In this latest episode of Hardhouse History, Paul Glazby sits down with his old friend Rich Wakley, better known to many as Filthy Rich, for a deep, honest, and at times emotional conversation spanning decades of club culture.

From the early days of handing out trance tapes at university in Leeds, Rich takes us right back to where it all began, cutting his teeth playing five nights a week at Heaven & Hell while immersed in the exploding UK club scene. What starts as a passion quickly evolves into a career, moving from trance into hard house, and eventually into the global electronic scene through his Filthy Rich alias.

The episode dives into his evolution as an artist, from those early residencies to producing alongside some of the biggest names in the industry and forming the Spectre project with Paul Maddox. It's a story of growth, reinvention, and constantly adapting to the shifting sounds of electronic music.

But this isn't just a highlight reel. Rich opens up about the realities behind the scenes, the pressure to produce, the stigma around working with engineers, and the ever-changing landscape of DJ culture. He speaks candidly about how COVID hit at the worst possible time for Spectre, halting momentum just as things were peaking, and the difficult transition into full-time work outside of music.

What follows is one of the most raw parts of the conversation, as Rich reflects on loss, identity and the challenge of rediscovering passion after stepping away from something that defined his life. It’s honest, relatable and something many in the industry will connect with.

This is Hardhouse History at its best: real stories, real people, and the reality behind the music.

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• Were you part of the Leeds club scene, Kiss Da Funk, or those early 2000s hard house nights?
• What's your memory of that era, the music, the people or the moments?

Drop your stories in the comments and tag someone you were on the dancefloor with.

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In this episode of Hardhouse History, Paul Glazby flips the script and sits down with Dexter Jones, the man behind the Dexter Jones Podcast, for a brutally honest and wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond the decks.

Dexter's story starts early, growing up around the late 80s underground rave scene, where illegal warehouse parties were part of everyday life. From those formative years through to discovering house music at events like Strawberry Sundays in London, this episode captures the raw, unfiltered energy of a scene built on obsession and community.

From there, the conversation dives into Dexter's time in Ibiza, where he became deeply embedded in the worker culture. From running wild underground parties and boat events to helping shape the infamous Shipwrecked and Slut Party concepts, it's a look at an era that simply couldn't exist today. The freedom, the chaos and the consequences are all laid bare.

But this episode isn't just about the highs. Dexter opens up about the darker side of that lifestyle, including years of heavy drinking, addiction and the toll it took on his life. In one of the episode's most powerful moments, he shares the turning point that led him to sobriety, choosing family over self-destruction and rebuilding his life from the ground up.

Now based in Croatia, Dexter has reinvented himself, building a successful social media business, launching his own podcast, and continuing to shape culture from a different angle. It's a story of resilience, reinvention and understanding what really matters.

This is one of the most honest conversations in Hardhouse History to date.

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Were you part of the Ibiza worker era or those early underground parties?

What's your memory of that time, the chaos, the music or the people?

Drop your stories in the comments and tag someone who lived it with you.

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In this episode of Hardhouse History, Paul sits down with one of the scene's most respected figures, Johnny Dangerous, to unpack a journey that runs deep through the foundations of hard house culture. From record shops in the heart of Doncaster Warehouse to the pages of M8 Magazine and eventually into the inner workings of Tidy, this is a story packed with history, influence and perspective.

Johnny takes us back to the mid-90s, when the Doncaster Warehouse was in full flight, running all-night licences and acting as a hub for ravers, DJs and vinyl culture. Operating out of a small cupboard turned record shop, he was at the centre of a movement, supplying tracks to DJs across the UK, including the legendary Tony De Vit. It's a proper reminder of how grassroots the scene really was, built on passion, hustle and community.

The conversation dives into Johnny's early influences, from 80s synth pop and hip hop through to the harder European sounds that would eventually shape hard house. There's a fascinating look at how multiple genres collided to create the sound we now know, proving there was never just one path into the scene.

We also get insights into his time as a journalist, interviewing some of the biggest names in dance music and documenting the culture as it evolved. Plus, stories from inside Tidy during its peak years, giving a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most important labels in the genre.

This episode isn't just about nostalgia; it’s about understanding where hard house came from, how it evolved, and where it might be heading next.

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