Dexter Jones

What was it really like to live, work and dance in Ibiza in 2001?

Carrie Stevens was right in the middle of it.

After arriving on the island, she became a club dancer at Es Paradis, before being poached by Eden and eventually becoming Head Dancer. This was an Ibiza of packed dancefloors, podium dancers, workers crammed into apartments, club parades through San Antonio, morning bars and after-hours sessions that could disappear well into the next day.

In this episode, Carrie takes us back inside that world. We talk about the reality of being an Ibiza dancer, the incredible atmosphere inside Es Paradis, life at Eden, the notorious Garden of Eden, Ibiza worker culture, Judgement Sundays, surviving the winter and why the island felt so different before social media.

Carrie also tells us about one of the happiest moments of her life: dancing above a packed Es Paradis as the shutters opened and Café Del Mar played.

If you worked, danced or partied in Ibiza during this era, tell me your memories in the comments. What was YOUR Ibiza like?

Subscribe for more conversations and stories from the people who lived through dance music and club culture.

Chapters:

00:00 What It Was Really Like Being an Ibiza Dancer

Marcella Woods is the voice behind some of the most recognisable anthems from the golden era of dance music, including Beautiful, Liberation (Fly Like An Angel) and El Niño.

In this episode of the Dexter Jones Podcast, Marcella tells the incredible stories behind those records, including how Liberation was recorded in just 20 minutes and how the vocal for Beautiful was nailed on the very first take.

Marcella also takes us back to the clubs that shaped her, from Bagley's and Strawberry Sundae to Freedom and The Fridge, and explains how a chance introduction eventually led her to Matt Darey and a string of records that would become part of dance music history.

But Marcella's story hasn't stopped there.

Now in her 50s, she's taken on an entirely new challenge: becoming a DJ. After just six hours of intensive training before her first gig, she's gone on to play festivals and events, finding herself handing over the decks to artists including Mauro Picotto, Dave Pearce and Signum.

We also talk about why dance vocalists haven't always received the recognition they deserve, Marcella's extraordinary classical musical background, the realities of balancing music with family life, and why she's still every bit as passionate about dance music today.

A brilliant conversation with one of the voices behind the soundtrack to a generation.

Subscribe to the Dexter Jones Podcast for weekly conversations celebrating the DJs, artists, clubs and stories that shaped dance music culture.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Liberation Was Recorded in 20 Minutes

Tall Paul’s story is inseparable from one of the most legendary clubs in British dance music history. Long before Turnmills became an institution, it was his family’s business, and the place where a teenage Paul began learning his craft behind the decks.

From the arrival of House music and the birth of all-night clubbing to Trade, The Gallery and the extraordinary rise of Turnmills, Paul takes us inside a period when London club culture was being created in real time.

We also dive into 30 years of Rock Da House, hunting London record shops for exclusive white labels, the pressure of playing Trade, following Tony De Vit, and why DJs of that generation treated every weekend like it mattered.

This is the story of Tall Paul, Rock Da House and the family-run London club that became part of British dance music history.

#TallPaul #Turnmills #RockDaHouse

In this episode:

• The story behind Rock Da House

Chapters 📖

🎙️ The Dexter Jones Podcast – Conversations with the people who shaped dance music.

How many clubbers, DJs and music lovers already have permanent hearing damage without even realising it?

In this week's episode, I sit down with Jono Heale, Director at ACS Custom, musician and one of the UK's leading voices on hearing health in the music industry.

After developing permanent hearing damage himself, Jono made it his mission to help protect musicians, DJs and clubbers from making the same mistake.

We discuss tinnitus, hearing loss, safe listening levels, why ringing ears should never be ignored, whether one loud nightclub can permanently damage your hearing, and why so many people don't discover the problem until it's too late.

If you've ever left a club, festival or gig with ringing ears, this conversation is essential listening.

In this episode:

• How tinnitus really starts

Chapters:

00:00 The diagnosis that changed everything

What happens when your first-ever single becomes one of the biggest dance records of all time?

In this exclusive conversation, Darude reveals the untold story behind Sandstorm, from handing out demo CDs in Finland to becoming an international superstar within weeks. He explains why having your biggest hit first was both a blessing and a burden, why he couldn't even DJ properly when success arrived, and how he has spent the last 25 years building a career beyond one iconic record.

We also dive into the evolution of dance music, surviving overnight success, record label pressure, social media, AI, mental health, and why passion, not fame, should always come first.

Whether you're a fan of trance, dance music history or electronic music production, this is one of Darude's most open and insightful interviews.

