Spinning with Danny Howells

Danny Howells is part of an amazing breed of DJ/Producers who have been around since the early 1990’s and still publish records and tour the world to this day. Danny’s devotion to his art and endearing character have earned him everything from the accolade ‘the clubber’s DJ’ to his own action figure. He’s maintained a fan base through his consistent willingness to experiment with musical genres far beyond house & techno. Danny will be playing at Colosseum Jakarta April 13, then Jenja in Bali on the 15th and so make sure you get down there and feel the beat.
Hey Danny, where in the world are you and what can you see outside your nearest window?
Hi mate. I’m in London, just been to the Stones exhibition which was brilliant. I’m now writing this while I can see my neighbour’s cat staring at me through the window.
What is Deepsexyfuturistictechfunkhouse?
It’s what I play! Deep, Sexy, futuristic (sometimes), techy, funky, house!
What were your early inspirations when you started DJing?
Digweed used to bring a lot of famous DJs to small town I lived in as I was too poor to travel. We’d get to hear Fabio and Grooverider, Weatherall, Farley & Heller, David Holmes and, of course, Digweed. But I was also inspired by people like The Cure, Prince, Primal Scream etc.
How do you go about picking music when you play at different venues?
I never know what a night is going to be like so always try and pack a bit of everything .. Lots of deep, some trippy, some melodic, some dark and a few bangers in case it’s a tough crowd. I never pack any tunes that I wouldn’t personally want to hear on the floor but my range is quite diverse so I normally manage to survive most crowds haha!
Have your sets changed a lot since the early 2000’s?
Well the range of music is still there, from the very deep through to the more techy stuff, but the music has changed a lot. Not all of it, as some of the house from that period still sounds great. But a lot of the prig and more peak time stuff from those years sounds terrible now.
How do you like playing in Indonesia? Do you have any highlights throughout your tours in Indo?
I’ve always enjoyed it! It’s been a bit surreal at times but Indonesia is an amazing place to visit and getting to spend a few days and sightsee was a highlight for me.
You have partied in all types of venues, cities, terrains. What is one party that you will never forget?
There’s too many to mention. Recently playing a 7 hour set in a tiny, 100 person venue in Boston stands out as it was such an amazing night.
Longest set you’ve ever played?
Probably about 14 hours, either in New York or Montreal .. MANY years ago. I wouldn’t do that now. 7 is my limit and only in the right venue.
Your ideal party. Where would it be? What kind of music? What kind of drinks and snacks?
It already exists .. it’s called Glastonbury festival. Every kind of music, rock, indie, jazz, electronic, everything. Strong drinks and plenty of vegan food.
Take us through a day with Danny Howells.
It’s a bit dull .. get up, do a few emails then load up my iPod with new music then spend the day walking around London while doing my jobs and meeting people, go to a lot of gigs in London (Blanck Mass was the most recent) and then in the evening I’m usually tired so eat and play with my cat!