DJ Zen is a musical selector and mixmaster from the South West of the UK. Specialising in jungle, dancehall and ragga, other flavours on the side include funk and 90s club anthems. Acclaimed for his instincts as a curator, and enthusiasm for sonic diversity, he is a DJ well known for creating a vibe and picking the right sounds for the moment.
DJ Zen had an early start in DJing, taking to the decks in the mid 90s before he had reached his teens, playing nights at a club managed by his father. After the venue's closure he would go on to play a couple of nights at the local youth club, before a lack of places for a young kid to play put the DJ dream on hold for many years.
During this time he was constantly active in other areas of music, with the early 2000s spent writing and producing songs in various bands. The late part of the decade saw him interviewing a range of legendary artists and groups, as well as reviewing gigs, festivals and albums for some of the UK's best known music websites. Around the same time, he found himself returning to DJ work, this time hosting shows on local radio. Becoming increasingly influential in the independent music scene, he launched the record label RW/FF Recordings, working with a million-selling Brit Award nominee and releasing critically acclaimed albums that gained airplay on BBC Radio as well as rave reviews in national music magazines.
By 2017, DJ Zen had relocated to the creative hive of Frome in Somerset and soon began playing at a regular open deck event, 20 years after last DJing in clubs. Becoming well known for his eclectic selections, more events gradually led to bagging support slots with some of the biggest DJs on the scene. In 2020, livestreams and online mixes became his temporary vehicle for entertaining audiences, while the covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of clubs and venues in the UK. This time also allowed a new sense of focus, as he developed his passion for mixing dancehall reggae and jungle, while advancing in his creative approach and technical skills. In early 2022, DJ Zen joined the South West-based collective Bassbeatz and began a breakthrough year, returning to the stage with a string of well received performances. In the summer he launched a successful dancehall and jungle club night, with the debut Big Up! proving to be one of Frome's most memorable nights of the year. While specialising mainly in reggae and junglist sounds, he stayed true to his roots by serving up sets of 90s anthems and club classics on the side, as well as exploring his long love of classic funk, hip hop and disco, cementing his reputation for diversity.
The success continued as 2023 saw a growing number of performances to add to a list that in recent years has included support slots and aftershow parties for the likes of DJ Hybrid, General Levy, JFB and Plump DJs. 2024 promises to be another big year with more exciting shows lined up, as well as a new series of remixes and DJ Zen bootleg releases... See you on the dancefloor :)
