DJ Ricky Stone
DJing and producing is all about talent and personality and Ricky Stone has bags of both. His ability to connect with clubbers and bring dancefloors alive is truly outstanding. Originally from the ‘Steel City’ of Sheffield, Ricky rocked clubs and raves across the UK before continuing his rise in the east. Moving to Asia in 2002, he set up base in the pulsating city of Hong Kong and swiftly forged a bright future as one of the region’s most sought-after DJs. So when Sasha toured China for the first time in 2004, Ricky was the one chosen to accompany him, performing at every single show on his Involver tour. Fast forward a few months and DJ Magazine were documenting the scale of Ricky’s rise, as he became the very first Hong Kong/China-based artist to break into their prestigious Top 100 DJs Poll. Voted #48 in the world by masses of loyal supporters in 2005, he proceeded to climb eight places to #40 in 2006 – and is currently on a roll as the poll’s highest ranked DJ based in Asia!
Creative and technical talent, a warm heart, and an undying dedication to dance music (not to mention years of hard work!) obviously go a long way to explaining Ricky’s ascent. As a passionate, party-hungry teenager, he felt the allure of acid house music soon after leaving school and instinctively took to the decks. He started DJing whenever and wherever he could, from local pirate radio stations to underground blues bars. Fully immersed in and inspired by UK club culture throughout the sensational 90s (especially at Shelley’s in Stoke-on-Trent), he went on to play at Fantazia, Eclipse, Ministry of Sound, and The Cross, as well as at clubs across Europe. Looking to take a break from touring in 2001, he accepted an offer of a four-week residency at Hong Kongs C Club. It was a life-changing move. With his dynamic, upfront sound seeming to find echoes in the progressive effervescence of the environment, what was to be a month-long trip to Asia ultimately lasted a whole lot longer.
Weaving deep ‘n’ dramatic tales of electronic intrigue, from the studio to the dancefloor, Ricky has produced tracks under several aliases over the years. Working together with studio partner Derek Kaye, as Kayestone, they signed original productions like Atmospheres to Whoop! and Distinctive Records, and remixed an exciting range of artists, including Hybrid, Blue Amazon, and Sueño Latino. Their remix of David Forbes’ 2001 crossover smash Questions (Must Be Asked) generated some serious exposure, and was snapped up by such best-selling compilations as Gatecrashers Discotech Generation and Paul van Dyks The Politics of Dancing, as well as receiving support from Pete Tong on Radio 1. Other production outings have since involved Ricky joining forces with fellow Hong Kong-based expat Dan F, as Sinosine, to release the widely acclaimed Two Systems/One Country on Mob Records in 2004. Relentlessly honing his production skills throughout 2005, while continuing to wow crowds on a global scale as a DJ, his output gained even more momentum in 2006. He made a return to the radio, this time in association with DJmag, to mix and present his Sounds from the Orient show, which is currently broadcast fortnightly in over 75 countries. He also toured North and South America, Australia, and Europe extensively, including regular appearances in Romania, where he has developed an incredible following, and a debut at Berlin’s almighty Love Parade on the Pulse Radio & Om Records’ float as it bobbed through a sea of 1.2 million attendees. Meanwhile, back to the studio sessions and Ricky’s collaborations with uber-producer Dylan Rhymes led him to unleash the sublime Shanghai Taxi to much acclaim on Red Recordings. And whilst the Deepgroove remix of this driving club hit was signed to several cool compilations, the new remixes are sure to pick up extra props with a re-release in 2007.
Heads up to what else is on the horizon now, because Ricky has three more dancefloor bombs in the bag, including Yeah with Jamie McHugh, Housemachine.Needlequeen with Kid Lopez, and an explosive workout with Mark Wilkinson. He’s also all set to establish his own record label, 852 Recordings, as we speed into 2007 (852 being the phone code for Hong Kong). So secure your seatbelts and brace yourselves for a brand new wave of deep, ballistic beats and gargantuan grooves. Cementing his reputation as a superb international ambassador for electronic dance music, Ricky is on a one-way mission to share his gritty, future-tronic sounds with people all over the world!
