- Words Yazzi Gokcemen
With a world tour and exciting projects on the horizon, UK producer-DJ Denham Audio shares his musical firsts and love of all things rave.
Denham Audio’s impact will be felt hard this year. Along with a series of exciting announcements, the London-born, Sheffield-based DJ will soon embark on a 23-date Spring tour, firing up venues across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand with his distinctive dancefloor energy.
Last month, Denham Audio dropped ‘Wasting Time with You’, a hard groove, trance-infused track produced in collaboration with close friend and collaborator, Triple Point. Premiering at Boiler Room’s Boomtown stage during a B2B set with DJ Fuckoff, the single is proof of the producer’s ever-evolving, innovative genre-mixing and commitment to honouring the legacy of the UK rave scene.
Denham Audio’s music career has so far been a non-stop, raving success. Learning the craft at university, today he’s a member of the Club Glow collective where, alongside fellow UK disciples Borai, LMajor and Mani Festo, he’s shaping the sound of modern rave culture. The artist’s influences are diverse thanks to burying himself in London’s grime scene and following dance music rabbit holes, from deep house and techno to disco, garage and jungle.
With a Rinse FM residency and sets played across the world, the DJ has been introducing club-goers to the irresistible energy of UK hardcore, breakbeat and techno. His discography sees acidic house and breaks spliced up by unexpected inserts of reggae, garage or hip-hop whilst collabs with legendary mixers such as Coco Bryce add new dimensions and perspectives.
Denham Audio’s devotion to club culture is set to infect audiences in the coming months. Before you catch the dance bug and book into his UK shows, discover his musical firsts, from dream festival lineups to those earl memories gigging around Nottinham.
First time you fell in love with music?
I know the correct answer is supposed to be “from the first time I heard X on the radio, or from as since I can remember” or something but the true answer is I’m not sure. It’s been an ever-present part of my interests. I love video games and didn’t realise how much the soundtracks from those games I played growing up have actually inspired the music I make, even down to the diverse range of genres and sounds.
First song you were infatuated with?
I think it was Lost In Vegas by Some Treat. When I first heard it in my brother’s car I (and him) had no idea what it was which lead to that driving me mad for about 10 years until finding it out when I was at university and more into my DJ and Producer era
First gig you ever played?
The first night I ever played was at a Detonate in Nottingham, I’d won a competition to play there. I was super super nervous and clanged my way through the hour, tryna mix Disclosure’s track White Noise into some Boddika and Joy Orbison very badly.
First time you worked with someone who you admired?
I’d have to say Mani Festo, he was the first person I connected with online, in the days of Facebook groups, who was making similar music. We liked what each other was doing, and ended up making an EP together sending ideas back and forth. That’s truly what opened me up to the idea of collaborating with people remotely, it lead to working with Borai on Club Glow Vol.1 and forming the Club Glow collective with us three and LMajor.
I’ve also had a few full-circle moments of working with people who I was listening to starting out and have influenced my direction over the years. Collaborating with Dusky was crazy because it was Flo Jam that was my gateway into underground dance music. I played b2b with Baby T/B Traits at Boomtown a few years back and Bri was a big inspiration when I was at uni. Then we got Sports Banger & Heras, I religiously listened to the Swamp81 show every week so to work and now be good friends with Johnny, Klose and Benton is crazy.
First person you’d recruit if you had a band?
There’s a singer I really like called Lyves – incredible vocalist – would make some crazy wonky electronica stuff together I reckon.
First time you felt starstruck?
I was an extra in ‘Batman Dark Knight Rises’ (I was a removal man, you can see an overhead shot of me carrying a carpet at the end of the movie) when they filmed at Wollaston Hall in Nottingham and met Morgan Freeman on set, that was pretty f*cking crazy.
First thing on your rider?
It’s changed quite a bit over the years, nothing fancy, it was a simple bottle of Vodka but now it mostly consists of alcohol-free beers and some water…signs of getting old.
First track you play when handed the aux?
Turn Purple by Sosv, Snoop Dogg & M Dot R, not even joking, I’m obssessed, its such a smooth banger.
First artist you’d add to your dream festival line up?
It’s bit of a cheat but I’d have NxWorries, which is Knxwledge and Anderson Paak, their debut album is my favourite album of all time.