CJ Mackintosh

CJ Mackintosh

CJ Mackintosh is a British DJ and remixer associated with dance music and club culture. Born in Paris and raised in London, he begins DJing at 15, when he and his 17-year-old brother set up their own sound system and start playing house parties in south London. Their early sets mix disco, jazz, funk, soul and early hip hop.

Early club work and breakthrough

He gets his first professional booking at Flim Flam, an underground night in south-east London run by Jonathon More of Coldcut. In 1987 he wins the UK title in the DMC Mix Championship, which helps establish him as a sought-after DJ and remixer.

Production, remixing and live work

Dave Dorrell asks him to join Nasty Rox Inc, one of the early acts to combine rock and dance with a DJ performing alongside live instruments. The group gains attention from the style press, tours widely and records an album with Trevor Horn. Mackintosh then continues a busy remix career, working on tracks by C&C Music Factory, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, De La Soul, Inner City, PiL and Coldcut, among others. He also releases several mix albums.

Love Happy and Ministry of Sound

His Love Happy project charts in 1995 with Message of Love. His experience as a travelling DJ and his ability to move across genres lead to a residency at the Ministry of Sound in the mid-1990s, where he remains a regular until 1997. He keeps a low profile as a performer, preferring the music to take the focus.