
An individual who is undoubtedly synonymous with the birth, growth and rise of UK Dance music particularly Drum N Bass is DJ Grooverider and two words synonymous to him are Pioneer and Icon. Having been integrally involved within the UK underground scene for well over 15 years he has participated in and supervised its evolution to it now being an highly eclectic club culture regarded and revered globally for being one of the most dynamic and developed.

Despite being for the most part associated with Drum N bass and regarded by both avid listeners and his fellow artist and peers as being the Godfather of this genre, he himself is quick to publicise his own musical journey charting his other creative influences and exploits prior to the birth of Drum and Bass. I’ve listened to black music all my life. Reggae, Hip Hop, R&B, Funk, Disco the whole thing. I started cruising to house then Hardcore. Now its drum n bass but house is what I know inside out.

That’s what I grew up with, my first love. I know everything about it. Drum n bass is something we formulated out of house. Its this cultured journey which qualifies him for almost unrivalled praise and recognition as clearly his efforts and his contributions have been critical in helping to establish and nurture UK Urban music as we know it today, which is flourishing as one of the most lucrative mainstream genres. As a DJ his credentials are phenomenal and testament to this is the fact that despite the underground club scene having unbelievably calmed since the memorable and tumultuous years of the 80 and 90s rave era, Grooverider is of a select few DJs who continues to play out at numerous events many of which are worldwide.

This acclaim and notoriety is a far cry from the so called early days and his time on a sound systems and pirate radio station Ill always be a DJ first. I used to DJ on a sound system years ago then I got on to a radio station It was called Phase 1 I was playing acid house every Sunday morning, like, 8 ’til 10 in the morning sometimes we would start 3 am and go on ’til the next day The guy who owned the station opened a club after-hours and booked me and Fabio, cause we were both on the station This association with Fabio also considered by many as a forefather to the scene, proved not to be a flash in the pan and the two of them remain close friends, sidekicks and business partners and presently cohost the weekly radio 1 Drum n Bass show. Amongst Grooverider’s lasting legacy will be not that he simply helped establish the genre but also he helped it grow and expand it by exporting this energetic and progressive music to those who traditionally would not have listened to it.

“It’s not just about me and Fabio, its a whole platform for drum n bass. It’s about what’s happening in drum n bass, taking it on the road and showing people who dont necessarily go to drum n bass parties that this is what we do.” This aim is clearly something that motivates him and it is clear that his long journey to where he is today had many challenges and struggles but with tenacity and resilience he started also to gain the respect of larger legitimate mainstream radio stations who could no longer ignore the genre or Grooverider, eventually he was given a set on Kiss Fm. We were on Kiss before and when Radio 1 called us in we ran at it.

In closing Grooverider has had a profound influence on UK music in general and in several different capacities as he has successfully assumed the both mantles of being a pioneering DJ and Producer. He is also the recipient of countless underground and global dance awards but perhaps his most reputed achievement was the MOBO best DJ award he won in 2002. As long as he continues to play at massive events, produce great tunes and pursue his Radio 1 shows it is likely that he will receive many more awards yet and each one will be deserve


James Yancey (1974-2006)
http://www.j-dilla.com/biography/

Legendary San Francisco Bay Area DJ, started his career in the 90's during the well known underground warehouse rave scene, playing alongside many popular dj's such as Q-Bert, Thomas Trouble, Joey Mazzola, DJ Dan, Tracer, Ross.FM, Carlos Alfonso, DJ Tronic, Dieselboy, Kraftwerk, Hieroglyphics, Christopher Lawrence, DJ Rap, Dyloot, Mars, Donald Glaude, Richard Humpty Vision, The Luniz and many others.

Past residencies include: Bayraves.com, BR Productions, LiquidVinyl DJs, BayUnderground

Going back to his signature epic trance sound, he has also been well known for his breaks, freestyle, and old school mixes...

Booking: DjJMarr@gmail.com

DARKMTTR Records | Bookings: ESP Agency
T: +44 20 8740 0533 
http://esp-agency.co.uk/artist/spy

Moving to London from São Paulo eleven years ago, S.P.Y was quick to establish himself within the UK drum+bass scene. After six months of working with only basic equipment, S.P.Y’s natural talent for production saw his first ever release signed to Metalheadz in 2005, with a release on Hospital’s Medschool imprint soon following in 2006.  S.P.Y began collaborating with artists such as Marcus Intalex, Total Science, Kasra and DJ Marky. In 2009 S.P.Y released his first solo EP on Marcus Intalex’s label Soul:R and had releases on many other labels including Digital Soundboy and Innerground. 

The following years were immensely successful for S.P.Y, with Friction including five S.P.Y tracks on his MoS compilation and Andy C featuring four tracks on ‘Nightlife’. Proving his production quality and consistency in 2010 / 2011, S.P.Y delivered standout releases on Ram, Metalheadz, Critical, Shogun and Spearhead – Most notably the anthemic ‘By Your Side’. S.P.Y also took on high-profile remixes for the likes of Deadmau5, Claude von Stroke, LTJ Bukem, Chase & Status, Delilah and Zinc ft. Miss Dynamite, with S.P.Y’s own personal re-lick of Zero 7’s ‘In The Waiting Line’ becoming a signature in his live sets.

Signing to Hospital in 2012, his debut LP, ‘What The Future Holds’ was released to critical acclaim. The LP not only received significant support from fellow artists and topped online sales charts, but was also awarded the coveted ‘Best Album’ at the annual 2012 Drum & Bass Arena awards. S.P.Y backed up this release with a relentless tour schedule of Australia, the United States, Canada, Russia, Asia, New Zealand and Europe. 

S.P.Y’s skills behind the decks rival his studio talents and he delights fans with an educated blend of old school classics and fresh new beats. Always one to stay true to his roots, S.P.Y has a unique ability to bring his trademark underground sound to a worldwide audience. Alternating between beautiful, orchestral, musical sets and dark, rolling mixes, S.P.Y captures the emotions of the crowd. Whether he is playing at a high-profile festival or an intimate club show, S.P.Y always delivers.

In 2013 S.P.Y was again busy touring the world, playing at major festivals such as Tomorrowland, Global Gathering and Electric Daisy Carnival. He delivered successful remixes of James Zabiela’s ‘Perseverance’, Chris Malinchak’s ‘So Good To Me’ and Five Knives’s ‘All Fall Down’ on Red Bull Records. In addition to these achievements, S.P.Y was also selected to write, in collaboration with London Elektricity and Diane Charlemagne, the theme song for the 2014 Street Child World Cup. The track ‘I Am Somebody’ has helped to generate awareness and bring a new interest to Street Child World Cup, advocating for street children’s rights worldwide.

Moving into 2014 and S.P.Y is taking us ‘Back to Basics’ with his second LP. Released in two parts over the coming months, ‘Back to Basics’ draws inspiration from the deeper, darker sounds of drum+bass, and features collaborations with Total Science, Rene La Vice, and vocalists Diane Charlemagne, Grimm and DRS MC.

If any D+B artist can truly claim to be the “producers producer” then Carlos S.P.Y surely has a good case. If the comments on this album by his luminaries are anything to go by: "One of my fave producers" says DJ Hype, "Carlos back to his filthy best!" say Total Science, "There's only one S.P.Y” says Doc Scott.

le.danny is following