R2 Records label boss Kyri first picked up a record and put it on a deck to play aged two and has not stopped since. He began playing at people's parties in the early eighties- friends, relatives, anyone with two turntables and a mixer. The music was funk, soul, Prince and some underground music called hip-hop.
Kyri's first paid gig was at the famous and long missed Redeye in South London alongside Chris Philips and Jez Nelson, (then at Jazz FM). Kyri would also guest at the Somethin' Else sessions at the Jazz Café alongside live guests such as the then unknown Jamiroquai, Arrested Development and Disposable Heroes of Hiphopricy. The first official DJ residency was at the Starlight club in Paddington in 1991. "
Mutiny" was breaking new ground with a strictly upfront r'n'b and hip-hop policy. This was when Tribe Called Quest, Biggie Smalls and Gangstarr were releasing classics practically every week, and the lack of radio and MTV support meant that people were there to get down!
Then in 1995 `2damn Funky' took the r'n'b/ hip-hop phenomena to Dublin's Re-Ra. Again, this night was unique in the city at the time. A live mix on Westwood's rap show on Radio 1 and guest mix spots on Kiss FM followed-but the ears were changing. Still buying funk, jazz and other classics, the soulful house sound of MAW, Spiritual Life,
Kerri Chandler etc. began to make an impression around 96.
By 98 Kyri was playing guest spots at Paul Trouble Anderson's legendary House night "The Loft" in Camden and promoting a monthly Boogie night at Bar Rumba, (guests included Harvey,
IG Culture and
Jumping Jack Frost playing classic boogie sets.
International gigs include Paris, Stockholm, Barcelona, Estonia, Stuttgart, Bulgaria, Greece and Ibiza, (MAW 10th anniversary party.)
In 1999 Kyri founded R2 Records to counter the increasing marginalization of dance music. R2 Records (or Really Real Records as it was originally called) has been releasing compilations and original material from across the soulful dance spectrum from house to latin to hip-hop, (a true reflection of Kyri's broad taste) and continues to grow with scheduled releases for 2007 already surpassing any previous year. Artists on the label include dance music luminaries such as
Osunlade,
"Little" Louie Vega, Marley Marl, Bobbito, MKL and Ron Trent to name a few. For a complete listing please visit www.r2records.com
Kyri is producer on a new dance show every Sunday on London's Choice FM selecting music and providing DJ mixes.
