DJ Fresh

Last updated

DJ Fresh
DJ Fresh Official.jpg
DJ Fresh in 2011
Background information
Birth nameDaniel Edward Stein
Also known as
  • DJ Fresh
  • Fresh
  • Absolute Zero
Born (1977-04-11) 11 April 1977 (age 46)
Origin Worthing, England
Genres
Occupations
  • DJ
  • record producer
  • Software Engineer
Instruments
  • Synthesizer
  • keyboards
Years active1996–present
Labels
Website thedjfresh.com

Daniel Edward Stein (born 11 April 1977), known professionally as DJ Fresh, is an English DJ and record producer. He is one of the principal members of the drum and bass group Bad Company, [1] [ failed verification ] alongside Darren White (dBridge), Jason Maldini and Michael Wojcicki (Vegas). He also owns and runs the drum and bass label Breakbeat Kaos with Adam F. [2]

Contents

DJ Fresh released his third studio album, Nextlevelism , in October 2012 on Ministry of Sound Recordings, [3] which includes the two number one hit singles "Louder" and "Hot Right Now" – the UK's first dubstep and drum and bass number ones respectively [4] – "The Power", "The Feeling", "Gravity" and "Gold Dust".

DJ Fresh scored his fourth top five single with "Earthquake", a collaboration with Mad Decent label boss Diplo, featuring Dominique Young Unique, "Dibby Dibby Sound", a collaboration with St. Louis producer Jay Fay also featuring the garage vocalist Ms. Dynamite, "Gravity", featuring Ella Eyre [5] and featuring on "Say You Do" by Sigala also featuring Imani.

DJ Fresh has 2.8 million record sales, two number one singles and a further eight top 10 singles to his name. [6] He also has over 157 million plays on his YouTube channel. [7]

Career

Early success and Escape from Planet Monday (1998–2008)

DJ Fresh performing at a rave in Springfield, Massachusetts in 2003 DJ Fresh.jpg
DJ Fresh performing at a rave in Springfield, Massachusetts in 2003

Along with the three other members of Bad Company, Fresh founded the record label BC Recordings, as well as the website Dogs on Acid. [8] Bad Company's track "The Nine",[ citation needed ] was released in 1998 when Fresh was just 21 years old. "The Nine" was later voted the greatest drum & bass track of all time by readers of Knowledge Magazine [9]

Resuming his solo career in 2002, Fresh founded Breakbeat Punk, which merged with Adam F's Kaos Recordings to become Breakbeat Kaos in 2003. [10] In 2004 Dogs on Acid was given its own imprint.

In 2006, Fresh released his first studio album, Escape from Planet Monday , featuring "The Immortal", "X Project", "Nervous" and "All that Jazz" on Breakbeat Kaos.

Kryptonite and commercial success (2009–2011)

In 2009 Fresh released a 12" of "Heavyweight" (with Fantasia on the B side) on the Digital Soundboy label. "Heavyweight" had a different style from Fresh's usual output, and gained positive reviews and a general positive response through the underground scene and within various radio stations. [11] Fresh subsequently released "Hypercaine" (including a remix from Nero in September 2009) [12] and made BBC Radio 1's daytime playlist.

On 1 August 2010, he re-released his song "Gold Dust" featuring vocals from Ce'Cile, where it peaked 24 in the UK and 39 in Ireland, it marked his first Top 40 hit in both countries. On 16 August, he released his second studio album, "Kryptonite" where it peaked 4 on the UK Dance Chart.

He then released his follow-up single called "Lassitude" with Sigma featuring vocals from Koko. It managed to peak 98 on the UK Singles Chart and 11 on the UK Dance Chart.

Nextlevelism and continued commercial success (2011–2012)

"Louder", the first single from his third album Nextlevelism , was released on 3 July 2011. The song was used as part of a Lucozade Lite advertising campaign in the UK and Ireland. The song features vocals from Welsh singer Sian Evans from the band Kosheen and peaked number 4 on the Irish Singles Chart and was the first ever dubstep number one on the UK Singles Chart.

On 12 February 2012, the second single "Hot Right Now", featuring British singer Rita Ora, became his second number one in the UK, and the first drum and bass song to chart at number one in the UK. The third single from the album, "The Power", which features rapper Dizzee Rascal, was officially released on 3 June 2012.

Following the release of his fourth single, "The Feeling", which features rapper RaVaughn, on 23 September 2012, DJ Fresh released his new album Nextlevelism on 1 October 2012. "Nextlevelism" includes the songs "Hot Right Now", "Louder", "The Power", "Gold Dust", "The Feeling" and features Rita Ora, Dizzee Rascal, Rizzle Kicks, Professor Green, Ms Dynamite, The Fray and Liam Bailey.

