Biography

One summer night in 2000, DJ Sperre (then not a DJ yet) couldn’t believe his ears. He’d recorded an episode of the Essential Mix on BBC Radio One and there was this fantastic music ringing around his phone-hugged head. Sasha was the DJ, and his track selection and technique were to inspire DJ Sperre to move forward with his fantasy and turn it into a kind of reality. So... DJ Sperre had discovered House Music and a new ‘male obsession’ in him was born! Much of DJ Sperre’ attention during and after ’99 was drawn to the various flourishing dance music programmes. One in particular regularly pleased his ears; Pete Tong’s Essential Selection on BBC Radio One (which he now listens to just about every Friday). In a short space of time DJ Sperre had started a small dance music collection on CD. At private house parties and gatherings of friends, DJ Sperre was (and still is!) eager to be the controller of music. He could only describe this compulsion as a subconscious desire to create a lively atmosphere and see people enjoy themselves by something he’d somehow crafted - he was certainly keen to develop this passion further. So, armed with a primitive computer program, he noted down the BPM ratings of each track on each CD in his collection. Then, matching identical BPM’s, he took his portable CD player, hooked it up to his HiFi system with a hurried purchase of cables from a local Tandy store, and proceeded to experiment by overlapping BPM matched tunes. DJ Sperre was fascinated by the result, it had actually worked! Without too many clashing keys or horseshoe beats, DJ Sperre had mixed two tunes (albeit designed for such a task) over each other! A small step you might say, but one that sparked fires of imagination in DJ Sperre that would propel him forward. In a short space of time DJ Sperre became the master of his makeshift set-up. He created many a mix-tape for his friends and even took the cable cluttered contraption to a party or few. It soon became clear to him however that this set-up wouldn’t suffice, especially since it was also clear from his friend’s remarks that he was getting very good at what he did! Searching around for a good deal, DJ Sperre made the choice of vinyl over the approaching CD trend - probably through scratch appeal - and finally treated himself to a pair of Kam belt-drive turntables. Just as his A-levels passed, DJ Sperre started his vinyl collection. Now one of the most popular mainstream dance tracks of all time, Armand van Helden’s remix of Tori Amos’ Professional Widow was an extremely exciting purchase for DJ Sperre; especially so since he’d just danced his arse off to Carl Cox banging the very same tune out plus-8 at BCM in Magaluff that summer! "It was a very exciting time for me," DJ Sperre remarks "I’d just finished school and all I wanted to do was party - watching in awe as Carl Cox worked three decks and Darren Emerson concocted techno melodies,... it motivated me to hone my skills!" At University DJ Sperre got his first taste of the big time, relatively speaking of course! When seniors at his halls asked freshers for talent, DJ Sperre promptly popped his head round the door and offered his services. Within months of finding his passion, DJ Sperre was able to play to an unknown crowd for the first time; it was thrilling, and although the crowd was not particularly big, or interested in hearing just dance music, DJ Sperre received a huge round of applause! Following this, DJ Sperre played at a series of private and public parties organised by Rob Draper, a friend he met in the first year of university. Nights such as Satisfaction and Paddy’s House were great successes. However by the time the second year was up, what with concentrating on his Computer Science course and other social engagements, DJ Sperre had become lazy in his efforts to push his talent; there was no regularity to the gigs he was playing. DJ Sperre’ record collection continued to grow strong however, as did his appreciation for the music he was collecting. By this time he was also the proud owner of a very tasty pair of Technics SL-1210MK2s and the Gemini PS-626Pro mixer, sporting a variety of knobs - it wasn’t long before DJ Sperre's style was realised, steering away from the popular dance tracks and discovering his own particular blend of House Music. The third year brought little extra exposure, and concentrated more in what DJ Sperre was looking for, the chance to play to people that were there for the music, the mix, and the atmosphere it created. A mix-tape placed DJ Sperre in his first DJ competition at the Redfern Student’s Union bar, University of Leicester. DJ Sperre won second place in his heat but impressed Paul Hyde, promoter & DJ, enough that he was asked to play for a new week-night event called Glamour Puss on the University campus. This was where DJ Sperre’ talent really began to shine through (he played solo and back-to-back sessions in the team), and the club night peaked when people were dancing on tables and chairs by the end of one night! “It was such a buzz,” pipes DJ Sperre “it confirms my belief that people exist, like me, who just love dancing and House music.” In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for DJ Sperre himself to go and dance in the crowd in between records. DJ Sperre’s talent was recognised and his much-loved time at Glamour Puss sparked more one-off appearances around the multi-venue campus. This was DJ Sperre’ final year of Uni, remember, and he knew his time in Leicester would be limited as he'd not crossed the boundary out-side of campus. DJ Sperre returned to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 2003 having finished his course to rejoin old school friends and secure a permanent day-time job with Active MediaForge in his second passion, the Internet. Armed with boxes of records, he spent the next couple of months building his knowledge and understanding of how the dance music scene began and progressed, along with his great respect and appreciation for the pioneers of House Music. Now in the present, DJ Sperre’s love firmly lies in the music and the pure enjoyment of uniquely sharing it as a disc jockey. A few competitions and gigs in and around Aylesbury passed, he's enjoyed a residency at the popular Delish Funky House night, funnily enough, back up in the centre of Leicester. The most recent competition that DJ Sperre won took him all the way to Liverpool where Yousef and the Circus party-goers showed him just what real life is like behind the decks of a House-loving crowd. "It was amazing - a dream come true!"