Biography: The Digital Blonde

[A-Cube]

This is the most recent biography of The Digital Blonde that goes back to 2003

Hard dance master Rikki Smith aka Digital Blonde has been delving into the realms of hard dance DJ’ing and production since the tender age of 15. Rikki is a highly talented down to earth man who describes himself as a bit of a Jekyl and Hyde in character! Rikki has always maintained a day job and currently works a 9-5 day job. However, his passion for producing has always presided above the rest as he spends the twilight hours up in his studio mastering the sounds of the Trance future!

As far as the alias Digital Blonde goes, Digital Blonde originally consisted of two like-minded individuals who whilst at ‘Raindance’ in 1992 had a sudden burst of inspiration! The laser display featured blonde silver suited dancers that appeared blue under the light of the laser, this inspired the boys to name their Production duo Digital Blonde! However, with passions lying in other areas one half of the team left the collaboration leaving Rikki to pursue his career as a top class Hard Dance DJ and producer single-handed.

With regards his sound, Rikki describes it as Hard euro Trance with lots of strings and tribal influences. He gets a lot of inspiration from all areas of hard dance and has massive respect for the likes of John ‘00’ Fleming, Tiesto and Ferry Corsten who share a mutual respect and understanding one another’s careers. However, Rikki does not fail to point that he draws influence no matter how little from the likes of Ian Van Dal who he listens to in his car!!!

Up to the present day and since his first appreciation of the harder edged sound Rikki has been signed to several hard dance labels. At the tender age of 16 Rikki was signed up to Warrior Records where he stunned them with his production genius and began to make a name for himself on the scene.

The early nineties saw Rikki move on to Belgian based label Clip Records who went on to produce the legendary ‘Pump Up The Jam’ by Technotronic! Moving to Manifesto Records Rikki produced the classic tune ‘Anthiem’ on Positive Projects, where Judge Jules signed the tune to Manifesto.

Following from this Digital Blonde produced the highly successful ‘Electra’ on Perfect World Records, which was a massive success across the board. Now loyal to the Joof stable with John Fleming’s full support, Digital Blonde has produced awesome tunes.

‘Mooga’ one of Rikki’s recent productions is out this month on Joof. This release includes both a harder edged mix and a chill out mix, both mixes are quality productions. The track has the likes of Judge Jules, Oakenfold and Tiesto but to name a few brandishing their seal of approval. Productions also under Rikki’s belt include ‘Gothica’ and ‘Noctone’ which play upon the more eerie elements of Trance!

On another level Digital Blonde has more quality production in the pipeline, this time for Sugar Free Music, which he describes as “Holiday Music” we’ll have to see what he means by that! Additionally, Rikki has projects coming out on Bonzai later in the year ‘Laptrancer’ being one of them.

Digital Blonde’s aims for the future are as simple and down to earth as his nature, he wants to carry on in the same vain and if his projects are successful then that is a bonus. As Rikki draws his inspiration from a variety of genres, experience and history within hard dance culture it is advisable to watch this space for his future projects and collaborations on Joof Recordings and Sugar Free Music.

Production aliases:
The Digital Blonde
Production discography:
The Digital Blonde - Antheum Fluid / Knights 1996
The Digital Blonde - Electra React 178 / Free for All 2000
The Digital Blonde - Heaven '99 Perfect World 1999
The Digital Blonde - Laptrancer Unreleased 2003
The Digital Blonde - Legato JOOF 05 2001
The Digital Blonde - Legato 2002 Unreleased 2002
The Digital Blonde - Mooga Liquid Asset 2002
The Digital Blonde - Noctone Unreleased 2001
The Digital Blonde - Optica Free for All 2000
The Digital Blonde - Reborn & Bangin Positive Project 1995
The Digital Blonde - Stars Positive Project 1995
The Digital Blonde - Sutra JOOF 05 2001
Remix discography:
Amen - People of Love (Digital Blonde Mix) Feverpitch / People 1997
Andora - Bladerunner (The Digital Blonde Mix) Infusion 1999
Ariel - Deep (I'm Falling Deeper) (Digital Blonde Mix) Wonderboy / Pilot 1996
Austin Leeds & Jason Dunne ft. Vanessa - Stay With Me (The Digital Blonde's For Unknown 1996
Beetseekers - Walk of Notes (Digital Blonde Mix) JOOF 010 2003
Casino - Sound of Eden (Digital Blonde Mix) Worx 1997
Coyote - Spirit's Dancing (Digital Blonde Mix) Stress 1996
Elcka - Pleasure (Digital Blonde Mix) Island 738 1999
Friends of Matthew - Out There '99 (Digital Blonde Mix) Perfect World 1999
Generation X - Kooky Ballerina (Digital Blonde Mix) Slamm 2001
Isha-D - Stay (Digital Blonde Mix) DMC 169 1997
Jeremy Healy & Amos - Argentina (Digital Blonde Mix) Positiva 074 1996
John 00 Fleming - Lost in Emotion (Digital Blonde Mix) React 170 1999
Octavia - Katria (Digital Blonde's Europa Mix) Fluid 1998
Sandman - Coimbra (Digital Blonde Mix) XL 1995
Suseto - Arcane (Digital Blonde Mix) Init Records 2000
The Def Set - Ogo (The Digital Blonde's End of an Era Mix) Fluid 004 1999
The Digital Blonde - Mooga (Digital Blonde Pinned Mix) Liquid Asset 2002
The Digital Blonde - Mooga (Digital Blonde's Comfortably Numb Mix) Unreleased 2002
Vincent de Moor - Flowtation (Digital Blonde Mix) XL 82 1997
Yazoo - Don't Go (Digital Blonde Instrumental Mix) Mute 1999


http://www.ivibes.nu/index.php?show=Artist&id=94

[Shy--Ism]

Are you trying to poke someone with this ?

[Genesis]

I'm poked!

You might want to update his discography.

He has an alliance with John 00 Fleming to form 00.db
He has released his depute album in 2005: Synthology as The Digital
Blonde and also released with John 00 Fleming another artist album under
00.db entitled Heaven and Hell.

To make the most of a Digital Blonde experience, you have to see him live
(proper live - meaning a production gear as a deck) with J00F.
00.db live is not to be missed...

Anyway, very atmospheric and charged sound. Love his style though I
feel the need to listen to something a bit edgier afterwards.
One of the reasons he's not so famous is because he doesn't DJ. He only
produces. You don't find many of those people around.

[A-Cube]