London, Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff… - all Brit cities with readily identifiable club scenes, artists and, more often than not, sounds. What about Southampton? At a push, some bright sparks might remember singer Craaaaig Daaaavid’s association with the coastal conurbation, and of course Defected DJ/producer Andy Daniell hails from that part of the UK, but beyond that..?

Up-and-coming Southampton-based DJ and producer Ridney is keen to explain. Ridney, an increasingly influential alter-ego for 30-something Paul Richards, belongs to a close and impressive cluster of underground music-makers on the South Coast suddenly making big noise.

“A number of us use to hang out in Southampton’s communal record shop Movement” Ridney opens. “The shop’s Saturday boy was James Zabiela; he was in charge of all the house records. At various points I'm sure Dave Spoon, Tom Budden, Alan Fitzpatrick, James Talk, Dave Robertson and myself passed through the shop. That shop was the beginning of a network where we’d swap ideas on DJ-ing and production.”

James Zabiela

Spoon has made his name as part of Radio 1’s In New DJs We Trust line-up, as well as through fiesty house releases on the Toolroom and Big Love labels; Fitzpatrick is a well-established tech producer with followers including Carl Cox and Steve Angello; Zabiela is, well, Zabiela; and Budden, Talk and Ridney are all smartly building their profiles….

It’s almost impossible to pin down one definitive Southampton sound. “We’ve all quite consciously moved in different directions” Ridney offers, “and ironically that’s what’s kept our community so sparky. We always have things to discuss and learn from one another”

For Ridney part, it’s all about a funky, party-hearty house sound akin to those classic, French Roule releases of the mid-1990s. “Roule was an amazing label, it beautifully summed up that infectious French house sound sweeping through clubland at the time” he enthuses. “The Roule sound was simple, soulful and effective; it got me into music. I like to think I’m in some part keeping that vibe alive.”

Ridney started DJ-ing in 1996 – asked by Zabiela to play a local night - but the studio came later, and his production break-through, quite a bit later than that – 2008’s CR2 collaboration with James Talk, Sunshyne: “Things have really taken off for me in the past couple of years and even some of my older tracks are getting attention now.”

Indeed, Ridney irresistibly choppy 2005 cut Pepe Le Funk has recently been championed by Radio 1’s Andy George. Meanwhile, Ridney and James Talk’s swinging revamp of seminal Pet Shop Boys tune West End Girls - released last year on Fabric Records - is still forcing its way to the front of many mainstream DJs’ CD wallets; as is last November’s solo offering Navigator.

Ridney & James Talk

And so onto the very latest Ridney rumblings - last month saw the release of tracky ‘n’ twisted peak-time bomb At Night on Defected; a self-described “synth-driven banger” that has quickly found favour with Axwell.

And today, Ridney has partnered with “Talky” for a rather unique new single – one with samples. “Forever is a bit different for us, I know” he laughs. “But we loved this particular Earth, Wind & Fire track and wanted to sample it in an original way. It’s a large French-style party tune and Pete Tong has already said "it sounds like Essential new tune material".

That, surely, should change by the time you finish this article. At any rate, there’s more Ridney goodies to come this summer; so too festival appearances alongside Talk. Has it been difficult getting to this point? “If anyone thinks it’s easy making it in dance music then they’re kidding themselves; it’s so, so tough” Ridney concludes. “You can network your arse off, or have a killer record, but that’s no guarantee of immediate success. You’ve just got to be persistent, and keep your chin up.”

He adds: “Southampton does have High Tide though; those boat parties give local newcomers a valuable opportunity to play alongside people like Josh Wink and Nic Fanciulli, and to a big crowd with no chance of escape! High Tide has cemented countless reputations and engineered several record deals for young-bloods; it’s a pivotal place.”

It’ll be interesting to see where Ridney’s own voyage of discovery takes him next….

Words: Ben Lovett

Ridney 'At Night' is out now on Defected Records - click to listen & buy