Ellis Dee is one of rave’s most respected foundational DJs, with a career in DJing and music production spanning over 35 years. Today many still refer respectfully to him as The Captain. Ellis Dee was just 15 when he first stepped behind the decks, DJing at parties and small venues. A couple of years later, in 1987, the UK woke up to the rise of Acid House—the new sound that would ignite a cultural revolution.
Even as a young DJ, he saw first-hand the transformative power of the music—and everything that came with it. He was immediately drawn to the rave culture movement and became a key figure in shaping its early days. At the start of the Acid House movement Roy, alongside a few like-minded friends, started by putting on underground raves in a South London garage called Rave in the Cave. The notorious party lasted six months before it was shut down by the police.
By the following year, Roy had adopted the DJ name Ellis Dee and was gaining a reputation as a master of the dancefloor. Around the same time, he began a two-year stint as a pirate radio DJ on Sunrise Radio. In 1989, he stepped into music production, collaborating with future Breaks pioneer Rennie Pilgrem and Nick Newton as Rhythm Section.
Ellis Dee was also one of only two resident DJs for the legendary World Dance Organisation—the other being ex-DMC champion and Drum & Bass legend DJ Hype.
By the early ’90s, he was headlining iconic raves like Telepathy, Raindance, and Fantazia, standing shoulder to shoulder with legends like Carl Cox, Grooverider, Slipmatt, Ratpack and many more. His mixtapes from these events remain sought-after classics.
During this era, he also launched Ellis Dee Project, delivering rave anthems like Rock to the Max and Desire. However, the UK rave scene took a hit with the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act in 1994. While the movement was forced underground, Ellis Dee continued his journey, touring Florida with Breaks guru Rennie Pilgrem.
With the decline of rave, Drum & Bass took center stage—and Ellis Dee adapted seamlessly. He became one of the UK’s most recognized D&B DJs and co-founded Collusion Records with DJ Swan-E. Around this time, he also produced and remixed Where Did I Go Wrong for UB40.
By the late ’90s, his focus shifted to Breakbeat. He launched the Breaks label Point Breaks alongside his partner Syrus while still running Collusion Records. He reunited with Rennie Pilgrem, releasing music on Pilgrem’s TCR (Thursday Club Recordings) label, including a 2003 remix of the critically acclaimed Hedonizm album.
From Acid House to Jungle, Hardcore, Drum & Bass, Breaks, and most recently, Rave House, Ellis Dee has ridden every wave of club culture. He has played all over the world including events in Ibiza, Berlin, Tenerife, Canada, USA, Australia, Russia and Japan.
Ellis Dee has appeared at many iconic events worth mentioning over the years, including Energy, Telepathy, Vision, Universe, Fantazia, Dreamscape, Moondance, Raindance, World Dance, United Dance, Rezurrection, Elevation, Helter Skelter, Slammin’ Vinyl, Labyrinth and Amnesia House.
Today, he splits his time between DJing, music production, and running a classic car garage. His understanding of club music remains as sharp as ever.
In Ellis Dee, the rave spirit still lives on.
