DJ Cherokee Mist - Interview

The Official Cherokee Mist Interview
“Original Cambridge Warehouse DJ”

What’s your name and what do you DJ under?
My name is Kevin Newport. My DJ name now is Cherokee Mist (a Jimi Hendrix song - I’m a massive fan!). Back in the day I was just known as DJ Kev or KEVA.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Somerset in 1971.

When did you start to DJ and how did you get into it?
I started spinning early 1988 when my best mate Baz bought some 1210's. I was already playing the drums since I was 11 and then soon found I had a knack for beat mixing and could find tunes that would "mix" well together and just loved it!!!

What were your musical influences?
Oh God, there’s too many to list them all but in the early eighties I was into Hendrix, The Police (the band!) Rush, and around the age of 12 (1983) I started to get into this new vibe called ‘Electro’ Then needless to say for the next 2/3 years I bought the Nike hooded top, trainers, ghetto blaster and the Street sounds Electro albums (about 12 of them) and then soon after I got into ‘Break dance’ and ‘bodypoppin’

I remember we used to go up to WHSmiths in Lion Yard (Cambridge) and break dance on a piece of lino flooring on a Saturday...great days...and I would say some of those tunes are still classics...al-naafiysh~ the soul, Hip hop be bop don’t stop by Mann Parrish...killer tunes!
Lots of tunes in the early days would just take over your mind I was (and still am) into Frankie Bones, Lenny Dee, Renegade Sound wave, The Ragga Twins, Mike Dunn, Adamski, The Beloved, Four Hero, Frank de Wulf, etc, etc. Then along came the Dark side / Jungle. (92~)... and my life changed forever!!


What was your first break into the Rave Scene?
DJ Baz and I hooked up with a couple of guys from Cambridge and started The Peril Sound System. I became a regular DJ for them, buying my own tunes, (from Quaff in Soho, Premadonna on Mill Road in Cambridge - thanks Jools!! And by that time I was regularly going to illegal raves around Cambridgeshire. Mainly meeting outside the Fountain Inn on Regent Street in Cambridge – I remember listening to Gino Latino's Welcome and Adamski's Live and Direct, Renegade Sound Wave, Mike Dunn 's Magic Feet, plus many, many more. My favourite around that time was Todd Terry's - Don’t Turn Ya Back on me (which I still have!!). Happy memories :)

Which events did you play at back in the day?
For Peril I played lots of House parties around Cambridge. and some outdoor parties for them .I then started to get some sets with Proper stuff, playing at Cowley Road a couple of times, Willingham (which was a massive warehouse) playing after DJ Unity. There were also other illegals around Cambridgeshire that my memory is a bit hazy on (not surprisingly). I also played two parties at Chilford Hall near Linton - one was called ‘Tim's Wibbly Wobbly World’ (which was in honour of a party guy called Tim who had recently died). I also got to know the organiser who ran Kite High and played Haverhill and Witchford (with a broken heal!!). I also played the Whitehouse in Newmarket at a party called BIG E and a friend of mine set up "Fantasy" at the Junction (of which I played at all four) and we even had Ellis D down one night who gave me some very nice compliments about my DJ’ing, (thank you Ellis!) Also Stuart Banks played and I spun the last set after him.... that too was a good night.

Have you ever played abroad?
No, although I seriously thought about taking a box of records over to Ibiza in the mid-nineties. I put my day job first because it was too much of a gamble at that time... I wish I had now ...but I needed the money to keep up my record-buying obsession!

Have you been involved in the studio?
I have dabbled over the years with home studio stuff, mainly laying down drum patterns. I have a couple of friends who make DnB but haven’t yet been signed. My other close friend plays bass in Groove Armada...we dabble with stuff but nothing too serious...maybe we should? But time isn’t on you side with a Family and job to hold down!!!

Where do you currently DJ and what are you up to now?
At the moment I am looking for work with Old Skool House/Hardcore nights or classic Drum and Bass sets.... I moved back from the Lake District in February (after two and half years} and played at the brickyard in Carlisle doing 92-2000 Drum and Bass sets.
I currently work in East Anglia and listen to and play DnB and bring out my old tunes to get in the mix any time I can.

How would you describe your current DJ style and what was your favourite genre spanning over the House music scene?
My current style is Drum and bass, smooth mixes and chopping up some DnB beats.... My favourite genre is split into two really...I love all the Acid House /Hardcore stuff from 88-93. But really my heart lies with Jungle, Dark side and now Drum N Bass.... Man and boy since 92 and I still can’t get enough of it!

What are some of your favourite venues from past and present?
I used to love the illegal Warehouse scene because you would go in a convoy to some big warehouses and kick ya feet till 7 am. There really was nothing like being outside the warehouse when the sound system started up and Renegade Sound wave’s - The phantom boomed out! I also went to practically all the Eclipse’s with a posse of about twenty of us. So the Corn Exchange holds good memories!! I also had some great nights in the early days at The Junction (Cambridge) and Warning on many an occasion. Energy at Brixton Academy took some beating!!

Do you have any plans for the future?
Yeah.... Mixing, watching my son grow up, and hopefully getting hooked up with some Old Skool ravers and putting on (or playing at) some reunion do's.... so many great tunes to pass down to the younger ravers!!!

What memories and stories do you recall from Eclipse and the Cambridge scene?
I remember hopping across a ploughed field with my two mates carrying my records so I could play at Kite High in Witchford near Ely. I had MANY a mashed up night in Eclipse and it became a regular haunt for our posse for 2-3 years. We would always stand at the back of the Corn Exchange on the right (if you face the stage) so even when totally mashed up you could always count on one of us being there during the night... I danced my arse off in there so I probably helped wear the floor out!! I also have very fond memories of the Outdoor Eclipse in 91 with the Prodigy... I had been to see them in late 89 at The Barn in Braintree and was blown away then.... they rocked Braham Farm that night!!! And I remember gathering everybody up to leave the next morning and some DJ played "Success and Effect" a white label by Mike Dunn (which I had / still have) and I just stopped and kicked one last time before we went home... happy times...

I want to say that the last illegal I went to was around 92 (Proper Stuff) at Milton opposite Tesco's down the industrial estate... The Police turned up and set off fire extinguishers, set dog's on people and generally caused a RIOT. Vans were smashed, people were badly beaten and it was a sad end to what was a "Peaceful movement" of Dancing youth... so much love.... so many great memories. I do feel lucky to still have all of my marbles!! Unfortunately, some of us weren’t so lucky! My thoughts are with them. A couple of friends passed away during those years too.... R.I.P. To them...Peace CM. (Kev).