DJ DIE

The city of Bristol and its contribution to British dance music over the last 20 years should need little introduction. From the early days of rave, through jungle and drum & bass, to dubstep and now house music, the sleepy West Country city’s reputation as a hotbed of musical talent and innovation has never diminished. Bristol’s distinction as a global epicentre for dance and bass music culture is, of course, down to the incredible list of producers, DJs and musical visionaries that call the city home. Whether born-and-bred locals, or culture craving migrants, Bristol’s reputation acts as a beacon for the talent of the world. Among those who laid the foundations for all of this, who first grabbed the attentions of the world and who indelibly stamped the ‘Bristol Sound’ on the history of music forever, is a man who himself arrived in Bristol from Devon back in 1985 and went on to become one of the city’s most cherished musical sons - and one of the jungle and drum & bass movement’s biggest stars. That man is DJ Die, a man whose passion, enthusiasm and relentless energy remains unbridled after over 20 years in the game. Still regularly touring the world and now running two record labels of his own, Die’s skills as a DJ and producer are as in demand as ever, thanks not just to his legendary status as a D&B don, but also to his unwavering love of what he does. That love began for Die back in the 1980s when he found himself frequenting the pre-rave parties of his adopted city and soaking up the sounds played by Wild Bunch and later DJ Krust and The Fresh Four, with whom he’d eventually join forces. By 1992, Die had linked up with friend Jody Wisternoff (of Way Out West fame) and begun his path as a producer. Initial house and hardcore releases as Tru-Funk, and then later under the name Sub Love, saw Die playing iconic raves such as Universe and offered a first taste of what would become his lifetime career. Around this same time, a chance meeting with Roni Size began a relationship that kicked off with the seminal ‘Agility’ for legendary jungle imprint V Recordings in 1993, and eventually culminated four years later with the career defining achievement of winning the Mercury Music Prize as Reprazent. In the interim, under the Scorpio moniker, Die and Roni turned out countless jungle/D&B classics, and between them forged the ‘Music Box’ project that laid the foundations of Full Cycle – the Bristol based label that dominated drum & bass for the second half

As published on Resident Advisor

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