Will Bailey is a leader of the nu skool. One of a growing breed of new, young producers taking strides in the electro-house revolution, making waives in the industry as he goes. A string of hot remixes & releases have brought him to the attention of some of the industries biggest names, with his productions now being played in clubs, festivals & parties across the globe. So what of the man? Who is this young Brummie who’s turning heads, making people sit up & take note of his work? From an early age it was clear that Will was destined for a future in the music industry. With his father working as a session keyboard player in massive rock bands during the 80’s such as Magnum & Whitesnake, Will was exposed to the lifestyle & instruments from day one, and it wasn’t before long until he was learning both the guitar & drums himself. Throughout his school years, Will’s thirst for music grew. By this stage, he was able to play many instruments and inevitably he was part of various bands & music groups. The influences of both his father & brother were joined by those of the stars of the times such as Prince, Michael Jackson and David Bowie, then later The Prodigy, The Orb & Orbital. However, it was whilst at Uni in Bristol during the late 90’s that Will was drawn to a different route. It was here that his Saturday nights were spent listening to Danny Rampling’s legendary ‘Love Groove Dance Party’ shows on Radio 1, and before long, like many others, Will’s love for house music had begun. He couldn’t get enough of it and started going to parties whenever he could; watching & listening to US house jocks such as Brian Tappert, Louie Vega & Kenny Dope, Mousse T and David Morales… … but listening and partying just weren’t enough; Will wanted to be a part of it himself. He wanted to be doing what those guys were doing. He wanted to be the one controlling the crowds, and making people dance the way they were. Will wanted to be a DJ! So, he saved. He saved until he had enough to buy his own set of decks and once he had them… he practiced. DJ’ing came to Will like boxing came to Ali; He was a natural, and it wasn’t long before he was displaying those skills at local nights throughout the city. But with new heroes such as Eric Morillo & Yousef showing that there was more to DJ’ing than just stringing 2 records together, Will’s determination to push on became even greater. Soon enough, people were talking and he was getting regular gigs at respected nights including Wildstyle, Slinky, Funktion & the massive Bristol Bank Holiday events at Liquid. In 2002, Will got his first taste of promotion as he, together with friends, started up what is now Bristol’s longest running and well known boat party ‘The Funk Boat’. The parties have reached almost legendary status in the South West, and have since formed the basis for the creation of what are currently 2 of the city’s biggest nights, ‘Prominence’ & ‘Electroquisite’. Soon Will was regularly playing at some of the countries leading nights & venues including Miss Moneypenny’s, Promise, Godskitchen, L’america, Creation, Liquid, Spin, and Fuel. He also gained a residency at the huge Bristol based night ‘Kandybox’, which saw him spinning both locally and on European tours alongside many of his peers including Yousef, Seb Fontaine, Tom Neville, Lottie and even the man who influenced him most, Danny Rampling. Inevitably, Will soon looked to further his career by moving into production, another talent that seemed to come naturally to him. In 2005, Will released his first solo production titled ‘Rootin’. The track represented a huge step forward for Will, and his talent was instantly recognised by the likes of Rock Solid Productions. Will’s second release titled ‘That Piano Track’ coincided with his relocation back to the Midlands. Regular appearances by Will on the Birmingham circuit gave him the opportunity to champion his own tracks, a factor noticed by Miss Moneypenny’s who not only embraced his ability behindthe decks by making him a regular guest at HQ, but also signed ‘That Piano Track’ for release on their own label. After a short break at the end of 2005, Will came back more focused & determined than ever. The new electro based house that had taken over the scene seemed to be the sound he had been waiting for; This served as the catalyst for Will’s career and 2006 has proved to be his most successful year yet. Unofficial remixes of huge tracks including ‘MTV - Bleeep!’ have received huge attention. His own productions too have received rave reviews, with requests & plays from some of the biggest in the business, all of whom are keen to support Will’s work; Tracks such as ‘And Again’, ‘One’, ‘Freak’, ‘Shaker’ and ‘Go Sick’, all have found their way to the record boxes & CD wallets of the industries biggest players. DJ’ing wise, Will’s profile continues to grow. His residencies at Prominence, Electroquisite & Kandybox have this year seen him line up alongside Timo Maas, Eric Prydz, Mylo, Mark Knight, Ian Carey, Paul Jackson, Chris Lake, Micky Slim, Tocadisco, Funkagenda, Dave Spoon and many more… and that’s just in Bristol! Nationally he’s guested at some of the best venues, for the best events in the land, leaving his mark wherever he has gone…| |
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