Interview: Nicky Blackmarket

Nicky Blackmarket arrives in the record shop and is immediately scanning the walls for records. ‘Come on’ he says ‘I need some food.’ We decamp to a local cafe and he grabs some brekky as I explore the 35 year career of one of the UK’s most famous record sellers and DJs.

Nicky’s story pretty much tells the tale of British dance music – from the shop to pirate radio, DJing and production he’s done it all. There are few who have emerged from the rave scene of the 90’s and early 2000’s who don’t know his name. For nearly two decades he’s lived in Stroud with a relatively low profile but with a DJ date at Studio 18 looming now feels like a good time to revisit his extraordinary life.

For those of a certain age Blackmarket Records was more than just a shop. It was one of the key places underpinning the birth of hardcore, breakbeat, jungle and drum n bass. There are legendary tales of scores of DJs heading to Soho on Saturday afternoons, almost coming to blows to grab the latest white labels and new releases to furnish their sets that same evening.

It was 1990 when he took over the Soho Store – this of course, was pre the breakbeat scene he would later become known for. The shop was playing early Warp label releases such as Black Dog and pitching the records up to plus eight increasing the speed and intensity. Other key players such as Kenny Ken, DJ Rap, Ray Keith and Jumping Jack Frost would hang around the store while those coming in for house records would emerge bemused at what they were hearing.

As breakbeat and hardcore began to diverge from the acid house sound, labels would come in with white labels of this exciting new sound. Soon, many of these records would sell out straight away and key DJs, most notably Fabio and Grooverider, would have their own ‘cubby holes’ where records would be reserved. These breakbeat records were soon moved from the upstairs down in the shop as they emerged as the key sellers.

Before long the shop would be taking 100-300 copies of key records such as Valley Of The Shadows by Origin Unknown and The Helicopter Tune by Deep Blue. Within a week every copy would be gone and a full repress was required. One man would come from Switzerland every single Tuesday just to stock up on records to sell in his own shop across the continent.

By the mid 1990s with the likes of Goldie and Roni Size climbing the charts, jungle exploded into the public consciousness and Blackmarket Records was recognised as the most influential vinyl emporium in the country. Visitors would literally come in from across the world to get their hands on key tracks and record label A&R men (as they inevitably were in those days) would come in asking what acts were hot to sign up to deals.

Nicky was quick to capitalise on his newfound status. He had respected shows on many pirate radio stations of the time including Chillin’, Pulse, Eruption and Kool FM. This was not without its risks. ‘A lot of people now don’t know what we had to go through’ he recalls ‘we could go away for 2-4 years just for playing our music.’ The Department for Trade and Industry had set up a specific unit to eradicate the pirates and a cat and mouse situation emerged throughout the capital as the authorities sought to limit the broadcasts. On one occasion Nicky was broadcasting in Homerton in East London when an alert came that the police were on their way. Nicky grabbed his records, pictures and tapes and fled down the stairs, spotting the old bill approaching as he disappeared around the corner.

Gradually though, the basis of the dance music infrastructure we have today began to emerge. Nicky turned his hand to production under the moniker Nick OD and began DJing all over the UK and the world. He would zip around the country from Manchester to East London to Skegness playing to sell out crowds and has continued to do so ever since. ‘I was living the dream’ he says ‘I never took it for granted, loving giving people enjoyment.’ I mention that he’s come through those crazy years pretty unscathed while many others have fallen by the wayside one way or the other ‘ I look after myself – I eat well and have family now so I do things a little differently to back in the day!’

Its clear while Nicky is still a music lover he has other outlets in his life including his family, holidays (he’s soon off to Eurodisney) and football (a QPR and England fan). He recently went to the Euro’s semi final between England and Netherlands, a night he describes as ‘unbelievable’.

I’m curious what he thinks of today’s drum n bass scene? ‘I think its very healthy- music always comes round again. He also likes other more recent genres like dubstep recognising that ‘a lot of those early dubstep people were old junglists anyway.’ One current DJ he particularly likes is his own daughter DJ Millz – now a respected D&B dj in her own right.

For a man who has done it all, I wonder if there is anything left he wants to achieve? ‘I still run my label Kartoons and I still make records. In fact I’ve just done a deal with Kniteforce Records and they are going to put out a package of my Nick OD stuff and a special picture disco of Wild Geese which has been engineered by (huge drum n bass producer) Dillinja. I’m happy still playing music and giving enjoyment to people.’ Long may he do so…

First published in Good on Paper magazine September 2024.