Simon Murray’s love affair with Electronic music began back in the early 90’s with the emergence of the Rave scene in the UK and Ireland.
Techno is a State of Mind.
Words by RWP-
Simon Murray’s love affair with Electronic music began back in the early 90’s with the emergence of the Rave scene in the UK and Ireland.
Early day influencers from Kraftwerk, Orbital, The Prodigy and breakthrough DJ’s of the period, enabled Simon to develop a passion which concentrated on putting the MUSIC and not the DJ at the core.
A regular contributor to the locally published but now defunct Bassline magazine, his knowledge earned him a monthly slot as House and Techno grew from the ashes of Rave and spawned their own sub-genres within a more commercially aware community.
Is was eventually this commercialism that forced Simon into a significant musical shift after the turn of the Millennium, focusing on Underground Techno and Electro Techno from the Pioneers of the Detroit and Berlin based movements.
“The scene in the UK and Ireland had become all about the money, all about greed, all about the celebrity status of the DJ’s. The music simply did not take centre stage as it should have done. The quality of production of house and trance especially was really suffering and it was all about the next ‘Big Anthem’ and the commercial spoils which followed. I was completely fed up with this and actually thought of jacking DJ’ing in completely. Remember all this was still during a period of ignorance to digital media and the social network. Quality music and its accessibility had become the privilege of a select few.
During this period I became more interested in the culture of Techno music from Detroit and it’s strictly Underground nature which basically didn’t care about commercial success, just spreading the word of a movement which had MUSIC and ONLY MUSIC as its central philosophy. It was a real breath of fresh air, variety, experimentation, risk taking, Techno had it all.
I basically ditched all pre-conceived concepts, gathered a lot of knowledge over a short period and actually took an interest In what was behind this musical movement, how it developed from humble roots and how it was ‘ok to be different’ and go against what the mainstream wanted.
Looking back now, I know I was justified as the mainstream scene in the UK simply went down the pan. House bore hard house, trance eventually bore EDM and large sections of ‘Dance Music’ became a sheer Theatre Spectacle with big names churning out the same tried and tested records to please the crowd.
I believed in what Techno stood for, I believed that it was open to anyone regardless of age, race or creed. I believed it didn’t matter what labels you dressed in or how you looked at a Techno event. Mostly I believed in the exciting, uncompromising music which kept its roots firmly in the Undergound”.
As of 2016 Simon continues to put out mixes on both Techno and Electo Techno footprints and sharing the sounds which are often snubbed with ignorance by the mainstream commercial goblins.
“If only a handful of people comment that they like and enjoy what I’m doing, that’s good enough for me. I’m not interested in becoming a global superstar and doing what the mainstream wants to gain recognition or followers. I want to share my passion for Techno music with others and for them to feel good when they listen to it. When you look at the likes of DJ Bone, Robert Hood, Jeff Mills and others who pioneered the original Detroit Sound, their passion and drive is as prevalent today as it was back in the early 90’s. I’m glad to be part of a movement that they helped initiate and communicate”.
This site is testimony to Simon’s work and passion as a DJ and we all trust that you enjoy it.
