Dexter Jones

Chris Agnelli joins me for a fascinating deep dive into the story of Agnelli & Nelson, the creation of El Niño and Everyday (amongst others), the golden era of trance, and the wild reality of dance music during the 1990s and 2000s.

From growing up in Northern Ireland during the rave explosion to creating one of the most iconic trance records ever made, Chris shares the untold stories behind Agnelli & Nelson's rise, the birth of El Niño, signing to the legendary Extravaganza label, and the moment everything changed forever.

We discuss how El Niño was created, how the original file was lost and had to be rebuilt from scratch, the incredible story of the Spanish student who unknowingly became the voice of a trance anthem, and what it was like receiving support from Pete Tong, Judge Jules and Radio 1 at the height of trance culture.

Chris also reflects on Ibiza, Gatecrasher, Privilege, Eden, early DJ technology, vinyl culture, and how clubbing has evolved over the last three decades.

If you were there during the golden era of trance, Gatecrasher, Godskitchen, Cream, Radio 1 and Ibiza, this episode is packed with nostalgia, insider stories and moments you won't hear anywhere else.

In this episode:

▪️ The untold story behind El Niño
▪️ How Agnelli & Nelson exploded worldwide
▪️ Pete Tong, Judge Jules & Radio 1 support
▪️ The file corruption that nearly killed a trance classic
▪️ The Spanish student behind the famous vocal
▪️ Ibiza & the golden era of trance
▪️ Vinyl, CDJs & the evolution of DJ culture
▪️ Life inside the dance music industry

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
01:12 Ibiza, Es Paradis & The Golden Era
04:45 Why Chris Agnelli Hated Playing Privilege
08:32 The Wild Alex P Ibiza Story
11:40 Life Before Mobile Phones & Social Media
15:48 Growing Up In Northern Ireland's Rave Scene
20:35 Discovering Electronic Music & Early Production
24:58 Meeting Robbie Nelson
28:15 Creating El Niño
33:22 "The File Corrupted"
36:45 Rebuilding El Niño From Scratch
39:50 The Spanish Student Behind The Vocal
44:18 Signing To Extravaganza Records
47:05 Pete Tong, Judge Jules & Radio 1 Support
50:10 Shooting The El Niño Video In Cuba
53:05 The Rise Of Agnelli & Nelson
55:15 Part Two Preview

Mark Sherry joins me for a fascinating deep dive into the untold story behind Public Domain, Operation Blade, tech-trance, rave culture, and the realities of surviving decades in dance music.

From the explosive success of Operation Blade, chart success, and touring the world, to the harsh realities of the music industry and learning lessons the hard way, Mark opens up like never before.

We discuss how a scene-defining rave anthem was born after watching the film Blade, how Judge Jules championed the record on Radio 1, the rise of Public Domain, and what really happened behind the scenes.

Mark also reflects on his journey through club culture and how dance music has changed forever.

If you were there during the golden era of clubbing, trance, hard house, and rave culture, this episode is packed with nostalgia, insider stories, and moments you won’t hear anywhere else.

In this episode:

▪️ The true story behind Operation Blade
▪️ How Public Domain exploded worldwide
▪️ Judge Jules & Radio 1 support
▪️ Touring the world & chart success
▪️ Learning the hard way in the music industry
▪️ Ibiza, club culture & dance music evolution
▪️ The reality of surviving decades as a DJ & producer

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Chapters:

00:00 Intro
02:08 The Untold Story Behind Operation Blade
08:14 How Mark Sherry & Public Domain Exploded
13:22 Judge Jules, Radio 1 & UK Chart Success
18:47 Touring The World & Top of the Pops
24:10 “We Learned The Hard Way” – Music Industry Lessons
30:56 The Truth About Dance Music Contracts
36:18 Public Domain, Fame & Getting Ripped Off
42:35 The Evolution of Trance, Hard House & Rave Culture
49:12 Ibiza, Space & How Clubbing Changed Forever
55:26 Surviving Decades In Dance Music
1:01:18 Mark Sherry’s Advice For DJs & Producers
1:05:11 One More Tune

🎧 Nick Rafferty: The Night Clubbing Changed Forever | Godskitchen, 90s Clubbing & The Golden Era

Nick Rafferty joins Dexter Jones for a deep dive into the madness, energy and reality of 90s clubbing culture.

From Godskitchen, Sundissential, Cream tours and Space Ibiza to Tony De Vit, vinyl culture, hard house, trance and the golden era of UK nightlife, Nick shares what life was really like during one of the most iconic periods in dance music history.

