DJ Rush

By the early 1990s, Ronnie was experiencing the first sounds of jungle, and it completely changed everything for him. DJs like Fabio, Ratty, Randall, DJ Hype, Kenny Ken, Darren J, and House Crew all inspired him to get behind the decks himself.

But then he was hearing this new sound coming through—garage was beginning to evolve. Artists such as Tuff Jam, Todd Terry, Grant Nelson, Double 99, MJ Cole, and Armand Van Helden showed him this raw, slower hi-energy soulful, and heavy bass-driven sound that could really work the dance, which he fell in love with immediately. It's that sound and blend that helped shape his style today.

Ronnie started experimenting with music at around nine years old, using two cassette players to mix the rave tapes and pretending he was a radio station. A few years later, his grandparents bought him an all-in-one coffin disco setup where he'd strap it to a skateboard and take it around to friends' houses for mini raves.

By the age of 14, he'd saved up for his first proper setup: Pro 150 belt-drive turntables and a Made to Fade mixer. From then on, it was pure passion and trial and error—learning the craft himself and perfecting the art of beatmatching and scratching through endless hours of practice. He can still remember his first record he ever bought from 1988, Yazz 'The Only Way Is Up'. His first visit to a proper record shop was Spooky Tunes in Great Yarmouth where his family used to holiday.

Some of his early gigs were humble beginnings—sometimes he'd play to just three people, or even no one at all—but he'd still give it his all. Those experiences taught him persistence and pride in his music. One of his funniest memories was being asked to stop playing because the bar staff didn't like the underground garage he was booked to play—they ended up plugging in their own CD player and putting on a pop CD instead!

Ronnie's influences came less from individual DJs but more from the sound itself, but if there's one guy he does have a lot of respect for, it's Glen Woods who gave him his first real break. Reggae, house, jungle, garage, and bassline all feed into his sets. His energy behind the decks is all about taking people on a journey: building them up to a high, bringing them down to breathe, and then lifting them back up even higher.

Whether it's old-school classics or fresh UKG, he always keeps evolving with the scene while staying true to its roots. He builds his sets based on the crowd, the venue, and the vibe, spending hours digging through tracks to find the perfect sound for the moment.

Record shops were a huge part of his journey—Tree House, which later became Phat Trax in Milton Keynes, Black Market and Uptown Records in London. In the early 2000s, it even inspired him to open his own shop, Urban Sound, selling garage, reggae, and jungle drum & bass. That's where he met some of the early pioneers of the grime scene, including Jammer, Skepta, and JME, to name a few.

Ronnie's first residency came in 1995 at Speed, where he played the early sound of speed garage. Since then, he's held countless residencies, run and played on countless pirate and internet radio stations, and performed across the UK, even running his own nights with Urban Sound Promotions. He's also played internationally in Jamaica and Ayia Napa, alongside some legendary DJs.

One of his biggest highlights was DJing for reggae legends Aswad—a true milestone in his career. But honestly, his proudest achievement is simply still doing it today—bringing the sounds of garage and underground bass to people who truly love the music.

For Ronnie, UK Garage and underground music means community, connection, and good energy and variety of sounds. The scene has evolved massively since the early days—but in all the right ways. Everything has to move forward, and garage has continued to do that while keeping its soul intact.

Phat Trax will always be a special place for him—not just for the records, but for the community and atmosphere that surrounded it.

As for today's scene, he's got huge respect for DJs and producers old and new still keeping the scene alive: Bullet Tooth, Bakey, Bush Baby, Sammy Virji, BWK Project, Ray Hurley, Scott Diaz, Dennis Quin, and Dan T, to name just a few who are pushing the sound forward.

Platforms like Garage Tape Packs are doing great things for the community—promoting the music, running events, and keeping the culture strong.

Right now, Ronnie is focused on pushing himself back out there, getting the odd bookings, playing quality garage music, and connecting with the new generation of ravers and garage heads. You can catch him on Garage Tape Packs, where he brings a mix of old-school classics and fresh new flavours—just pure good vibes.

After over 30 years behind the decks, one thing's for sure: Music is my first love, and it will be my last.