Forgot About Dan Debut Mix
Episode 3/26
Forgot About Dan
Accomplished DJ Dan Kelly steps back into the limelight under his latest moniker, Forgot About Dan, with a vibrant guest for our podcast mix series. Drawing on over 20 years of experience - from running the legendary Electrik Shandy to holding down Ibiza residencies at Café Mambo - Dan has curated an 18-track journey that perfectly balances sunshine-soaked deep house with gritty underground "heaters." The hour-long set features six unreleased productions and a nod to his UK roots with garage-influenced beats and nostalgic old-school remixes. Designed to transition from a summer BBQ vibe to a driven, club-ready energy, it’s a soulful, skippy masterclass meant to lift your mood whether you're on a dancefloor or a rainy morning commute.
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Artist Interview
...I’ve released 250+ tracks across different labels and genres...
Please introduce yourself to those unfamiliar with your DJ sound.
Alright! I’m Dan Kelly. Originally from Devon, but I crossed the border a few years ago and I’m Cornwall based now.
I’ve been making and DJ’ing electronic music for 20+ years, and I’ve honestly been through a lot of sounds over that time. Back in the day I co-owned Electrik Shandy, which became one of the UK’s leading Hard Trance and Hard Dance labels, and I was a resident for Premonition and Distortion at C103 in Plymouth, plus many many other parties and festivals around the South West.
Around 2012 I made the move from the faster trance stuff into tech and deep house, and I launched Milk Box Music. That chapter took me to Ibiza for about four years, where I held multiple residencies, including Club Culture at Café Mambo, the legendary Ultraviolet at Play2 on the West End, plus boat parties and club nights across the island.
Production wise, I’ve released 250+ tracks across different labels and genres, and my influences come from growing up on UK sounds. Drum and Bass, Garage, House, Hard House, Hard Trance, Grime, UK Hip Hop, and I’ve always had a massive soft spot for 80s music too.
The last three years I’ve been a bit quieter musically. My son was born, life got busy, business got hectic. But over the last 12 months I’ve been back in the studio with a proper renewed passion, and I’m enjoying it more than ever because I’m making music for the love of it, not chasing anything.
That’s where my new alias Forgot About Dan comes from. It’s basically the sound of everything I’ve done musically, finally landing in one place.
Expect faster BPMs, 130+, 2 step and garage influenced house, techy and deep basslines, soulful vocals, and a bit of dub and ragga flavour when it feels right. I genuinely feel like I’m settled into my sound now, and I think I’m making the best music I’ve ever made.
I wanted this mix to work just as well for a summer BBQ as it does as a mood improver in the car on a rainy Cornish morning on the way to work.
What are your highlights of the past year and what is planned for the future?
The biggest highlight this year has been getting properly back in the studio and finishing 13 tracks that I’m genuinely proud of.
The debut Forgot About Dan EP dropped on 3rd February on Naughty Steppers Records. Four garage tracks that really represent that side of my sound.
Looking ahead, the plan is consistency and enjoyment. Over the next 12 months I’m aiming to release either an EP or a single every month, keep building momentum, and keep creating whenever I can.
I’ll be playing selective gigs too. Next one is Cosmic Kitchen, Plymouth on 28th February, which I’m buzzing for. It’s my favourite venue, and the crew there are proper old friends.
But yeah, the main goal is just to enjoy it again. No pressure. Just good music and good vibes.
Tell us something positive to inspire future artists.
Just keep going. If you enjoy it, keep doing it. Do it for the love of it, because people can feel that.
What artists have inspired your DJ style?
There’s honestly too many to list over 20+ years, but for the last few years I’ve been heavily inspired by the new wave of UKG and bumping house artists. People like Soul Mass Transit System, Silva Bumpa, Rizla Teef, Main Phase, Instinct, plus loads of the modern house / garage crossover selectors pushing that proper UK swing and bass.
Talk us through your podcast mix track selection.
For this mix I picked a bunch of tracks that have made me happy over the last six months, plus six unreleased Forgot About Dan productions.
It’s 18 tracks across an hour, and it leans into the more vocal, sunshine, dare I say 'commercial' deeper side of my sound, but with a couple of underground heaters thrown in for good measure.
I wanted it to be a journey. Starting in that melodic, garage influenced house space, then gradually moving into something more driven and rolling, with moments where it tips into the more upfront club energy.
There are also a few remixes of old school tracks in there that mean a lot to me. Tunes I can point to and say yeah that shaped me when it first came out.
Basically, I wanted this mix to work just as well for a summer BBQ as it does as a mood improver in the car on a rainy Cornish morning on the way to work.
Smiles, skippy heavy beats, soulful vocals. Hope you enjoy it!
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