Yorkshire is an area with a deep rooted history in Britain’s electronic music industry. Producing some of the nation’s best respected artist, clubs and festivals, it is a place that has constantly been at the forefront of the scene and one that has helped to push it forward, both on the dancefloor and in the studio.

Following in the footsteps of some true legends, Watky is another example of the abundance of talent continuously emerging from the region.

Hailing from Kingston Upon Hull, on the banks of the river Humber, Watky’s first began DJing in 2012, although his love affair with music started long before then, after being exposed to his mother’s collection of motown and soul records as a child, something which has left a mark on his style to this date.

Watky also takes inspiration from electronic artists such as Dale Howard, Seb Zito, Ben Rau, William Djoko & Enzo Siragusa. Watky has talking threads of inspiration from all of these influences and weaved them all together to create the truly unique tapestry that is his sound.

Like many of those before him, Watky spent his time mastering his trade as a humble bedroom DJ before graduating to local bars where he soon began to make a name for himself. His first experience as a club DJ was the result of a fortuitous situation, stepping into the limelight as cover for a fellow DJ who was running late, Watky took to his new surroundings like a duck to water and soon after was enlisted as a warm up DJ at Hull’s Sugar Mill club.

Following two years in Sugar Mill, now known as Atik, Watky made the move to House Of Tequila where he would make the next steps in his career and mature as a DJ and performer, leaning towards the sound of house, deep house and tech house. It was during this time that Watky met his future business partner Khyle Black, with the pair going on to co-own ILLICIT Music, the party brand and label that would allow the pair to showcase their skills and sound on a much grander scale.

With Watky at the helm, ILLICIT was quickly established as one of Yourkshire’s most in demand party brands and before long found itself in Leeds’ infamous MiNT Club, even playing with fellow Hullensian wAFF at the club’s now legendary closing party.

Watky quickly made his mark on MiNT, regularly appearing at MiNT Warehouse, performing with Knee Deep in Sound at MiNT Festival and even going on tour as a MiNT resident, playing for the brand in Milan’s Site Club. With appearances at events like these, Watky often finds himself rubbing shoulders with some of the industry’s biggest names and has never looked out of place performing alongside the likes of Loco Dice, Hot Since 82, Green Velvet, Guti, Seb Zito and Richy Ahmed.

With ILLICIT Music moving from strength to strength and about to embark on a summer long tour that will see the brand throw parties in Leeds, Oldham, Darlington, Lincoln, Hull and Birmingham, Watky has also used the label as a platform to launch his own productions since he began to make music in 2016. In that time, Watky has also released music on may of the industry’s best respected labels, including Twisted Fusion, Lost Audio, Deeperfect, Under No Illusion and 303 Lovers. With support for his tracks coming from the likes of Loco Dice, Joseph Capriati and Marco Carola, it is no surprise his 2018 track Columbus, produced with partner Khyle Black, is Twisted Fusion’s second best selling release of all time.

With an array of bookings, an ILLICIT Music tour and a number of releases on the way for Watky later this year, it is clear that he is an artist who will be in demand in the coming weeks and months and one you can expect to see in a venue near you very soon.