Varosha D is the producer name of Drum&Bass/Dubstep artist Lee Hall based in Milton Keynes, UK
Late 80’s and early 90’s
Lee is also known as Ghetto Fighterz for his DJing exploits which started of in the early 90’s first playing Techno after hearing DJ’s like Carl Cox, Dave Angel play tracks like “Energy Flash” by Joey Beltram.
The urge to start mixing came when one day as a friend introduced him to a pair of Turntables and some very early Hardcore and Jungle music.
Being part of the Rave culture in the UK during the early 90’s Lee was blown away by the intricate beat arrangement of Jungle compared to the sound of Techno and Hardcore with its long rifts and continuous beat.
Change was inevitable, and Lee first brought a pair of Belt Drive Turntables which he to this day states “It was sometimes like skating on ice, but they taught be how to beat match”
Over the next few years allot of changes to the scene happened and with that came Drum & Bass.
Around 1994 – 1995 Lee was more than ever interested in how you go from being a Bedroom DJ to a Club DJ and became more fix to watching big names like DJ Hype, DJ Randall, and Mickey Finn. And actually watch them mix instead of being part of the crowd dancing.
The moving point came when an opportunity came where he could purchase some Technics SL 1210 Turntables which were the standard deck being used in the clubs by the professionals.
The move from Bedroom DJ to Club DJ was soon going to happen.
Mid 90’s to 2000
During this period Lee was getting more and more DJ work in local clubs in the Milton Keynes area and surrounding areas like Northampton, Bedford, and Cambridge and Oxford.
By this time Drum & Bass had morphed in various styles like, Dark, Jump up, Intelligent, Ragga and many more.
Lee tend to play tracks that would keep the dance floor moving and demand for the record to be pulled up (rewind), record buying was also vast, Three shop locations in London, one in Milton Keynes, one in Bedford and one in Northampton and all visited in one month or at a push one week would most certainly secure Lee pre release Promo or Test press copies.
About 1998 Lee was introduced to Cool Hand Flex; Flex would later be a major influence in Lee starting to produce. Lee’s says “Flex is a top Producer and friend, I learnt allot from him after all it was him that gave me my first Music Production software, so he kick started it all I guess”
Early 2000
Djing became a weekly chore during early 2000. Lee Had managed to secure resident slots at four major Student Unions based in the Surrey and South West London areas all with a minimum of 500 people capacity in each club.
Late 2000 Propellerheads released Reason, Lee remembers “ Flex had sent me a CD with some music bits on it which I had totally forgot about, He then rang me one day and said if I had installed Reason yet? I said no and that I would do it whilst he was on the phone. When it loaded up for the first time he said to push the TAB button….. The rest is history”
Lee now wanted to take producing just as serious as he did with his DJing so the Reason software was a great starting point.
Over the next five years Lee was learning how to make music and still DJing local to the Milton Keynes area but was leaning more towards Music Production than getting out late in clubs securing DJ slots.
2006 – 2008
Event production was something Lee never really thought of until one day an opportunity came his way which involved a club that he work at.
In 2004 Lee had started Alpha Project, a Drum & Bass night at the Point night Club in Milton Keynes.
The first night see the Legend DJ Randall play along side the best local talent Lee could find. The night went well, but shortly after the second event the venue closed down.
About 2006 – 2007 The Alpha Project name was used again this time with close help and new partners Mark Casey and David Sadler.
The venue was an old pub based in Milton Keynes called the Beacon.
Lee explains “Some how we managed to turn a small pub in the middle of nowhere into a 450 capacity club in one afternoon. And then pack it out that evening”
During this time Lee was creating an idea for two Record Labels which he planned to start early 2008.
Early 2008 was the start of Duster Recordings, a small digital download label mainly producing Dubstep and Drum & Bass by artists worldwide and UK based.
2010 to Present
At present Lee is working on a new website dedicated to the Duster Label and also still producing Drum & Bass and now Dubstep.
Lee mentioned his plans for the years to come “I plan on getting more produced done, also now that I have a nice Apple Mac I must start to learn Logic Pro. 2010 will be a learning year for me. I also hope to get out to DJ a few places this year”
Lee would like to mention the following people. James Gadsby, Mark Casey, Dave aka DJ Ricochet, DJ Hallmarc, Warren aka Delicate Beats, Cool Hand Flex, DJ Randall, everyone involved in Alpha Project, Flapjack & Pam, Iain aka DJ Fiddler, The Former Point Management, The Beacon management, Baron Simms and all the Milton Keynes Doorman, Markkesh and Trippa, Infraction crew, Fenz and the SNO Bar, Mc Juiceman & Kaotic, Matt Keen, Matt Merik, Rob aka Indigo Sync, Bones, SIAD Student Union, Bone idle crew, Cooptrol, Zoundcolector, Boonk, Burguez, Kontra, DJ Steppo and everyone at Dubstep FM, Black Market Records, Garon T and Dirty Needle Records, N.U.M.B and Mc Wyzeleigh, DJ Alibi, all the guys that DJ'd in the past and packed it in for family life. all my family and my partner Nina for putting up with my long hours in the studio.
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