Danny Howells (taken from Tweak Magazine) [Back to HOME page]

There was a time when the most important component of being a good DJ was having superior taste. You combed the world of music, picked what you felt would move your room, and then threw down a solid mix of tracks. You might spin D-Train, Devo, Prince, Debbie Harry and Todd Terry in the same set, but it never fazed you. Your job wasn't to pose or play only what was cool; your job was to play quality music. Period. For many DJs, those days have gone and the "genre game" has limited what they feel comfortable including in their sets. For one person in particular, this current state of affairs has proven beneficial, as his multiplicity and passion for all styles and genres is the very reason he stands above many peers. This consistent and unwavering enthusiasm can be summed up in four words; Danny Howells loves music.

In an industry where people place neat "category" stamps on everything they come into contact with, Danny Howells is an anomaly. Playing tribal house with Danny Tenaglia one night and at the I Love Techno festival in Belgium a week later, Danny Howells simply loves music and refuses to let anyone pigeonhole his taste and style. "I know (being called a Progressive DJ) is not a bad label. It's better than being labeled cheesy, crap, trash, or whatever. I think with people it's a little bit lazy, because if people take the time to listen to what I play they'll find a whole lot of different music in there, a lot of different influences as well. Progressive house for me has it's own sound, and that actual sound itself - I don't play much of. I play more Tech House than I do Progressive, but once you've got a label you've got it for years."

In trying to break the mold set forth by so many in the scene, he has performed at varied events where he not only challenges himself, but challenges his audiences to take a different look at him as a performer. In taking bookings at proper House clubs or Techno events like Tronic Treatment, Danny continues to provoke and push himself as an entertainer. "One thing I do experience at newer places is that people are a bit confused by the range I have. Still, it is nice to know that I have so many different outlets for the different styles music I buy and enjoy."

It is getting out of that comfort level where so many performers remain that has made Danny Howells, one of the hottest names on the international scene. "Some of my scariest experiences have been when I was booked to play at I Love Techno, or something like that, and you know all the people there have either not heard of you, or they're scratching their heads thinking, what's this progressive guy doing here. And I think if I can go there and do my best and get people into it, I see it as a challenge that has really worked and given me a bit of a push."

That willingness to push and expand personal boundaries, says a lot about Danny and his prospects for future success. He enjoys putting himself into demanding situations where he can learn. "The range of music I play is not just related to what I am doing in clubs, it relates to what I am doing at home as well. The music I listen to at home varies greatly, too. I listen to everything from pop and rock to jazz. It keeps me on top of it, I think. It definitely keeps me inspired; it keeps me from getting bored."

This enjoyment of all things musical is nothing new. From his early days growing up in Hastings, Danny explains "I was obsessed with the fact that you could get music out of a 7" piece of plastic. That was really my first obsession and that's why I used to hold a record as opposed to a pacifier. Instead of a toy, I would carry a single around."

More than 12 years of dedication and perseverance have taken Danny from warm up sets at early Bedrock nights, to globe trotting superstar performer (# 12 on this year's DJ Magazine Top 100 list.) His hectic schedule regularly takes him all over Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. He's played in the world's coolest clubs and held residencies at Renaissance, Twilo and Arc in New York, where Danny's 10-hour marathon sets are fast becoming legendary.

While the thought of traveling the world and getting paid to party and play good music sounds inviting, not many know of the hard work it took to get where he is today. For more than 9 years, Danny worked as a psychiatric nurse, and saw problems and difficulties on a scale most couldn't imagine. "When I worked as a nurse, I met a lot of people who had rough lives, and a lot of them really had a lot of bad luck. It made me put my own problems in perspective. I realized that some things I used to worry about were really not as bad as I thought they were. Working as a nurse definitely taught me a lot."

It also taught Danny to appreciate the music first and put him in a position where he never felt he "had to DJ", things just happened to fall into place for him. Since he had a day job, he never took gigs playing music he wasn't 100% behind and because of this, was able to really stand out from the DJs, who had to play down to certain crowds to pay the bills. "The decision to DJ or not was never something I consciously made. I just kept playing and getting asked back and it fell into place from there. The only real decision I had to make was when to leave my old job, which was quite scary, because at the time, it was so much more secure that DJing."

Since that day, Danny has immersed himself in every aspect of the industry and has left his indelible mark on them all. In the studio, Danny has produced several original tracks (with Dick Trevor as Science Dept.), remixes and a slew of acclaimed mix CDs for Global Underground, Renaissance and his own Nocturnal Frequencies series. The newest contribution to his growing catalogue is titled 24/7 (see review in this issue) and will be released in July on GU.

On this new disc, Danny was given free reign to pick and choose tracks that have been his favorites over the past few months. This was not limited to dance music, as much of the first disc is startlingly chill and down-tempo. Being given this type of project might be daunting for most DJs, but being a person with an (as he describes it) "endless appetite" for a variety of styles, 24/7 was a challenge he looked forward to tackling. This compilation is somewhat of an approximated (or abbreviated if you prefer) version of one of his marathon sets. Danny explained "this disc is like when I'm doing a very long set. I'll start off with a lot of down tempo, chill out stuff, and then move into electro things, then deep house and moving forward throughout the night. This disc is an abbreviated version of a long set, and one I quite enjoyed making."

In support of this disc (and living up to the "global" in Global Underground), Danny is about to embark on a tour of mammoth proportions. With more than 40 gigs over the next 4 months, this will be the most demanding and challenging excursion of his life. "I am fully prepared and knew what was ahead of me when I agreed to take on this new GU project. I actually (aside from his overall distaste for flying) believe that in going to new countries, you wonder what kind of music they like. They don't really know who you are at a lot of these places, unless you've released several international chart hits, they're not really going to know you. So go out like a novice, like a learner and you're starting from scratch in that particular country. It's those kinds of challenges that keep you going. If you're constantly playing in countries and clubs that you know inside out, then nothing in you can really develop. But I think, certainly that by being exposed towards different things and different DJ's, it keeps you working more and it keeps you wanting to stay on top of it."

Staying on top of things is not something Danny Howells need worry about. He is the consummate professional and one of the few DJs on the scene, who can play Down-tempo, Tribal House and Techno in the same set…and have everyone in the room (from industry insiders to punters off the street), getting down. Add all of the talent and taste to the fact that he is an amazingly chill and down to earth bloke and you have one of the most likable characters in dance music today.