JDNB Interview - Andee J
It’s without a shadow of a doubt you can’t say Jungle or Drum & Bass in Merseyside and not give Andee J a mention.
With a legacy stretching back to 1993, Andy kick-started his music career as an MC alongside long term accomplice, Silly G - dubbing themselves as DJ Bassline & MC Blitz. Out of nowhere, someone from Bootle’s infamous Quadrant Park handed down a four fader mixer which helped catapult Andy into Woolton Boys Club where he played his first gig at the blooming age of fifteen. It was this venue where Andy began hosting events.
"So I first met you in North Shore just before I flew out to Croatia for the last Outlook at Fort Pula back in 2019. Since then we’ve crossed paths a few times, most recently, Balter Festival and for your 100th Monkey ten year anniversary show which was a banging night! It's an absolute pleasure to have you pass through for a chat about your momentous, thirty year career in the UK’s underground music scene. You need to write a book because there is so much more that cannot be mentioned in this interview…which we can only leave to the reader’s imaginations." - Oli
Let’s go right back to your roots, way before you even discovered Jungle - what are some of your first memories of music and any specific genres or songs that really caught your attention?
"Rock. All old skool rock. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepelin, Marc Bolan and the likes, even a bit of Abba. I mean, I grew up in the 80’s. I think most people who liked their music then, liked the 70’s stuff."
Can you elaborate on the story about commandeering your Mum & Dad’s Hi-Fi system and trying to DJ?
"Well, it all started in my mate’s loft back in 1993. My old time and closest friend Gary, DJ Silly G. It’s mainly down to him and a DJ who lived opposite his called Granty which is why I am DJing today. Granty was a DJ at Quadrant Park, one of the first ever raves in the world. He gave us his old mixer. I’m not messing, this mixer was terrible but it is where it all started. Four simple faders and a master. That’s all it had, and it was all we needed to get started. That and a couple of HiFi turntables. Now, my parents weren’t happy but still I made off with the Toshiba record player that stood on top of the home stack. Gary did the same and we wired it up in his parents loft and we were off."
DJ Bassline & MC Blitz - how did this link-up initially come to fruition?
"Well, they were our first stagenames. When we stepped up it was Gary who initially donned the decks and I grabbed the mic….not very well I might add! It wasn’t long after that when I had a go on the decks myself."
Flashback to 1993 in Woolton Boys Club while most of us were still learning how to hold a crayon, you played your first ever set at the age of fifteen - what did this point in time signify to you?
"It signified the way forward for me really. I loved it so much, it felt like I would never stop doing it. It’s no surprise I’ve been at it so long since. It was just an amp. two speakers, the HiFi decks and a mixer. We thought we were the bomb like. Couldn’t mix to save our lives at the time. Didn’t understand at the time how the hell DJs where getting it to sound so good. Thats when we upgraded the decks and got some with pitch control."
A year later in 94 you moved to a farm for a few years where you set up ‘The Block’ - can you shine some light on this project?
"The Block was a room outside the house on a farm where I used to live. Right on the outskirts of Liverpool. We used to invite everyone round, smoke safely off the streets and spin tunes. This went on for years. From Late 93 to 98. It was in the Block where we gained our skills behind the decks. Actually, I still have tape recordings that I’ve uploaded to Mixcloud from back then. I taught myself how to beat match. I was on a 12 hour shift job packing jars into a box in a factory and I was listening to my rave tapes the whole time. It was there where I learned to understand the ins and outs of beat matching. No one shown me anything, there was no Google back then. I drew diagrams and went back to the Block to practice it. I got two tunes, I’ll never forget them, my first ever mix. I still do it now. 'In Complete Darkness' by Fat Controller first and Slipmatt - Hear Me mixed into it. They go together so so well that it’s stuck. So I’d be working these out and the tune would end, then start again until the pitch was bob on. I noted down where the pitch was and moved onto another mix flipped the Fat Controller vinyl over and mixing in Doina De Jale, still one of my favorite mixes I’ve ever done. I couldn’t get Gary round the Block quick enough! He got there and I showed him what I was doing. He ended up better at it than me. He’s solid, I’m more maverick. I used to be a bit messy but that was from taking chances. Gary is militantly solid, never puts a foot wrong. We continued to influence each other with our individual styles."
1999 your first radio show on Liverpool’s BubbleFM - how did this materialise?
