A distinct sort of British invasion had EDM followers in a trance on the Queen Mary in Lengthy Seaside.
Armed with turntables, social media-star-turned-professional-party-starter Fish56Octagon made his U.S. pageant debut Nov. 21 and 22 at Insomniac’s Dreamstate SoCal, the place he carried out alongside among the world’s most preeminent digital artists, together with Tiësto, Paul Oakenfold, Gareth Emery, Ferry Corsten and Chicane.
Fish, as he’s referred to as, is a 46-year-old from the London suburbs who joined TikTok on a drunken whim after being launched to the app by buddies in 2021. Now boasting over one million followers throughout platforms, he’s seen his life flip due to that selection — quitting a full-time advertising and marketing profession to change into a DJ, produce music and play units at among the world’s greatest music festivals within the 4 years since he uploaded his first video.
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Although his preliminary put up was about his watch assortment, the self-described “petrol head” rapidly went deep into creating content material about vehicles and made a profitable aspect hustle inside a pair years. Crossover between auto fanatics and the music lovers in his viewers meant the dance songs he used to soundtrack his automotive movies and sporadic vinyl-haul unboxings spawned passionate dialogue within the feedback in regards to the traditional rave songs Fish was sharing with the world.
He additionally benefited from an unintentional, scroll-stopping visible hook repeated throughout movies born from his employer asking him to make sure it didn’t seem like he was posting throughout enterprise hours: middle-aged, skinny and bald, dropping dad strikes in entrance of his sprawling Technics decks and pumping his fists to the beat between bites of Weetabix biscuits, all whereas carrying a crimson and black dressing robe (what Individuals would name a gown), gifted to Fish’s spouse by his mom.
Display shot of Fish DJing on TikTok in his bathrobe
(TikTok)
“That robe is elegant,” wrote a fan within the feedback.
“It was legit my mum’s however she discovered it too scorching,” Fish responded.
“You a similar construct as your mum” one other individual wrote again, punctuating the remark with a sweating smiley face emoji.
Fish additionally started to livestream on TikTok late into the night time, taking part in his personal mixes for the primary time in 20 years.
“I bear in mind seeing individuals commenting on the Stay going, ‘Mate, we have been watching you earlier than we went out. We’ve simply gone on an entire night time out in our metropolis, come again and also you’re nonetheless right here taking part in,’” Fish mentioned. “I simply find it irresistible. Sharing and having the ability to get out these obscure data. Typically it’s the massive anthems everybody is aware of and typically it’s a tune that was an anthem to me.”
He’s had a decades-long training in digital music. Fish was launched to the style on the cusp of his teen years by means of an episode of the British detective present “Inspector Morse.” One episode occurred within the unlawful rave scene and he thought it appeared like enjoyable to celebration in an previous warehouse.
Fish’s style rapidly developed by listening to pirate radio and vinyl. He pieced collectively his first setup with two hi-fi document gamers his dad had within the attic. Just one had pitch management. He realized to beatmatch by plugging a participant into all sides of his amplifier and utilizing the stability knob to fade between them. He was given Soundlab DLP-1 belt-driven turntables for his birthday and his obsession accelerated over the subsequent a number of years.
Fish56Octagon performing on the Dreamstate music pageant in Lengthy Seaside.
(Niyaz Pirani)
“By then I used to be simply spending each penny that I had on vinyl constructing my document assortment up. It was all rave music, early old style, hardcore jungle, after which joyful hardcore, drum and bass round that type of time, early to mid-’90s,” he mentioned. “I performed fairly a couple of home events.”
He grew to become a de-facto resident DJ in school, spinning vinyl within the pupil union, and dabbled in music manufacturing on the identical time. He finally offered his analog equipment and synthesizers when he switched to Ableton. He downsized his document assortment as he transformed them to MP3s.
The calls for of his post-college advertising and marketing profession meant the DJ dream disappeared for a few years. That was till his TikTok Stay units gave him a second likelihood as membership promoters reached out within the hope of reserving him. Fish admits a insecurity brought about him to remain on the sidelines. It was a proposal in February 2024 to play a solo present at Hidden in Manchester — about the identical time he switched his channel over fully to music — that acquired him out of his home and onto a stage.
