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<\/a><\/p>\nDJ FRESH – THE MAN<\/strong><\/p>\n Mention the name DJ Fresh to any contemporary music fan and you’ll be greeted with a knowing smirk and a nod of admiration. Despite his recent ascent to stardom, the DJ and producer is no overnight phenomenon. Since the release of his third album, Next Levelism<\/em>, he has firmly established himself as one of the key figures in drum and bass, electro house and dubstep.<\/p>\n He started as a minor league DJ, then transformed from a mere fan to now a leader in the field, a poster boy for the genre, turning out catchy hits. His work is impossible to ignore. These days, if a DJ or radio station requires a dance-floor-ready soundtrack, chances are it\u2019ll most likely be one of his.<\/p>\n DJ Fresh is the man who introduced us to Rita Ora on the chart-topping \u2018Hot Right Now,\u2019 Sian Evans on \u2018Louder,\u2019 the first ever dubstep song to hit No.1, among many others. Born Daniel Stein, the 37-year-old first achieved acclaim in the late \u201890s as a member of music collective, Bad Company. Right now, it\u2019s impossible to keep up with who is emulating his formula for success and longevity.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had five different electronic genres in the top 5, which I don\u2019t think anyone has ever done before, not that it will ever get into the Guinness Book of World Records, but it\u2019s cool for me to know that my music is having such a positive effect<\/em>,\u201d he says. I imagine, at this point, attaining legendary status is the ultimate goal. What do you think makes a person legendary? I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing old<\/em>,\u201d he says, laughing, \u201cit\u2019s funny because when I was in Bad Company, we started getting refered to like, that in reviews and it was really weird when that started happening. When people say that to me now \u2014 I just think it\u2019s really crazy that I\u2019m doing something so different and still getting that level of respect which I\u2019m really appreciate of. It\u2019s great.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m analysing his achievements for him. He\u2019s eyes are open wide. He\u2019s glaring back almost blissfully unaware. It\u2019s almost too much for him to take in at once. We\u2019re sitting in a room at the Ministry of Sound offices in south East London. His power is alive in the room, bouncing of the wall, a power which holds your attention. He has been doing interviews all day, and looks as if he isn\u2019t quite familiar with it all: unlike today\u2019s pop stars, there\u2019s a kind of shyness, a modesty about him that is unexpected.<\/p>\n He is the guy who DJ\u2019s at famous parties across the world, and who has a track record that few can imitate, but despite his sudden celebrity, he maintains a sense of humility about his success. He\u2019s feet is still firmly rooted on the ground. \u201cI don\u2019t really go out that much. I mean, for example, Rita Ora and I came through at the same time. She\u2019s obviously out there in everybody\u2019s face and for her career that\u2019s important.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI avoided all that. I deliberately tried to keep myself away from it, but then I realised that when people buy your music they want to know more about you. They want to know who you are. I thought maybe it would hold my music back if I didn\u2019t give that to people,<\/em>\u201d he adds with a smile, \u201cI\u2019m kind of relaxed about it now.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n THE LONG WALK TO FAME\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n To the glory of his notable triumphs you have to understand his trajectory. Even though, it may seem as if he ploughed his way smoothly towards the realms of grass-roots success, like many other artists, his career also showed signs of a struggle. Understandably, he was exhausted after years of trying to make it. \u201cAll I remember is that in 2009, I was about to throw the towel in and go study orchestration for film<\/em>,\u201d he says. While most of his contemporaries were busy experimenting, Fresh found success with \u2018Gold Dust,\u2019 a track that was distinctly out of line with prevailing trends.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything just went mental. It was really weird because I had always wanted to make music like that, but it wasn\u2019t accepted in the world that I was in at that time. So, because I was about to start a new chapter in my life I thought, \u2018Fuck it!\u2019 I\u2019m going to make the music I want to make. And as soon as I did \u2014 everything started going nuts<\/em>,\u201d he says, amused, leaning forward off his chair.<\/p>\n Now the bad times are behind him\u2014how do you see yourself now? I asked. \u201cIn a mirror? I don\u2019t know. I\u2019ve got no idea,<\/em>\u201d he says thoughtfully. To him, \u201cDJ Fresh\u201d is here to stay for however long he can remain a prominent name. When did it occur to you that DJ Fresh carried so much weight to the extent that Daniel Stein is virtually unknown to the world? I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been known as Fresh since I was 18. I\u2019m use to him now. The line is quite blurred, I think. My life is so focused on my career. I suppose to the extent where everything is all about DJ Fresh. There isn\u2019t much Daniel left, to be honest, probably just a little bit,<\/em>\u201d he laughed gleefully.<\/p>\n THE RELATIONSHIPS<\/strong><\/p>\n When he gets it right, he can easily make chart history. The chemistry he shares with artists can make them a sensation. He prefers working with relative unknowns, but when it comes down to his viable relationship with Ms Dynamite, none of them can quite transform into something of such commitment.<\/p>\n