Ray Keith

From rare-groove to acid-house to hardcore to jungle, Ray Keith remained one of the most steady DJs on England’s breakbeat scene during the 1980s and ’90s. After a remix of Orbital's “Chime,” he moved into production with apparent ease and became a respected drum’n’bass label-head as well. Born in Colchester, Keith began DJing by the early ’80s and followed English beat-freaks through soul, hip-hop and rare-groove until the acid-house and hardcore explosion of the late ’80s and early ’90s. By the middle of the ’90s, he had become one of the most inspired drum’n’bass DJs and remixers. His own productions, including the jump-up anthem “Terrorist,” began taking center stage by the mid-’90s and Keith formed three separate labels — Penny Black, Dread and UFO — in 1996. He has worked in close association with Gavin Cheung (aka Nookie) and also works at one of the premiere dance shops in Britain, Black Market Records. Keith released the Penny Black collection Breakage, Vol. 1 in 1997, followed by a solo debut of sorts, 1999′s UFO Presents Contact. ~ John Bush