MissRay

Pop and bands. Beatles, Squeeze and UB40 were all firm favourites’ in our household. Even now when I go back to my parents, they have music playing through the house. My dad has a ginormous amp in the lounge and speakers wired in the ceilings! I started singing around 5 years old and I carried this on through school and formed a band with friends where we would regularly perform our favourite tracks each with our own harmonies. At college, I teamed up with a good friend and we would write and sing together. My dad used to record us on his 8-track studio at home. We wrote and recorded a garage track called Test the Theory for music producers we knew in a recording studio. I still have a copy of it at home. For many years I sang with my dad’s band ‘Between the Lines”; mainly pub gigs and a few charity ones. It was always good fun jamming with my dad! I learnt to play the flute from the age of 8 and played throughout my childhood and teenage years. I managed to get to grade 8, although I gave it up for years I took this up again a while back. I can read music even though I am a little rusty on the flute compared to what I used to be. I would love to do some flute house tracks or join a jazz band one day! I found house music in the year 2000 when I was 17 years old and started regularly hanging out at the London club nights such as Independence at Hanover Grand and Garage City at Bar Rumba, I spent most weekends over several years in The Cross, Kings Cross (Norman Jay on Friday was a favourite) The Cross was and still is the best club in my eyes. Other London hangouts included Defected at Ministry of Sound, where I would often be found in the baby box room as I was an avid Hed Kandi follower. I also frequented Fabric, Pacha, Cafe de Paris, Turnmills, Bagleys, The Key, The End, The Fridge and The Lighthouse in Farringdon. I went to the opening party at The Egg which was a real eye-opener for me on the clubbing scene and would often end up at the Egg club after nights out as this was always the late night spot! I would often be found in Ibiza during the summer months, I loved dancing on Bora Bora beach, everyone would cheer as the planes flew over. Dancing on stages and in the sand was a happy place. I loved Space, Ibiza when it was a 24-hour party, dancing during the day on the outside platform to Barbara Tucker- Beautiful People. It’s my first memory of that song. I looked around and saw how beautiful everyone felt. I really felt like I belonged. I now attend and have had the privilege to play at the Groove Odyssey events. I love the summer festivals my favourites being 51st State, Suncebeats -Croatia and Southport You can’t beat the feeling of day dancing in the sunshine. I fell in love with House music because of the euphoric feeling I got when the tune would drop, and the crowd went wild. The goosebumps I got off the vocals and the beautiful souls the music attracted. By the time you left, you would have more new friends then you could count on your fingers. I love it when DJ’s have the confidence to play something that you wouldn’t expect. A moment I will never forget was during one of the Egg parties in the early days – I was listening to a deep/ minimal house set with very limited vocal tracks – from out of nowhere the DJ played ‘Prince- When Doves Cry.’ The crowd went wild, and I felt amazed at how anyone could create that atmosphere. Even though it was over 10 years ago I will never forget it. From that moment in I knew I wanted to be able to create that feeling to other like-minded people. I started DJ-ing around the age of 19 when my friend bought vinyl turntables. We would play at house parties and play at home but after about 5 years she sold them and although I carried on following house music And knew I always wanted to pursue DJ-ing. In 2015: after quite a turbulent time in my life I started living my dream. A good DJ friend of mine knew I wanted to take up playing and he wanted me to be his prodigy. He gave me his pioneer 400s and my dad’s mate gave me an old pioneer mixer. I loaded myself up with tunes and off I went. I practiced for hours daily and often played at house parties, but my first break playing out out came playing for Louda in Colchester. I have also played for many other event including Groove Odyssey, House FM, House-a-Holic, Our House, 51st state festival, S.I.N alongside Seb Fontaine, Groove yard nights at ADE festival in Amsterdam, and at Ministry of Sound London several times, as well as many bars and clubs in London and Essex. My fiancé and I founded 'Are you thinking what I'm Funkin' and put on a few events in Essex in 2019 prior to lockdown in 2020. During lockdown I have appeared on several live shows via Facebook and Twitch, playing for House FM, Sunday Lunch sessions and Saturday Lunch sessions, House Nation Music and have appeared on guest radio shows for Lost Cassette and Groove Box Radio Chicago. I started really focusing on music production during the pandemic and lockdown and have worked on a few tracks with Marshall. Our first track we have produced together is Phone Call and we are currently working on a few others! Watch this space :)

https://soundcloud.com/marshall2017/marshall-uk-miss-ray-phone-call-clip-forthcoming-on-groovy-riddims-records

House music styles I play;

Soulful
Vocal
Funky
Afro
Latin
Disco
Jazz
Deep
Deep soulful

My radio show is on House fm www.hse.fm Thursday 12 noon - 2pm - Sun rays and Soul