AT AGE 11, I BEGAN A TWO-YEAR SPELL AT THE JUNIOR GUILDHALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DRAMA, WHERE MY PASSION FOR PRACTICE TRANSFORMED INTO A REAL HUNGER FOR IMPROVEMENT. UNDER ELIZABETH HOSFORD, I DEVELOPED MY CLASSICAL DOUBLE BASS TECHNIQUE, TACKLING ORCHESTRAL WORKS FROM BERLIOZ TO BACH. I WAS ALSO HELPED SIGNIFICANTLY BY THE TEACHING OF JONATHAN TAYLOR, WHOSE MENTORSHIP IN JAZZ LED ME, AT 13, AND OUR JAZZ QUARTET BLUE SHIFT (ZAK EASTOP – TRUMPET, PETER RAYNER – DRUMS, AND ALEX – PIANO), TO WIN THE YAMAHA NATIONAL JAZZ COMPETITION (U15) IN 2011, WITH THE FINAL HELD AT THAT YEAR’S CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL. AS PART OF OUR PRIZE, WE PERFORMED A SET AT THE 606 CLUB IN CHELSEA AND RECEIVED BRAND-NEW YAMAHA INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
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I’M A OPEN FORMAT DJ WHO LOVES CONNECTING THE SOUNDS OF THE PAST WITH THE INCREDIBLE MUSIC BEING RELEASED TODAY. SHAPED BY THE RECORDS I INHERITED FROM MY PARENTS AND THE INFLUENCE OF MY SISTER, WHO IS SEVEN YEARS OLDER, MY SETS SPAN EVERYTHING FROM JAZZ, SOUL, GOSPEL, BLUES, BOSSA NOVA, AND AFROBEAT TO R&B, HIP-HOP, TRAP, GRIME, GARAGE, JUNGLE, AND LOTS OF CREATIVE FLIPS AND EDITS, BRIDGING GENRES AND GENERATIONS.
I STARTED DURING MY TIME STUDYING IN EDINBURGH, PLAYING A LOT OF GRIME, BASSLINE, GARAGE, AND HOUSE OF THE LOCAL NIGHTLIFE SCENE, PLAYING HOUSE PARTIES AND PRIVATE EVENTS. MOVING BACK DOWN TO LONDON WITH THIS NEW SKILL OPENED UP OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE OTHER GENRES THAT HAD SHAPED BOTH MY MUSICAL TASTE AND MY PRACTICE AS A MUSICIAN. IT WAS HERE THAT I HONED MY APPROACH TO THE DECKS, NOT JUST AS A TECHNICAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, MORE AS AN INSTRUMENT TO CREATIVELY WEAVE MUSIC TOGETHER.
AT THE HEART OF MY PRACTICE IS A FASCINATION WITH THE SHARED NARRATIVES AND CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE BLACK DIASPORA, AND HOW ITS MUSICAL SUBCULTURES HAVE CARRIED US THROUGH RESISTANCE, RELIEF, AND CELEBRATION. WHILE I EXPLORE WIDELY, MY CURRENT PASSION LIES IN BLENDING SOULFUL SOUNDS WITH HARDER, DRUM-DRIVEN DANCE MUSIC IN THE 130–160 BPM RANGE. MUSIC THAT CAN BOTH LIFT YOU THROUGH THE DAY AND CARRY YOU DANCING DEEP INTO THE NIGHT.
ALONGSIDE MY FRIENDS, I RUN SNAX 4 DA SOUL - A PLATFORM WE USE TO SHOWCASE AND PROMOTE ALL OF THE MUSIC WE LOVE, BROADCASTING MONTHLY ACROSS THREE STATIONS. CHECK OUT THE PAGE FOR MORE INFO.
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