“I was a full-time engineer and producer employed at the studio. I was exposed to not just dance music but all kinds of genres and working alongside other engineers and producers, it developed into a skill and trade that I love.”
I struggled onwards, learned more and managed to release a number of white labels and get signed to a few smaller labels that are now no longer around. I reached a turning point after reading an article in Future Music. I can’t remember the artist but I do remember their words – if you’re serious about being an artist, then you should put everything into it.
I decided to quit work – I gave up everything to work on music. I was told I was crazy, that I would be back in a couple of months begging for my job back but I was serious about the music. Later that same year, I took one of my tracks to a studio in Manchester to have it mixed professionally. The engineer hadn’t mixed dance music before, only Manchester rock music, so part way through I took over the mix. It was my first opportunity to work on a large desk and it felt natural. The manager of the studios liked my approach and said that if any further electronic music came in, he would give me a call to mix it. At the time, the music was not receiving a good reception in the press.
The Sun newspaper, in particular, were spreading propaganda about dance floors covered in silver paper wrappings from Ecstacy (it was silver paper shot from a canon during the evening) and the music was hailed as a drug-induced fad. Consequently, work was slow at first so the studio had me attend University to earn a BSc in Audio Engineering and that eventually grew into a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in Music Technology and Production.
Over the years, as dance music proved itself to be more than just some passing fad, more and more work came into the studios. I became a full-time engineer and producer employed at the studio. During that time I was exposed to not just dance music but all kinds of genes and working alongside other engineers and producers, it developed into a skill and trade that I truly love.