Ever since I can remember, I was driven to be unique – possibly as a result I have a twin brother. When we were born, his umbilical cord entwined itself around my throat, restricting oxygen to my brain. The outcome was my deafness, while his hearing was unimpaired. Talk about competition from day one.
I use hearing aids, along with being proficient in lip-reading, and I'm also fluent in British Sign Language. At night, without my hearing devices, a loud noise could occur nearby without me waking up. But with them in, I have fairly clear access to sound.
Childhood in Hackney
My roots are in east London's Hackney, with a deep fascination for dance parties after noticing my cousins coming home from illegal parties at six in the morning. Back on NYE 1993, I attended my inaugural rave. Upon entering, I was hit by the lights and smoke, the powerful basslines, everyone moving together happily.
I was hooked. I spent weekends bouncing about like a ragamuffin at abandoned airports, basements and disused factories throughout the UK. My journey into DJing commenced, using my paycheck from my warehouse job on UK garage and reggae records.
Few Deaf Faces on the Dancefloor
Even as a committed partygoer for ten years straight, I rarely came across fellow deaf attendees in those clubs. In total, I believe I saw just two.
I attempted to persuade pals from a hearing-impaired circle to experience raving. They responded, "That's for hearing people". "That culture isn't ours." It made sense to me: I had previously been rejected at a venue's door because of my hearing impairment. Still, I desired for them to experience the joy I encountered. I was aware they'd value evening outings and connection time with fellow hearing-impaired individuals were limited.
Establishing the Inaugural Event
So I decided to set up the world’s first rave by deaf people, for deaf people.
We provided input for a vibrating surface inside a venue and worked with a company making vests that tremble aligned with musical rhythms.
Securing a location proved difficult. Event managers didn't grasp the idea. Some thought it was a joke. Others worried we’d DJ at dangerous volumes. Numerous hearing-impaired attendees experience music via tactile bass sensations, so we do play tracks with meaty basslines while boosting the sub-bass, without reaching volumes likely to incur regulatory action due to loudness, or harm hearing.
The First Deaf Rave Night
Eventually we got a yes at the International Students House. The date was set for May bank holiday 2003. We plastered promotional materials all over, and 700 tickets sold like wildfire. Visual elements are crucial for deaf audiences; additional sights were essential, so I brought in skilled deaf performers to perform breakdancing.
I cried that inaugural night. The experience overwhelmed me. Hugs were exchanged everywhere – not due to drugs, but from genuine happiness of being immersed in deaf community. Deaf people are usually the minority; during our events, each person shared a common identity.
Ongoing Influence
Drum’n’bass beats weren’t the only thing which merged during the event – it was the start of a long legacy with love stories emerging from our parties. As time passed, some ravers have got married, welcomed children, and settled down away from the club scene. They’re missed, but it’s the sweetest goodbye.
Our organization has expanded in manners that boggle my mind. Our staff has grown – adding talents including a deaf rapper, who performs in sign language while delivering lyrics – appearing at renowned festivals, such as Glastonbury and Boomtown. We’ve consulted on a vibrating floor within the Fabric venue, and worked with a company producing tactile vests that tremble in sync to music. We performed in Shanghai to perform as part of a deaf cultural exchange. I’m a quarter Chinese myself – along with Vietnamese, Guyanese and English roots – using the alias DJ Chinaman, making it a deeply meaningful visit.
Accolades and Initiatives
In 2024, I was awarded a master's degree honoris causa from Falmouth University, followed by, I was made an MBE. The shock knocked me sideways. It provided renewed energy to keep supporting deaf identity, culture and community. Our outreach now includes youth – providing turntable training for hearing-impaired students, with a dedicated family festival in London this weekend. Regardless of the setting, or educational environments, deaf voices need amplification.
