DJ Dextrous

Dextrous
DJ Dextrous
Background information
Birth name	Errol Francis
Origin	UK
Genres	Jungle, Drum and Bass, Jazz fusion, Broken Beat, Nu Jazz, R'n'B, Urban Fusion, Funk, Dub music
Years active	1987–present
Labels	State of the Art Recordings, Subversive Recordings, King of the Jungle Records, Suburban Base, Renegade Recordings, Creative Source, Sony, Subliminal Records, SUAD Records/Ruff Quality, Dynamite Joint, Karma Giraffe, Narcotix Records, Phuturistic Bluez, Genetic Stress, Moving Shadow

Errol Francis, better known as DJ Dextrous, and also as Dextrous or Dex, is a British composer and producer. He has received Ivor Novello Award. He was also nominated for a Royal Television Society Award for the Best Original Music for TV in 2003.

Dextrous was born and raised in Stoke Newington, London Borough of Hackney, London, England. He was class-mates with DJ Hype, Smiley and PJ from the group Shut Up and Dance, DJed at Brooke House Secondary School, where he played trumpet in the brass band, and sang in the school choir. Rude Boy Keith, his partner from their King of the jungle record label also attended the boys school at the same time, as well as Daddy Earl (twin brother of Smiley and DJ Hype's MC).

Dextrous took his DJing up a gear when he started to play at parties and small clubs in 1987. At around the same time he began putting his studio together, based around an Atari 520STFM, Casio HT3000 keyboard, Casio CZ-101 Synth and Yamaha TX7 Sound Module. He released his first record in 1992, on Ruff Quality Recordings (the sister label of Shut Up and Dance Records) entitled "Ruffneck Biznizz" which topped the Kiss FM House Charts. This track was one of the precursors to the Jungle scene, with its speed up breakbeats and reggae/dub bass-lines. In 1993 Dextrous met Teebone and they started producing together under a number of alias' including Fusion Forum, producing tracks like Vintage Keys and Summer Mist, signed to the Reinforced Record Label.

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