John Digweed
Representing: Hastings, England
Style: Progressive House
Best Known For: Staying true to his style and being rewarded extravagantly for it.
Having DJed since childhood, John “Digweed” is a true veteran of the dance music scene. What makes him so unique though, is his consistency and integrity when it comes to his music. These are words that you definitely will hear thrown around often when people talk about Digweed. Two decades of DJing at a stunning level tends to do that for you.
Digweed is perhaps most famous for his work done with fellow house DJ Sasha, which included building and developing the progressive style that was prominent in Europe and North America about ten years ago. They were responsible for the first true DJ mix compilation “Renaissance,” and held residency at Twilo, a club in New York, playing massive eight to twelve-hour sets until difficult times in the electronic music scene forced it to close down. The dynamic duo’s Delta Heavy Tour in 2002 was a production unlike any before it. If you’ve heard anything about it, this was more like a rock concert, with the DJs themselves having full control over sounds and visuals, than a typical DJ performance (well, typical for the time anyway – many DJ shows nowadays base their audio/visual on the Delta Heavy model). Although Sasha & Digweed took a short break after this venture, they are getting back together this year for a North American reunion: the Spring Club tour.
His work is the epitome of multitasking. Digweed is also a producer, remixer, promoter, and radio host. He is definitely far from being just a DJ. Bedrock Records is a joint venture with Nick Muir that embodies this variety of work; it deals with studio production, promotion, and of course, the everyday record label business. Digweed also hosts a weekly radio show, “Transitions,” which is based out of the UK, and has spawned mix compilations that are released biannually. With so much on his plate, it’s a wonder that John Digweed manages to stay on top of his DJing, but that is just what he does. Holding onto his conviction that what matters ultimately is “what comes out of the speakers” is something that he won’t forget to do anytime soon, as it has brought him a Top 10 ranking in DJMag for nine years straight. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that 2008 will mark a decade of DJing brilliance.
