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I started DJing when I was around 15, using a pair of Technics SL-1210 MK2s.
I loved everything about them. I would experiment with different modifications, try different cartridges and gradually build my setup around them. Over the years, I worked my way through several mixers, including Vestax, a fairly terrible Behringer mixer, and eventually Pioneer.
I have also owned the same style of Sennheiser HD25 headphones since I was 16. They are still the headphones I use today, and I will probably take a pair to the grave with me.
02
What music first pulled you into electronic music?
Trance was my first major influence, but when I was around 17, I became heavily involved in tribal techno.
Artists such as Marco Bailey and DJ Preach were major influences, and I was constantly buying releases from labels such as Intec. I was working in sales at the time, and I would spend much of the day checking record stores before going home and ordering more vinyl.
There was something special about waiting for a record to arrive, opening the package and hearing it for the first time. The feel, the artwork and even the smell of a new record were all part of the experience.
03
What were your early experiences of the underground scene?
Some of my early DJ sets were broadcast on pirate radio stations around Cheshire.
I was also part of an online community called Don’t Stay In, where I connected with a local group called Farmageddon. It was a group of around ten people from the Culcheth area who were completely obsessed with house and techno.
We would organise parties in fields, play music from a static caravan and sometimes take the decks outside. Everyone brought different ideas and influences, but we were united by the same love of music.
That period gave me friendships and memories that have stayed with me throughout my life.
04
Which clubs and events shaped you?
During those years, I travelled around the country attending clubs and events such as Godskitchen and Creamfields.
Some of my favourite UK clubs include Sankeys and Joshua Brooks in Manchester, along with Fabric in London.
Ibiza also remains one of my favourite places in the world. It brings together the music, the people, the clubs and the beaches in a way that nowhere else quite manages. I still try to return whenever I can.
05
When did you begin producing music?
I started making music at around the same age that I began DJing, using FL Studio when I was approximately 15.
I would finish tracks, take them into Warrington town centre and hand them directly to local DJs. Hearing something I had made being played by another DJ was a huge motivation.
My production journey moved through trance, tribal techno and house. I created several house remixes before eventually returning to trance production.
When I was 23, I also attended Manchester MIDI School. The course was not everything I hoped it would be, although I did at least learn how to coil an XLR cable properly.
06
What has been your proudest production moment?
One of my biggest early moments came when my track “The End” was played by Armin van Buuren on A State of Trance.
The track was also supported in Ibiza by Giuseppe Ottaviani and featured by Aly & Fila on their Future Sound of Egypt radio show.
It became my first officially signed record and was released through an Irish label connected to DJ and producer John Gibbons.
Hearing artists I respected play something I had created gave me proof that my music could reach far beyond my own studio.
07
What have been some of your DJ career highlights?
I have performed across Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and the surrounding areas, working with several DJ agencies and holding club residencies.
My longest residency lasted around two years.
I also won a DJ competition to perform at a major Manchester event. I submitted a trance mix and was selected from the competition entries to play on the lineup.
I performed in one of the event’s additional rooms alongside artists including Liam Wilson, who went on to perform at events such as Creamfields. Winning the competition was a major moment for me and gave me more confidence in my ability as a DJ.
08
What production software do you use?
Ableton Live is now my main production environment.
I am also experienced with Logic Pro and FL Studio, which means I can work with producers who use different systems and understand the strengths and limitations of each platform.
Having produced music for more than two decades, I have seen the process move from relatively basic home software to the powerful production environments available today.
09
What do you enjoy outside the studio?
Training has always been important to me. I enjoy going to the gym, strength training and staying physically active.
I previously trained in boxing and would like to return to it.
Time away from the studio helps me reset, think more clearly and return to music with a fresh perspective.
10
What has kept you involved in music for so long?
Music has been part of my life since I was a teenager.
I have experienced it from almost every angle: collecting vinyl, modifying equipment, pirate radio, club residencies, producing records, winning competitions and having my music supported by internationally recognised artists.
The equipment and technology have changed, but the reason I continue has remained the same. I still love the feeling of finding a record, building a set, making a track and sharing that experience with someone else.
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