994, and enrolling at college to continue in the direction of performing Arts, iinitiallydrifted away from DJ`ing and became more involved in the lighting and sound of theatre performance. Although radio broadcasting and DJ`ing had never left my thoughts, i attempted to apply myself to more technical theatre work.In 1995 at college,in-betweentheatre work and the technical aspects, i offered my services as a voluntary runner, dogsbody. Also around the same time i found out that hospitals had in-house radio stations, so i explored working at my local hospital, and found that the equipment they were using wasn`t far removed from what i first used, Vynl & cassette. I felt frustrated that very little money had been invested and the equipment along with several of the presenters belonged in a museum. However, i persisted in trying to work at the station before moving away from myhome townto University.I went to University and studied performing arts, and even though i wanted to go into acting or some type of theatrical/technical work DJ`ing remained with me. I Graduated from University in 2001 and started working for the council/government in children`s services teaching groups of children in challenging and deprived areas of the west Midlands. It was proving difficult to keep the children engaged never mind getting them back into school. So, after researching i worked with young people in community centres and church halls, anywhere that had some warmth, a roof & electricity so i could engage young people by using music and the art of Turntablism as a perfect opportunity to talk to young people about everyday topics, personal, social issues effecting them and their community. Nightclub LifeIt was also difficult for me to find friends and meet new people after moving to a new place. Being stuck in a nine to five desk job with weekends off and no where to go out. So i decided to work at a local nightclub as a light Jockey, a great opportunity to meet people, plus, getting paid to press buttons and flash strobes and being stood in the DJ box was a bonus.One evening the manager phoned me, asked if i could play a few tracks as the Dj was running late and the venue was due to open. Talk about nervous. But those sick in the stomach feelings soon disappeared, the excitement and the thrill! I could hardly contain my excitement. And thanks to that DJ for running late, who was incidentally fired a week later. Guess it was a lucky break.So, I`ve previously been DJ`ing in the Nightclub environment for nearly 10 Years.Previously a Resident Light Jockey (Martin Intelligent Lighting & Sound Engineer, Formula Sound Technician) for Luminar Leisure PLC. Heard of those? Liquid & Diva, Lava & Ignite, Oceana, Jumping Jacks, to name but a few clubs within the franchise here in the UK.Over the years i`ve used various equipment;DECKS; Technics 1200`s, Pioneer CD-J1000 mk2 & mk3 , DVJ-1000, DVJ-X1, CDJ-2000.MIXERS; formula Sound FSM-600, Pioneer DJM-800, DJM-850-K, DJM- 1000. Many other types of decks and Equipment. RL Timecode software experience; Searto Scratch Live & Rane SL3, Stanton final ScratchTraktor Pro 1 & 2, Serato Itch. Also began the adventure into the world of composing my own music and Remix`s using Ableton, Steinberg Cubase SX, WaveLab, Reason, Rebirth.
Shrewsbury United Kingdom
Member since: 04 Aug 2011
