Rob Milton
The Dirt Box Soul Box
Monthly, Wednesday 9-11pm
Northern Soul, Modern Soul, Funk, Disco, Jazz
From Club Promoter, Club DJ, Radio DJ, Record Producer to Record Label Manager. There’s not much Rob hasn’t achieved so far in his illustrious career which has spanned four decades.
His passion for music harks back to his soul music apprenticeship years which were spent on the hallowed dancefloor of Wigan Casino and other Northern Soul All Nighters around the UK. His love of good music also drew him in to the glorious jazz funk and disco years of the late 70s and early 80’s. It was an experience that shaped the rest of his life.
Born to be a DJ his career started in the late Seventies and he promoted his first parties in London in the early Eighties where he was the co founder/promoter and original DJ of the infamous and notorious DIRT BOX which produced London’s first illegal warehouse parties and paved the way for the capital’s forthcoming house scene – as recently featured in Graham Smith’s book on 1980s London sub culture “We Can Be Heroes”. Bill Brewster also recently credited the Dirt Box for starting the UK’s Warehouse party scene in Mixmag magazine.
Rob’s popularity and reputation grew rapidly and saw him land residencies at some of London’s other top clubs at the time such as Oliver Peyton’s RAW with Dave Dorrell (of MARRS fame) and the Electric Ballroom in Camden alongside Jay Strongman. He was also a regular at Philip Salon’s Mud Club and the Wag Club on Wardour Street. Culminating with guest spots at some of the biggest and hippest clubs and one off events around London and the UK including the Hacienda. Playing alongside some of the biggest and now legendary DJ names of that era.
Always someone with a taste for adventure – Rob left the UK in 1988 to set up home in Sydney Australia. And almost immediately continued his creative expertise, establishing the LOVE parties with Sugar Ray which pioneered the huge Sydney house scene in the early Nineties. Continuing where he left off in London he quickly established himself as a DJ/Promoter in Australia and gained a residency at the world-renowned Vibes on a Summers Day and Sydney’s ultimate rare groove soul & jazz parties Funk Inc.
In 1995 he once again established two of the most popular club nights in Sydney’s clubbing history as co-promoter and resident DJ of Sydney’s infamous Kings Cross club the Underground Café. The lamented HIGH TIMES & DELICIOUS. Both nights ran for an incredible seven years from 1995-2002 and were constantly voted in the top three club nights in Sydney, with Rob being touted as one of the best Club DJs in Australia.
Rob also took up resident DJ slots at Home and Yu as well as guest spots at clubs all over town and was a regular on Sydney’s airwaves – hosting his own daily Mon – Fri afternoon shows on Radio Dex and Rhythm FM.
Rob then immersed himself into music production starting off with the release of two of Australia’s biggest underground house tracks- the anthemic “Same Old Thing” by LOVERUSH (voted Australian dance track of the year by 3D magazine) and the excellent follow up “Love 2 See Ya (Dancin’)”. Both tracks were picked up for release in the UK on Credence and Azuli records respectively. Further releases for Hussle and Tinted Records followed under various guises while still maintaining a busy schedule on the international DJ circuit.
His love of soul music has always been firmly embedded in his style of DJing and this undying love affair has been reignited in the last few years – with his DJ sets of vinyl only Northern and Modern soul once again earning him respect from his peers and audience. With the knowledge and experience of a man who knows his music inside out – for him it’s a way of life!
Expect to hear a quality selection of anything and everything soulful on The Dirt Box Soul Box.
