Roxy's philosophy has always been, is and will always be to bring new music to our Dlouhá 33 address. We love the timeless classics, but we equally enjoy seeing where electronic music is going and who the new artists are that are influencing the course of modern dance music. That's why we're so excited that you'll soon hear a name that has taken us to more than one exciting destination at the Roxy. Meet, the UK's best DJ of 2023, Scotland's Ewan McVicar.
SATURDAY 16/3 ➔ CLIMAX PRESENTS: EWAN MCVICAR (GB) + DJ CHRIS SADLER ➔ INFO & TICKETS
But before the respected DJ MAG magazine could announce the best UK DJ (results) a few months ago, this story was preceded by years of long nights, hours of creation, perseverance and, at the very beginning, sad events. Three months before Ewan was born, his father was killed. And while Ewan says in the interview that he would of course have wanted to change the past, it was these tragic circumstances that left him with the ambition to do great things and send positive energy into the world and connect with the people around him. And he is still doing that today!
All along, Ewan imagined for himself that he would be a teacher when he grew up. However, his first low-paid job at 17 at a local music club started a different course of events, as life does.
"I stood outside in the rain and lured people into the club. I didn't enjoy it, it was for a few pennies, so then one day I came to a DJ so I could learn from him. That's a better job than standing outside in the cold. I got a cheap mixer from him and I didn't leave the room for months. I've always loved music, and during the Limewire period I was always downloading and studying. But it was mostly a hobby that I eventually fell into."
In his home town of Ayr, he then started to organise events called 10 - named because his dad was murdered in the 10th month of 1993, because Ewan was born on January 10 in 1994, and because his grandfather, who meant a lot to him, also left this world on December 10. So he wanted to turn the recurring number ten into something positive. And whole new local community was born out of it, without which Ewan says he wouldn't be here today as a DJ.
"After each event, I went to each person on the dancefloor and thanked them for helping me reach my dream. It was never about the money we didn't even get out of it properly. It was always about the culture and the joy we shared together."
We move on to 2017 to the first production on his Soundcloud called U-10. We can already hear the influence of the 90s House and Rave genres that he often reinterpreted in his productions. Over the next three years, Ewan then independently released more singles, remixes and slowly came into wider awareness. His breakthrough year is 2020 and his first more cohesive Street Rave EP, released by Ewan's great role model Patrick Topping on his Trick label. Funky patterns, happy melodies and an oldschool vibe, but certainly not covered in dust. The EP is an instant success across the UK and fans are loving this fresh sound and new name.
He confirmed that this help from Topping meant a lot to Ewan in an interview on Capital Dance - when he mentioned two situations that really made him cry. The first time was through WhatsApp messages when Topping praised his music and pushed Ewan to give his music 100%. The second time was when the two met in person at Creamfields Festival, when it was the track Street Rave that Patrick Topping opened his set with - and Ewan McVicar ended up in tears. Music really means a lot to him and, as he says, is very emotional, as you can see in this video of his own set.
A new name on the scene, Ewan McVicar is becoming more and more on the radar of fans and labels like the legendary New York label Nervous Records, which in the 90s influenced the whole world with their releases. And that includes Roxy! This label also released the double single Love Trip / Hi Land Funk and a few months later a new EP on another respected label Shall Not Fade, which has influenced and reached the whole UK scene from Bristol. But big things are yet to come.
The biggest track of his career so far is the groovy Tell Me Something Good in 2021. Not only will it entertain you, but it also amused DJ MAG who named it the best single of the year (results) and to this date, it has been awarded platinum for sales and streams. Well deserved! We were entertained by the moment when Ewan played it at Creamfields festival and thousands of people, along with his mum on the staging, sang the chorus (video - the moment starts at 1:02h). And we hope you will sing it with us at the Roxy!
McVicar has followed up this success with more singles and remixes. He's starting to get a lot of bookings around the world, and recordings of his live sets on YouTube attracting a lot of a positive reactions from fans around the world. We definitely recommend his set from Creamfilelds festival. Energy, selection and a reference to legends like Daft Punk or The Prodigy. Just listen!
Always a cheerful and humble student of music, energetic behind the mix. You just have the love this lad. Community and friends come first for him, which is why he organised the Pavilion Festival in Ayr last year, the first-ever electronic music festival of its kind in his hometown. Over 7,000 people turned out to support the two-day event, which featured performers such as Skream and Kettama, as well as the STREETrave crew, who hosted events in his hometown between '89 and '93, and whom Ewan wanted to honor at his home festival. Rave never dies!
Thanks if you read our new article all the way here! So if you are hearing the name Ewan McVicar for the first time, we're happy for you, beacause you're about to discover his entire discography. You'll find a lot of excellent live performance footage on YouTube (we recommend his Boiler Room set, which is all made from his productions), as well as checking out his name on streaming services. He'll be performing at the Roxy on 16 March and we're really looking forward to seeing this Scottish fella!
SATURDAY 16/3 ➔ CLIMAX PRESENTS: EWAN MCVICAR (GB) + DJ CHRIS SADLER ➔ INFO & TICKETS
