SXSW 2012

Kenny Ken started DJing back in 1989,before that he was working as a ticket collector and railman on the London Underground.He got into playing music by going to the early warehouse parties like,Genesis,Sunrise,Biology,Energy and so on.”I used to go to all the so called incrowd parties where DJʼs like Grooverider,Fabio,Frankie Valentine,Tony Wilson,Paul Oakenfold,Bones and Carl Cox used to play”.It was while going to these all night parties and then having to go straight to work that he decided to try being a DJ.”I went out and bought myself a set of Technics and started to practice and was given a really good mixing lesson by Dean who was one half of Dem 2 who were big back then.I started of by playing Acid House and Garage at small gigs for my mates Jimmy Evans and Steven Mills (thanks guys).I started playing regular on the radio on a pirate station called Centerforce which I left after about a year and moved to Dance FM along with DJʼs like Mr C and Rob Atkinson.One night I was at a Genesis rave and Lenny Dee hadʼnt turned up and the DJ who was playing had another gig to go to so I begged Wayne the promoter to let me go home and get my records,itʼll only take me five minutes.I came back with a converted milk crate full of records and got behind the decks which is when my bottle went a bit cos now Iʼm on the best party at that time, infront of a massive crowd of hardcore ravers.I played for about half hour and played well before Lenny turned up.That was when I decided to leave my job and start Djing full time.I had a really good relationship with the guys at Blackmarket records so it wasʼnt a problem getting all the latest tunes.I also used to go to Reading to a shop called Record Basement which was owned by Phil who now runs New Urban Music.I met Sue and Joe from Labrynth who gave me regular work and while I was playing for Labrynth I was also becoming a better DJ.I used to go to a Sunday morning rave at Crazy Larryʼs on the Kings Road in Chelsea which is where I met Carl and Dave who used to run the Crazy Club and I would pester them to let me play,so one day they said bring my records to Buzbyʼs in the West End and if I play good theyʼd make me a resident which was beyond my wildest dreams cos now Iʼm getting a chance to play in the premier league of DJs.Anyway,when I turned up at Buzbyʼs I met Jack Frost and Ray Keith who had also been told the same thing so now I had to play wicked and better than Ray and Frost.I was the last to go on and Ray and Frost had smashed up the place along with Grooverider so I went on and smashed it too.Carl and Dave decided that they would take the three of us as it was hard to decide who had played the best.Because of my residency at Crazy Club and the way I played my music which at that time was House,Techno and Garage I was asked if Iʼd like to be on the books of Dynamix DJ Agency.Thats when I started to go abroad which was round about 92.My first ever gig abroad was at the BCM Club in Majorca with Bryan Gee.While all this was going on I was resident at the famous Roast parties which were wicked and thatʼs where as far as Iʼm concerned Jungle started to take hold.There was a lot of breakbeat tunes that some Djs would say started jungle that came out before the Roast Parties like Micky Finnʼs Some Justice and loads of Rebel MC tunes but it was the Roast Parties that put Jungle firmly on the map.By this time which is late 92 early 93 Iʼm playing all over the place,World Dance,Telepathy,Cryptonite,Rave@the Cave,Helter Skelter,Pirate Club,the list goes on.Then came AWOL which as far as Iʼm concerned were the best parties and
have never been matched by anyone up to this day.I played at AWOL week in week out only being absent when I had to go abroad.The AWOL era is a big part of my DJing career because thatʼs when I made my first tune called Everybodyʼs Friend which came out on Boogie Beat,then Everyman which came out on Rugged Vinyl.I was also the first jungle DJ bring the music to Toronto Canada along with MCGQ.In 1994 I won the Jungle Soundclash. Yes Iʼve still got the belt.I never got a chance to defend it because the promoters didn't do another soundclash after that.Too much politics and bullshit going on behind the scene.During the AWOL era I done a couple of shows for Radio 1 called 1 in the Jungle with MCGQ.AWOL finished at the legendary Paradise Club in early 96 then in 97 I started Mix and Blen recordings which was a brand new direction for me cos I never had a clue about this side of things,all I knew was how to play music.The first release on the Label was a tune called Coppershot by GSquad who are now known as Supply and Demand.Second release was Reminiscence by DJ Mace who I started Planet Funk Recordings with.I was then asked to join the team at Londonʼs Kiss FM where I had my own show on rotation which I really enjoyed doing because I had a lot of listeners and I could play stuff from the labels and gain some experience on legal radio.I have played all around the world in places that I never ever thought I would reach and met so many good people and all this is down to Jungle/Drum and Bass.Today Iʼm still traveling all round the world, playing out nearly every week but Iʼm concentrating a lot on my studio work because I know Iʼve got it in me to make good music.Its now 2010 and I'm still going strong focusing on Ragga Jungle/D&B For DJ bookings please contact Tania at UMC Artist Management on +441162779777 or email her Tania@umcmanagement.co.uk.