Blaze DJ presents his second Smoke & Lasers show on Scientific Sound Asia. Scientific Sound Asia is an Asian electronic music radio station, DJ agency, promoter and music-news platform with an international following.
Blaze DJ is a British DJ and producer originating from Walthamstow in the East End of London, U.K. His whole career and background have been associated with underground music culture and DJing.
According to the rule of 10,000 hours, it takes approximately 10,000 hours of practice to truly become an expert at something and master one’s trade, yet for Blaze DJ, 10,000 hours was but a mere apprenticeship. The London-based DJ has put so many hours in that he has developed an almost telepathic connection to the decks, the music he plays and the people who listen.
Having been born into a household where he was exposed to a truly eclectic mix of musical styles and genres, Blaze DJ notes his parents and siblings as his earliest influences. A blend of jazz, funk, disco, New Romantics and 80’s synth-pop helped to mould his taste, but it wasn't until he heard the cassette House Sounds of Chicago Volume 1, in 1987 while still a schoolboy, that Blaze DJ knew he had discovered his sound.
Since that day, music has become an avocation for Blaze DJ, influencing not only his nights out but his entire career and every single aspect of his life. Taking up DJing at the age of 15, Blaze DJ quickly established himself as a DJ people wanted to hear, from a local pub in Edmonton to residencies in Birmingham and Faliraki, often playing to 2,000 people.
If it can be done as a DJ, Blaze DJ has probably done it. A genuine member of the Acid House generation, he considers himself to be “one of the lucky ones” to have witnessed the growth of the UK’s electronic music scene from its beginnings to the present day.
He brings the same enthusiasm and energy to his sets now, thirty years later, as he did while playing the epic parties of the early 90s. For Blaze DJ, it is and always has been all about house music.
Influenced by many artists from the early days right through to today, he has managed to take all of his inspiration and influences and weave them into the tapestry that is his unique sound. Think classic house, add a hint of breaks, a touch of acid and a sprinkling of techno and you’ll start to get an understanding of Blaze DJ’s style.
Blaze DJ’s influence was not only felt behind the decks, as he also spent time working in DJ shops. He became the first retailer in the country to combine DJing and producing equipment under one roof and was responsible for revolutionising retail for the electronic music community.
In 2005, Blaze DJ seemed to have lost the spark for performance and decided to hang up his headphones and call a day on his DJing career. While still working within the music industry as an Audio Visual designer and consultant on sound systems in some of the world’s most famous clubs, the spark was rekindled after a fifteen-year hiatus and he returned to the scene with renewed enthusiasm and desire to perform at the highest level once more.
At the time of publication, despite the events of the preceding year, he had already secured three monthly radio slots with Ibiza Club News, Underground Kollektiv and Scientific Sound Asia. He was equipped with a full catalogue of unreleased music and had a label in the pipeline.
Plans to return to gigging were also in place at the time of publication. It appeared that Blaze DJ would be returning to line-ups up and down the country in the not-too-distant future.
Blaze DJ’s second Smoke & Lasers show, podcast 453 opens with Ben Rainey’s Falling, Fallout and Purple Disco Machine’s The Morning After, Rick Silva’s Jacking, Kevin McKay, Alex Gewer and Tasty Lopez’s Miss You, and Blaze DJ’s own pop cut The Get Down on XGD. Soundbwoy Killah’s Burning on Hundred Flowers introduces Breakbeat, before Alpha One and Jude & Frank’s Motion on Alpha One Net brings in Funky House.
Tim Cullen’s Take This on Adesso Music settles into House Music, while Fubu and Litening’s Heaven on Champion Records moves into Breaks. Sandy B and Sam Divine’s Ain’t No Need To Hide is followed by Kristine W’s Feel What You Want on Champion Records and Beyond Therapy, Echofly and Angie Brown’s Higher on Champion, pairing Tech House with a rave-edged breakbeat remix.
