Graduate DJ speaks to BBC Radio 6 Music about the Bristol club scene

Music alumni Daisy Moon is now a staple of the Bristol DJ scene. On 15 January, she spoke to Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 6 about her career and how she plans on giving back to the community.

Daisy Moon has seen her career go from strength to strength since moving to Bristol and immersing herself in the world of electronic music.

As a DJ, producer, promoter and curator of club nights, Daisy is now at the forefront of the electronic scene in Bristol – but life didn't turn out quite like the music graduate had planned when she initially made the move.

Speaking to Gilles Peterson on his BBC Radio 6 Music programme, Daisy said that she only planned to stay in Bristol for a year but found herself sucked into the heart of the city's music scene. Partly to blame is her close friend and fellow DJ Shanti Celeste, who she lived with in her earlier days in the West Country.

After being impressed by her friend's record collection, Shanti decided to book Daisy to play at BRSTL, a label and club night that showcased the best of Bristol house and techno, despite Daisy never having mixed records before in her life.

The decision sparked a frenzied reaction from Daisy, who spent the two months prior to the show honing her skills. "Every night I practiced mixing the same two records until I could beat match them", she told Gilles Peterson.

Nine years on, Daisy can still be found playing at some of Bristol's premiere club venues. But recently the DJ has expanded her practice, aiming to give something back to the city that has shaped her career by contributing to the DJ programme Mix Nights.

Mix Nights is a beginner level DJ course that trains cisgender women, non-binary and trans people to DJ in Bristol, with the aim of diversifying what are often very male-dominated club line-ups. The programme, which is run as a not-for-profit, has forged partnerships with local studios who provide space and equipment to help the course remain affordable.

"Originally it was informal get-togethers where female DJs could share their skills", Daisy explains. "It was later developed into an eight-week beginner course... we felt there was a space for it."

The course has already had a huge impact on the city, and the gender balance in Bristol is improving year on year.

With her influence in the city growing, don't expect to see Daisy end her nine-year stay anytime soon. The DJ and producer believes that the club scene will continue to blossom.

"The sonic landscape of the city is constantly evolving... people aren't afraid to take risks in this city because their surrounded by artists they can trust. There's no hostility, no jealousy, everyone just gets on with it and encourages each other to make great music."

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