AJ
Thursday 10:00 - 12:00
When did you begin DJ'ing and what made you start?
When as a young youngster, I was always hearing music in the household all the time and growing up there meant everything to me. That lead to me being crazy for record players/tape machines & pause button styles of any kind of music, which lead to going out dancing in disco/jazz funk clubs, which lead to going to a club called, THE LANGUAGE LAB in Soho which really changed my life. That lead to 2 turntables and a mixer. My DJ life started properly with THE RADICAL CREW & the Crypt in St Johns Wood, North West London.
What would you say influenced you towards House music?
Round about late '86, whilst deejaying lots of kinds of pop up clubs in the West End, Enter the Dragon, MFI. Ashram, Help, RAW, Intensive Care, Go Global etc, a lot of, if not all of these events were playing hip hop, electro, funk, jazz funk, soul®gae. At one particular gig a friend of mine ran up to me while I was mid-set,and said he'd just got off a plane from Chicago and he had maybe 7 or 8 pieces of vinyl with him. I remember the labels were red, the name on the label was TRAX RECORDINGS. He said I should put 1 of the tracks on asap and that the crowd would love it.
I listened through the headphones, looked at him like John McEnroe used to say.."you cannot be serious".. and I usually trusted his musical judgement. I said, "if I put this on these people will all go home, it doesn't fit in the set no way no how! "I never heard anything like it, I didnt trust how it would go down, didnt think it could work or that I should even try it. as I did not know wot the hell it was was. I did not want people to think I had escaped from a mental institution!
All the the same I played it and everybody stopped and looked at me like I just escaped from the mental institution! I gave my mate the coldest, frostiest,look with swear words I never even knew till that moment, all he said was... "it's called house music!.acid house music!"..and I still did not know what it was or could I adapt to this ever, but I did, and here it is!
Of the many genres of House, which are your favourite?
Ouch, I don't like to box a style. I will say I like all kinds of house, so imagine you are a DJ and you play blah blah but you've heard this tough but beautiful techno track but it doesn't fit into your set. The truth is it should be able to fit into your set if you play the all the best and beautiful tough house you can. It's all under one umbrella, I like the best house and good house music, that's my favourite.
Which artists, producers and tracks stand out for you, both now and from the past?
Producers like MK when he was smashing everything in sight with pure quality mid nineties ,of course MAW,..MOOD 2 SWING...UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE, FAST EDDIE, KERRY CHANDLER, labels like...HOUSE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL, NU GROOVE,HOUSE SYNDICATE, WALL OF SOUND(USA).. STRICTLY RHYTHM..NERVOUS RECORDS, I could go on and on with all the favourites but we all need to sleep eh!!)
Name some highlights or a profound moment in your time as a DJ
DJing at a fashion event for a Tommy Hilfiger European launch in Bond Street involving Ferrari F1, lots of world travel with bands, playing in a castle in Italy w/Smart Boys.
Have you done any production? If not, is it something you aim to do?
I have produced in and out through the years with RENEGADE SOUNDWAVE..BORDER CROSSING...THANK YOU MACHINE.. Still in works with BROTHER PHIL ASHER..and am still going to be in and out coming and going with productions.
Going on from that, what are your musical plans for the future?
To enjoy my days at housefm.net and to always open doors for others to enjoy love and grow with good music...ALWAYS
