They still don't have dj listed in the category selection :)
Ray started dj'ing on a bet with a friend in 1984, they were both listening to steve wright one day and his mate bet £5 that ray couldn't do the same thing....
to this day the bet has never been paid! in all seriousness its not the same thing, but the dj bug sank its teeth and set ray on his course behind the decks in one form or anothe
r. Initially starting out as a commercial dj, ray's collection gradually moved towards the dance and underground sounds of the times, becoming disillusioned with commercial music over time. After a short stint as a cover dj in various clubs and bars in plymouth, he landed his first contract with Bureau IDEA in germany and switzerland, and it was in germany where ray got his first taste of techno. learning to mix on lenko turntables in germany (1985) was a pretty gruelling time as those particular decks are belt drive with conical drive, the pitch was selectable with a large speed slider (16, 33, 45 and 78) - i kid you not. On returning to the uk, ray landed several residencies in union street before relocating to the channel islands. Never one to simply follow the rules he would bring the sounds of europe with him with his dance tunes selections, and would frequently pepper his nights with these records as well as commercial ones. Residencies there include an almost 15 year residency at les folies d'amour, number 10, the golden monkey, bonapartes amongst others. Mixing is his passion, preferably instrumentals as he believes them to fire the imagination better rather than being spoon fed cheesy and clichéd lyrics which ultimately (to him) are mostly garbage. At the time being a passionate vinyl freak, he didn't entertain cd's at all and would frequently enter into spirited debates about the impact that cd would inevitably have on the music scene, which to some degree has come to pass. Now, he uses Serato SL1 with Denon DNS 3700's which affords him more flexibility in his mixes. As a co-organiser of the dance tent at the vale earthfair in guernsey (alongside longtime friends Mark helyer and Chris Domaille), this proved a popular venture and helped broaden the appeal of hardgroove (ray's style) to a wider audience in the island. Also he has now started producing his own material - its been a long held idea for him and now he feels ready enough to give it a go. He actively sought advice from producers like Jamie Taylor & Wyrus, and has so far produced 2 solo projects, both of which have received admirable support early on in his producing career. He Currently uses FL Studio, but is toying with the idea of obtaining pro tools in the future. Always looking for ways to stretch himself as a dj, he has an open mind to venues and gigs and welcomes any enquiries in that direction. For the curious you can log onto his mix show on www.thehypernation.com every thursday @ 10pm gmt / 5pm est. or details contact him on 07781 410714 or [email protected]
And, adding to this ray is forming a label with Doxa, so watch this space!!