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IN THIS EPISODE:

• How Darude got his name after repeatedly playing the same record at a party

• How handing out one demo CD changed his life forever

• Why Sandstorm was created in just a week and a half

• Becoming a global superstar before he could properly DJ

• Why having your first release become your biggest hit comes with unexpected downsides

• The pressures of following one of the biggest dance records ever made

• Why Darude says he still loves playing Sandstorm after 25 years

• The story behind the iconic Sandstorm music video and the annual Helsinki run

• How the music industry has changed from vinyl and CDs to streaming and social media

• Why record labels wanted him to copy Sandstorm, and why he refused

• Rebuilding his debut album from scratch after the original project files were lost

• How technology has transformed music production over the past two decades

• Why supporting new artists through his Vibing Out label matters so much

• Darude's honest advice for young producers starting their careers today

• Why passion, not fame, should always come first

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

How did a monthly Wednesday night attract 2,000 clubbers to The Haçienda?

Guy Williams experienced Manchester’s acid-house explosion before becoming a regular DJ at Flesh, one of The Haçienda’s most groundbreaking club nights. From there, his journey took him through Trade, DTPM, Queer Nation, Defected Records and the golden years of Ibiza.

In this episode, Guy takes us inside the clubs, record labels and dance floors that helped shape British club culture. He explains how Manchester changed during the early 1990s, why Flesh became such an important night and how he progressed from learning to DJ in public to playing around the world.

Guy also discusses working for Pete Waterman, becoming club promotions manager at Defected, witnessing Ibiza’s extraordinary 24-hour era and eventually creating Flash at Pikes—a party built around brilliant music, inclusivity and clubbing without prejudice.

A fascinating journey through Manchester, London and Ibiza with someone who experienced it from inside the DJ booth.

▶️ SUBSCRIBE—it’s free, and you’re on the guest list:

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WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• Growing up surrounded by records and musicians

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 2,000 clubbers on a Wednesday

Graeme Park never planned to become a DJ. A reluctant "yes" behind the counter of a Manchester record shop led to one of the most influential careers in dance music history.

From discovering I Feel Love and the explosion of Chicago House to becoming one of the defining resident DJs at The Haçienda, Graeme shares the moments that shaped both his life and an entire generation of club culture.

We also dive into the rise of Acid House, why The Haçienda became legendary, how Haçienda Classical was born from a drunken conversation, and why, after more than 40 years behind the decks, Graeme still believes great music has no boundaries.

This is the story of a man who never intended to become a DJ... and ended up helping shape dance music forever.

🎙️ Guest: Graeme Park

In this episode:

• Growing up in Manchester

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Chapters 📖

🎙️ The Dexter Jones Podcast – Conversations with the people who shaped dance music.

👍 If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe and leave a comment. It really helps us continue documenting the history of dance music through the people who lived it.

He thought he was absolutely smashing it...

For 45 minutes, George Kafetzis believed he was hosting one of his best Facebook Live sessions ever. The comments were flying in, people were reacting, and everything seemed perfect...

There was just one problem.

There was no sound.

In one of the funniest stories ever told on The Dexter Jones Podcast, George shares the unforgettable moment his wife walked downstairs and broke the news that thousands of people had been watching... in complete silence.

But beyond the laughter is the story of one of the UK's most respected DJs, promoters and likeable industry characters. George has spent decades helping shape club culture, promoting events, supporting artists and building a reputation as one of the genuine good guys of the dance music scene.

In this episode, we talk about:

🔴 The hilarious 45-minute silent Facebook Live

Chapters 📖 

00:00 The Silent Facebook Live Disaster

If you love dance music, Ibiza, club culture and the stories behind the people who built it, you're in the right place.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing. Every like, comment, and share genuinely helps us preserve these incredible stories from dance music history.

Subscribe for a brand new episode every Sunday.

When COVID shut down the music industry overnight, DJs across the world were left wondering what came next.

For Dale Castell, what started as a simple Facebook livestream from his son's bedroom unexpectedly became one of the biggest moments of his career. Within weeks, thousands of people were tuning in live, his audience was growing every week, and one stream would go on to reach over half a million views.

In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, Dale shares the incredible story behind those lockdown livestreams, growing up in Halifax, his journey from drummer to DJ, the evolution of Kevin & Perry Ibiza, HomeRave, the challenges of Facebook livestreaming, and why community has become more important than ever in dance music.

If you've ever wondered how one of the toughest periods in clubbing history created unexpected opportunities, this is a story you won't want to miss.

In this episode:

• How COVID changed Dale Castell's career forever

Chapters

00:00 COVID Changed Everything

Utah Saints join Dexter Jones for a candid, funny and insightful conversation about building one of the most recognisable names in dance music with absolutely no backup plan.

From pressing their first white labels and navigating the unpredictable world of music promotion, to surviving industry changes, technological revolutions and three decades of dance music culture, this episode explores how Utah Saints turned passion, persistence and a healthy disregard for conventional career advice into a remarkable success story.

Along the way, we discuss the realities of running events, why most people completely misunderstand what makes a great DJ, and the lessons they've learned from spending 35 years at the heart of club culture.

If you love rave history, dance music, DJ culture, festival stories and honest conversations about what it really takes to survive in the music industry, this episode is packed with wisdom, humour and nostalgia.

In this episode:

▪️ Why Utah Saints never had a Plan B

Chapters 📖

00:00:00 Why Utah Saints Had NO PLAN B