We discuss:

⚡ The night clubbing changed forever
⚡ Why Millennium changed nightlife
⚡ Godskitchen, Sundissential & Birmingham club culture
⚡ Tony De Vit and the harder sound revolution
⚡ Playing 3 gigs in one night across the UK
⚡ Life as a DJ before phones & social media
⚡ Vinyl culture and exclusive records
⚡ The reality behind the DJ lifestyle
⚡ Severe anxiety, burnout & beta blockers
⚡ How clubbing culture changed forever

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
01:00 What Changed Clubbing Forever?
02:15 The Smoking Ban & The End Of An Era
04:20 Why Millennium Changed Clubbing
07:10 “Promoters & DJs Took The Piss”
09:20 Playing 3 Gigs In One Night
11:40 The Dawn Of Digital Music
14:10 Pete Tong, Essential Tunes & Vinyl Culture
17:00 “Nobody Else Had This Record”
19:30 DJs Were Clubbers Back Then
22:00 Godskitchen, Cream & Touring The UK
25:00 Severe Anxiety, Beta Blockers & Burnout
29:00 The Dark Side Of DJ Life
32:30 Hard House, Trance & The Scene Today
35:00 Tony De Vit, Passion & Legendary Last Tracks
37:20 Final Thoughts

Whether you were raving at Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Cream, Passion, Sundissential, Bowlers, Ministry of Sound or Space Ibiza, this episode will bring back memories.

👇 Do you agree with Nick? When did clubbing change forever in your opinion?

Nick Rafferty joins Dexter Jones for a deep dive into the madness, energy and reality of 90s club culture.

From Sundissential, Godskitchen and Cream… to three gigs a night, vinyl culture, Tony De Vit, severe anxiety, beta blockers and the rise and fall of the golden era of clubbing.

Nick opens up about what life was really like behind the packed dancefloors and iconic nights that shaped a generation.

Topics include:

• Sundays Central & Birmingham club culture
• Godskitchen at The Sanctuary
• Tony De Vit & the harder sound revolution
• Space Ibiza & Cream tours
• Playing multiple gigs a night across the UK
• The reality of “the chemical generation”
• Severe anxiety & burnout behind the scenes
• Vinyl culture & exclusive record

“You’d turn up at the club like a Cheshire cat with a bag full of records thinking… nobody else has got this little beauty.”

A raw, funny, nostalgic and honest conversation with one of the true figures from the golden era of UK clubbing.

Chapters:

 

00:00 Introduction to Nick Rafferty
01:07 Podcast Introduction & How Nick Rafferty Got Into Dance Music
04:52 Early Clubbing Days, DJ Culture & Rare Vinyl Records
09:57 Collecting Music, Digging For Tracks & DJ Identity
14:58 Learning To DJ, Vinyl Mixing & Early Influences
19:36 Clubland Culture, Hard House & Packed Dancefloors
23:39 The Explosion Of UK Clubbing In The 90s
28:17 Sundissential, Promoting & Building A Club Brand
32:45 Birmingham Club Scene, Energy & Crowd Atmosphere
37:49 The Evolution Of DJs, Fame & Modern Club Culture
42:25 Legendary Nights, Residencies & Touring Stories

This week I sit down with Utah Saints, true pioneers of UK electronic music, to break down one of the most important topics in dance music history… sampling.

From making tracks in their bedrooms on Atari computers and Akai samplers, to landing on Top of the Pops six times, Utah Saints share the real story behind how sampling changed music forever.

We go deep into the early 90s rave scene, white labels, Leeds club culture, and the moment electronic music broke into the mainstream. They also open up about the pressure from the industry, the controversy around sampling, and why today’s music landscape feels completely different.

If you’re into dance music, DJ culture, music production, or the history of rave, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.ž

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
01:45 Utah Saints on Top of the Pops (6 Times)
04:30 How Utah Saints Met (1991)
08:00 Early DJ Days & Winning the DMC
12:00 Leeds Club Scene Before the Rave Explosion
16:30 First Tracks & Breakthrough Moment
21:30 From Bedroom Music to Chart Success
26:30 The Truth About Sampling
32:30 Utah Saints Classical Event (Leeds)
34:00 How the Orchestra Works
39:00 Leeds Millennium Square Event
42:30 Authenticity in Modern Dance Music
48:00 Breaking Through in Today’s Music Industry
56:20 Let’s Do a Part 2

🎯 THINGS WE TALK ABOUT

How Utah Saints got started in 1991
Winning the DMC and early DJ culture
Making music on Atari and Akai samplers
The rise of sampling in dance music
The truth about Top of the Pops
Pressure to “fake” performances on TV
White labels and underground club culture
Leeds rave scene and early electronic music
How tracks were made in bedrooms
Why sampling was misunderstood
The difference between music then vs now
Why modern artists struggle to break through
Authenticity in today’s music industry
The return of smaller club nights and real crowds

🚀 ABOUT UTAH SAINTS

Utah Saints are one of the UK’s most influential electronic acts, known for blending sampling, house, and rave culture into mainstream success. With multiple Top of the Pops appearances and iconic releases, they helped shape the sound of 90s dance music.

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