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Danny Howells is one of the nicest guys in the DJ-scene. Danny creates magic with his passion for all styles of music and his unique sound. We got in contact through UK-DJ Paul Sparkes. In 2020 I interviewed Danny Howells about his first gig. "I was terribly nervous and afraid I would mess it up."
“I grew up in the 1970s in a musical family in Hastings, in the south of England, not far from Bristol. My mother loved Motown and the Beatles, my aunt listened to pop, Bowie, and Led Zeppelin, so I was accustomed to hearing various genres from a young age.”
A turntable at two
“I think I got my first turntable at the age of two. Other children had toys; I was always busy with that thing. I got records from everyone around me. Later, of course, a cassette recorder came along, allowing me to record music from the radio. It was the seventies, so sometimes the music was visually exciting too, think of Bowie. I was completely obsessed with music, and I still am.”
Keep your gear in perfect condition
“As a teenager, I started making mixtapes and sometimes played them at weddings within the family. If there was a ‘real’ DJ, I always had a chat. At one of the weddings, there was a DJ who then made notes for me the whole evening with tips for DJing. Things like: ‘Always bring enough different music to an event,’ ‘Practice talking into the microphone at home,’ and ‘Keep your gear in perfect condition.’ I still have that note somewhere.”
Popular radio tunes
“The eighties were full of 12-inch records, so I had stacks of them. Frankie Goes To Hollywood, New Order’s Blue Monday, and Madonna. Hastings had a lively club scene, but the music played there mainly consisted of popular radio tunes or performances by live bands.”
Bedrock party
“Until John Digweed, also born and raised in the region, started throwing parties at a club called Crypt. We’re talking about the early nineties. I believe the first time I went there was a Bedrock party. It was also the first time I heard this unique music all night long, not track after track, mixed with, for example, Primal Scream. Here, I heard Orbital, and it did something to me. It felt like a natural progression for me to delve into this.”
Unparalleled atmosphere
“It was a special time. We weren’t in the epicenter of the house, London, but we still achieved a comparable unparalleled atmosphere. It has never been the same since. I don’t mean to say it’s gotten worse, but mainly different. It was so special at that time because all possible music cultures merged. You could find goths in the house scene as well. It was refreshing to see how all the ‘gangs’ came together and united in music.”
Prince's birthday
“My first time playing for a small audience is a different story. My friends and I were crazy about Prince and decided to throw a party in honor of Prince’s birthday. We did this in a small club called Cricketers. We played Prince songs all night and some other soul and R&B. I remember De La Soul being in the mix. I also remember us getting really drunk.” (laughs)
Assistant nurse
“In front of me, for the first time, there were two turntables. I knew what to do with them within a minute. It was completely natural. From that moment on, I wanted to have two myself. However, I had just started my first job as an assistant nurse in a psychiatric clinic and earned very little. Luckily, I knew a guy who had some equipment in his store, including JB Systems turntables. I could buy them from him on installment, so I could start working at home. I think I played on these belt drives for about ten years. I still have one, and it still works perfectly.”
Amazing experience
“There were two turntables in front of me for the first time. I knew what to do with them within a minute. It was completely natural. From that moment on, I wanted to have two myself. However, I had just started my first job as an assistant nurse in a psychiatric clinic and earned very little. Luckily, I knew a guy who had some equipment in his store, including JB Systems turntables. I could buy them from him on installment, so I could start working at home. I think I played on these belt drives for about ten years. I still have one, and it still works perfectly.”
John Digweed
“At the same time, a friend gave one of my tapes to John Digweed. John called me based on that, but I wasn’t home. I had to call him back from a payphone.” (laughs) “I was super curious about what he wanted from me. When I finally got hold of him, it turned out he appreciated my style and wanted me as the opening DJ for a big event at Hastings Pier. That was in late ’91 or early ’92.”
Suck people into the night
“There I was, in front of three or four hundred people. I was terribly nervous and afraid I would mess it up. No, I hadn’t prepared anything at home. And yes, I had received some instructions from John. ‘You’re not the star of the show. Try to suck people into the night as they come in.’ So, I knew not to peak. Based on that, I selected records. On the spot, I’d see which ones I’d play. With thirty years of experience, I still do it this way. It’s about reacting to the crowd; it’s an interaction.”
Grinding
“I don’t remember if I made mistakes. Probably, but not of the kind that anyone noticed. Initially, I wasn’t really satisfied with my performance. I kept grinding in my head whether I had been good enough. Until on Monday, I got the relieving call: ‘You did great; we want you to play with us more often.'”
