Danny Howells

Danny Howells was born in the South East England town of Hastings in 1970.{{Cite web|url= {{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p311451|pure_url=yes}} |last = Greene |first = Jo-Ann |accessdate=26 July 2007 |work=Allmusic |title = Nick Warren >> Biography}} Howells's first event DJing came in the late 1980s and he began to perform at local clubs. In 1991, Bedrock founder John Digweed heard one of Howells's mix tapes and invited Howells to join the Bedrock club nights. Howells traveled with Bedrock until they settled at the club Heaven in London. He would spend nine years as warm-up DJ for Digweed at Bedrock.{{Cite book |last = Broughton |first = Frank |title = How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records |author2 = Bill Brewster |authorlink2 = Bill Brewster (DJ) |date = April 2003 |isbn = 0-8021-3995-7 |location = London |publisher = Bantam Books |page = [https://archive.org/details/howtodjrightarts00brou/page/116 116] |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/howtodjrightarts00brou/page/116 }}

In 1995, Howells began producing experimental techno tracks with fellow Hastings native, Tim Cross, under the moniker Squelch. Over the next two years, Squelch produced several singles and attracted the attention of the record label Jackpot, who released what would be Cross's and Howells's final single together. In 1997, Cross and Howells split, though Howells stayed with Jackpot. Jackpot teamed Howells up with Rob Green to produce a remix of React 2 Rhythm's "Intoxication". Howells performed for the first time outside of the UK, traveling to the Netherlands for his first gig abroad, which gained him a large fan base there.{{Cite web |url=http://www.djtimes.com/original/djmag/sep01/howells.htm |title=Spanning The Globe: Is a Global DJ's Life More Full of Glory or Exhaustion? |last=Tremayne |first=Jim |work=DJ Times |date=September 2001 |accessdate=29 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021013750/http://www.djtimes.com/original/djmag/sep01/howells.htm |archive-date=21 October 2006 |url-status=dead }} Following his international tour, Howells signed with Dutch record label ID&T to create his debut mix album, Nightlife Report 1: Mick Boskamp Presents Danny Howells. Howells and Green continued to work together, including on a remix of Robbie Williams's "South of the Border". Howells began to produce solo as well, taking on projects such as Ashtrax's "Kafka" and BT's "Dreaming".

In 1999, Howells began his Nocturnal Frequencies series of mix albums on the record label Obsessive. He also began remixing with Dick Trevor, and the two soon adopted the name Science Department for their original productions. Howells continued his live DJing, playing regularly at clubs including Bedrock, Renaissance, Cream, and Ministry of Sound. After the release of his next Nocturnal Frequencies album, Howells left Bedrock and Ministry of Sound, taking a residency at Twilo in New York City. After finishing the Science Department track "Breathe", Howells compiled his next mix album Nubreed 002. The second entry in Global Underground's Nubreed series, Howells's album consisted largely of funky, progressive, tech house.{{Cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r498420|pure_url=yes}} |title=Global Underground: NuBreed > Review |accessdate=26 July 2007 |last = Carlson |first = Dean |work=Allmusic}} Howells was voted number ten of the world's top DJs in DJ Magazine's 2001 Top 100 DJs poll.{{Cite web|url = http://www.jivemagazine.com/article.php?pid=32 |work= JIVE Magazine |date=1 July 2001 |accessdate=29 July 2007 |title =Interview: Danny Howells |author=Jewels}}

Howells continued his relationship with Global Underground, releasing the first album in their 24:7 series in July 2003. The first disc features a primarily downtempo or chill out music, similarly to Nick Warren's Global Underground 024: Reykjavik, while the second is more of a club mix.{{Cite web|url=http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=1190 |last = Mnookin |first = Daniel |date=29 June 2003 |accessdate=29 July 2007 |work=Resident Advisor |title=GU 24:7 - Danny Howells Album Review}} In 2005, Global Underground brought in Howells for the 27th entry in their series. Howells entry, Global Underground 027: Miami, is based on his 31 October 2004 performance at Club Space in Miami, Florida.{{Cite web|url=http://higher-frequency.com/e_interview/danny_howells/index.htm |title= Danny Howells Interview |date=2 July 2005 |work = Higher Frequency |accessdate=28 July 2007 |last = Cotterill |first =Matt}} The first disc is based on his morning set and the second disc on his late night set.

In 2008 he launched his own record label "Dig Deeper", initially as a means of showcasing his own productions, but more recently featuring many new and established artists. In 2011 he released the first compilation on this imprint, entitled "Phase One".

Up until the late 1990s, DJs such as Howells allowed themselves to be categorised under genres like "deep trance".{{Cite book|title=The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music |last = du Noyer |first = Paul |date=1 October 2003 |publisher =Billboard Books |isbn=0-8230-7869-8 |location=New York City |page=318}} However, with the commercialisation of trance, Howells and others began to be classified as progressive house, tribal house, or tech house.

Howells is also known for his unique clothing styles, including wearing eye liner and "loud" Paisley shirts, which he buys from vintage stores or thrift shops.{{Cite web |url=http://www.clubbing-uk.com/danny_howells_interview.htm |title=Danny Howells Interview |accessdate=29 July 2007 |work=Clubbing UK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928062528/http://www.clubbing-uk.com/danny_howells_interview.htm |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}

;Albums{{Cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p311451|pure_url=yes}} |title = Danny Howells > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums |work=Allmusic |accessdate=26 July 2007 }}

• 1998: Nightlife Report 1: Mick Boskamp Presents Danny Howells (ID&T)
• 1999: Nocturnal Frequencies (Obsessive)
• 1999: Danny Howells Presents Jackpot Records (Jackpot)
• 2000: Nocturnal Frequencies 2 (Obsessive)
• 2000: Nubreed 002 (Boxed)
• 2001: Renaissance: Revelation (Renaissance)
• 2001: Nocturnal Frequencies 3 (Obsessive)
• 2003: 24:7 (Boxed) (Billboard Top Electronic Albums #10)
• 2005: Global Underground 027: Miami (Global Underground Ltd.) (Billboard Top Electronic Albums #14)
• 2006: Choice - A Collection of Classics (Azuli Records)
• 2008: Renaissance: The Mix Collection (Renaissance)
• 2009: Dig Deeper: The New Label
• 2013: Balance 024(EQ Recordings)

;Remixes

• Felix da Housecat - ("We All Wanna Be Prince") (2009)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.dannyhowells.com/ Danny Howells Official Website]
• {{Discogs artist}}
• {{MusicBrainz artist|id=83c616dd-9588-4663-83c4-13a7253b6733|name=Danny Howells}}
• [http://www.troonik.com/r/3/177/danny-howells.aspx Danny Howells Tracklisting archive]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071123102358/http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=35663697 Danny Howells's Myspace page]

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Category:English electronic musicians

Category:English house musicians

Category:English DJs

Category:British club DJs

Category:British remixers

Category:Living people

Category:1970 births

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:Progressive house musicians