Dieselboy

Damian Higgins (born 1972) better known by his stage name Dieselboy, is an American drum and bass DJ and music producer.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Dieselboy was born Damian Higgins in Tarpon Springs, Florida in 1972. At the age of six he moved to Colorado City, Colorado, where he and his two sisters were raised by their mother. He moved with his family to Oil City, Pennsylvania, on the third day of school in the 9th grade, and is a graduate of Oil City Senior High School.

He is the eldest son of singer/songwriter Bertie Higgins whose ballad Key Largo reached #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in 1982.

Higgins's early musical experience included playing drums in a school marching band and DJing for high school dances.

Higgins attended the University of Pittsburgh from 1990 to 1995 where he gained additional DJing experience,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and completed a degree in information science.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also played on a Carnegie Mellon University radio station (WRCT).Template:Citation needed The name Dieselboy originated from Higgins's IRC handle, "Diesel". Upon discovering a local graffiti artist shared the alias, he "made it Dieselboy."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

Early career

In 1994, Higgins created a mixtape entitled "The Future Sound of Hardcore," and sold about 100 copies through online LISTSERVs. "Through [the mixtape], people heard about me and I started getting bookings on the East Coast. It was a very slow process that eventually snowballed into my getting flown various places." In 1996, at the request of Dan Donnelly of British Drum and bass label Suburban Base, Dieselboy did a mix called "DrumAndBass Selection USA". In 1997, Suburban Base had him follow up with 97 Octane, this time allowing him to submit track suggestions, resulting in a more varied selection. In 1998, his mix called 611 DJ Mix-series Vol. One was released. Dieselboy did the graphics for the cover. Also that year, Dieselboy recorded a mix called Director’s Cut which he had packaged in film cans, his first experiment in presenting a dance mix in a quasi-cinematic framework.Template:Citation needed

In 1998, Dieselboy initiated Philadelphia's first 21+ drum 'n' bass weekly Thursday club night entitled "Platinum" at club Fluid, which ended on October 14, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Platinum residents included Dieselboy, Kaos, Method One, Sine, Icon, Karl K, Mason, and MC's Dub2, Messinian, Armanni Reign, Sharpness, and Illy Emcee. It was rekindled in late 2009 featuring Mason, Sine and MC's Messinian & Sharpness.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

In 1999, Dieselboy released his fourth mix CD, "A Soldier's Story" on the Moonshine label. It opened with his first original “intro” and marked his CD debut as a producer with Atlantic State, a track co-produced with Technical Itch. Also released on the Moonshine label was System Upgrade (2000) while Dieselboy joined forces with Palm Pictures/Island Recordings and his releases The Descent, Invid, Render. The 6ixth Session was a double CD release on Palm Pictures, featuring a cyborg-themed mix described by the Washington Post as “hard-edged hyperdriven dance music". Template:Citation needed

In a 2000 interview with JIVE Magazine, Dieselboy discussed his roots and the rising popularity of drum and bass music, "Well, when I started playing there wasn't drum and bass per say[sic], but I was playing stuff that was prototype drum and bass, stuff that led up to it, like early break beat and it was called dark side which is like fast dark breakbeat. I couldn't have predicted it, I definitely wanted it to become more popular, my goal was to get more people into it and open up the scene a little bit. I hold onto my goal on that...I wouldn't have predicted that it was going to be where it is, that [DNB] would be in commercials or that I was going end up DJ-ing so much."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Dieselboy is represented by agencies Corson Agency (USA) and RVLT Agency (Europe) for booking.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Creative career

In January 2022, Dieselboy founded "Destroyer Design", a graphic design agency.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dieselboy began his design journey in 1991, has a background in both DJing and graphic design.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":03">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the pandemic, he transitioned to launch Destroyer, offering design, creative direction, and branding services. The agency's portfolio includes work for various restaurants and bars, with clients like Bonnie’s, Win Son, Rolo’s, Cozy Royale, The Meat Hook, Mischa, Empellon Al Pastor, Empellon Taqueria, Nura, Variety Coffee (NYC), The Far Out Lounge (AUSTIN), Point Easy, Hop Alley (DENVER), Kinn (LOS ANGELES), Adroit Theory (VA), and more.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

