Many moons have passed since our silver soldier first exploded onto the scene. Traversing the globe with his trusty laptop in tow, the roving Ramirez has dispensed his razor sharp productions to unassuming dancefloors with the precision of first class marksman. Whether he’s hidden behind devilish disguises such as The Lisa Marie Experience, Cordial, Finger Fest and Rambo, or performed as the man you know best as D Ramirez, Dean Marriot has achieved more than an entire legion of lesser DJs.

He’s achieved five top 20 hits, played on every continent and single handedly coined THAT electrohouse sound. He was awarded Best Remix and Best Producer in DJ Magazine’s 2007 awards and 2006 saw him knighted as a Player Of The Year in iDJ. His remix of Bodyrox ‘Yeah Yeah’ scored him an Ivor Novello nomination while past exploits such as ‘Columbian Soul’, ‘Time Fades Away’, ‘Pleasure Me’ and ‘La Discotek’ have all achieved coveted Coolcuts and Buzz chart hotspots, championed by some of the biggest DJs in game. Hell, our hero’s even performed on Top Of Pops.

Back to the future, and we reach a new chapter in his success story. Tired of the over-peddled electrohouse sound, Dean’s moved on to pastures new. “I don’t feel comfortable with commerciality,” he states. “When people start expecting certain things of me I tend to back away.”  A true underground soldier, he backed away from the hype and heat.

After much soul searching, and a move to a new studio, he began to brew a new sound. Inspired by the noises of his tough-talking DJ sets, our soldier’s super power has been rejuvenated by the exciting sounds of deep house and techno. Sounds where melody and soul are found deep within the heart of the machines. If you consider his meticulous DJ mixes where loops, tricks and FX are intricately laced with exceptional accuracy, or his studio methods where he’s known to tinker with noises for days on end, it’s just a case of simple, logical progression.

You can experience a slice Dean’s latest development with ‘Headliners’, his exciting new mix album for Azuli. A double mix CD boasting slick sonic prowess, it showcases his skill in style. A head nod to his years as a hard working resident DJ where he’d play the whole night from 9pm to 5am, he moves gracefully from deliciously deep house to grunting, shunting techno, proving his talents as a DJ are just as sharp as they are in the studio. It’s a 360۫ trip around his dark and dangerous world. A world where the calm and serene can become an ugly affair at the flip of a switch.

Lurking in this murky techno world are Dean’s own new productions such as ‘Sheild’, ‘Reminder Of Jasper’, ‘Physiological Rhythm’ and ‘The Road Of Excess’. Lolloping grooves abound while shuffling rhythms pound; it’s an obvious lean towards techno, but there’s still that all important D Ramirez groove where sounds have been tweaked to perfection, resonating with a unique charm that’s often imitated but never bettered.

A new chapter for our silver crusader beckons. Knowing the success he’s had at every other stage, you can only imagine what awaits him in the near future. One thing’s for certain, though, he’ll always remain a dedicated underground soldier…

Dave Jenkins Deputy Editor IDJ Mag 2008.