With UK Garage in supposed decline, I was intrigued to hear a buzz about a garage DJ who everyone was going on about, on the street and how passionate he feels for the scene. Many say the scene is now only existent through the lyrics of an MC, but what about the true meaning behind dance, the music. I caught up with D&G at Area night-club Watford where he had just an finished an exciting two hour set mixing all aspects of the scene, 4x4, old school and grime, does this mean the scene is now re-energising itself?

ML -That was an excellent set D&G! You looked like you were enjoying yourself?

D&G – Yea that was crazy! I like playing here at Area, its like a home from home for me, they know what to expect and they embrace it, I got a lot of respect for that.

ML – How hard is it at the moment to play garage in commercial clubs, when many clubs don’t want to know?

D&G – Yea it’s still very tuff as some clubs still don’t want it, but its very important to play the right records in the right way so that they can have it. Being a DJ in a kind of way is like being a teacher, you have to try and educate the crowds to new music but when your at certain raves u can only teach so much. That’s when you can see who the best teachers are, from the music they play.

ML – So are you going into teaching when you retire from spinning vinyl?

D&G - Ha, Do me a favour bro!

ML – What do you think of the current status of the scene and what would you change about it?

D&G - The scene is growing day by day and is getting stronger and stronger. This is evident in the number of club nights going down in and around London. People are getting sick of RNB in clubs, its not dance music and in a club, the public are getting hungry to hear dance music.

ML – That is very true, do u feel the downsizing of the dance industry of late has had an effect on the urban UKG scene?

D&G - Yea I think it has, but I also think it is just music as an industry with Piracy and people not really investing money into their products, dance is just a part of it. But these things work in circles and at the moment we have nearly gone full circle so fingers crossed. Majors are again trying to take an interest so we will just have to watch this space.

ML - How do you feel about all the talent that has come from garage and jumped ship when they have blown up as artists?

D&G - You do ask them don’t you? Yea I guess I am a little disappointed with some of the artists who forget where they’re coming from but at the end of the day some people use it as a platform to get big through, which is cool. They saw their future and looked at garage as the mode of transportation to it. I do have a lot of respect for Dizzy; he still incorporates the underground with his commercial music and is always looking to work with artists from the underground. It should be interesting to see how Kano’s career pans out; he’s got massive potential also.

ML – What does the future hold for you as a DJ and for the scene as a whole?

D&G - For me its still about DJing more and more, that’s the buzz for me just playing to people that, appreciate what I am doing. I also want to get more time in the studio, which I never have! For the scene I feel that it needs to start getting into cities outside of London, only then can it start progressing from a UK scene to a world-wide one.

For more info on DnG check out his website at: www.badboydj.com

Sending a massive shout out to Matt Lewis for this interview.