In July 2018, Dieselboy co-founded a streetwear company called Death Saves, specializing in metal and fantasy-themed apparel, in collaboration with actor Joe Manganiello.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Dieselboy served as the Design Director for Death Saves.<ref name=":3" />

Destroyer 2 featured Corey Burton, a voiceover artist, for the intro vocals. Awakening marked Dieselboy's first and only collaboration with members of Planet Of The Drums.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Dieselboy has been involved in various clothing collaborations, including work with NEO4IC (formerly Damascus Apparel) in San Diego.<ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Human Imprint

On August 13, 2023, Dieselboy hosted his inaugural drum and bass event in NYC, named "BIG DRUM AND BASS PARTY", in collaboration with promotion company Driven AM.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Dieselboy released his 93-track, 87-minute mix "Dieselboy – The Destroyer" on August 5, 2014. The mix and its art incorporate the aesthetics of his 2014 tour as Blood, Sweat and Bass with bass music producer Downlink and 1970s exploitation films. It includes a new collaboration with drum and bass producer Gridlok called "MDMX," and three tracks by Faces of Def, a new collaborative project between Dieselboy and Mark the Beast ["Blvck Celebration" with Counterstrike (SubHuman); "Carcosa" with Mayhem and Downlink (SubHuman); remix of "Tuh Tuh Duh" by Sinister Souls (PRSPCT)].<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

On January 31, 2014, Dieselboy and bass music artist Downlink teamed up to launch a DJ touring project known as BLOOD, SWEAT AND BASS.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":04">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Over the years, they've conducted five successful tours across the United States and Canada. These tours have included various support artists, such as Apashe, Craze, Justin Hawkes, KJ Sawka, Ajapai, and more.<ref name=":4" />

On January 31, 2011, Dieselboy released his first new mix in two and a half years, "Dieselboy – Unleashed!", as a free download on SoundCloud.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also performed with Skrillex.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2012 he released the mix "Wake The Dead" on SoundCloud.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On May 23, 2013, Dieselboy's mix "Beyond the Black Bassline" was released by Skrillex's then new NEST HQ website.

In May 2008, Dieselboy released his ninth major mix-CD Substance D (Human Imprint),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which reached the Billboard Dance/Electronic album chart.<ref name=":022">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In conjunction with this release, Dieselboy initiated the "Monsters of Jungle" tour with rotating Human Imprint label artists including Evol Intent, Ewun, Demo, Mayhem, SPKTRM, Infiltrata and MC Messinian.

In 2006, Dieselboy released his first Human Imprint compilation called "The HUMAN Resource". Disc One Selected Works, is a 12-song un-mixed selection. Disc Two Evol Intent Assemble the Monster features a continuous DJ-mix from Evol Intent.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the summer of 2000, Dieselboy contributed to the formation of the drum and bass DJ crew called "Planet of the Drums", alongside AK1200, DJ Dara, and MC Messinian.

SubHuman

In July 2009, Human Imprint parted amicably from System Recordings. In summer 2010, Human relaunched with Steve Gordon of Steez Promo and Circle Management as new co-owner with Dieselboy, and they created the SubHuman for dubstep and electro releases.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On New Year's Eve 2009 headlining a 3D Productions event at Club 24 in Washington, D.C., Dieselboy played a three-hour multi-subgenre set including drum and bass, dubstep and electro. The enthusiastic crowd response encouraged him to continue experimenting with this new open format into 2010. In January 2013 Dieselboy started playing all drum and bass sets again.Template:Citation needed

