DJ EZ & MC Dollars | UK Garage Classics 1998 | Freek FM 101.8 (Pirate Radio) | Sat 4th April 1998

Artwork by Take Me Back Pirate Radio Archives. DJ EZ is one of the most celebrated UK Garage DJs from the late 90s until the present day. Although little scope is given to his early appearances on London's pirate radio scene which allowed him to master his craft. EZ also played House & Garage music in the early 90s under the alias DJ Easy O. He featured on a number of pirate radio stations, on stations like Chicago FM 90.6, the award winning Freek FM 101.8 and Ice FM 88.4. We bring to you recordings of those prized sets of DJ EZ in his quest to fame as his career was elevated to the dizzy heights. On Thursday 9th April 1998, EZ sadly put an end to his pirate radio career, and was signed by London's commercial radio radio station Kiss FM (a former pirate radio station that went legal). This didn't spell an end to his underground success as EZ remained as a conduit between the underground scene and mainstream, helping promote performers and producers on his shows. EZ was known for his exceptional hosting skills and always hosted his shows. His sets were dubbed "The Flava Zone" because their vast selection of UK Garage flavours from different eras and different subcategories of Garage music. It's fair to say EZ catered for everyone's taste, from his desired selection of old school 4x4 Garage, vocal soulful grooves, 2 Step dark bassline tracks and breakbeat flavours. He catered for the music connoisseurs and for the MCs. DJ EZ featured at all the big name events of the Garage era, Underground Explosion, Freek'N You, Cookies & Cream, 4Play, Exposure, La Cosa Nostra, Pure Silk, Sun City, Garage Nation, Twice As Nice, United Dance, Club Sidewinder, Garage Fever, Licence 2 Rave, Liberty, Frisky, Juicey, Cream Of Da Crop and many celebrated London UK Garage events. EZ was to have a successful career DJing abroad, notably in Ayia Napa Cyprus, where all UK the big name Garage events threw their own Garage parties for British holidaymakers aboard. This became an instant success and EZ was part of the movement that spearheaded this.
EZ is also known for his exclusive intro dub plates and studio productions. EZ's Intros always got the crowd erupting and from what is documented there was 10 separate intro tracks possibly more. His Intros still remain unreleased but are available on his Mix CDs. EZ released his first vinyl EP in 1998: DJ EZ ‎– 4 Track E.P. - "Friday", "Missin' About", "Pump It Up Star", and "It Might Be" (Undercover Kutz label, 1998). In 2001, EZ set up his own record label: Z Recordings, releasing: EZ‎– The Next Chapter EP - "Want You Back", "Just Don't Understand", "Hard 4 4 For You", and Rockin' (2001).
A year later EZ set up second record label: One Recordings. Sadly, it only saw two releases with the first: One For All EP - The Sign (Evil 4/4 Mix), Hesi '99, and M.I.3. (Made In 30 Mins) (Version One) (2002). The second release: EZ ‎– "Just Turn It Up" and "The Overground" (2003).
Note that DJ EZ became more popular after the successful consecutive volume releases by Pure Garage (licensed to Warner Music): Pure Garage I, Pure Garage II, Pure Garage III, Pure Garage IV, Pure Garage V, Pure Garage Platinum, Also recording a Mix CD for Ministry Of Sound: DJ EZ The Essential Garage Collection (2009). Along with the 2013 release of: DJ EZ ‎– Fabriclive 71 (part of the FABRICLIVE mix compilation series). In recent years DJ EZ has been known for the championing the UK Garage revival movement playing sets at festivals, We Are FSTVL, 51st State, Sidewinder Festival, Garage Nation Festival, Reading Festival, V Festival, South West Four Festival, Dour Festival, Mint Festival, Outlook Festival and many other well known festivals in the UK and abroad. He also received a lot positive praise for playing an epic 24 hour set on Boiler Room channel during the COVID-19 lockdown 2020: The DJ EZ - 24 Hour Non-stop Set.

Out to all the London FM pirates of the past. Here's a list of some of our most loved pirate radio stations in frequency order from 1989-2006:
Flava FM 87.6 / Shine FM 87.9 / Rude FM 88.2 / Impact FM 88.2 / Centreforce FM 88.3 / Unity FM 88.4 / Conflict FM 88.4 / Ice FM 88.4 / London Underground FM 89.4 / Defection FM 89.4 / Raw FM 90.0 / Raw Mission 90.0 / Pure Magic FM 90.2 / Pulse FM 90.6 / Chicago FM 90.6 / Mission FM 90.6 / Y2K FM 90.6 / Rinse FM 91.8 / Passion FM 91.8 / Weekend Rush FM 92.3 / Kik FM 92.3 / Deja Vu FM 92.3 / Taste FM 92.5 / Mac FM 92.7 / Freeze FM 92.7 / Format FM 93.2 / Touchdown FM 94.1 / Kool FM 94.5 / Origin FM 95.2 / Entice FM 95.5 / Heat FM 96.6 / Cyndicut FM 97.8 / Fantasy FM 98.6 / Future FM 99.1 / Upfront FM 99.3 / Rinse FM 100.3 / Pressure FM 100.4 / Don FM 100.5 / Eruption FM 101.3 / Erotic FM 101.3 / Industry FM 101.3 / Freek FM 101.8 / Chillin’ FM 102.9 / Delight FM 103.0 / Flex FM 103.6 / Smoove FM 104.0 / Rude FM 104.3 / Ruud Awakening FM 104.3 / Don FM 105.7 / Force FM 106.5 / Girls FM 106.8 / Dream FM 107.6 / Don FM 107.9.
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