How To DJ

In this episode, Chris Hawkins sits down with hard dance pioneer Rob Tissera to look back on more than 35 years behind the decks. Rob recalls arriving in Manchester at the height of the acid house explosion, practising in a tiny room in Chinatown and getting an early break DJing at the Haçienda before going on to become a fixture at some of the biggest clubs and raves of the era.

He also tells the story of the illegal warehouse rave that ended in a mass arrest, after Rob took to the microphone and urged the crowd to fight the police — ultimately leading to a three-month prison sentence.

Rob and Chris discuss his rise from pirate radio and the Blackburn rave scene to international DJing, his approach to selecting records, embracing new DJ technology and why, after more than three decades, he’s still chasing new music, making records and loving life behind the decks.

How to DJ is a Listening Dog Media production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Hawkins sits down with one of the UK's most influential musical curators, DJs and record collectors for a conversation that goes far beyond the dancefloor, Andy Votel.

From building homemade DJ setups powered by Hornby train controllers to discovering hip hop through crate digging, Andy explains why he's spent a lifetime breaking every rule in the DJ handbook. He reflects on Manchester's underground music scene, the birth of Twisted Nerve Records, launching the careers of artists like Badly Drawn Boy, and the global obsession with uncovering forgotten music through Finders Keepers.

How To DJ is a Listening Dog Media production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Una has spent four decades at the heart of Manchester's underground music scene.

In this episode, the co-founder of Electric Chair and founder of Homoelectric and Homobloc looks back on the clubs, record shops and communities that shaped him, from discovering house music in Sheffield to helping define Manchester's nightlife. He explains why reading a dancefloor matters more than technical ability, how eclectic music built Electric Chair's identity, and why creating spaces where people feel they belong has always been more important than chasing commercial success.

Luke also reflects on sobriety, ADHD, creativity, the changing culture of clubbing, and why he believes young people are rediscovering the magic of dancefloors in an increasingly divided world.

How to DJ is a Listening Dog Media production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tommy Smith joins Chris Hawkins to tell the story of the legendary Blackburn warehouse parties that helped shape the UK rave scene. From discovering acid house in the late 1980s to organising illegal all-night events in disused mills, Tommy reflects on community, counterculture, clashes with the police and why he believes the movement changed society forever. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Hawkins is joined by legendary Hacienda resident and British house pioneer Graeme Park. From growing up a Factory Records fan in Scotland, through his early days in Nottingham’s record shops and clubs, to becoming a key figure on the UK house scene, Graeme shares candid stories, reflections on the evolution of DJ culture, the unforgettable energy of the Hacienda, and his adventures remixing and touring the globe.

Plus, they discuss staying passionate after four decades, adapting to new technology, life and loss, recovery from cancer, and what keeps the dancefloor magic alive.

How to DJ is a Listening Dog Media production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices