Smokin’ Jo has been DJ’ing since 1990 and is still the only female DJ to have ever won DJ magazine’s coveted DJ Of The Year Award. Smokin Jo is one of the most talented DJ’s to emerge from the British dance music scene, her undeniably cutting-edge sound has carved her a niche in clubland.
Jo’s story began in 1990 when after years of attending many of the early raves and illegal parties she noticed a distinct lack of female DJs. As a massive fan of this exciting new music that was sweeping the nation, Jo decided to buy some decks and started mixing. From those early days it was always the deeper side of things Jo preferred, soulful sounding tracks that take you on a journey, no matter what style she plays from Techno to House it has to have meaning and a bass line to kill. Taking her stage name from the boxer Smoking Joe Fraser, Jo felt it provided ambiguity over an obviously feminine name as at the time it was seen as a novelty to be a female DJ (how times change!) It’s thanks to women like Jo that these shifts in attitudes have taken place.
Most recently Jo has played for Glitterbox at Hi Ibiza, two epic gigs at Glastonbury for Block9 and Greenpeace, Shindig Festival, Defected Festival in Croatia and UK, Clockwork Orange in UK and Amnesia in Ibiza, Morning Gloryville and appeared in a documentary for Ministry of Sound The Annual Classic Tour as well as hosting and playing on one of their live tour dates before the orchestra hit the stage.
Smokin’ Jo, James Hurr & Stealth Beggin’ For Change is out now on Glasgow Underground. Buy / Stream at music.glasgowunderground.com/begginforchange
Today, she joins us on the podcast for the first time. Listen to it below, on Mixcloud or iTunes here.
Sum up this podcast in 10 words…
Playing music that rocks, a mixture of new and old.
What’s your personal favourite track on it?
95 North – Hold On ( Louis’s MAW Mix) Just so lush , love a sing-a-long
What’s the special ingredient in this mix?
I think it’s a case of pulling stuff out of the bag, some tracks that maybe were not that big back in the day, but still sound great.
Tell us about your next EP / single?
Beggin’ For Change by Smokin’ Jo James Hurr with Stealth.
It is a pumping house track with some wonderful vocals and lyrics by Stealth, very apt with all that’s going on with the energy crisis, he really smashed it and sets the vibe of the tune.
What have you got coming up?
As well as gigs for Hacienda at Beams, Pikes Ibiza and Bimini’s new night Trash, I am actually writing a memoir, it will be a tell-all tale of my exploits as an International DJ travelling the world and also the struggles I faced along the way, from growing up in a impoverished childhood to becoming a famous DJ. The sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll/ celebrity lifestyle, life in Ibiza which I called home for seven years, ending up in rehab and many more aspects of my life.
And finally, do you have a special message for our readers?
Try doing some yoga it will change your life for the better!
Tracklist:
1.MOODYMAN M CAROSELLI – DEEP BEAT
2.BLACK TRAXX – DOCTORS HOUSECALL
3. PEPPERMINT CANDY , JULIEN JABRE – CHOCOLATE GIRL
4.CAIRO, MIKE DUNN – DRUMMOTIONS (THE MIKE DUNN MOVEMENT MIX)
5. SHAY D – MORE RHYTHM
6. SMOKIN JO & JAMES HURR FEAT STEALTH – BEGGIN FOR CHANGE
7.BADDIES ONLY – AQUI LS COLUMBIANAS
8.DAJAE, BLACK V NECK – IS IT ALL OVER MY FACE (BLACK V NECK REMIX)
9.EATS EVERYTHING, DAJAE – THE TRIBUTE
10. FLOORPLAN – SPIN
11. SHAREM JAY – 4 DARLING LOVERZ 2018 (BORIS DLUGOSCH & CASSARA REMIX)
12. RAY ROC – SHAKE IT ( ROC & KATO MIX)
13. 95 NORTH – HOLD ON ( LOUIES’S MAW CLUB MIX)