DJ Yoda

DJ Yoda is one of Britain’s most admired, original club DJs and an AV pioneer who is constantly pushing the possibilities of audio-visual manipulation. Encapsulating the very essence of good times, DJ Yoda has transformed clubbing as we know it, throwing down styles as diverse as Hip-Hop, Funk, Baltimore Club, Drum n Bass and even Country music, all cut-up with a awe-inspiring selection of film, TV show and You Tube visuals that elevate his sets to the uniquely sublime.

His keenly-defined sense of humour has captured the imagination of the masses making him possibly the only DJ in the world who can fill a club cutting the Indiana Jones theme music with dirty dubstep beats or 80’s pop with New York rap. A judge for three years-worth of DMC DJ World Finals, tipped by Q Magazine as one of ‘The 10 DJs you must see before you die’ and voted alongside DJ Premier as ‘One of the Top Three DJs in the World’ in Hip-Hop Connection magazine, DJ Yoda represents a new brand of mix-master who can happily play any kind of music to make people dance.

Pioneering a new entertainment art form, alloying hands-in-the-air clubbing with a night at the movies, his AV shows are audio-visual anarchy, cutting the best Sci-Fi movie moments with 80s electro, or YouTube viral hits with contemporary hip-hop. One of the first DJs to turn his hand to rescoring classic films with the esteemed DJ Yoda Goes to the Movies series that began with his version of the Goonies in 2003, Yoda was commissioned by the BFI in 2014 to reprise his trailblazing ways. Presented as part of the BFI’s regular Sonic Cinema event, DJ Yoda Goes to the Sci-Fi Movies was a futuristic alliance of cutting edge music and cinema that cemented his reputation as the master of the form.

Career highlights include:

• Played on the same bill as Steve Martin, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock at the HBO Comedy Festival in Las Vegas.

• Sold out London’s Koko on his critically acclaimed ‘Magic Cinema Show’ tour.

• Performed alongside the likes of Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson and Fatboy Slim.

• DJ’d to packed-out clubs everywhere from Beijing to New York.

• Mixed up the Champions League highlights with a tongue-in-cheek soundtrack for ITV’s Champions League Final preview show, blowing ITV Sports presenter Matt Smith’s mind along the way.

• Performed with Lily Allen providing exclusive visuals.

• Earned a barrel full of accolades for mixing the Fabric Live 39 CD.

• Hosted an hour-long show for BBC Radio 1 mixing-up highlights of their 40-year history as part of their official anniversary celebrations.

• Been voted No.28 in Datatransmission’s publicly voted Top 40 DJs Poll, making him the highest placed Hip-Hop DJ.

• Been nominated for a Sony Radio Award in the ‘Music Special’ category for his "Cut & Paste" documentary for BBC Radio

No stranger to breaking new ground, Yoda’s other achievements include providing Pete Tong with his first ever hip-hop Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 - bootleg copies of which have been doing the rounds ever since - plus his "Mini-Mix" for Annie Mac's show was also voted, by listeners, as the best mix ever broadcast on the show.

With his abilities as a DJ and Audio Visual tour-de-force in no doubt, Yoda’s skills as a musician were confirmed with the release of his debut artist album, ‘The Amazing Adventures Of DJ Yoda’ in 2006. Providing beats for the likes of Biz Markie, 2005 MOBO-winner Sway, Princess Superstar, Jungle Brothers, MC Paul Barman, and a host of other vocalists, ‘The Amazing Adventures Of DJ Yoda’ was critically acclaimed gaining rave reviews across the board. 

Buoyed by the wealth of collaborators for his acclaimed second artist album, ‘Chop Suey’ that dropped in late 2012, Yoda has been busy in the studio creating his first live hip-hop band, Breakfast of Champions. Evoking the golden age of hip-hop, the band features up-and-coming wordsmith Rex Domino, Mouse Outfit MCs Sparkz and Truthos Mufasa, plus a host of musicians chosen in partnership with Manchester venue and arts project, Band on the Wall, where they made their live debut with a sell out show. The band’s second date at London’s Jazz Café also sold out with weeks to spare. Finally realising Yoda’s long-held vision for a live hip-hop band, the finishing touches are currently being put to Breakfast of Champions’ debut album, due for release on March 9th 2015.

Always breaking new ground, Yoda made history with the first ever audio visual mix for BBC Radio 6 Music in 2013. A unique feat in the world of radio, the mix made waves across the globe and secured him a 6 Mix residency that has seen him become part of 6 Music’s distinguished DJ team alongside Derrick May, Andrew Weatherall, Erol Alkan and Rob da Bank.