BBC presenter Ros Atkins reveals former life as a drum ‘n’ bass DJ

BBC News reporter, Ros Atkins has shared tales of his life as a drum 'n' bass DJ.

Appearing on BBC Radio 6’s Music's Desert Island Disco All-Dayer, Atkins revealed that he partied at clubs from Brixton to Johannesburg.

Atkins even set up a club night at the Brixtonian Havana Club as well as performed at Womad festival and the Oppikoppi Music Festival in South Africa.

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The reporter has tweeted a collection of images and insights into his previous life as a raver. He writes: “Back in the 90s, along with lots of teenagers in Cornwall, I started going to raves & listening to hardcore and drum & bass.” He then continues to explain his journey as a DJ.

The Tweet ends with Atkins explaining the inspiration for his BBC 6 mix by saying: “The mix I've done is inspired by some brilliant pre-COVID nights spent at Electric Brixton where D&B heavyweights LTJ Bukem, DJ Storm, Roni Size & Dilinja expertly mixed styles and eras. Those nights felt as visceral and uplifting as anything in the 90s.”

In an interview with i Atkins said: “This is an unexpected and exciting development for me. I caught the rave bug growing up in Cornwall in the early 90s. When I was at University I thought ‘maybe I could play this music myself as a DJ?’

“I had some brilliant nights playing at a backstreet club in Brixton where the DJ booth was high up in the ceiling. But I haven’t DJ’d for 16 years so when 6 Music asked I said ‘yes, please.’

“I would go to the Brixton Electric. I loved dancing to legends like DJ Storm, Dillinja and LTJ Bukem.

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“It’s the mix of jazz and reggae influences in the music that really attracted me. I could fill a seven-minute Outside Source film analysing all the drum and bass sub-genres.”

Ros Atkins’ 6 Music Desert Island Disco drum and bass mix:

DJ Hype & Ganja Max (Feat MC Fats & DJ Daddy) – Rinse Out

Dred Bass Dead Bass (Origin Unknown remix)

Shimon and Andy C – Night Flight (original)

Cold fresh Air – Higher Sense (Cyantific remix)

LTJ Bukem – Atlantis – (DJ Marky remix)

D.Kay and DJ Lee – Wax’d VIP (D Kay remix)

Calibre – Mr Maverick

Koffee – Toast (Clipz bootleg)

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter