A Guy Called Gerald is one of Manchester’s finest, most respective, innovative and forward thinking home-grown techno producers. His fame spread outwards from global 88 / 89 hit “Voodoo Ray” which he will be forever associated with and is arguably the first Manchester house record to simulate and soundtrack the atmosphere of that period at The Haçienda.

DJ Gerald Simpson was born in Hulme, raised in Spin Inn (record shop in Manchester) and given his stage name by Stu Allen who used to play his tapes on his massively influential Sunday night radio show, “This one’s by... a guy called... Gerald”, Voodoo Ray was the record that was to take him out of his day job in McDonald’s in Market Street and into the career that has taken him all over the world and lasted some 23 years.

Well travelled and much in demand across the US, South America, Europe, The Far East and from his present base in the European techno capital Berlin, Gerald’s production career began working with 808 State on their first album “Newbuild” but as his tastes developed he looked to his solo material more and began to turn away from DJing to producing, amassing a great knowledge of early analogue synths, drum machines and acid house equipment which he still employs in his studio work today.

From the springboard which was that record, supported and played to death by Radio One’s John Peel for whom Gerald recorded a Peel Session in 1990, Gerald’s album career began with “Hot Lemonade” and then signing to Sony Music with Automannik, whose lead single FX was remixed by one of Gerald’s then heroes, Derrick May. Like many diverse talented, self willed artists Gerald’s major label experience was not good as the label leaned on him for another hit while his interests were going in different more experimental directions. Beginning his excursion into breakbeat with 1991’s “28 Gun Bad Boy” on his Juicebox imprint, Gerald became one of the prime movers on the late jungle and emerging drum and bass scene in the mid 90’s, breaking his cousin’s Finlay Quaye’s career with “Finlay’s Rainbow” and setting the blueprint for the emerging sound with 95’s seminal album “Black Secret Technology” which when reissued in 2008, proved that it still sounds as groundbreaking today as it did then.

Moving to New York in 1997 and recording albums for Berlin’s immensely respected Studio K7 label Gerald returned to the UK in the aftermath of September 11th, living in London for a couple of years before decamping to Berlin, where he continues to be based, immersed in the city’s techno scene and vibes. His two most recent albums, “Proto Acid” and “Tronic Jaxx”, his eight studio album released in 2010, have both been subtitled the Berlin sessions and showcasing his production skills and class, have shown his development as a complete artist on a par with the early legends that inspired him and the likes of Underground Resistance.

Still much in demand at the classier, hipper and more knowing festivals and clubs, Gerald now appears live in session at events, remixing on the spot with a laptop and cds and showcasing his own productions amongst other upfront and choice material. Although his remix is relatively enviable including the likes of DJ Spooky, Finlay, Lamb, Tricky, D:Note, The Orb and The Stone Roses’ “Fools Gold”, it is Gerald’s own productions, his consistent innovation and excellence and refusal to plough anyone’s furrow but his own which has marked him out, ever since the early days. Even if people will never stop asking him and everyone else involved with The Haçienda to play bloody Voodoo Ray.