DJ Radar

For 27 year old Radar it all started back in the last days of school, around 1994, when he'd be getting wrecked up with his mates and listening to tapes of Grooverider rinsin' out the DnB flavours on Kiss FM (when it was still pirate radio). Eventually "Rave" music came to the clubs in Wales and he was there. Jake used to blag his way into Southern Exposure in Porthcawl, Steam in Rhyl, Dungeons / Soundplanet in Carmarthen, wherever there was hard n heavy beats!

Jake says:
“I first really got the hang of mixing on Technics when my old mate Ross and I got a shared house together when I was sixteen. I spent days and nights mashing up my mixes to Ross's despair. Eventually, I learned to mix.”

His main influences at this time being DJ’s like Ellis Dee, Randall, DJ Seduction, Carl Cox, Hype, DJ Clarkee, DJ Fergus, The Producer and Tik Tok. A couple of years later Jake got his first break as a DJ when his friend Fred Davies from Space Productions (Narberth Queen Hall) told him to bring his tunes to a free party he was helping put on.

Jake says:
“I took my tunes, never really expecting to get a set, but as soon as the bands had finished playing he gave me a shout and I was on! My first tune was DJ Zinc's "Music of Yourself". The hour passed on the decks and it felt f**kin' wicked!!! I was a Welsh free party DJ!!”

In 1999 Radar entered a national drum n bass DJ competition in Swansea. The event was held at Diversion @ The Palace. He only went and won the competition!!

Jake says:
“I couldn't believe it! The prizes were records from Nicky at Blackmarket Records and a monthly residency at Swansea's biggest DnB night. That really kick-started my djing career. Every month I’d be rinsing out the jungle alongside some serious names. One of the highlights of my days down the Palace has to be playing between DJ Flight and Goldie at the Metalheadz tour.

The Palace shut down in 2003, leaving a hole in Wales' dnb club scene, so Radar and a few friends started their own night called FatLace. FatLace has been running for nearly five years now, and they've had some special guests there let me tell you. For instance, last St Patrick’s day they did it proper by flying in Rohan (head honcho @ Bassbin Recordings, Eire) to they’re club for a right ol' knees up. Before that they had Silent Witness + Break, who destroyed the place!! They've also been host to T Power, Resonant Evil, Audio, Mackie, Inasin, Simon Bassline Smith, Anna Kiss (Aiya Napa) and a whole raft of others as well as the local heroes from the club or free party scene round West Wales.

Jake is currently on a monthly residency with Bazooka (www.bazookaevent.co.uk). Bazooka is based in Haverfordwest, West Wales. There he’s played alongside Shy FX, Nicky Blackmarket, Grooverider, Hype, Chase + Status, Logistics, Sub Focus, Dylan + Robyn Chaos and not forgetting Pendulum!
Other places he’s played in the past include Glastonbury Dance Tent '97 and '98, Atomic Jam, Obsessed (or was it Obsession?), The Thekla, Lakota, Escape in the Park VIP Afterparty '99 and 2000, too many free parties to mention inc Talog etc

The styles of music he is most well known for playing is definitely Jungle / Drum n Bass, but he does play other styles, he loves a bit of bass heavy breakbeat, or some heavy new orleans funk from "back in the day", a nice bit of British Hip Hop or East Side Hip Hop (F**k Dre n Eminem and the whole WestSide!) Jake also makes a fair bit of music, DnB and jungle, and cheeky chart mash ups or bootlegs or whatever you wanna call them.

So there it is, his life story, kinda.....
If you have a problem, and nobody else can help you, maybe you should hire The A-Team
Failing that, get hold of Me - Jake Radar via the t'internet at: fatlace@hotmail.co.uk

Peace