Josey Rebelle from London has received extensive recognition for the wide-ranging vitality of her performances at the turntables. She moves fluidly across techno, house, electro, soul, and drum'n'bass, shaping each session around spontaneous choices that favor lasting appeal over momentary popularity. Her mixes frequently address social concerns by mirroring current global conditions, at times weaving in spoken segments from political activists and poets. Holding a residency at Rinse FM since 2011, she appeared at clubs and festivals across the subsequent decade while supplying well-regarded selections to multiple podcasts. The Essential Mix she first delivered on BBC Radio 1 was selected as that program's standout of 2019. Her initial commercially released mix, Josey in Space, arrived in 2020.
Born in Tottenham within North London, Josey Rebelle took up DJing at age 13 after absorbing influences from U.K. pirate radio and Caribbean soundsystem traditions. She spent a brief period at Sony Music, then joined the drum'n'bass label Valve Recordings operated by Lemon D and Dillinja. For three years she coordinated releases and events there before shifting into television production and advertising work, only later returning to DJing on a steady basis. In 2010 she secured a residency at the storied London venue Plastic People and featured in the opening transmission from the Boiler Room online platform. Her Rinse FM broadcasts began in 2011 and soon positioned her among the dance station's most favored voices.
After establishing a pattern of appearances at Fabric and Cable in London, her bookings beyond the U.K. expanded noticeably in 2015, with well-received sets at festivals including Dimensions and Primavera Sound. She supplied acclaimed mixes to podcasts from Discwoman, FACT, Resident Advisor, and additional outlets, then became a resident at the London club Pickle Factory in 2018, where her all-night sessions regularly sold out. Recognition of her standing among the world's foremost DJs arrived when her 2019 Essential Mix was named the BBC Radio 1 program's best of the year. Beats in Space issued her first mix CD, Josey in Space, in 2020.
