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Throughout my life, I've been determined to stand out – possibly because I'm a twin. At the moment of delivery, the cord connecting him entwined itself around my airway, blocking my breathing. This left me deaf, but he retained full hearing. That's sibling rivalry for you.

Hearing aids are part of my life, along with being proficient in lip-reading, not to mention my command of BSL. If I remove my aids for bed, even a gunshot beside me without me waking up. However, when I wear them, I can perceive sounds quite clearly.

Childhood in Hackney

I grew up in Hackney, east London, and I was always intrigued by rave culture ever since I spied my older cousins coming home from illegal parties in the early hours. On New Year’s Eve in 1993, I experienced my first party. The moment I stepped inside, flashing lights and fog enveloped me, the throbbing beats, the bodies moving joyfully as one.

It captured me completely. My weekends were filled with dancing like a ragamuffin inside aircraft hangars, basements and disused factories all over the country. I began DJ lessons, spending the wages I earned from working in a warehouse on UK garage and reggae records.

Scarcity of Hearing-Impaired Ravers

Although I raved regularly for a decade, I hardly ever encountered fellow deaf attendees in those clubs. I think I met a grand total of two.

I attempted to persuade pals within the deaf community to come out with me. Their reply was, "It's not our scene". "We don't belong there." I empathized: I had previously been rejected by security staff for being deaf. Still, I desired for them to experience the excitement I felt. I also knew they’d appreciate nightlife and social opportunities among the deaf community were thin on the ground.

Launching the Premier Deaf Party

So I decided to set up the globe's premier party organized by and for the hearing-impaired.

Our team advised on a pulsating dancefloor at a nightclub and worked with a company creating wearable devices that vibrate with the beat.

Locating a suitable place was challenging. Event managers didn't grasp the idea. A few believed it was a prank. There were concerns about noise levels. Numerous hearing-impaired attendees experience music by feeling the bass thump through them, so we do play tracks with meaty basslines while boosting the sub-bass, without reaching volumes that would attract noise complaints from sound disturbances, or cause auditory injury.

The Premier Gathering

Finally, we received approval from the International Students House. Our event was planned for late May 2003. My relatives distributed posters widely, and all tickets were quickly purchased. The hearing-impaired community relies on visuals; we required ample visual stimulation, thus I enlisted deaf dancer friends to perform breakdancing.

I was emotional during the premiere. The experience overwhelmed me. Everyone was constantly hugging – without substance influence, but from genuine happiness within the hearing-impaired gathering. Ordinarily, deaf individuals are scarce; at Deaf Rave, everyone was part of the same tribe.

Legacy and Growth

It wasn't just the music that got mixed and matched that evening – it marked the beginning of a lasting impact of relationships forming at our events. Through the decades, partners have wed, welcomed children, and settled down away from the club scene. We miss them, yet it's a joyful departure.

Deaf Rave has grown in ways that boggle my mind. Our staff has grown – bringing in new members like MC Geezer, rapping while signing during his performances – and we’ve played major festivals, like Glastonbury and similar gatherings. We’ve consulted on a vibrating floor at Fabric nightclub, collaborating with a firm that makes haptic vests which pulsate with the music. We also travelled to Shanghai during an international deaf event. Partially of Chinese descent – and also Vietnamese, Guyanese, and British ancestry – and am known as DJ Chinaman, making it a deeply meaningful visit.

Awards and Ongoing Work

Recently, I received an honorary master of the arts at Falmouth University, then earlier this year, I was made an MBE. I was completely surprised. This has motivated me to continue advocating for deaf culture, heritage and society. We've started working with children – providing turntable training to deaf kids in schools, with a dedicated family festival soon in the capital. Whether we’re in the clubs, or in the classrooms, the deaf must be heard.