D'Jayo-Lost in One (Legend B vs One is One)

Who Am I?

I grew up in Ballymun, Dublin, back in the 80s. Before I ever set foot in a rave, I was a full-on rocker, blasting 80s rock music day and night. Then came the 90s—and everything changed. My first rave was at the Mansion House, and it flipped my world upside down.

I left that night humming two tracks I’d never forget: Rozalla – Everybody’s Free and 2 Unlimited – Get Ready for This. I was hooked. So hooked, in fact, that I walked straight to Abbey Discs on Abbey Street at 4 a.m. and queued until it opened (yeah, I know—bit of a weirdo). You’d swear it was the Christmas sales or I was queuing for one of those free holidays from Budget Travel.

That morning, I bought my first vinyl records—despite not owning a turntable. All I had was a tape deck. For the next year, I kept buying vinyl with no way to play it, until I finally got my hands on a second-hand mixer and turntable setup (nothing fancy—definitely not Technics).

While in college on Cathal Brugha Street, I kept raving—mainly in Sides DC. In 1993, I moved to Jersey and got my shot as a DJ at Raffles Nightclub. The only mixing I was familiar with at the time was flour, butter, and eggs for pastry. I flopped hard on my first night—and many nights after. But I kept at it. I worked six nights a week between the lights and decks, learning every step of the way.

Eventually, I came back to Ireland and settled in Ennis, where things really took off. I landed the big nights at The Queens Hotel nightclub and then Central Park. Life became a grind: 50–60 hours a week in a restaurant and 4–5 nights behind the decks. I stayed with The Queens Hotel nightclub for 20 years until I finally decided it was time to hang up the headphones. The long hours and late nights had taken their toll—I was done.

But the music bug never really left me. Over the years, I collected studio gear, planning to start making my own tracks. I dived into YouTube tutorials and music production books, teaching myself everything I could.

Then came COVID. Like many, I had a rough time. I had a serious talk with myself—what was I doing? If something happened to me, all this studio gear gathering dust would go to waste. So I made a decision: drop some weight, get healthy, and get back into music production.

Now? I'm back. Making tunes, loving the process, and reconnecting with the passion that’s been part of me for decades.

That me.

D'Jayo-Lost in One (Legend B vs One is One)

Jason Smith