DJ Ellis Dee Interview 1993
Ellis Dee, one of the members of the great Rhythm
Section, has proved over the years why he is one of the best DJ’s
out there with some excellent sets. He’s in the 20 to 30 age group
(not over the hill yet) and promises his fans he has a lot more to
give yet. Lets take a trip through Ellis Dee’s story.
What is your real name?
I have been known to answer to the name Roy Collins on occasions.
When you first left school, what did you do work wise?
My first ever job was to work as a mechanic where I got my City and
Guilds certificate which comes in real handy if I break down on the
way to an event. After that I got involved with a chauffeur company,
where I was an office manager.
So were your ambitions to be a DJ when you first left school?
Not so much to be a DJ. I just wanted to get into music. I always
thought it would be a dream that would never come true.
So when did DJ’ing come into your life?
Professionally I have been DJ’ing since late 1981, but before that I
used to play anywhere people wanted loud music. I must admit I used
to play at Discos for my school and small clubs, this was my first
taste of playing music to crowds.
So you were DJ’ing at discos and small clubs, how did you get
involved in the rave scene?
Well basically, I couldn’t stand acid music, but a friend of mine
persuaded me to an acid rave club with him. I went along, had a good
night (as you do) and from there I really got into the scene. The
next step I took was to organise a rave, we found a venue down at
Elephant & Castle under some arches, I called it Rave At The Cave
and the first event I did pulled in 800 people. On that first event
I DJ’d all night long from 9pm to 8am and I only had about 25
records to play. I was playing the A & B sides of each record at
least a couple of times through the night hoping nobody would
notice.
So what did you do next?
Well I had the Rave At The Cave going for about 6 months, in which
time I thought up the name Ellis Dee. Doing the Rave At The Cave
really got me noticed and before long I was playing at a whole host
of clubs.
What made your decide on the name Ellis Dee?
I named myself after an American producer who has now died. I
thought the name was really good.
Why do you think you’ve been successful as a DJ?
F**k me that’s a hard one. The main thing has to be down to the
choice of records I play. I do try to play sets that have a bit of
all types of music for everybody, so I like to think I please the
whole crowd throughout my set. I don’t play records that are full of
Ragga. I don’t mind a hint of it in a tune but I love good piano
tunes that are also tuff.
Any records out there that you rate at the moment?
To be honest at the moment I’m playing a set that has records in
which are a few months old because there’s nothing out that’s
outstanding. Of course I’m throwing in a few new tunes such as NRG’s
new one, also Sub Love, DJ Rap’s tune on Suburban Base, Slammin
Vinyl’s latest plus a few others.
Do you think the music played is too fast at the moment?
Yes, way too fast it needs to slow down. If it continues to get
faster and faster it’s just going to burn itself out. People can’t
dance all night to too fast music. What you will find is the dance
floor not being so busy and gradually becoming thinner and thinner.
Kill the speeds or kill rave. Get it back down to 145 beats per
minute.
Can you see the music changing from its current style and in which
direction do you think it will go?
Yes I can see the music changing, as to what way it’s going to go
it’s difficult to see, but the rave tracks around at the moment have
far too much raga content for my liking. I know a lot of people have
gone over to the House/Garage scene. What I think the people who
make the music should concentrate on is making music that is
somewhere in-between the current rave tracks and House/Garage stuff.
As you know I’m part of Rhythm Section and that’s what we are trying
to do, get happy medium between the two and get some unity back into
all night partying.
Can you see the garage/progressive scene taking over from the hard
dance music?
No, the Garage stuff just isn’t tuff enough for youngsters.
Outside Rhythm Section have you made many records yourself?
Swan E and I have done a couple. I’ve done some things on my own –
the Ellis Dee Projects – I’m up to part 5 at the moment. Also I’ve
done a track with Rennie P under the name Bass to Base plus much
more.
What do you think of raves at the moment?
It’s definitely not as good as it used to be, there’s too much
attitude at events these days.
What is your opinion on MC’s?
I think crowds do need MC’s to perk them up a bit, but the thing is
the majority of them just rabbit on and don’t know when to stop. If
they do go on too much I just turn them off.
What other DJ’s do you rate out there?
Well Swan E, Jumping Jack Frost and Slipmatt are right up on my
list, but I really do rate all the professional DJ’s around.
How often do you play out a week on average?
Normally 3 events on a Friday and 3 on a Saturday, possibly
Thursdays and Mondays as well.
