Eddie Halliwell

Different DJ subgenres require distinctive skill sets. Turntablists working in a down-tempo mode, for instance, need subtlety and grace, whereas those who specialize in maximizing the beats per minute require quicksilver instincts and an ability to react instantaneously that borders on the athletic. The current king of the latter style is Eddie Halliwell, a twenty-something Brit who's hit the U.K. scene as hard as his most relentless tracks. His ability to merge the sort of scratching familiar to hip-hop heads with heavy trance led to him being recognized as Mixmag's top DJ last year, and Next Level BOSH! (Hard Dance Mix), released in association with the publication in October 2003, provides an excellent argument for his election. Throughout fourteen cuts by the likes of Marco Bailey and Arome, the energy never flags, and neither does the fun. Speed may kill, but what a way to go.