The title of his 2003 debut album says it all: Music For The Mature B-Boy. That’s DJ Format for you, boiled down to the essence. He’s the grown up producer/beatmaker who, admittedly, spends far too long digging for bafflingly scarce records to sample and play in clubs.
His six artist albums, featuring rap heavyweights like Jurassic 5, Edan, Mr Lif, Phill Most Chill, and long-time collaborator, Abdominal, have been called some of the highpoints in UK hip hop. His skill in compiling albums and crafting mixtapes have seen him enlisted by FabricLive, Fania, BBE, and Mr Bongo for his unique selections of funk, Latin soul, heavy psych, and Brazilian Tropicalia respectively. More recently a string of cut ‘n’ paste 45s have kept his name in DJs’ boxes. These tributes to the likes of James Brown, Kool & The Gang, and The Meters, are as funky as they were labour-intensive to put together.
His latest artist album was something of a departure from his previous releases. An instrumental album swirling with psychedelic samples, “Devil’s Workshop” (2021) proved to be an instant hit with fans and critics alike.
Format’s DJ sets are like long form versions of these productions – meticulous on the execution and built on the deep crates he’s spent years building. His high-octane sets of soul, funk, Latin, and feel-good hip hop, have rocked spots the world over. He’s never happier than when he gets the chance to share his music with people just like you.