Culinary career

In 2014, Dieselboy's passion for food advanced beyond writing about it for the James Beard Award-winning FirstWeFeast.com blog, into professional kitchens.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He cooked a sold-out collaboration dinner with respected chefs Matt McCallister and Alex Stupak at FT33 restaurant in Dallas on June 9, 2014.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dieselboy competed in a nacho battle against chef Alex Stupak at Empellón Cocina in New York in February 2013, which he lost.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He came back to face off against chefs Alex Stupak, Michael Anthony, Wylie Dufresne and Seamus Mullen in February 2014, beating Mullen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Dieselboy assisted chefs Dave Beran (Chicago), Daniel Patterson (San Francisco), and Christina Tosi (New York City) at an Art Basel dinner hosted by Questlove in Miami on December 6, 2014.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In November 2014, Dieselboy's cooking was featured at his first "pop-up" event called "Burger Night with Dieselboy" at the Groningen, Netherlands restaurant De Boom, preceding his DJ performance at Subsonic nightclub. In January 2015, another pop-up hamburger event took place at P60 cafe in Amstelveen, Netherlands as a prelude to his DJ gig at the P60 club.

In 2012, Dieselboy was a co-presenter with mixologist Jim Meehan (PDT, New York City) and chef/designer Taavo Somer at the Origins and Frontiers mixology workshop at the 7th Annual StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress in New York City.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dieselboy's cocktail "The Higgins" is published in The New York TimesTemplate:' cocktail writer Robert Simonson's 2014 book The Old-Fashioned (Ten Speed Press).

Dieselboy collaborated with Betony restaurant chef Bryce Shuman on a limited edition hot dog as part of a monthlong "musicians and chefs" special menu at the New York City cocktail lounge PDT in May 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On August 9, 2015 as part of the Moonrise Festival in Baltimore, Maryland, Dieselboy and The Glitch Mob hosted a Taco Party for contest winners.

Awards and recognition

Dieselboy placed #23 in the 2014 America's Best DJ Poll, up 19 from the previous year's #42, between Moby and BT.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dieselboy was the highest ranked drum & bass DJ (#45) in the 2008 DJ Times America's Best DJ Poll.

On February 12, 2012 in accepting his Grammy for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical, Skrillex (Sonny Moore) ended his comments quoting Dieselboy as saying "All the boats rise with the water."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1998, Dieselboy was the first American drum & bass DJ to be nominated for Best Drum & Bass DJ at the Global DJ Mix Awards, tying with LTJ Bukem.

Personal life

Dieselboy has a son with his ex-partner Jackie Carnesi, born in 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Discography

Singles

• Patriot Games EP (2x12") – Tech Itch Recordings
• The Descent (12") – Palm Pictures (1999)
• The Trans-Atlantic Link Part 1 (12") – Tech Itch Recordings
• Invid (12") – Palm Pictures (2000)
• Render (12") – Palm Pictures (2000)
• Invid (Remixes) (2x12") – Palm Pictures (2002)
• Barrier Break/Submission (2X12") – (Dieselboy & Kaos) Human Imprint (11/17/03)
• N/V/D (12") – Dieselboy (Counterstrike Zentraedi remix) Human Imprint (5/8/08)
• Midnight Express (12") – Dieselboy + Evol Intent + Ewun, Human Imprint (5/15/08)
• Get Back (CD) – Blokhe4d & Dieselboy, Unique Artists (2010)
• Murder Machine Feat Dieselboy (Digital) – Bare & Mark Instinct, Human Imprint (SUBHM 012, 7/18/2011)
• W.M.F.D. (Digital) – Dieselboy & Bare, Human Imprint (HUMA 8035, 6/20/2012)
• Beyond Thunderdome (Digital) – Dieselboy & Bare, Human Imprint (HUMA 8037, 7/17/2012)
• MDMX (Digital) – Gridlok feat. Dieselboy, Project 51 (P5130, 8/25/2014)
• Blvck Celebration (Digital) – Faces of Def (Dieselboy & Mark The Beast) & Counterstrike, Human Imprint (SUBHM 038, 9/30/2014)
• Carcosa (Digital) – Dieselboy, Downlink, Mark The Beast & Mayhem, Human Imprint (SUPA 01, 5/12/2015)
• Angel Dust (Digital) – Dieselboy & Mark The Beast, Human Imprint (HUMA 8040, 1/30/2017)
• Demolition (Digital) – Dieselboy, Bare & Mark The Beast feat Armanni Reign, Human Imprint (SUBHM 044, 9/4/2017)
• Stagediver (Digital) – Dieselboy, Mark The Beast & Counterstrike, Human Imprint (HUMA 8042, 6/29/2018)