What’s the most events you’ve done in a night?
5 was the most. That was New Year’s Eve 91/92. I played at Eclipse
in Coventry, Milwaukees in Bedford, Raindance in Melton Mowbray,
Fantasia in Exeter and the Dungeons in London. A fast car needed for
a nutty night.
What’s the best event you’ve played at?
Perception at Long Marston was the best I’ve performed at.
Do you have a favourite club you like playing at?
I’ve always liked Sterns, it’s special.
What do you like most about being a DJ?
Basically doing what you like doing and watching people respond to
the music you play for them. It gives me great satisfaction seeing
people dancing like mad.
And the worst thing about being a DJ?
It has to be the driving, it’s just a killer. I don’t let anybody
else drive for me because I don’t trust anyone enough.
Do you ever bump into other DJ’s driving along the motorways?
Yes, loads of times. For example once I was sitting in a service
station on the M1 having a cup of tea when Carl Cox came in, Mickey
Finn and a few minutes later Groove Rider turned up. There we all
were sitting having a chat.
Have you played abroad at all?
France, Switzerland and Spain.
Do you have any plans to go abroad again?
Yes, every day (only joking!). Being serious, there are talks of me
going to Australia, but I’ll wait till I see the plane tickets in my
hand.
What’s been the most embarrassing moment for you as a DJ?
One I can’t forget was at a Perception event some time ago. The
mixer I was using was not very loud on the headphones and I was
trying to cue a record up to mix in. Normally I only put one
earphone on but because I couldn’t hear properly I put both
earphones on. I started queuing up the record whilst the other one
on the other deck continued playing out to the crowd. Because I had
both ear phones I couldn’t hear the record playing out, then all of
a sudden I could see people waving at me, so I waved back thinking
that they were just being friendly and saying hello. But what I
didn’t know, they were trying to point out to me that the record
playing out was stuck and jumping. I didn’t know anything about it
until Easygroove came up to the decks and knocked the record. I
looked up and there was quite a few people laughing. I felt a little
stupid!
Have you ever played on a pirate radio station?
Yes, I used to have a slot on Sunrise Monday to Friday 12-2.
What do you think of pirate stations these days?
Well I hate to say they are not as good as they used to be. They are
not as professional as they should be. Nowadays the pirate stations
have MC’s on them and they are talking constantly over the records.
I wouldn’t be tempted at present to go back on pirate stations.
Most of us have read Mix Mag of late and in a recent article they
said that any self respecting DJ would not play hardcore music as a
hardcore/hard dance DJ have you anything to say in your defence to
Mix Mag?
Well I don’t think they should turn their backs on the music because
there are people out there who like it. At one point Mix Mag
couldn’t get enough of rave, they shouldn’t slag rave off, what they
should do is not mention it if they have nothing good to say about
it, there’s nothing in Mix Mag that interests me anymore. Rave is
what helped make their magazine what it is today and now they turn
their backs on it. For example we went to their DMC Awards, it was
nothing special, only about 600 people turned up at a venue that
holds 4.000.
Any advice for up and coming DJ’s?
Well there’s a lot of good ones out and about. My advice would be to
try and get your way into your local clubs first even if you have to
play for no money. Just keep at it.
What are your ambitions for the future?
To get Rhythm Section massive.
Any funny stories you would like to share with the Blaze readers out
there?
I remember once going to a rave years and years ago called Jack In
The Box down in Brighton. I polled up and a copper said to me I
needed to walk about a mile to where the rave was and I had 2 boxes
packed with records which I had to carry. I started walking to this
rave, it’s pissing down with rain and I’m staggering all over the
place with these heavy boxes. I finally get there and I’m supposed
to be playing at 4am, it’s now about 4 to 4am. One of the DJ’s
turned round and said that I would have to wait a long time before
getting on so I asked what he talking about because I was supposed
to be on at 4am. So he says, well my mates on next and then I’m on,
I asked who he was, he told me and I then set off to find the
promoter who was nowhere to be seen. By now I had had enough, so I
just pissed off. On the Monday after the event I phoned the promoter
and asked what had happened to him. He replied oh sorry the sound
went down about 1am and we couldn’t manage to get it going again. I
said what are you talking about, I was there at 4am and the sound
sounded wonderful to me. The promoter then asked where I was on the
night, I told him I was by the DJ booth next to the swimming pool,
so he said what swimming pool? I had ended up being at the wrong
rave all night long. Apparently they were 4 miles down the road.
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