By Sean Flinn | April 14, 2000
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| DJ Dieselboy is revved up, helping drum 'n' bass conquer the States.
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Buy Dieselboy's music
Visit Dieselboy's label
Moonshine Records
Read Choler's review of Dieselboy's album, System_Upgrade
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It's neither an easy nor a short road to the top of the American drum 'n' bass set. For Damian Higgins, a.k.a. Dieselboy, the journey's difficulty was compounded by the fact that when he started DJing in the early '90s, there was virtually no drum 'n' bass scene in the United States, not to mention in his home state of Pennsylvania. The lack of popular support, however, didn't discourage him; his instant and deep love of the music motivated him to help build the scene himself.
His efforts over the last several years have proven remarkably fruitful: He has seen drum 'n' bass -- even its most challenging variations -- begin to enjoy the same degree of popularity in the States that it has long enjoyed everywhere else on the planet. Drum 'n' bass club events are now regular occurrences here, and heavily attended. Though he was named Best Drum 'n' Bass Mix DJ in 1998 at the Global DJ Mix Awards, becoming the first American to ever earn the distinction, Dieselboy can't be given (and doesn't ask for) sole credit for every ounce of d'n'b's popularity Stateside. But by playing the role of musical ambassador as well as entertainer and by displaying near-peerless skills behind the decks, a relentless commitment to exposing clubgoers to the most current cuts available and an unceasing devotion to the do-it-yourself ethos, Dieselboy certainly plays a key role in the scene's development throughout North America.
With the release of his latest mix CD, System Upgrade, on Moonshine Records, Dieselboy has reaffirmed his ranking as one of the world's top DJ talents and his commitment to exposing listeners to the future sound of d'n'b. Currently performing as part of the Planet of the Drums tour alongside Moonshine label mates DJ Dara and AK1200, he managed to make himself available for a brief but insightful e-mail interview with RadioSpy. He was also kind enough to program a radio station for us, filling the playlist with the sorts of tracks he listens to when not dominating the DJ booth.
Sean Flinn: Tell me a little bit about yourself: First off, how did you come up with the "Dieselboy" moniker?
Dieselboy: I used to spend a lot of time online in chat rooms back in 1990. Everyone had a nickname they used, and I eventually settled on "Diesel" for no reason in particular. I was unaware that there was a graffiti artist using the same moniker in Pittsburgh (where I went to school), but when people kept confusing me with him, I changed it to "Dieselboy" to reflect my youthful appearance and my interest insuch things as video games and animation.
When and how did you first hit the decks and start DJing? Was there a particular experience that made you stand up and say, "I've got to be a DJ," or do you think you've always been hardwired for the job? When you did start DJing, what sort of music did you start off playing? When did you make the jump into drum 'n' bass, and what inspired you to start DJing that style of electronic music?
I have had a keen interest in music ever since I can remember. I was buying tapes to breakdance to back in middle school, started buying 12-inch remixes of groups I liked in high school and eventually went on to DJ a few high school dances my senior year (no mixing, just fading between CDs, cassettes and one turntable). I was always the guy in my group of friends that bought new music for everyone to listen to and copy. I was introduced to techno through a friend I saw at an industrial concert, and once I heard it for the first time, I began spending all of my free cash on buying techno compilation CDs. I eventually met up with some local college radio DJs who had a techno show at Carnegie Mellon University. They brought me on board and showed me the ropes of beat matching and mixing. I was buying what was big at the time, which was old-school techno and U.K. breakbeat/hardcore. When everything began splintering off into different genres, I stuck with what I felt was the most innovative percussion-wise, which was what eventually became known as drum 'n' bass/jungle. The whole DJing thing sorta snowballed out of my initial desire to play new music for people. I never woke up one morning and decided to be a DJ or anything. It just happened over time.
What kind of electronic music scene did your hometown support? I read one interview with you that mentioned your party-throwing endeavors, with you doing everything from providing the music to mixing the drinks, just to give yourself a venue in which to spin. And you eventually went on to found Platinum, a weekly drum 'n' bass event in Philadelphia. When did it become feasible for you to find and start jungle and drum 'n' bass events in that area? How long and hard a road was it to establishing a foothold for drum 'n' bass in the U.S.?
Pittsburgh first experienced techno back in '91,'92, thanks in no small part to the efforts of two guys: Deadly Buda and DJ Controlled Weirdness. They helped generate the scene back then and hit the locals with heavy doses of techno and old-school breaks. Pittsburgh never had a huge underground house scene. I threw three parties of my own back then in order to provide an alternative to the raves that these two guys were involved with. I had lots of music in my possession that I never heard out at any local parties, and I was determined to get the stuff out there. I made my own fliers, rounded up my own gear, financed everything, DJed them, promoted them and even made my own smart drinks. It was really a heartfelt endeavor. I put a lot of myself into those old parties.
Over the years I have been involved as a resident DJ at different weeklies and events, eventually ending up being a founding member of what used to be called Steel City Jungle in Pittsburgh. When I moved to Philadelphia in '97, I decided to not take any more residencies, though that changed less than a year later when I was approached to start my own drum 'n' bass weekly with full creative freedom. This is what became known as Platinum, Philadelphia's only 21-plus drum 'n' bass club night. The only reason I accepted the job was because, as an artistic outlet, I was able to put everything I wanted into a club night, from designing the fliers and logo to selecting the DJs. This was a further extension of my desire to play new music for people; I now had control over the environmental and visual elements as well.
Getting drum 'n' bass recognized in the States has been a long, hard road for many people. With combined efforts, myself along with many other DJs and promoters from coast to coast have poured blood, sweat and tears into promoting the cause. Too many years have passed with the second-room, low production drum 'n' bass areas. Promoters are finally starting to give drum 'n' bass DJs slots on the main stage. They are starting to realize that people want to hear this music, and they want to hear it on a good sound system.
Your bio mentions that you see yourself "not just as an entertainer but also an educator." How do you go about educating people with your DJ sets and mix compilations? Have you seen any tangible effects of your efforts?
When I say I educate people, I mean that I do not resort to playing commercial tunes for the sake of maintaining my position in the drum 'n' bass DJ community. I will play a deep tune if I feel it is a good tune, regardless of whether or not it has an Aphrodite-style drumroll or recognizable hip-hop sample. At the end of the day, it is important to balance pleasing the crowd with opening minds with new music. With my mix CDs of late, I have busted my ass to put together compilations of the freshest, most upfront, futuristic shit available at the time. I want the average listener who manages to pick up my stuff to be shown what the current sound of drum 'n' bass is, not what sounds radio-friendly. I have seen the scene change in the past two years, and now people are much more into the futuristic style of jungle. I would like to think that my CDs, such as 611 MixSeries 1 and Soldier's Story, have played some part in all of it.
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