ArtistInfo

DJ Blakey

*1985 GB
of Electronic and Dance
A.k.a. Richard Blake

Blakey is a DJ whose career has served him well. It all began at the age of 12 with a love of UK Garage and pirate radio. Many trips to Slammin' Vinyl's record shop in Kingston led to hours of mixing and even hosting a pirate radio station from his bedroom in the suburbs of West London. It was only after watching a DMC DJ Championships video by chance that his new goal of mastering the art of Turntablism was set. Every hour for the next 7 years was spent practising as much as possible, without him even realising it. Fast forward to July 2004 and at 19 years of age, his goal was realised. He was crowned UK DMC Champion after a unanimous decision. A four year love affair with Fabric as resident for their Fabriclive Friday promotion followed, with reputable brands like Urban Nerds following suit and opportunities such as supporting Nas, Jurassic 5 and Jay-Z falling into his lap. Over the years his DJ skills have taken him to every corner of the globe including Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, China, India, and Kenya. He was later employed by FreeStyleGames, a subsidiary of Activision (Call Of Duty, Guitar Hero) to assist them in the making of DJ Hero. Blakey became the Scratch DJ and creative consultant for the game in a 9-to-5 job that lasted four years, taking him around Europe, and to as far as Australia and USA to promote the game with his turntable prowess. Although known for playing around with a range of styles, Blakey’s mastery now lies in an upfront UK House and Garage set with a subtle nod to it's roots. His History Of Garage mix series, hosted by Orifice Vulgatron of the Foreign Beggars has had tens of thousands of listeners online. He will be shooting a video version in January 2013 with Pioneer for distribution via their YouTube channel. Going back to his roots, Blakey's overdue debut release was a Garage double A side. ‘If You See Me b/w Back Then’, released on Slime Records in July 2012. He will be following this up with a 4 track EP in January 2013 entitled "The Next Chapter" again through Slime, which will effortlessly showcase his new direction into the world of UK House & Garage.

Genres

• Electronic
• Dance