WHEN grandfather of Perth drum 'n' bass Greg Packer began DJing in the '80s, his beloved breakbeat genre - made famous by artists like LTJ Bukem, Roni Size and Goldie - didn't exist.
Entrenched in the local hip-hop scene - having grown up in Northampton, England surrounded by rap and with a fondness for soul and funk passed down from his parents - Packer didn't adopt the form (an offshoot of the UK rave scene) until its emergence in the '90s.
The down-to-earth Beldon turntablist, now 39, chatted to Community about his foray into dance music, which began after he won the '91 West Australian Mixing Championships, which consequently launched his epic club career.
“I was pretty much forced out of hip-hop because the rave scene suddenly arrived and the next thing I knew, I was playing at raves of about 3000 people,” Packer shared.
“In '94 I went back to the UK and headlined gigs, including one with Carl Cox, and in that year, which saw the birth of jungle music (later dubbed D&B), I witnessed the explosion of the genre and instantly took to it.”
Packer explained how his return to Perth at the end of that year changed the local music front forever.
“I arrived back with a crate full of new jungle which no-none was playing here - no DJ was spinning anything even remotely like it!” he exclaimed.
“I started playing it at gigs and people were shocked because the Australian market hadn't heard it yet - there was no Internet in those days.
“Then I got offered to do the Mix Up show on Triple J radio - I played hours of the stuff - and before I knew it, I was getting interstate shows.”
Packer went on to tour Europe in 2003 and has since enjoyed performing around the world.
“D&B has always been healthy in Perth from as far back as I can remember,” he said.
“It did, however, go through a stage when none of the festivals would touch it and people were saying it had died off, but the interest has come back.
“Most folk say dubstep OK is taking over but I don't think it is. There might be times when it seems more popular, but that won't last forever - D&B has been around for nearly 20 years now.”
Greg is a proud supporter of RTRFM, recent winner of The National Community Broadcasting Award.
Greg Packer performs at RTRFM fundraiser Seriously Sound System this Saturday (December 17) at Hyde Park, North Perth.
Sara Fitzpatrick