DJ Ellis Dee Interview with Blaze Magazine 1993

Ellis Dee, one of the members of the great Rhythm Section has proved over the years why he is one of the best DJ’s out there with some excellent sets. Here is a trip through Ellis Dee’s story:

What is your real name?
I have been known to answer to the name Roy Collins on occasions.

What made you decide on the name Ellis Dee?
I named myself after an American producer who has now died, I thought the name was really good.

Why do you think you’ve been successful as a DJ?
Fuck me that’s a hard one. The main thing has to be down to the choice of records I play. I do try to play sets that have a bit of all types of music for everybody so I like to think I please the whole crowd throughout my set. I don’t play records that are full of Ragga. I don’t mind a hint of it in a tune, but I love good piano tunes that are also tuff.

Do you think the music played is too fast at the moment?
Yes way too fast it needs to slow down. If it continues to get faster and faster it’s just going to burn itself out, people can’t dance all night to too fast music. What you will find is the dance floor not being so busy and gradually becoming thinner and thinner. Kill the speeds or kill rave. Get it back down to 145 beats per minute.

What's the most events you have done in one night?
5 was the most. That was New Year 91. I played at Eclipse in Coventry, Milwaukees in Bedford, Raindance in Melton Mowbray, Fantazia in Exeter and the Dungeons in London. A fast car was needed for a nutty night.

What’s the best event you have played at?
Perception at Long Marston was the best.

What’s the worst thing about being a DJ?
The driving it’s a killer. I only drive my self as I don’t trust anyone else.

What’s the most embarrassing moment for you as a DJ?
One I can’t forget was at a Perception event some time ago. The mixer I was using was not very loud on the head phones and I was trying to cue a record up to mix in. Normally I only put one ear phone on, but because I couldn’t hear properly I put both ear phones on. I started cueing the record whilst the other one on the other deck continued playing out to the crowd. Because I had both ear phones I couldn’t hear the record play out, then all of a sudden I could see people waving at me, so I waved back thinking that they were just being friendly and saying hello. But what I didn’t know was that the record had stuck and was jumping. It was only when Easygroove came to the deck to tell me that it got going.

Any funny stories?
I remember once going to a raver years and years ago called Jack in the Box down in Brighton. I polled up and a copped said to me I needed to walk about a mile to where the rave was and I had 2 boxes packed with records which I had to carry. I started walking to this rave, it's pissing down with rain and I'm staggering all over the place with these heavy boxes.  I finally get there and I'm supposed to be playing at 4am and it's now about 5 to 4am.

One of the DJ's turned round and said that I would have to wait along time before I was getting on so I asked what he was talking about because I was supposed to be on at 4am. So he says wells my mates on next and then I'm on I ask who he as, he told me and I went to see the promoter who was no where to be seen.  So I thought sod this and left.

The next day I phoned the promoter to find out what happened. He replied oh sorry the sound went down around 1am. What are you on about I said the sound was fine at 4am.  He asked me where I was and I said by the swimming pool by the decks, he said what pool?  Apparently I was at the wrong party, which was 4 miles down the round. Doh!