We sat down with DJ and Music Producer Ed Eldridge, who runs the Brave Sounds DJ Drop-In, to find out more about it and how you can get involved!

Hi Ed! Could you introduce yourself for our readers?

Hey my names Ed Eldridge, I am a DJ and Electronic Music Producer and semi retired Club Promoter/Event Organiser. I have been DJ’ing and making music for over 20 years, with a few releases under my belt and a couple of OST/Music Scores for Theatre to boot. I have DJ’ed all over the world, and in some of the UK’s biggest and most well known clubs, and ran a pretty successful underground Club Night in Bristol for about 6 years non stop and other Club nights in varying forms since I was 18. 

How did you first get into DJing?

I’d always been really interested in music, I played the Trumpet and Guitar and played in bands from aged 13. But I first got into DJ’ing at around the age of 16/17, at that point I didn’t really understand it or get what I was doing, but I loved music and records, and loved the fact I could affect a recording with my own hands. I really learnt to mix when I went to Uni aged 18, a great friend had Turntables and a very large record collection and from that first lesson with him I was hooked, we’d meet up almost every night for that year, and by the end of the year I was describing myself as a DJ first a student second haha. From there I slowly started building a record collection (thanks student loan) there was no digital dj’ing back then really and eventually got my own turntables and mixer.  

What kind of music do you make and like to play?

Wow in with the big questions haha… Well I make Electronic music, I don’t tend to put a genre tag on myself as I love all music from Classical to Drum and Bass. My releases have been a mix between Hip Hop/Lofi beats, House and Jungle/DnB, but I make all sorts. The last play I worked on was very 90’s nostalgia focussed and a lot of the music was based around classic UK Garage songs from that period. Without going too far into the genres I guess I make everything from Ambient to Drum and Bass via Hip Hop and House.

In terms of the music I like to play, that again is pretty far reaching. I own a lot (too many) of records, and as a DJ I like to play longer sets and take the listener on a journey. I tend to start pretty chilled out, and slow and build up to faster stuff. But in terms of genre I play a lot of Soul, Disco, Boogie, House, Techno, Hardcore(88-91), Jungle and DnB but you might find me spinning Hip Hop classics or the first The Bees album, I guess one of the things I try and preach is that all music is valid, it all has a time and place, and its the DJ’s job to work out that time and place.

Do you enjoy teaching young people?

I absolutely love it. I wish there had been something like this when I grew up on the Island, as it would have given me a foundation and skill to my DJ’ing much earlier on. The feeling of watching the students go from knowing nothing to being able to mix in a pretty short space of time just can’t be beaten. It was pretty daunting at first but it’s now one of the highlights of my week. 

Do you need any experience before you can take part?

Absolutely not, no. The idea of the workshops is to offer everyone a chance to learn to DJ, whether you have done it before or not. It’s much easier to pick up than you’d think and most of the students have picked it up much quicker than I ever did. Luckily technology has advanced so much since when I started that it’s much easier to show someone how to start out DJ’ing than it was in the Vinyl Days.

What are usually the first few things to learn as a complete beginner?

We start off with the very basics, what the decks and mixer do, how we play music through them, and then move on to the foundations – beat counting, and finding the right tempo, from there we progress into mixing the tunes and then start to build up a DJ set from there. Part of that process is learning what will and will not mix together. But its all very laid back and chill and there’s plenty of time to ask questions and have some one 2 one tutoring. 

What equipment is provided or available to use and would you need to bring anything with you?

All the kit is provided, you don’t need anything to come along, not even music. We have 2 Pioneer Controllers and laptops, a pair of CDJ’s and Mixer, and if the students wish to progress onto vinyl once they have worked out the basics then we can provide Vinyl lessons as well, I’m still a pretty strong lover of Vinyl – so this is something I am keen to teach, as I feel it provides the real understanding of what a DJ does. 

We will also buy the students music to learn with, and encourage them to start actively seeking out music that they love to bring to the classes. It’s totally up to you what you want to mix, there is no right or wrong – its just a case of if it can be mixed together.

Is the workshop just for beginners or can amateur DJs and musicians join to learn new skills and techniques?

The workshop is for anyone 14-25 yrs old, whether you’re totally new to DJ’ing or whether you’d like to come and practice and hone your skills, the doors are open to you. As I said I have been DJ’ing for the best part of 20 years, so I’m more than happy to offer guidance and advice to those who already DJ, or those who don’t.

Do you have to produce music in a specific style?

Well I think there is often a mix up between producing music and DJing, you do not have to produce music whatsoever to be a DJ, but you have to make music to produce. I’d love to offer a Music Production side to the workshops so maybe that is something that will grow as we do. But no you don’t have to make music, or own any music to start our Workshops. Just bring yourself and a desire to learn. 

In terms of specific styles, there are DJ’s from all aspects of the musical sphere. From ambient to hardcore via punk, indie, hip hop, metal. What we focus on to start with is learning to match the beats, and what the equipment does, so there is a heavy influence of House/UKG/DnB to start with, as these lend themselves to learning pretty well. But some of the greatest DJ’s in the world don’t mix – but then we get into the DJ vs Selector debate and that’s maybe for a group discussion after grasping the basics.

When is the workshop and how often?

The workshop is every other Sunday from 2-4pm at Ventnor Exchange.

How do I sign up?

Via the DJ Drop-In opportunity on the Brave Island website which you can find here.