Huggy was there at the heart of UK house music — from Eastern Bloc Records in Manchester to The Orbit and Back to Basics.
In this interview, he shares what it was really like as house music exploded in the late 80s and 90s.
We start right at the beginning in Wakefield, where Huggy first got exposed to proto-house sounds in the mid-80s at a club called Casanovas. Long before acid house took over, DJs were already playing Italo disco and early electronic records that would shape what came next. Huggy was hooked early — working in the club, asking about every track, and soaking it all in.
By 1987, things stepped up when major Chicago names like Frankie Knuckles, Adonis and Fingers Inc. came over as part of the Trax Records roadshow. For Huggy, this was the moment house music really landed.
From there, the story moves into the rave era. Huggy talks about heading down to London in 1988 and experiencing the early M25 raves — a completely different world, with Balearic sounds and a new kind of energy that hadn’t yet reached the North.
Eventually, he found his way into DJing, starting with gigs in the North and building connections that would shape his career. A key turning point came when he was offered a job at Eastern Bloc Records in Manchester — one of the most important record shops in the UK at the time.
Working at Eastern Bloc put him right at the centre of the scene. DJs from across the country — and beyond — would come through the shop, hunting for new music. Huggy talks about serving people like Sasha, Andrew Weatherall, Darren Emerson, and even the Chemical Brothers before they were known.
This period really captures how important record shops were — places where DJs discovered music, shared ideas, and built their sound.
From there, we get into The Orbit — one of the most legendary clubs in the North. Huggy became a resident DJ and describes it as total madness, a proper rave environment that later evolved into a techno-focused space.
At the same time, Back to Basics was starting to grow in Leeds. Huggy explains how he became part of that story too — initially being brought in under the nickname “The Postie,” before becoming a full resident. He talks about playing two completely different sets in one night — techno at The Orbit, then funk and Balearic upstairs at Basics — and how that contrast shaped him.
We also get into the wider Leeds–Manchester connection, something that often gets overlooked but played a huge role in shaping the scene.
Towards the end, Huggy reflects on how house music has lasted over 40 years — something none of them expected at the time — and shares a couple of tracks that still stand the test of time.
A brilliant insight into a key figure from that era, and a reminder of how organic and connected the scene really was.
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