Producer: Ray Rungay

I live in Ashford, Kent UK and I started mobile DJing late 1980s after spending 2 or 3 years DJing at home in my bedroom. Back in those days, I was into Hip Hop music so was keen to learn how to scratch and break beat etc. This was also when I first learnt how to beat mix.

I DJ-ed at all the usual 18^th, 21^st, 40^th, 50th birthdays, engagements, retirement parties etc and did my first wedding at aged 19. My first car was a Ford Escort Estate – not the trendiest first car for a teenager but I needed the space for my decks, speakers, lights and records. I built my first DJ deck at home using a pair of belt driven turntables. I also made the flight case that they sat in. To make the turntables vari-speed, as I was at school at the time and couldn’t afford decks with vari-speed, I made my own vari-speed unit on each deck buying the electronic components from a local Tandy store – remember those ha-ha?!?

Once I had saved enough money, I bought a pair of Technics 1200s and a Phonic MRT60 mixer (great at the time) and learnt my craft of mixing whilst on the road DJing at various parties.

I have approx. 20 years on and off experience in DJ-ing with 7 of those as resident DJ in a bar. I did my last gig in 2015.

My first mix was played out on Dave Pearce’s Radio London show approx 1988 when I entered a mix competition – I didn’t win, but was proud to hear my mix and name mentioned on one of the trendiest and hip radio stations of the time. I used my two belt driven turntables and a mixer and tape deck to produce the mix.

I started buying DMC mixes approx. 1988 and am proud to have kept every single record I purchased and had my first mix released by DMC in February 2021. After packing up the   DJ-ing, I started to make mixes at home and my first mix produced on my PC was an 80s megamix that is pretty rubbish to be honest and will never be released, but hey-ho, we all have to start somewhere.

I have many favourite DMC mixes, and these will include the Les Adams Luther Vandross megamix, Paul Dakeyne’s House ‘88 megamix, Chad Jackson’s Public Enemy ‘Louder than A Bomb’ megamix and the great Sanny X’s Prince megamix. Also, anything produced by Tom Newton and Steve Anderson.

I have included 2 photos, one of me proudly wearing a DMC sweatshirt that I was wearing whilst DJing at a family party approx. in 1989, and another up to date photo. With some 30 odd year’s difference when the pics were taken, I bet you can hardly notice the difference – haha!!