Kenny Ken

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90s Jungle from BBC 1Xtra on Vimeo.



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Kenny Ken started DJing back in 1989,before that he was workin as a ticket collector and railman on the London Underground.He got into playing music by going to the early warehouse parties like,Genesis,Sunrise,Biology,Energy and so on.”I used to go to all the so called incrowd parties where DJ’s like Grooverider,Fabio,Frankie Valentine,Tony Wilson,Paul Oakenfold,Bones and Carl Cox used to play”.It was while going to these all night parties and then having to go straight to work that he decided to try being a DJ.”I went out and bought myself a set of Technics and started to practice and was given a really good mixing lesson by Dean who was one half of Dem 2 who were big back then.I started of by playin Acid House and Garage at small gigs for my mates Jimmy Evans and Steven Mills(thanks guys).I started playing regular on the radio on a pirate station called Centerforce which I left after about a year and moved to Dance FM along with DJ’s like Mr C and Rob Atkinson.One night I was at a Genesis rave and Lenny Dee had’nt turned up and the DJ who was playing had another gig to go to so I begged Wayne the promoter to let me go home and get my records,it’ll only take me five minutes.I came back with a converted milkcrate full of records and got behind the decks which is when my bottle went a bit cos now I’m on the best party at that time, infront of a massive crowd of hardcore ravers.I played for about half hour and played well before Lenny turned up.That was when I decided to leave my job and start Djing full time.I had a really good relationship with the guys at Blackmarket records so it was’nt a problem getting all the latest tunes.I also used to go to Reading to a shop called Record Basement which was owned by Phil who now runs New Urban Music.I met Sue and Joe from Labrynth who gave me regular work and while I was playing for Labrynth I was also becoming a better DJ.I used to go to a Sunday morning rave at Crazy Larry’s on the Kings Road in Chelsea which is where I met Carl and Dave who used to run the Crazy Club and I would pester them to let me play,so one day they said bring my records to Buzby’s in the West End and if I play good they’d make me a resident which was beyond my wildest dreams cos now I’m getting a chance to play in the premier league of DJs.Anyway,when I turned up at Buzby’s I met Jack Frost and Ray Keith who had also been told the same thing so now I had to play wicked and better than Ray and Frost.I was the last to go on and Ray and Frost had smashed up the place along with Grooverider so I went on and smashed it too.Carl and Dave decided that they would take the three of us as it was hard to decide who had played the best.Because of my residency at Crazy Club and the way I played my music which at that time was House,Techno and Garage I was asked if I’d like to be on the books of Dynamix DJ Agency.Thats when I started to go abroad which was round about 92.My first ever gig abroad was at the BCM Club in Majorca with Bryan Gee.While all this was going on I was resident at the famous Roast parties which were wicked and that’s where as far as I’m concerened Jungle started to take hold.There was a lot of breakbeat tunes that some Djs would say started jungle that came out before the Roast Parties like Micky Finn’s Some Justice and loads of Rebel MC tunes but it was the Roast Parties that put Jungle firmly on the map.By this time which is late 92 early 93 I’m playing all over the place,World Dance,Telepathy,Cryptonite,Rave@the Cave,Helter Skelter,Pirate Club,the list goes on.Then came AWOL which as far as I’m concerened were the best parties and have never been matched by anyone up to this day.I played at AWOL week in week out only being absent when I had to go abroad.The AWOL era is a big part of my DJing career because that’s when I made my first tune called Everybody’s Friend which came out on Boogie Beat,then Everyman which came out on Rugged Vynil.I was also the first jungle DJ bring the music to Toronto Canada along with MCGQ.In 1994 I won the Jungle Soundclash.Yes I’ve still got the belt.I never got a chance to defend it because the promoters did’nt do another soundclash after that.Too much politics and bullshit going on behind the scene.During the AWOL era I done a couple of shows for Radio 1 called 1 in the Jungle with MCGQ.AWOL finished at the legendary Paradise Club in early 96 then in 97 I started Mix and Blen recordings which was a brand new direction for me cos I never had a clue about this side of things,all I knew was how to play music.The first release on the Label was a tune called Coppershot by GSquad who are now known as Supply and Demand.Second release was Reminiscence by DJ Mace who I started Planet Funk Recordings with.I was then asked to join the team at London’s Kiss FM where I had my own show on rotation which I really enjoyed doing because I had a lot of listeners and I could play stuff from the labels and gain some experience on legal radio.I have played all around the world in places that I never ever thought I would reach and met so many good people and all this is down to Jungle/Drum and Bass.Today I’m still, playin out nearly every week but I’m concentrating a lot on my studio work because I know I’ve got it in me to make good music.I’ve been doing some work with my sidekick DJ Mace who is really talented in the studio and I’ve also been workin on my own which is a little bit harder but really enjoyable. My label is doing quite well right with Crissy Criss, Modified Motion and Faction making some serious beats. 2008 is here now so lets see what happens! For DJ bookings please contact Tania at UMC Artist Management on +441162779777 or email her Tania@umcmanagement.co.uk…