|
|
|
|
PLAYED AT SCREEN BIOGRAPHY AWARDS |
“a DJ who’s worked tirelessly for over a decade to get great house music out of the people and who knows how to do it in masterful style” – DJ Magazine . 9-22 Sept. Producer, promoter and DJ; wherever you examine the career of John Digweed you will undoubtedly find a man at the cutting edge of that scene. Since saving for his first set of decks at the tender age of 13 his career has developed to the place he finds himself today as one of the prime movers far beyond the world of progressive house: across the international dance scene. Devoted to always pushing at the forefront of the scene, Bedrock as artist, label and club stand for this basic, irrefutable principle to keep pushing for something fresh and unique for the benefit of new artists, clubbers and everybody involved in the scene. From the heady days of his first ever gig in a local hotel, John’s professional DJ career began after a visit to Delerium at Heaven where he got involved with acid house in its hay day. Early gigs and experiences with acid house and clubbing determined the direction in which his career was to develop. Bedrock ‘the club night’ began in his hometown of Hasting. From here he moved on to Storm wich debuted with an all-star line up including Derrick May and Grooverider, a relationship that led to John’s playing at Fabio and Grooverider’s weekly Rage. Things really took off in the early/mid nineties with a residency at Renaissance that ultimately allowed him to establish his own Babelicious and Northern Exposure nights. Consistently voted in the top 10 DJ’s in the world by magazines such as DJ and Muzik, John’s DJ’ing talents are in demand worldwide, from Australia to Hong Kong (in both of which he has produced Global Underground mixes) and Russia to South America. Yet, It’s little wonder when you discover the respect he has for the people who listen, the music he plays them, and the manner in which he conducts his many varied artistic pursuits. One of the most significant amongst his accomplishments and one that firmly establishes his position at the top of his field, however, is his infiltration of America. Through his association with Bedrock golden boy Jimmy Van M, John Digweed and Sasha represent the very few to have established and maintained a successful Trans–Atlantic presence with a residency at the renowned Manhattan club, Twilo, the first UK DJ’s to stamp themselves on the burgeoning US scene in this way. In addition to his presentation of other peoples music as DJ and the man behind Bedrock Records, however, he has made numerous noteworthy trips to the studio alongside studio partner Nick Muir, resulting in critically acclaimed remix and original production work. From the sublime reworking of M-Peoples "Renaissance", to his original hits "For What You Dream Of" and “Heaven Scent”, their Bedrock moniker has become a byword for quality production with an overwhelming attention to detail audible in every beat. Whether you cite the hundreds of thousands of mix CDs sold, or his globe trotting lifestyle, you cannot escape the fact that his low key approach to fame, and infatuation with the finest music, have combined to ensure a perpetual legacy of satisfied punters and promoters. His devotion to the music has been borne out by the success of Bedrock at Heaven, attracting line ups of a stunning calibre and an even more stunning crowd in their devotion to Bedrock and desire to tap in to that vibe where the music is all important. Then in 1999, John took the next logical step in his involvement with the industry by establishing Bedrock Records. Emerging with the huge success, ‘Heaven Scent’ alongside studio partner Nick Muir under Bedrock ‘the production outfit’, the label has gone from strength to strength with a long line of successful 12” releases, compilation albums from John and more recently Jimmy Van M but most significantly achieving what it set out to achieve in bringing artists like Brancaccio & Aisher, Phil Thompson (Moonface) and Ben & Paul Harris (The Hush) amongst many others, the attention they deserve and the production of quality, underground progressive music. Under any circumstances the man will excel and excite the people; and as the international dance scene develops, an increasingly educated and involved crowd will no longer settle for anything less than the best in production, DJ’ing and the whole clubbing experience. John Digweed is one of a select few within the modern dance scene who has recognised all this and has demonstrated a genuine commitment and involvement with the music with Bedrock at Heaven, Bedrock Records and his production work. On a stage in a field to tens of thousands of people, or to a couple of hundred in a decked out basement club, the atmosphere midway through one of John Digweed's now famous extended sets is always a step beyond the standard dance floor fervour. The result is born from a relationship of mutual appreciation and passion for the music between John and the rest of the music world. MIX CDs |
