‘I had Maradonna on the dancefloor and he had his hands in the air’
As one third of Brothers In Rhythm and as a major player on the global DJ scene, Dave Seaman leads an extremely busy life. In fact his itenary for the last week would leave even the most hardened of global hoppers gasping for breath. Four days in the States as part of the Renaissance US tour included stopoffs such as Birmingham, Alabama and Denver, Colorado – proof that house has caught on away from the main urban axes. Then he’s down to Argentina to mix the latest Global Underground CD. After that he’s back to New York for the Renaissance album press launch. Phew!

“Aeroplanes are the only chance I get to relax at the moment.” Dave recounts. Living proof that DJs are the new rock stars, Dave’s planetary meanderings proved entertaining reading as he was commissioned to write a diary for the BBC website. Naturally, being the editor of Mixmag back in the heady days of 1988-91, journalism must be something that comes easy to Dave. Wrong. “I hate writing.” he explains. “I did so much of it that I’m sick of it and living your life around deadlines. I have to sit there and constantly re-write it.”

Travelling extensively in the US has given Mr Seaman a good insight into how our cousins across the Atlantic are taking to the dance scene: “There isn’t the infrastructure over there. But then the atmosphere and enthusiasm rubs off on you. Over here it can be a bit jaded and full of cynicism.” Dave reckons that the UK’s size allows for youth trends – punk, new-romanticism, rave culture – to take off and be assimilated quickly. “There’s no Radio One or Mixmag in the US which can make it isolated and pocketed. Until the Internet came along that is, and now there’s loads of websites which give people a sense of being part of a big movement or cultural revolution.”

It was through contacts made whilst an editor that Dave got his first DJ gig warming up for Sasha at the legendary Shelleys in Stoke. Now his DJ sets can be heard around the world’s dance hotspots including Cream, Golden, Renaissance, Bedrock and his regular trips to Punta De Leste in Uruguay. Yes, you heard correct. Uruguay, which according to Dave is one of the best party places on earth: “It’s how you imagine South Beach, Miami or Ibiza to have been twenty years ago.” Regulars at this South American haunt include your regular quota of Argentinian models, Brazilian jet setters and the one and only Diego Maradonna – looking off his head and with his usual possee of nubile young females and burly bouncer types – who recently interrupted one of Dave’s DJ sets. “I had Maradonna on the dancefloor and he had his hands in the air. It was the only time I’ve seen him with his hands in the air and I actually enjoyed it.” Dave joked, referring to the ‘Hand of God’ incident when footballer Maradonna put England out of the 1986 World Cup using his hand to score a goal.

Cheating Argentinians aside, Dave’s also busy with writing/remix/production outfit Brothers In Rhythm who recently added Alan Bremner as their third member. Starting off with early house productions such as Brothers Love Dubs’ ‘Mighty Ming’ in 1993, Brothers In Rhythm soon moved on to producing pop queen Kylie Minogue (they worked on two of her albums). Steve Anderson, the other part of the trio, has since been writing with Kylie. “It’s too early to say how it’ll develop or whether we’ll be producing again. She wants to go back to doing more pop stuff.” Dave reveals. On the remix front things have also been very manic. They’re about to do the new Placebo/David Bowie collaboration and they’ve just finished Art of Noise’s ‘Dreaming In Colour’. “Trevor Horn loved it” Dave beams.

There you are – the hectic life of a very down to earth DJ superstar. For Dave , what’s left of summer will hold more than a handful of long haul flights, to and froing to Ibiza, a new weekly DJ residency at Renaissance’s night at the Cross, the launch of his ‘Back To Mine’ chill out album and a journey back to the land of Diego Maradonna. The perks of being a DJ. And the peak of Dave’s career so far must surely be – with not even a football in sight – seeing Diego Maradonna shaking his thang on the dancefloor as he raises his famous ‘hand of God’ to the latest progressive house drum roll. I think this career in journalism has run its course. I’m off to become a DJ!