Blaze DJ presents Ministry of Breaks episode 6 on Scientific Sound Asia. Scientific Sound Asia is an Asian electronic music radio station, promoter, DJ agency and music-news platform connecting audiences across Asia and internationally.
Blaze DJ, a British DJ and producer, comes from Walthamstow in London’s East End. His career and background are rooted in underground music culture and the art of DJing.
The 10,000-hour rule suggests that roughly 10,000 hours of practice are needed to master a skill. For Blaze DJ, those hours were the beginning of his training, and he has devoted extensive time to the turntables, music and his audiences.
Blaze DJ grew up in a family that appreciated a wide range of musical styles, which he credits as an early influence. His parents and siblings introduced him to jazz, funk, disco, New Romantics and 1980s synth-pop.
As a schoolboy in 1987, he heard the cassette House Sounds of Chicago Volume 1 and found the sound that would shape his direction. Music then became a central pursuit in his evenings, career and wider life.
Beginning his DJ work at 15, Blaze DJ progressed from a local pub in Edmonton to residencies in Birmingham and Faliraki. Those residencies sometimes placed him before crowds of up to 2,000 people.
A representative of the Acid House era, Blaze DJ has described himself as "one of the fortunate ones" to witness the UK electronic music scene from its beginnings. More than three decades later, his sets draw on the energy and passion of the early-1990s parties he experienced.
His musical focus is house, informed by artists from the genre’s origins through to more recent work. Blaze DJ combines classic house with breakbeat, acid and techno elements in his own style.
His work also extended beyond performance and into the music trade. He was the first in the nation to combine DJing and production-equipment sales in one establishment, changing the retail experience for the electronic music community.
In 2005, Blaze DJ lost his enthusiasm for performing and retired his headphones after deciding to end his DJing career. He still worked in music as an audio-visual designer and consultant, contributing to sound systems for internationally known clubs.
After a fifteen-year break, his interest in DJing returned and he resumed performing with renewed ambition. At the time of this broadcast, he held monthly radio slots with Ibiza Club News, Underground Kollektiv and Scientific Sound Asia.
He had a catalogue of unreleased material as well as releases through Industrial Force and Zeta Records. Blaze DJ also co-hosted Sonic Alchemy events in Islington, North London, and organised Ministry of Breaks events in East London.
Blaze DJ’s Ministry of Breaks episode 6 opens with Multiply’s Hackney Siege on Distorsion Records, before Plump DJs bring Invincible from Punks into the opening Breaks selection. Hankook’s Chord, also on Distorsion Records, and Fatboy Slim’s Praise You keep the early section centred on broken rhythms.
Kid Panel’s Bring The Funk Back on Elektroshok Records and Colombo’s Move Move on Distorsion Records retain that rhythmic focus. The Darrow Chem Syndicate’s Destroyers & Hankook remix of My Dear One on NIPPONEER leads into Freestylers’ Electroshock from Mamas Pie.
Blaze DJ’s To the Beat 1.2 and Westbam’s club mix of Axel F. provide the next pair of selections before Awesome 3’s Kicks Like A Mule remix of Don’t Go brings in Breakbeat. Jaydee’s Tayo & Acid Rockers remix of Plastic Dreams follows, while Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams introduces a pop/rock reference ahead of Full Intention’s Meteor Man on OFF Spin.
Full Intention’s Meteor Man adds a Tech House turn before Mafia Kiss’s Tundra on Punks and Temgri’s Siberia on Elektroshok Records return to the programme’s break-led centre. Jeff Alford’s Blaze DJ rework of Home on Industrial Force then gives way to Lennie de Ice’s Christian J mix of We Are I.E. on Distinctive Records.
Freestylers and MC Spyda bring My Sound on Mamas Pie, followed by Kid Panel’s My Bassline from Toast & Jam Recordings. Lucas’s Sent Into The Dark and Chevy One’s Late Night Dialling, also on Toast & Jam Recordings, precede Lexxi Vonne’s Who Knows Who Goes on Ritual Salvation, a brief move towards House Music.
Rabbit in the Moon’s Digital Base & Andy Vibes remix of Out Of Body Experience is followed by The Darrow Chem Syndicate’s Brainkiller & Paket remix of Get Loose on NIPPONEER. Rhades’ Mind Invaders on Banana Club, B-Phreak and Bradley Drop’s Bad Boy on Toast & Jam Recordings, and Blaze DJ’s remix of Don’t Be Cruel carry the later stretch forward.
Dubaxface’s Stronger on LIZPLAY RECORDS and Sekret Chadow’s Love Fleeting on 13monkeys Records lead into DJ SKT’s Suga7 remix of Take Me Away and Ondamike and Tooltime’s Bomb on Ravesta Records. N-Joi’s Breakz Remix, Suga7’s Snake on Wasted, Jazz & The Brothers Grimm’s 1989 house cut Casanova, ACEDIAS’ Seven on Distorsion Records and Liquid and Billy Bunter’s Dove Removal Machine on Dope Ammo complete the set.
Blaze DJ episode 6
Multiply - Hackney Siege (Original Mix) [Distorsion Records]
Plump DJs - Invincible (Original Mix) [Punks]
Hankook - Chord (Original Mix) [Distorsion Records]
Fatboy Slim - Praise You
Kid Panel - Bring The Funk Back (Original Mix) [Elektroshok Records]
Colombo - Move Move (Original Mix) [Distorsion Records]
The Darrow Chem Syndicate - My Dear One (Destroyers & Hankook Remix) [NIPPONEER]
Freestylers - Electroshock [Mamas Pie]
Blaze DJ - To the Beat 1.2 [Promo]
Westbam - Axel F. (Club mix) [Promo]
Awesome 3 - Don't Go (Kicks Like A Mule Remix)
Jaydee - Plastic Dreams (Tayo & Acid Rockers Remix)
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Full Intention - Meteor Man (Original Mix) [OFF Spin]
Mafia Kiss - Tundra (Original Mix) [Punks]
Temgri - Siberia (Original Mix) [Elektroshok Records]
Jeff Alford - Home (Blaze DJ Rework) [Industrial Force]
Lennie de Ice - We Are I.E. (Christian J Mix) [Distinctive Records]
Freestylers and MC Spyda - My Sound [Mamas Pie]
Kid Panel - My Bassline (Original Mix) [Toast & Jam Recordings]
Lucas - Sent Into The Dark
Chevy One - Late Night Dialling (Original Mix) [Toast & Jam Recordings]
Lexxi Vonne - Who Knows Who Goes [Ritual Salvation]
Rabbit in the Moon - Out Of Body Experience (Digital Base & Andy Vibes Remix)
The Darrow Chem Syndicate - Get Loose (The Brainkiller & Paket Remix) [NIPPONEER]
Rhades - Mind Invaders (Original Mix) [Banana Club]
B-Phreak, Bradley Drop - Bad Boy (Original Mix) [Toast & Jam Recordings]
Blaze DJ - Don't Be Cruel (Remix) [Promo]
Dubaxface - Stronger (Original Mix) [LIZPLAY RECORDS]
Sekret Chadow - Love Fleeting (Original Mix) [13monkeys Records]
DJ SKT - Take Me Away (Suga7 Remix)
Ondamike, Tooltime - Bomb (VIP Mix) [Ravesta Records]
N-Joi - Breakz Remix (Final) [Promo]
Suga7 - Snake (Original Mix) [Wasted]
Jazz & The Brothers Grimm - Casanova
ACEDIAS - Seven (Original Mix) [Distorsion Records]
Liquid, Billy Bunter - Dove Removal Machine (Original Mix) [Dope Ammo]
Listen on Mixcloud here.