Mr. C - Decadance - May 2004 - Part 2

Biography of Mr. C

Mr C is probably most famous as the front man of The Shamen , the techno-rave outfit that scored huge hits and notoriety in the 90s with tracks like Ebeneezer Goode. But Mr C's progress, before and after he gained global fame, has been characterised by a devotion to electronic music and a solid DJ career that sees him playing around the world plus holding down his residencies at his own clubs, including the pioneering tech-house night Subterrain, and now Superfreak, both at The End.

Making a name for himself as a rapper throughout his teens, going by the name Chelsea Boy, he decided to change his name to Mr C, because 'C goes with everything. It's easy to rhyme.' The newly named rapper then fell headfirst into London's vibrant acid house club scene, soon working with DJs like Kid Bachelor, 'Evil' Eddie Richards and Colin Faver . He made his first record in 1987 with Eddie Richards. Called 'Page 67', it came out under the name Myster-E. He then became a DJ. 'The mixing was spot on - straight away,' he says. 'Before you know it, I was one of the biggest names in London.' Mr C then became one of the first stars of dance with The Shamen, touring the world, selling millions of albums, and paving for way for acts like The Prodigy, Leftfield and Underworld.

After forming the groundbreaking Plink Plonk record label in 1992, Mr C went on to open The End with Layo Paskin in 1996, and watched it impact on the capital: “It has been a direct influence on the whole of club and bar-restaurant culture in London.' The End even launched its own genre: tech house. The phrase - which can mean anything from house and techno, to breaks and tribal - signifies more of a mindset that a type of music. Says Mr C, “it's an attitude. Like acid house was an attitude…' So there you have it, a bit of luck, a lot of hard work, and a tons of attitude got Mr C where he is today. He reckons the secret of success is never standing still: 'I've got a very low boredom threshold,' he grins.