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Throughout my life, I felt compelled to stand out – possibly because my brother and I are twins. At the moment of delivery, the cord connecting him entwined itself around my neck, blocking my air supply. As a result, I lost my hearing, but he retained full hearing. That’s one way to start a rivalry.

Hearing aids are part of my life, plus I'm skilled at reading lips, and I'm also fluent in BSL. When I take my aids out to sleep, you could fire a gun next to my ear and I'd remain asleep. However, when I wear them, I can perceive sounds quite clearly.

Childhood in Hackney

I grew up in Hackney, east London, with a deep fascination for dance parties after noticing my cousins arriving back from secret gatherings at six in the morning. On New Year’s Eve in 1993, I attended my inaugural rave. The second I walked through that door, I was hit by the lights and smoke, the powerful basslines, the bodies moving joyfully as one.

I became addicted. I'd dance energetically on weekends carefree and wild in airport hangars, underground spaces and vacant plants throughout the UK. I started learning to DJ, using my paycheck from my warehouse job on UK garage and reggae records.

The Lack of Deaf Representation

Although I raved regularly for a decade, it was unusual to meet fellow deaf attendees in those clubs. In total, I believe I saw just two.

I tried to convince friends from a hearing-impaired circle to experience raving. Their reply was, "It's not our scene". "We don't belong there." It made sense to me: I’d once been turned away by security staff due to my deafness. Still, I desired for them to experience the joy I encountered. I was aware they'd value a late night plus chances to bond with other deaf adults were scarce.

Creating the First Deaf Rave

So I decided to set up the world’s first rave with deaf individuals, for deaf attendees.

We provided input for a vibrating surface within a club and collaborated with a firm producing haptic vests that vibrate with the beat.

Finding a venue was a headache. Event managers didn't grasp the idea. Others considered it humorous. Others worried we’d DJ at dangerous volumes. Many deaf partygoers connect with music by feeling the bass thump through them, so we do play tracks with meaty basslines and enhance the low-frequency rhythms, but not to a level likely to incur regulatory action from sound disturbances, or harm hearing.

The Inaugural Event

Finally, we received approval from a central London location. The date was set for May bank holiday 2003. My relatives distributed posters widely, and all tickets were quickly purchased. The hearing-impaired community relies on visuals; there also needed to be plenty to see, so I brought in skilled deaf performers to perform breakdancing.

Tears flowed on that first evening. I felt deeply touched. Attendees embraced repeatedly – without substance influence, but owing to sheer delight within the hearing-impaired gathering. Ordinarily, deaf individuals are scarce; during our events, all belonged to one community.

Ongoing Influence

More than rhythms were blended that combined that night – it was the start of a long legacy with love stories emerging from our parties. Over the years, partners have wed, welcomed children, leaving the party lifestyle behind. They’re missed, but it’s the sweetest goodbye.

The movement has developed in directions that boggle my mind. I’ve expanded my crew – adding talents including MC Geezer, rapping while signing as he spits bars – and we’ve played major festivals, like Glastonbury and similar gatherings. We advised on a pulsating dancefloor within the Fabric venue, and partnered with a business producing tactile vests aligning with musical beats. Our journey took us to Shanghai to perform as part of a deaf cultural exchange. Partially of Chinese descent – plus Vietnamese, Guyanese and English – and I go by DJ Chinaman, so it was an especially poignant trip.

Recognition and Future Plans

Recently, I received an honorary arts degree from Falmouth University, followed by, I was made an MBE. It was an overwhelming surprise. It’s given me the boost to further promote hearing-impaired causes, traditions and groups. We've launched programs for kids – we teach DJing workshops to deaf kids in schools, and organizing a family-friendly event soon in the capital. Whether we’re in the clubs, or in the classrooms, the deaf must be heard.