"Bubble FM was great fun. I was drafted in to do a guest mix on my mate, Lee Birchall’s show. They had no Drum and Bass DJ so I got the Friday show from 9 to 11 every week. It was pirate radio that went on for about a year and broadcast all over Liverpool. It was rare for any Drum and Bass to be on the radio at all back then so it got a good audience from the people who wanted to know what else was available to listen other than the usual hit radio stations."
Switching from DJ Toker to DJ Move before eventually settling with Andee J - talk us through the transition from each alias?
"Makes me laugh when I here the name DJ Toker. That was my original DJ name. I had it for about 2 years right at the beginning. I don’t know why but I became uncomfortable with it so started to search my mind for a new one. I changed to DJ Move. I didn’t like that much either. That’s when Andee J came about. I used to tag my name like that back in the day. Everyone had more E’s in them in the 90’s! Some names like Clarkee, Steve E Wonder and the likes. I’ll never forget the moment it dawned on me. I was smoking a spliff in the Block, searching and searching my mind on my own for a good name. The whole time, I was looking at my name written on the ceiling. As I stared into space for sometime, I slowly focused in on my actual name and since then it has stuck."
11/11/11 - a palindrome for some but this date was the dawning era of an avante garde movement for Liverpool’s underground music scene. Can you describe what went down?
"Well, bit of a proud moment for me. It was the start of 100th Monkey, my Drum and Bass event in Liverpool. I’m not going to mention any names but you know those big events that have a stranglehold on the business? The ones that say to DJ agencies - 'we are the only ones who use you in our city, or we will stop using you.' Striking those deals because they are the biggest event in town…..well, there was one in Liverpool. They wouldn’t give anyone else a chance. They wanted it all. They would use dirty tricks like putting on free entry events purposely when you put on your first and take all the crowd, making you collapse before you’ve even started. So I knew what I was up against. I knew to put an event on, I had to do something special. So I started 100th Monkey. Randall, Majistrate, Jaydan and a few local lads with the first 100 in for free. I thought, fight fire with fire. Match that. They didn’t. It cost me a packet but sod it, I had just touched luck on something so I had it spare. Besides, I’ve spent loads on a good party in the past. After that, they decided to drop their stranglehold and concentrated on Techno instead. So other little events could breath again and a load started to materialise. The scene thrived too."
Nobody else on the planet can say they played a set in Wales before jumping in a trusty Volvo estate to chauffeur IMANU to Mandidextrous’s house, tell us what went down.
"Poor Imanu. I have to say, he was an absolute gent about it. I had been employed as the driver for a big festival to drive the artists to and from their hotels and the event. I had put some shift in. Was meant to only be working from 10am till 6pm, but here I am at midnight flagging getting asked to do one more job. They explained that it was only down the road at one of the closest hotels they were using. So I accepted and off I went. Imanu gets in the car. Sound as and pretty glad he was on his way to the hotel as he had to be up early to get to London. Mandidextrous was picking him up and taking him as she was also playing in London the next night."
"So we gets to the hotel. 'No room here sorry.' says this women at the reception. I explained that it was already booked in. 'No, nothing.' So I’m onto artist liaison to find answers. It turned out that booking.com had cancelled the booking for whatever reason and the email was no where to be found about to inform the festival. It’s gone midnight, there’s no getting a hotel for that night online, so everywhere is getting called. No answers. I drove to all of the hotels we had been using. Nothing anywhere, partly due to a Volkswagon camper convention! I had to pull up in a car park cos my head is proper tired now and Imanu is getting very restless as it’s gone 3am now after much searching. He’s banging the footwell of the car to wake me up like when I nod off, then the call comes in…..'we got somewhere but it’s Mandidextrous’s house in Bristol, don’t tell Imanu, he is expecting a hotel’ So I’m off flying down the M4 to Mandi’s house. Gets there and there’s a light on in the bedroom. Imanu is asking 'whats this place? Where’s the hotel?' I explained it’s this address and I think it’s Mandidextrous’s gaff. He’s not convinced but he comes to join me on knocking on the door…..no answer. I turn around to say 'give us….' I didn’t get anymore out cos Imanu was halfway down the path flapping, expecting some big Bristolian to come out kicking off. So I goes to console him somewhat and call artist liaison to see if they can call Mandi….again no answer!"