Crazy hours
“My family members didn’t come to my gigs at that time. Fortunately, I had a large circle of friends who came to support me. I didn’t have time for girls in that period. I worked crazy hours, sometimes fourteen hours a day. I either worked or partied; that was my life.”
Source of inspiration
“We also regularly gathered with local DJs. It was a real community where we talked for hours about the records we had just bought or stood together playing. So, you could say we were each other’s mentors. John Digweed was the biggest local man. Seeing him DJ was a tremendous source of inspiration.”
Heart attack
“Just at one of John’s events, things went completely wrong once. John had invited Sasha but didn’t tell anyone. I had to warm up, but it wasn’t working. Whatever I did, the audience didn’t respond, and I became desperate. John admitted it was a weird crowd, but what could I do about it? Then, when he also announced Sasha, I almost had a heart attack. Panic was complete! No, not tonight! Not now that I had just played such a difficult set!”
Foreign gigs
“Since 1994, I’ve also been producing. I met Tim Cross, a man a bit older than me, who fascinated me because he had been in punk bands. Production started at his place. In 1994/’95, we signed music with various labels. This gave my career a good boost and elevated it to the next level. Our fourth track, Crash, under the alias Squelsh, was quite successful and led to my first international gigs in Ireland and the Netherlands.”
Mick Boskamp
“Things were going well in the Netherlands because in ’97 or ’98, I met Mick Boskamp. He was a journalist for Playboy and fascinated by electronic dance music. He recruited me for a mix album released by ID&T. Since then, I have often played in the Netherlands.”
“Now, in the dance scene, everything is, of course, at a standstill. I work as a volunteer at a local vegan restaurant that has been hit hard by Corona. Although it’s not really my forte, I’ve been involved in the decoration there. I’ve released two or three tracks in the past few months, but Covid-19 has taken away some of my drive. I’m not keen on playing online or in a venue with social distancing. That’s just not my style. And playing only from my house, I don’t feel comfortable with. Not knowing who I’m playing for doesn’t appeal to me. As for gigs with an audience, it’s just a matter of waiting to see what the future holds.”
This interview with Danny Howells is originally published on This Is Our House in September 2020.
Who is Danny Howells?
Danny Howells is one of the few DJs on the scene today that truly has a style of his own. With his passion for all styles of music and infectious personality, Danny Howells has created a unique, eclectic sound that has established him as one of the most in demand DJs in the world. Danny Howells is one of the hardest working and most dedicated individuals in the business with over 30 years experience and a hectic touring schedule that constantly takes him around the world.
Danny Howells played in the world’s coolest clubs and held residencies at places such as Arc, Ministry of Sound, Twilo, Renaissance, The End, and Bedrock, as well as his own Dig Deeper nights worldwide. With a back catalogue of well received mix albums under his belt, Danny Howells has previously compiled acclaimed mixes for Global Underground, being the only DJ to contribute to not only the main series with his Miami album, but also the 24:7 and Nu-Breed Series.
In addition to this, Danny Howells also compiled a cd for Azuli’s Choice series, as well as albums for Renaissance along with three volumes of his own Nocturnal Frequencies series. As a producer he has been responsible for many stand out tracks, including the timeless Persuasion/Repercussion on Bedrock Records, Breathe on Renaissance Records and Kinkyfunk on Yoshitoshi Records. He also hit the charts in 2004 with the Miami hit Dusk till Dawn, which featured the talents of Dick Trevor and Erire. Danny has also had massive dance-floor success with Deep Dish as “Size DDD” and the Eminem sampling “Nobody Listens To Techno”.
In more recent years Danny Howells has been focusing on original productions for his own Dig Deeper label, the likes of which have been licensed to mix albums by artists such as Juan Maclean on his DJ Kicks album, and Cassy for her recent compilation on Cocoon. On the remix front Danny has previously mixed records such as Roachford’s “Ride The Storm”, Madonna’s “Get Together”, and Bent’s “Waiting For You”. Other artists that have received the remix treatment include We Deliver, Stryke, International Observer, Robbie Williams, David Morales, BT, Chakra, Coco and Stonebridge, Destiny’s Child and many more, including most recently Felix Da Housecat’s purple tribute, “We All Wanna Be Prince”.
Building on his discography of original productions is a major priority for Danny Howells. Danny Howells has come a long way since his early beginnings in his hometown of Hastings, though his complete love of all music remains the same. Danny Howells is a DJ with a broad musical taste who likes anything from jazz to rock, to pop and anything a bit bizarre. He likes to champion his own special tracks and records that nobody else has latched on to and has a way of combining cutting edge grooves with crowd pleasing dynamics that enable him to connect with his audience making him one of the hottest DJs in the world.