Tim has been DJing since the mid 90s, first in the Cambridge, Essex and Coventry area of the UK before spending a year in Australia DJing in Melbourne at the infamous Saratoga club and the Lounge Bar. He also held down a twice weekly radio show on Brisbane’s Kiss FM and also scored sets in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Other highlights include sets at Glastonbury, and DJing at all types of venues in Bristol such as Blue Mountain, Level club, Ashton Court Festival, Park Bar residency (some insane nights there) sometimes with DJ Derrick (RIP). He’s provided DJ support to the likes of Terry Callier and Rebel MC in Bristol and worked behind the counter at Purple Penguin Records with Ben Dubission and Scott Hendy (Boca 45).
More recently Tim has held down a residency at “The Red Church” in Bristol which has a listening bar vibe due to its powerful ex-Pinewood studios sound system. Tim also has a monthly show on Noods radio and can also be found playing at Bristol venues Cloak and Dagger, Strange Brew and Cider Box.
Show some love, follow 👉 @timspencer2
Each week we will be taking a dip into the crates and minds of some of the digging scenes most prolific collectors.
🤔 Who should be on the next RPM feature?
What are your first memories of collecting records?
I stole away from a school trip to go to Groove Records Greek Street in Soho and happened upon hip hop store in the late eightes. They were playing on Sweet T “I Got Da Feeling” on a UK cooltempo 12” on this massive instore bass system and it just sounded like the future! Later in the mid nineties Soul Jazz (Sounds of the Universe) when it was on Ingestre Place felt like the coolest store on Earth. Picked up the first Portishead 12” there, before I moved to Bristol. Took it with me to Australia and it never left the box.
Name one record that sums up your happiest memories and where does it take you back to?
So many great memories, new and old, One recent memory to choose is When I was in Melbourne,Oz Djing with Takse and Dj Ransom at the infamous Saratoga club . We shared radio shows and Takse played Renee Geyer – “Take me where you took me last night”. Such a stone cold beat and vocal from Oz’s finest soul singer. I was in my early twenties and used to get the last A train into the city from the aunties house to DJ till the sun came up and got train back to the suburbs of Melbourne. Crazy times indeed.
What is one of your favourite pieces of sleeve art and why?
So many! Maybe Patrice Rushen’s Before the Dawn. Slighty random as seems to have no connection to the music on it. But then it does. It’s a mysterious piece of building art, with just a few lights on and that’s us listening to this wonderful slice of feel good soul jazz after midnight from one of Patrices earliest records on Fantasy ( a real favourite label of mine too) . Think Questlove also has a big thing for the title track that never tires.Always favoured art that’s a bit spacey and out there such as the Orbs, “Beyond the Ultraworld” which is a close second. Again its suits the music within – Adds to it . Extends it. Loves it. Big up Alex Paterson and Youth. Also Pedro Ruy Blas – “La Puerta Abierta” . I could go on…
What were your earliest musical influences?
Started with pop and early hip hop for sure, unashamedly and the classics too Beastie boys Run DMC LL Cool J , Prince and Madonna. All rhyming , stylin,and stealing in the 80’s beyond my wildest imagination. Then going to early nineties raves out in deepest UK countryside definitely had an influence on my desire for the late late night party. Hearing tunes super loud on huge systems just blew my mind. Then the 90’s rare groove scene happened and that with the Hip Hop , DITC, Breaks scene just took over and that’s when I started DJing and think We’re still here….right?! ATCQ – “Low End Theory” anyone?
Motivated Monday… what tune gets your engine going?
Aril Brika’s Debut LP “Deeparture in Time” on Detroit label Transmat from 2001.
Wow. How good. All ten tracks just take you somewhere else. Science music from a science oven, with such a warm feeling. The beats stabs and synths are top dollar, Recorded this onto a minidisc and took it with me to India and never looked back. Techno at its very best. Goes beyond genres to be honest.