Mixtapes / DJ Mixes

• Future Sound Of Hardcore (1994)
• Witness The Strength (1995)
• Supreme (1995)
• East Coast Science 1 with Scott Henry (1996)
• East Coast Science 2 with Scott Henry (1997)
• East Coast Science 3 with Scott Henry (1998)
• Director’s Cut (1998)
• DJ Magazine World Series (2003)
• Live At The Jungle Room (2005)
• Unleashed! (2011)
• Live At Beta (2012)
• Wake The Dead (2012)
• Beyond The Black Bassline (2013)
• The Destroyer (2014)
• The Destroyer 2 - Extinction Event (2016)
• Planet Of The Drums - Awakening (2017)
• Heart Of Darkness (2019)
• Live At EDC (2019)
• Heavy Breathing (2021)
• BBC Radio 1 Drum & Bass Show Guest Mix (2021)

Substance D

• Dieselboy + Ewun - Warning Label
• Demo - Trauma/Cell (SPKTRM Duomix)
• Limewax - One Of Them (Current Value Remix)
• Technical Itch - Pressure Drop VIP
• Technical Itch + Kemal - The Calling (Evol Intent + Ewun Remix)
• Psidream - Death Sentence
• Freeland - We Want Your Soul (Raiden Remix)
• Dieselboy + Evol Intent + Ewun - Midnight Express
• SPKTRM - Machine March
• Current Value - Fear / Machine (Demo Duomix)
• Demo - O.D.
• The Upbeats - SFX
• Counterstrike - Timewarp VIP
• MSTRKRFT - Paris (The Upbeats Remix)
• Computer Club - Load Rocket (Gridlok Remix)
• Meat Beat Manifesto - Helter Skelter (Evol Intent + Mayhem Remix)
• Dieselboy - N/V/D (Counterstrike Zentraedi Remix)

The Human Resource

Disc One: Selected Works

• Vector Burn – Paradise Lost (D-Star Remix)
• ƆƐI3C – Mass Hysteria (Hive Remix)
• Kaos + Karl K + Jae Kennedy – Houston
• Styles Of Beyond – Subculture (Upbeats Remix)
• DJ Fresh – Wargames '03
• Skynet – Catherine Wheel
• Evol Intent + Ewun – The Rapture
• ƆƐI3C* – Grunge 3 (Dieselboy + Kaos + Karl K Remix)
• Dieselboy + Kaos Feat. Messinian – Barrier Break (Infiltrata + Hochi Remix)
• Evol Intent + Mayhem (7) + Thinktank (3) – Broken Sword
• Dieselboy + Kaos – Submission
• Kaos + Karl K + Jae Kennedy – Studio 54

