Ray Keith

Ray Keith, also known as Ahmud Farhad Dookhith, is a DJ and producer from Colchester, England. He began DJing in the mid-1980s, playing soul, hip-hop and rare groove around Essex and Suffolk. His musical path also took in jazz and house before he moved through acid house and hardcore towards jungle and drum and bass. Keith played a leading role in the rise of jungle in London in the mid-1990s. He has described spending Monday nights at Heaven in London, where he saw DJs including Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold and Paul “Trouble” Anderson.

A remix of Orbital’s “Chime” brought Keith wider attention in 1992 and led him into production. His mid-1990s productions included “Terrorist,” a jump-up anthem. Keith has released music under several other names, including Armageddon, Dark Soldier, Dune, Renegade and The Terrorist. He also released music as London’s Most Wanted. He worked in close association with Gavin Cheung, also known as Nookie. Before joining Blackmarket Records, Keith worked at City Sound for five years; he then spent 19 years at Blackmarket Records.

Keith formed Penny Black, Dread and UFO in 1996, then established Dub Dread in 1997. That year he released the Penny Black collection Breakage, Vol. 1; in 1999 he released UFO Presents Contact. In 2003, Keith co-founded Dread Entertainment Agency with his partner, Lena.