“Even when I wasn’t positive that folks would come, I knew that anybody that did come can be coming to see me,” he mentioned. “ … I ended up placing an evening on the place I performed for 5 hours straight, simply me from the begin to the tip. When the tickets went on sale, it offered out a very good couple of months earlier than the occasion.”
Fish puzzled if it was a one-off occasion or the start of a life-changing run. Then the affords got here in from different huge U.Okay. cities — FishTales in Newcastle; acid techno at Beaverworks in Leeds; raves in Liverpool and Birmingham. He employed an agent. Dropped some merch.
“Unsure how this occurred! However I’m right here for it and hope you’re too,” he wrote on-line.
A 20-date summer season tour featured three totally different units on the famed Glastonbury Competition, and appearances at Studying and Creamfields. He additionally traveled to Eire, Scotland and Malta, marking his first time taking part in professionally exterior of England.
He give up his day job in August 2024 to DJ and deal with music manufacturing full time with the help of his spouse, youngsters and fogeys.
“They help me although it comes at a value that I can’t all the time spend as a lot time with them, however they perceive that I’m following my dream, following my ardour, and doing one thing constructive,” he mentioned.
He’s gained an appreciation as a historian of the style. Fish’s followers have grown to incorporate Skrillex, David Guetta, Disclosure, Bicep and extra of the artists he has admired and now counts amongst his friends.
“For in regards to the first 12 months, I usually would get up within the morning — I’m gonna get somewhat bit emotional simply speaking about this — however I’d get up within the morning and simply assume, ‘Wow, that was all a dream, wasn’t it?” he mentioned. “Then I take a look at my cellphone. I can see that really it was actual.”
Fish attributes his success to social media, although he mentioned it’s a mistake to assume simply having social media followers ensures bookings and the upward trajectory of 1’s profession.
“They’re truly a perform of one another. It’s as a result of I used to be making content material that proved to be common about music that I managed to construct up a following and have these alternatives come my method,” he mentioned. “I’ve now performed, getting on for, 200 skilled gigs at varied golf equipment, festivals, occasions, raves, all around the globe.”
Fish waited till November 2025 to make his first trek to North America with an 11-date run that includes his first U.S. pageant reserving. He selected Dreamstate as a result of he’s all the time had a particular place in his coronary heart for trance and the emotional connection individuals have with the music.
“I like all dance music, however trance is the one that may form of tug at your heartstrings a bit with these melodies, and the chord development, and the way in which that the beats will be so crisp after they are available in, and the way in which the bass hits,” he mentioned.
Fish carried out Friday night time on “The Imaginative and prescient.” It’s the identical stage performed by legends Chicane and Paul Oakenfold this 12 months and Darude final. He additionally co-headlined an hour-long B2B with Evening 1 Dreamstate headliner Gareth Emery early Sunday morning, because the top-billed act for the pageant’s afterparty within the Grand Salon of the long-lasting Queen Mary.
He made his method to LAX after stepping off stage at 3 a.m. to fly to New York and play the final three hours of a 24-hour rave.
Chicane and Fish56Octagon run into one another within the foyer of the alongside Seaside Hilton after taking part in the identical stage Evening 1 of Dreamstate.
(Niyaz Pirani)
Fish has tour dates in New Zealand and Australia towards the tip of the 12 months, plus the most important present of his profession March 28 at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. He’s additionally releasing music for himself and others underneath his document label Octagon Discs.
As his viewers multiplies, Fish’s earliest followers stay enthralled by his seemingly infinite rise.
“How did the dude who recommends second-hand vehicles get to this. So joyful for you dude,” one fan wrote within the feedback of his Dreamstate recap video put up.
“Music was my number one ardour however i believed I used to be too previous. Thanks for the help bro,” Fish replied.
“Superb,” one other chimed in. “However I’d not acknowledge u within the wild with out the bathrobe.”