"I'm like, leave this to me! 'Come on Immi' (like I’m his best mate now!) Bang bang bang. I’m almost taking the door off it’s hinges. Imanu ends up right down the street now and he’s hiding behind a tree popping his head round. I’m banging like mad. Then, there’s a light, the door opens and there’s Mandi’s kind face on the other side of the doorway. I gives Imanu the big thumbs up and the light on his face! It was a picture. So relieved. He comes down the street and we hugged like it was a huge close experience we have been through, and in someway it was. I gets back to the car and I’m on the phone……'Andy to base….We’ve done it!' They told me to get back now. I raced back to find a bottle of the best rum I have ever tasted which some band or DJ didn’t have for his rider. I was buzzing. They told me if there is anything they can do to let them know. That’s how I ended up on the mainstage. They opened up an hour early to accommodate me. Well happy. It went off!"
Hosting regular sell out shows, the Invisible Wind Factory has quickly become Liverpool’s answer to The Printworks in London. How does it feel being involved in the thriving scene which is developing at an astronomical rate?
"It feels amazing at the moment. Although it is hard to promote anything with this Covid being a pain, it feels great to see the Liverpool Drum and Bass scene as big as what it is today. After fighting for it, and sticking with the music I love, costing me ££'s putting on events on the past that didn’t cover the budget, it is nothing more than heartwarming to see how big the scene is here now. Artists can now have a chance to flourish."
Your events calendar is filling up quicker than the rising price of fuel. Along with securing a main stage set at Borderline Festival: Chapter 2, where else can we see Andee J play repetitive beats this year?
"Well there is obviously my own 100th Monkey event coming up this year. Next one is on the 15th April hosting Resonance, MC Conrad’s deeper Drum and Bass events. We got Makoto and Nookie, so well looking forward to that. I am also playing at Solfest up in Cumbria at the Palias de Phonix tent but the big one for me is One In the Woods here in Liverpool. After their first event last year being such a cracker, I now cannot wait for this year. I can also be found over in Peak District at Rosa Festival on the 15th July amongst other smaller club events round the North West mainly but occasionally around the country."
Having been involved with almost every aspect of a festival, from playing sets, providing rigs, sound engineering, Artist liaison and skanking as a raver - it would be hard to pick one favourite so give us your top three festivals with a few words.
"The One in the Woods - Easy decision. Great vibe, well run, close to home and the best line up."
"Beatherder - I love the place. Still havent played it yet. That is on the bucket list. One of the best things about it is that so many friends from around the country attend it, and again, the line up is ace."
"Balter - It was a tough one between Balter and Solfest but Balter wins it mainly because it has a little heavier style of music bringing in a certain cool crowd who are great fun."
With so many gifted Producers climbing the rungs, are there any in particular we should be keeping an eye on?
"Duburban and Jahganaut, Silly G (when he eventually releases these tunes he has been making) I always say Break cos he goes from strength to strength. Keep an eye out for Matica from Liverpool."
Your top three releases of all time? I’m calling for those tracks which trigger the hypothalamus section of your brain to summon goosebumps to the skin.
"Lemon D - Parazone Part 3
Klute - Junk
Burning Up - (Madcap Remix)"
If you could relay any words of wisdom to the younger Artists in the scene - what would they be?
"Don’t stop. Believe in yourself, let others be themselves, live and let live and stand by your own true essence."
What really keeps your appetite for DJ’ing alive after almost thirty years behind the wheels of steel?
"The crowd. That response and gratification you get. I never know my thing is going to work until I see that response. I love it and will always get a buzz out of making people dance and seeing them enjoy themselves."
Aside from Music is there anything else you find the time for?
"My beautiful girlfriend Chloe. So happy with her. She is Drum and Bass mad and I have never seen someone so sensitive to music."
Andy mate, it's been a pleasure thank you again for passing through and I’m looking forward to linking up again soon. Before we go, any shoutouts or mentions?
"Yeah, big up to my long time friend Gary, Silly G, so much love for the lad. Also MC Cox, my partner in crime. Bernard for being one of the best mates I have ever had and of course, my lovely girlfriend. Lady Soul and Bad Manning for being good friends. The One in the Woods lads need a mention for being the most genuine team in the scene to bring in a huge event like theirs and don’t forget the next 100th Monkey event on the 15th April with Myself and MC Cox, Makoto, Nookie, MC Conrad, MC Juiceman, Lady Soul, Josie and Joey. Thanks very much, it’s been a pleasure."
Andee J;
100th Monkey;
Interview conducted and posted by: Oli Cee
