DMCWORLD checks in with one of the fast-rising stars of the UK House scene. Ben Rainey is the Hull-based DJ / Producer who has just released his new single ‘Be Your Girl’ via EMI / Positiva. As well as being a self-taught DJ and producer, Ben acts as an ambassador for the men’s mental health charity, Andy’s Man Club – an organisation he got involved with after losing his best friend. He is also the official DJ for Hull City football club, and plays pitch-side before matches!
DMC dives in deep…
When did you start DJing and when did you start making music?
The first time I was introduced to DJing was when I just turned 18 I went to a house night in Hull called Deja Vu, the main room was underground house but the back room was classics & 90s, I remember walking into there and hearing Graham Park drop ‘Space Cowboy (David Morales Remix)’ and just standing in absolute admiration watching a master at work, That was pretty much the light bulb moment when I realised this was something I wanted a slice of!
It was then a really impulsive decision that christmas when my mum asked me what I wanted and I ended up digging a little deeper into the Argos catalogue and found some cheap enough decks by Numark called the Mixtrack Pro, after a few hours reading up and watching Youtube videos I had them setup in the house and was firing away, clanging mixes out of my bedroom!
The producing came about 3 years later after DJing became a regular thing and realising the natural progression would be making my own music, I think I quickly realised that although there was some phenomenal resident DJs I had met, There was a trend of DJs that produced and had there music on the radio, streaming & Beatport getting bookings and really taking off so I think that’s what initially motivated me..
After around 6 months of hyper focusing on YouTube, spending thousands on tutorials, masterclasses, templates & sample packs I had the bug and went from headphones in my bedroom to building my own studio space and the rest is history!
What inspired you to get into music?
My parents are absolute legends when it comes to musical knowledge, I bet if they went on a TV quiz shop based on music they’d boss it!
Neither of them are musicians or DJs but they have always been into gigs, festivals and have one of the most impressive vinyl collections I’ve ever seen – although I’m not allowed to touch it!
I was brough up listening to 90s House, Funky House, Soul, Disco, Funk, Motown & Northern Soul so that’s always played a huge influence on my sound and taste.
My uncle is also an amazing singer & had success back in the 90s in a band called Housequake touring the UK, and also some of the world. He’s played a huge part in my evolution & always given me great advice.
One of the best things about my dad is he will show me tracks, and then I’ll go find a good remix. He introduced me to Gregory Porter’s track Liquid Spirit, and then before I could go find a remix he showed me the timeless Claptone remix and it was straight in my sets!
What’s your greatest DJing memory?
One of the most iconic moments for me was warming up for Roger Sanchez & Claptone at Zero Gravity, Dubai, The sun was just setting I was playing a mixture of disco edits, funky house & piano classics and every song just seems to magnetise people to the dancefloor, I remember looking up at the Dubai Skyline and people smiling infront of me and just thinking to myself, this is exactly what I want to be doing for a long long time. Then to come off and watch in admiration as Roger just absolutely schooled it on 4 decks was a real education and inspiring moment. A close second would definitely be playing on the mountains up in the French Alps for a crowd of raving ski & snowboarding lunatics! Not that I remember getting back down from there.
What is the story and inspiration behind ‘Be Your Girl’?
The idea of Be Your Girl came after playing a gig in Liverpool last winter alongside some phenomenal DJs & Producers, One of them being Bissett who is 1/2 of Belters Only and a good friend of mine, We played in a converted church and the vibe was massive vocals, feel good pianos and classic house melodies and the energy was crazy, It sent me in a spiral on the hungover drive home the next day to find some old school samples and tracks and I stumbled across the classic remix of Be Your Girl from Kaytranada and instantly felt something magic about the idea, I rushed to the studio and got to work with the original acapella, I think you know when you’re onto something and just go into hyper focus on the idea! Or at least I do haha!
Get the single here: https://EMIRecords.lnk.to/BYGOutNowIB
Who are your musical inspirations generally?
I grew up listening to so many genres and artists but for my own sound the main inspiration without doubt is MK, a phenomenal producer who makes timeless house music, they are always so credible yet so commercially viable, he has a sound that works universally and is by far the dream collaboration and artist I want to be around!
You’re involved with a mental health charity called Andy’s Man Club. Tell us a bit more about that.I first got involved with this amazing charity after tragically losing my best friend 4 years ago, It came completely out of the blue and rocked the whole city and took me into a dark place, I had heard about Andys Man Club being a place for men suffering with mental health and decided to give it a go to help my own situation,
From the day I went down there a broken man to today, Andys Man Club is one of the most powerful charities I’ve been a part of, I’ve now become part of the team as a facilitator and ambassador for the charity, have raised thousands of pounds through my own music & DJ sets and will continue to do so in the future,
My goal with being part of this charity is to help encourage the younger audience. I have to talk more, seek help and stop anyone going through what my friend, myself & all of our family & friends went through, that is my driving force.
You’re the official DJ for Hull City FC! What’s the greatest memory of that journey so far?
I was in talks with the club for a while about doing something with them before it actually happened, I saw a DJ from Italy around a year ago recording a set in a football stadium empty and it inspired me to reach out and ask if we could do something, luckily I already knew the marketing guys at the football club and we went back and forth for a while before we planned for me to DJ before a game pitch side, logistically it was a lot harder than most people will ever see but we managed to get it sorted and the first game I did was of the biggest attendances they had and we won which helped massively, it went down a treat and was the perfect pre match vibe!
Unfortunately it was very close to the end of the season so it’s something exciting to build on for the next season!
What are your hopes for the future beyond the release of ‘Be Your Girl’?
I’m excited to see how far we can take this record firstly, It’s my first time working with a major label on my own releases and building a long term campaign so I’m just looking forward to seeing the journey of this first record, I know how long tracks can take to break and we’ve already planned for the long term and not just a one off.
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