2012–2018

Stein started working in 2012 on his fourth studio album. The album's lead single, "Earthquake", is a collaboration with Diplo and Dominique Young Unique. The song was released on 18 August 2013 and managed to reach number four on the UK Singles Chart. An edited version titled "Motherquake" was produced and released specifically for the film Kick-Ass 2 . The album's second single, "Dibby Dibby Sound", samples the song "Dibby Dibby" by moombahton producer Jay Fay and features additional vocals from Ms. Dynamite. The song is credited as DJ Fresh vs. Jay Fay. The song received the title of Zane Lowe's "Hottest Record in the World". [13] The third single from the album, "Make U Bounce", is credited as DJ Fresh vs. TC featuring Little Nikki. The song is a reworking of TC's previously unreleased 2012 song "Make You Bounce" and was released on 29 June 2014. The fourth single, "Flashlight", features Ellie Goulding and was released on 28 September 2014. It is a reworking of the original version that appears on Goulding's album Halcyon Days . [14] The fifth single, "Gravity", features Ella Eyre and was released on 8 February 2015. The song appears on Eyre's album Feline .The sixth single, "Believer", with DJ Adam F, was released as a digital download on 7 June 2015. "How Love Begins", with bass DJ and producer High Contrast featuring vocals from English rapper, songwriter, singer, and record producer Dizzee Rascal and uncredited vocals from Clare Maguire. The song was released as a digital download on 5 February 2016 as the seventh single. "Bang Bang", with Diplo featuring vocals from R. City, Selah Sue and Craig David. The song was released as a digital download on 9 December 2016 as the eighth single from Fresh's forthcoming fourth studio album.

2018–present

After surviving cancer in 2017, Fresh changed his focus to his other long running passion of software development. He now works as a machine learning-focused software engineer in Oxfordshire, England. [15]

Discography

Studio albums

Awards and nominations

YearOrganisationAwardWorkResult
2013 BRIT Awards British Single of the Year [16] "Hot Right Now" (featuring Rita Ora)Nominated

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Adam Fenton is an English record producer and DJ who has worked across various genres. He is also the co-founder of the drum and bass label Breakbeat Kaos along with DJ Fresh. He found initial success with the 1990s drum and bass singles "Circles", "Metropolis" / "Mother Earth", and "F-Jam", before releasing his debut studio album Colours in 1997. In 2001, he transitioned into hip hop music, producing the album Kaos: The Anti-Acoustic Warfare, featuring collaborations with LL Cool J, Redman and De La Soul. He later released a remix album, Drum and Bass Warfare, and collaborated with DJ Fresh.

Breakbeat Kaos is a British independent record label based in London, UK that specialises in drum and bass. It is jointly owned by Fresh and Adam F, who founded the label in 2003 by merging Fresh's Breakbeat Punk with Adam F's Kaos Recordings. The label's first release was a 12" double A-side single by Fresh titled "Dalicks / Temple of Doom". The following year the label released the single "Another Planet / Voyager" by Pendulum, which peaked at number one in the UK Dance Chart. They also produced their first full-length release with the compilation album Jungle Sound: The Bassline Strikes Back!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another Planet/Voyager</span> 2004 single by Pendulum

"Another Planet" / "Voyager" is the second single by Australian drum and bass band Pendulum. It was released on 23 February 2004 by independent label Breakbeat Kaos, and was their first single to use the 12-inch picture disc format. The single peaked at number 46 in the UK Singles Chart, and reached number one in the UK Dance Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarantula / Fasten Your Seatbelt</span> 2005 single by Pendulum featuring The Freestylers and Fresh

"Tarantula" / "Fasten Your Seatbelt" is the fourth single by Australian drum and bass band Pendulum. It was released on 27 June 2005 by independent label Breakbeat Kaos and was their second release with the label. While "Fasten Your Seatbelt" features production from The Freestylers, "Tarantula" features production from Fresh and vocals from $pyda, together with Tenor Fly from The Freestylers. It peaked number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. Both songs were included on the CD release of Hold Your Colour a month later. "Fasten Your Seatbelt" samples a line from Spider-Man 2 where Doctor Octopus is firing up the fusion reactor for the first time, as well as the sound the reactor made when it was being primed.

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<i>Kryptonite</i> (album) 2010 studio album by DJ Fresh

Kryptonite is the second studio album by British-based DJ and record producer DJ Fresh. The album primarily features drum and bass tracks, featuring drum and bass group Sigma and vocalists Stamina MC, Koko, Valkyrie and Ce'cile. The album has been pushed back various times, each time with a new track or an old track removed. Tracks removed from Kryptonite are "Spaceface", a drum and bass tune removed due to Fresh losing parts of the song itself, Fresh has confirmed that he doesn't know "what's going on" with "Lazer Squad", "Off World" was put onto a 12" with "Direct Order" by The Funktion, "Cylon" became the flip to "Lassitude", and "X-Project" (VIP mix) has been removed for an unknown reason. There was a mispress of the talkbox promo vinyl which had "Acid Rain" on the flipside rather than the intended song, "Fight". Due to the public reception to the preference over "Acid Rain" than to "Fight", it was made the official flipside rather than "Fight".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Dust (DJ Fresh song)</span> 2008 single by DJ Fresh

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Fresh discography</span>

The discography of DJ Fresh, an English drum and bass and dubstep producer and DJ, consists of three studio albums and 29 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Power (DJ Fresh song)</span> Single by DJ Fresh

"The Power" is a single by English producer DJ Fresh, released as the third single from his album Nextlevelism. English rapper Dizzee Rascal features on the single as the main vocalist. It was released on 3 June 2012 in the United Kingdom as a digital download on iTunes.

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<i>Nextlevelism</i> 2012 studio album by DJ Fresh

Nextlevelism is the third studio album released by drum and bass and dubstep producer DJ Fresh. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2012. The album spawned the hit singles "Louder", "Hot Right Now", "The Power" and "The Feeling", as well as featuring "Gold Dust".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthquake (DJ Fresh and Diplo song)</span> 2013 single by DJ Fresh and Diplo

"Earthquake" is a single by British disc jockey DJ Fresh and American counterpart Diplo featuring vocals from Dominique Young Unique. The song was released in the United Kingdom on 18 August 2013 as the lead single from his fourth studio album. An edited version of the song with extra production and sound effects features in the film Kick-Ass 2, under the name "Motherquake". It contains a sample from the song "Teach Me How to Dougie" by the hip hop group Cali Swag District. "Earthquake" peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, number three on the UK Dance Chart and topped the UK Indie Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibby Dibby Sound</span> 2014 single by DJ Fresh and Jay Fay

"Dibby Dibby Sound" is a song by British record producer DJ Fresh and American record producer Jay Fay, featuring vocals from British singer Ms. Dynamite. It was released on 2 February 2014 as the second single from his forthcoming fourth studio album. The song was written by Dan Stein, The Invisible Men, Niomi McLean-Daley and Joshua Fagin. It premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, who made it the week's Hottest Record in the World on 29 October 2013.

Joshua Fagin, better known by his stage name Jay Fay, is an American DJ and producer from St. Louis, Missouri. He released his debut EP Bonkers in February 2012. He is best known for featuring on DJ Fresh's 2014 single "Dibby Dibby Sound", a track which was initially based on Jay Fay's solo single "Dibby Dibby".

Sigma are a British drum and bass DJ and record production duo consisting of Cameron James "Cam" Edwards and Joseph Aluin "Joe" Lenzie. They met at Leeds University at drum and bass nights. Their 2010 collaboration with DJ Fresh, "Lassitude", peaked at number 98 on the UK Singles Chart. Their single "Nobody to Love" topped the UK Singles Chart, becoming their first UK number one. Their second was the follow-up single "Changing", featuring Paloma Faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Love Begins</span> 2016 single by DJ Fresh & High Contrast featuring Dizzee Rascal

"How Love Begins" is a single by English drum and bass producer DJ Fresh and Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer High Contrast featuring vocals from English rapper, songwriter, singer, and record producer Dizzee Rascal and uncredited vocals from Clare Maguire. The song was released as a digital download on 5 February 2016 through Ministry of Sound as the seventh single from Fresh's forthcoming fourth studio album. The song peaked at number 53 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Dizzee Rascal, Dan Stein, Clare Maguire and Lincoln J. Barrett.

References

  1. IMO Records. "DJ Fresh Biography", IMO Records , Retrieved on 15 December 2011. Archived 9 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine .
  2. "Radio 1 Stories - Breakbeat Kaos: The Story of DJ Fresh & Adam F". bbc.com. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  3. "DJ Fresh - Nextlevelism - Ministry of Sound". Ministry of Sound. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014.
  4. "DJ Fresh and Rita Ora become UK's first drum and bass Official Singles Chart Number 1". Official Charts Company.
  5. "DJ Fresh's singles - Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company.
  6. "DJ Fresh - Universal Music Publishing UK". Archived from the original on 13 January 2014.
  7. "DJ Fresh - YouTube" . Retrieved 17 July 2023 via YouTube.
  8. "FRESH (Bad Company, Breakbeat Kaos, Dogs on Acid, UK) !" illegalparty.com, retrieved 22 July 2009.
  9. "'Kmag Announces the Top 100 Drum & Bass Tracks of All Time'". Archived from the original on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  10. "World's Top DJs Coming to Seoul" koreatimes.co.kr, retrieved 22 July 2009.
  11. "DJ Fresh Live" last.fm, retrieved 11 August 2009.
  12. "BBK – DJ Fresh News // Hypercaine, Heavyweight, Kryptonite" Dogsonacid.com, retrieved 11 August 2009.
  13. "DJ Fresh VS Jay Fay Feat. Ms Dynamite – 'Dibby Dibby Sound'". SoundCloud. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013.
  14. Harris, Jamie (17 July 2014). "Listen to DJ Fresh's new single 'Flashlight' featuring Ellie Goulding". Digital Spy . Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  15. "Rockstar Development with Dan Stein (a.k.a DJ Fresh)". The Undefined Podcast. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  16. "BRIT Awards 2013: Best British Single". Capital FM. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.