Riva Starr’s The Wickedest Sound on Brock Wild keeps the tech house pressure in place before Archie B’s Give This Up returns to house on Champion Records. Sunscreem and Patrice Bäumel’s Perfect Motion leads to Mocongo’s Break It Down on LW Recordings, where Electro (Classic / Detroit / Modern) supplies a sharper rhythmic turn.
De Wulf and Frank’s The Tape precedes Ben Rainey and Trp’s Rolling Stone, then Tall Paul’s Voodoo Ray on Dos Or Die Records brings the set back to house. Case 82’s Padua gives way to Don’t Blink’s Lets Get Ill on LOW CEILING, a firmer tech house passage before Ben Rainey and Trp’s Long Train Running.
Milk & Sugar and Purple Disco Machine’s Let The Sun Shine is followed by Renyard and Blaze DJ’s Collab, then Don’t Blink’s Vibration on Sink or Swim (Spinnin’ Records). Southall and Morecause’s Keep It Comin’ on DugOut Records keeps the tech house emphasis direct before Colombo’s Move Move on Distorsion Records returns to breaks.
Denhamaudio and Cocobryce’s Single Minded People sits ahead of Detlef and Cloonee’s Scratchin on Moon Harbour Recordings, Blaze DJ’s Disco Breakin, and Rhades’ Mind Invaders on Banana Club. Rhythm Qest’s Closer To All Your Dreams on Network Records, Shockillaz’s Groove Me! on Expand Records, OT Quartet’s Hold That Sucker Down on Champion Records, Jeff Alford’s Home on Industrial Force and Digital Base and Andy Vibes’ Good Influences on Old Skool Records close through house, breaks and Melodic House and Techno.
Blaze DJ Smoke & Lasers episode 2
Ben Rainey - Falling (Extended Mix) [Club Master]
Fallout, Purple Disco Machine - The Morning After (Purple Disco Machine Re-Work)
Rick Silva - Jacking (Original Mix)
Kevin McKay, Alex Gewer, Tasty Lopez - Miss You (Extended Mix)
Blaze DJ - The Get Down
Soundbwoy Killah - Burning
Alpha One/Jude & Frank - Motion (Jude & Frank Remix)
Tim Cullen - Take This (Extended Mix)
Fubu, Litening, Ur2wo - Heaven (Ur2wo Remix)
Sandy B, Sam Divine - Ain't No Need To Hide (Sam Divine Extended Remix)
Kristine W, Guz - Feel What You Want (Guz Remix)
Beyond Therapy, Echofly, Angie Brown - Higher (Beyond Therapy Extended Rave Mix)
Riva Starr - The Wickedest Sound (Original Mix)
Archie B - Give This Up
Sunscreem, Patrice Bäumel - Perfect Motion (Patrice Bäumel Renaissance Remix)
Mocongo - Break It Down (Original Mix)
De Wulf, Frank - The Tape (Remix)
Ben Rainey & Trp - Rolling Stone (Extended Mix) [Club Master]
Tall Paul - Voodoo Ray (Extended Mix)
Case 82 - Padua (Original Mix)
Don't Blink - Lets Get Ill (Original Mix)
Ben Rainey Ft. Trp - Long Train Running (Extended Mix) [Club Master]
Milk & Sugar, Purple Disco Machine - Let The Sun Shine (Purple Disco Machine Extended Remix)
Renyard & Blaze DJ - Collab
Don't Blink - Vibration (Extended Mix)
Southall, Morecause - Keep It Comin' (Original Mix)
Colombo - Move Move (Original Mix)
Denhamaudio & Cocobryce - Single Minded People
Detlef, Cloonee - Scratchin (Original Mix)
Blaze DJ - Disco Breakin
Rhades - Mind Invaders (Original Mix)
Rhythm Qest - Closer To All Your Dreams
Shockillaz - Groove Me! (Seth Vogt Remix)
OT Quartet - Hold That Sucker Down (Dual's Bass-rok Radio Edit)
Jeff Alford - Home (Blaze DJ Remix)
Digital Base, Andy Vibes - Good Influences (Original Mix)
Listen on Mixcloud here.