Mr Essjay's journey started as a teenager, perfecting his DJing on vinyl in his native Portsmouth, particularly styles such as happy hardcore and hard house, which were popular at the time. He not long after met the likes of Oddball and Volley, and formed a group called 500 degrees. The guys would regularly DJ and MC together, attending youth clubs and performing at their functions. It is also here where Essjay began early productions, expressing his eclectic musical tastes, dabbling in different styles. He achieved notable success on the south coast, playing at various raves, especially for DJ Matt Handy. Essjay carried on perfecting his style, hard styles predominantly with other influences taken from such things as hip-hop (scratching). Now DJing and producing from a Devon base, the recently set-up label Audio By Volume is setting the pace, particularly in styles such as Bassline & UK Garage amongst others.