Disc Two: Evol Intent Assemble The Monster

• Evol Intent + Dieselboy – Vivify
• Infiltrata + Define – Parallel Universe
• Evol Intent + Mayhem (7) + Thinktank (3) – Broken Sword
• Upbeats – Piss Fiend
• Kaos + Karl K + Jae Kennedy – Moonraker (Gridlok Remix)
• Evol Intent + Mayhem (7) + Psidream – Assimilation
• Styles Of Beyond – Subculture (Upbeats Remix)
• Kaos + Karl K + Jae Kennedy – Xanadu (Stratus Remix)
• DJ Fresh* – Wargames '03
• ƆƐI3C* – Mass Hysteria (Hive Remix)
• Dieselboy + Kaos – Barrier Break
• Dieselboy + Kaos – Barrier Break (Infiltrata + Hochi Remix)
• Evol Intent + Ewun – Reality Check
• Upbeats* – Le Mammoth
• Evol Intent + Ewun – The Rapture
• BT – Knowledge Of Self (Evol Intent Remix)
• ƆƐI3C* – Grunge 3 (Diesleboy + Kaos + Karl K Remix)
• Ewun – The Divide
• Stratus – You Must Follow (Anthology)
• Dieselboy + Technical Itch – Atlantic State (Gridlok Remix)
• Dieselboy + Kaos – Submission
• Sasha – Fundamental (Gridlok Remix)
• BT – The Great Escape (Alliance Remix)

Remixes

• Hard Times – Baby Namboos (Dieselboy + Decoder) Palm Pictures (2000)
• Opticon – Orgy (Dieselboy + Technical Itch Arena mix) Reprise (2001)
• Subculture – Styles of Beyond (Dieselboy + Kaos VIP) Human Imprint (2002)
• You Must Follow – Stratus (Dieselboy + Kaos) Human Imprint (2003)
• Grunge 3 – Bad Company UK (Dieselboy, Kaos + Karl K) Human Imprint (2003)
• Moulin Rouge – Dom + Roland (Dieselboy, Kaos + Karl K) Human Imprint (2005)
• Hooked – Dom + Gridlok (Tech Itch + Dieselboy) Project 51 (P51UK10, 8.7.2006)
• Tuh Tuh Duh – Sinister Souls (feat. Dieselboy feat. Mark the Beast) PRSPCT (PRSPCTRMXEP001,1.28.2015)
• No Control – Bro Safari, UFO! & Beauty Brain (Dieselboy + Mark The Beast Remix) Free Download (2015)

Videogames

• Amplitude : Styles of Beyond – Subculture (Dieselboy & Kaos Rock Remix)
• Crackdown : Dieselboy & Kaos – Barrier Break
• Gran Turismo 4 : Dieselboy & Kaos & Karl K (feat. Messinian) – Nitro
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted : Dieselboy & Kaos – Barrier Break
• Saints Row : Styles of Beyond – Subculture (Dieselboy & Kaos Remix)
• Lawbreakers: Dieselboy & Mark The Beast – Abaddon / Dieselboy & Mark The Beast - Sunshine

Compilation appearances

• Opticon – Orgy (Dieselboy + Technical Itch Arena Mix) (2001) on Orgy: Opticon Remixes (12") – Reprise Records
• Opticon – Orgy (Dieselboy + Technical Itch Arena Dub Mix) (2001) on Orgy: Opticon Remixes (12") – Reprise Records
• Grunge 3 – Bad Company UK (Dieselboy, Kaos + Karl K) HUMAN (2003) on Andy C: Nightlife (CD) – Ram Records (2003)
• Get Back – Blokhe4d + Dieselboy on Unique Artists: Volume 1 – Unique Artists (UA001CD, 8/23/2010)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Filmography

• Put the Needle on the Record (2004)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• American Massive (2002)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• Atlantic State (Technical Itch + Dieselboy), Sounds & Motion: V. 01 (Ukraine, 2002)
• Moonshine Over America (2000)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Literature

• Dieselboy is featured in Michaelangelo Matos' book "The Underground Is Massive: How Electronic Dance Music Conquered America" (2015)

See also

• Human Imprint
• SubHuman : Human Imprint

External links

• Official Dieselboy Website
• DnBTV interview on February 27, 2006 Louisville
• Dieselboy page, Planet Human Label Website
• Dieselboy on Soundcloud
• Dieselboy bio at TheDJList.com
• Dieselboy bio at ResidentAdvisor.net
• Dieselboy at rolldabeats Template:Webarchive
• {{#if:|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}
• Archived Pit5.com discography