Bill Brewster

Underground dance music has long counted on Bill Brewster as a vital contributor through his work as a DJ, journalist, and occasional producer. He began DJ'ing in the late '80s, later joined the staff of DMC (Dance Mix Club), and ultimately relocated from his native England to New York to oversee the organization's American operations. During the second half of the '90s he ran several imprints, among them 5XO-294, Sugar Daddy, and the U.K. branch of Twisted. His debut commercial mix, the two-CD set Praxis, appeared in 2002; although he later supplied further compilations such as Spiritland: The Funk & Soul of Blue Eyed Rock, Faith Presents T.K. Disco, After Dark, and After Dark: Nightshift, his name was either relegated to small type or omitted from the covers entirely. Together with his writing partner Frank Broughton, Brewster has written multiple books, among them the indispensable Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (2000), How to DJ (Properly) (2006), and The Record Players (2012). The pair also launched DJhistory.com, an online destination for interviews, articles, and record-collector discussion. In addition, Brewster has supplied insightful, humor-laced liner notes for dozens of compilations issued by labels including Débutante, Ministry of Sound, Harmless, Azuli, and Strut.