Editing John Digweed (section)

=== Early Life and Introduction to DJing ===

Digweed grew up in [[Hastings]], a coastal town in East Sussex, and began DJing at the age of 15 during the rise of the acid house movement. Developing an early passion for records and sound equipment, he began mixing music for local parties and college events while still in school. In 1987 he moved to London and attempted to break into the club scene by sending mixtapes to venues — with little success. He returned to Hastings and took matters into his own hands, promoting his own club nights and booking prominent DJs of the period including [[Carl Cox]], [[Grooverider]], and [[Fabio (DJ)|Fabio]], placing himself on the same bills to build his own reputation by association.

The most celebrated of these events were his raves on '''Hastings Pier''', which became genuinely significant nights that attracted artists of national standing, including [[The Prodigy]]. Digweed later recalled his approach: he was determined to become a professional DJ and used the credibility of his guest bookings to steadily raise his own profile in the industry.