WGR Community Forum

# DJ Culture – Middlesbrough / North East Makina DJ When documenting the history of **Makina in the North East**, we can't concentrate only on Sunderland and Newcastle. **Teesside has its own important part of the story.** And one DJ who connects the classic New Monkey sound with the modern Teesside rave scene is: # DJ Culture Real name **Jamey Caswell**, DJ Culture is from **Middlesbrough** and has been involved in North East dance music as both a **DJ and club promoter**. His musical background covers: **Makina Bounce Hardcore Eurodance House** But for North East ravers, his name has become particularly associated with **Makina and the New Monkey sound**. ## Middlesbrough & Teesside Culture's Middlesbrough roots make him especially important to the WGR Teesside archive. Makina wasn't confined to Sunderland. The music spread throughout the North East, including: **Middlesbrough Stockton Redcar Hartlepool Darlington** Teesside developed its own DJs, MCs, promoters and rave nights while maintaining strong links with the wider North East scene. Culture became part of that network. ## The New Monkey Connection DJ Culture is now regularly billed as one of the DJs representing the **New Monkey** sound. That places him alongside names including: **DJ Scott DJ Matrix DJ Chrissy G DJ Rikki King DJ Quest DJ Direct DJ Nitro** The New Monkey sound combined fast Spanish Makina and European dance music with the distinctive rapid-fire MC style that developed in North East England. For many ravers, it became a sound in its own right. ## Culture & Nitro One surviving mix that demonstrates Culture's musical roots is: **DJs Culture & Nitro – Makina Monkey Summer Mix** uploaded in 2015. The tracklist is packed with the type of music associated with North East Makina, including Spanish material and New Monkey-related tracks. It includes music from: **DJ Skryker Inspire Virtual Tracks DJ Dani Connection** alongside the famous Makina vocal: **Summer Dreams of Love** It's exactly the sort of mixture that kept the Monkey sound circulating years after the original club had closed. ## Dimensional – 2007 Culture can also be traced back through surviving recordings from the 2000s. One preserved set is: **Dimensional – 20 April 2007** featuring: **DJ Culture** with: **MC Impulse B2B MC Stretch** That gives us a useful historical link between Culture and two established North East MCs. It also shows that his involvement goes considerably further back than the current Makina revival. ## The Modern North East Makina Scene Culture has remained involved while the scene has changed around him. Tapes became CDs. CDs became MP3s. Old rave forums gave way to Facebook, YouTube and SoundCloud. But Makina never completely disappeared. Culture continued playing the music and became involved in promoting events as well. ## Initialize One of the most important parts of Culture's current story is: # INITIALIZE Culture's own artist profile says he owns and manages brands including: **Initialize Initialize Live Lounge Definition Of Bounce** Initialize has become particularly relevant to the modern Teesside rave scene, bringing large line-ups of DJs and MCs into **Middlesbrough**. This isn't simply somebody playing old records for nostalgia. It's helping provide somewhere for the culture to continue. ## Valentine's Ball – Middlesbrough 2026 A great example came at the **Initialize Valentine's Ball** at the Middlesbrough Empire on **13 February 2026**. The event featured **25 DJs and 35 MCs across two rooms**. And right in the middle of the event was a dedicated: # THE NEW MONKEY set featuring: **DJ Chrissy G B2B DJ Culture** with: **MC Tazo MC Tempo MC Turbo D** That's a serious collection of North East Makina names under one roof. The wider bill included: **Browny Cliffy Jason Bushby Anth Hopper Project 88 Telf Cromo** with MCs including: **G-Force Stretch Impulse Ace Trance Rocking** and many more. It shows just how strongly the old and new generations remain connected. ## Boiler Room – Newcastle 2026 Then came another major moment. On **28 March 2026**, Boiler Room returned to Newcastle for a dedicated **Makina showcase at NX Newcastle**. The line-up was: **Nanna Makina DJ Skudero Monica X Chrissy G x Ollie B DJ Culture** Culture's appearance is particularly interesting historically. The line-up connected the **North East Makina scene directly with major Spanish Makina names**. That relationship goes right back to the foundations of the North East sound. ## From Middlesbrough to Boiler Room Culture subsequently uploaded his complete Boiler Room performance as: **DJ CULTURE – BOILER ROOM – NX NEWCASTLE – 28-03-2026** For somebody whose story is rooted in the North East underground scene, appearing at a dedicated Boiler Room Makina showcase demonstrates just how far the music has travelled. Makina spent years being dismissed outside the region as a niche North East rave sound. Yet in 2026, here it was being showcased internationally through Boiler Room. And a **Middlesbrough DJ** was representing it. ## Keeping Makina Moving Forward Culture's story is slightly different from simply looking back at an old New Monkey tape. He connects several periods of the scene. There are recordings from the **2000s**. There are Monkey-style mixes from the **2010s**. And today there are **Initialize events and Boiler Room appearances**. That continuity matters. Rave scenes survive when people continue organising events, finding venues, booking performers and introducing the music to another generation. ## Teesside's Part in the Story The Teesside contribution to North East Makina deserves much more recognition. Through our WGR research we've already encountered Middlesbrough and Teesside names including: **MC Banks MC Tempo MC Hyper MC Rocking MC Glocky MC Jester** and DJs and promoters connected with the same wider scene. DJ Culture adds another important piece. His story helps connect **Middlesbrough and Teesside with the wider North East Makina movement**. ## Why DJ Culture Matters DJ Culture represents both the history and continuation of North East Makina. He's a **Middlesbrough DJ**. He can be traced through surviving 2000s recordings. He's strongly associated with the New Monkey sound. He's performed alongside established North East MCs. He's involved in promoting modern Teesside events through Initialize. And in 2026 he represented Makina at **Boiler Room in Newcastle**. That's a story worth preserving. --- # Do You Remember DJ Culture? Did you hear **DJ Culture back in the 2000s**? Did you see him with **Impulse & Stretch**? Were you at one of the old Makina events around Teesside? Or have you been to one of the newer **Initialize events at Middlesbrough Empire**? We're looking for: **Old DJ Culture CDs Mixes Flyers Photos Videos Posters Tickets Old rave website pages Teesside rave memories** Post anything you've got below. The more people contribute, the more of the **Teesside and North East Makina story** we can preserve. **Weedy Garage Radio – Keeping North East Rave History Alive.**