Dj D-Drive

Birmingham born and bread up and coming dj providing entertainment in the drum and bass world!

How it all came about

My passion for music started at the age of around 11, I was big into jungle, constantly listening to Kool.fm and slowly building up my tape pack collection such as helter skelter, jungle mania, Pure X and hysteria, as I couldn’t get into the raves at such age. I got the biggest buzz from the likes of Kenny Ken, Nicky blackmarket, Shy Fx and Hype, and totally got lost in the world of music.

By 2001 at the age of 18, my main focus was actually to be an MC, as I was pretty good at it. Going to house parties dropping lyrics that id wrote. After a while I struggled to find dj’s that were playing the kind of tunes I needed to mc over, which in turn was what made me go out and buy my own turn tables which were a pair of Gemini PT1000. 2002 came about and I was recording sets so I could mc over them, at this stage my mixing was terrible!! And I was having to use a karaoke machine for my mc’ing, But I persisted! It wasn’t long before I started getting complaints about the noise levels coming from my bedroom, and had to find alternative ways to continue my music and keep the peace. I ended up soundproofing my bricked outer house which was actually my shed! And the music could continue!!! By this point I was a full on raver, and going to raves like Quest and hypnosis at the legendary Q club, Accelerated culture the sanctuary Milton Keynes, and Prosession at kitchen. It was listening to the likes of brockie, Hazard, Twisted individual and mampi swift that I realised I was getting a buzz off the twisted wobbly bass lines that started to emerge. At this point I started to shy away from the Mc’ing and focused more on the mixing which I was still terrible at! At a house party I was at, problems arose and it ended up in my turn tables being seized due to noise complaints which left me kind of stuffed as they took everything including my vinyl. After over a year fighting to get them returned and getting no where I ended up buy my second set of turn tables which were a pair of Numark TT200’s.

2006 arrived and I had developed quite well, and in 2007 everything started to come together and I made a few links via playing at house parties and anything I could. By 2008 I managed to get a breakthrough and secured myself a radio slot back to back with my mate Dj tension on South Birmingham community radio. After a few months I took on more of a deputy role. This resulted in more radio experience and led to my first booking for face the bass at Q club, along side of Alpha, Bryan G and escape. I cant explain the feeling and the buzz that I got that night and was sure that this was what I was made to do. From that more and more bookings came my way, Custard factory, Premonition, Subway city, Poets corner - willenhall, Tc’s, and the old O2 academy, which was strangely on a rock night!
I then decided to leave South Birmingham radio, due to lack of my time to be able to volunteer and have full time employment. Through a close pal, Dj Subdue, I then got my first Hysteria booking, kind of mad considering id spent so many years listening to the music from hysteria that I was finally getting my chance to play there. A surreal moment! I played there which got me more bookings from hysteria. I got myself onto West Midlands Radio, due to the set up it was pre-mixed and recorded in my place and then uploaded which was the only way at the time I could promote myself as I had a full dj set up but no internet!! I stayed there with them for 6 months and then started to upload myself onto soundcloud. Got myself onto face book and started talking to Lyrical D who runs Lost in Bass which got me bookings in Bang Bar Basingstoke, Sticky Fridays (Opera theatre) Tottenham, Formula (main arena) Blue Mountain Bristol, Dissident Peterborough, Muzik Hertz 3rd birthday bash, Rainbow garden. I got myself a residency on Second City Records. I was part of BBLU Management, playing Haiti relief, Kane’s birthday bash and Coalminers “my bloody birthday” bash.

Currently

This year I started feeling fed up of going to events and carrying heavy vinyl bags and getting there only to find a poor turn table set up if they were there at all. This is where I knew i needed to make the change from vinyl to MP3. I now currently mix vinyl and CD’s.
My mixing and recordings have come on leaps and bounds since I started. (To the point where I thought I would never get to). I am working slots on Raiders of the old school radio, My set Strictly Bangerz no Clangerz, with continuous guest Dj’s like Dj Tension, Dj Slime, Max Pain. Mc’s Spartan Krew, Dat Kyid just to name a few. (Tuesday 6-8pm). I am also working a slot on Essex Beatz radio. (Wednesday 6-8) Both once a week. I am getting bookings on a regular basis, most weekends, and sometimes anything up to 6 months in advance.
Premonition Re-launch 6th may
Bang Bar, Basingstoke, Cancer charity event, L.I.B, 14th May
Raiders Of The Old School Multiple scleroses charity event, 16th July
Raiders Of The Old School 1st Birthday Boat party 18th of September

Future aspirations

I want to develop skills to produce my own tracks. Im currently looking into holding my own event nights, which if it is a hit then more will follow. All booking offers will be accepted if viable.

Contact

If you wish to contact me regarding bookings hit me up on facebook, Deejay Ddrive Forde.