Last Friday, John Digweed broadcasted a special edition of his weekly ‘Transitions’ show celebrating two decades of being on radio. The show featured a special Red Zone guest mix from legendary NYC DJ David Morales followed by Digweed’s first-ever Kiss 100 FM broadcast.Β
There is no name as synonymous with longevity and class through the lens of dance music asΒ JohnΒ Digweedβs. Twenty years ago, Digweed stepped into the radio world with a crate full of records, a sharp ear for blossoming talent, and an insatiable urge to share his arsenal of music with the world. Today, he announces the celebration of yet another milestone: 20 years on radio. From his debut shows on LondonβsΒ Kiss 100 FM, he instantly drew a worldwide fanbase, inciting global interest due to his immense appeal. This created a highly impactful platform for artists and guests, whose tracks and mixes Digweed selected for the show, and is the very same ethos he follows to this day.
In September 2004, with a nod to his smooth mixing style, John named his radio show βTransitionsβ, and went worldwide with syndications shortly thereafter, immediately garnering a reputation for delivering upfront and unreleased tracks, alongside finely-tuned guest mixes. This solidified βTransitionsβ position as the leading dance music radio show across the globe. Fast forward fifteen years and theΒ Bedrock Recordsβ label-head has built a highly-respected show that is now broadcasted in overΒ 70 countriesΒ every week viaΒ 82 major radio networksΒ and boasts overΒ 11 million weekly listeners. Withstanding the test of time, βTransitionsβ is now the most followed channel on popular streaming platformΒ MixcloudΒ and holds a strong and rapidly growing audience. As one of the first artists to start hosting mixes on Mixcloud, Digweed has garnered overΒ 13.1 million playsΒ across his uploads and its massive archive of past shows plus exclusives for people who sign up forΒ Mixclouds SelectΒ service.
The recognition and glory that comes with being a household name are humbling, but Digweed remarks, βitβs always been about playing new music and helping showcase promising new talentβ. His track record speaks for itself. Many modern-day headliners made appearances on the show at the start of their careers, and, according to him, spotting the next generation of future players in the dance scene is as important now as itβs ever been. Averaging aroundΒ 104Β hours of radio playtime a year, each show consistently places its focal point on both playing new music and helping showcase fresh talent.
Digweed has featuredΒ 232 total hoursβ worth of live mixes acrossΒ 835 total episodes. Worth mentioning is the standout 500th episode, broadcasted live worldwide from a boat party for 5 straight hours during Miami Music Week 2014. His impeccable attention to detail has been further proven in lockdown with his weekly βBunkerβ live stream series (everyΒ Saturday @ 9 pm BSTβ listenΒ here). Always finding innovative ways to ensure quality music is heard, Digweed will rein inΒ 26 weeksΒ of his βBunkerβ streamsΒ on Saturday, September 5thΒ – an impressive feat amounting toΒ 6 total monthsΒ of extra new music since March.
A wholly accomplished twenty years, Digweed prepares to continue his lifelong passion over his craft, always pushing forward and seldom looking back.