Sherelle | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sherelle Camille Thomas |
| Born | September 3, 1993[1][2] |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2015-present |
| Labels |
|
Sherelle Camille Thomas (born September 3, 1993), known mononymously as Sherelle (stylized in all caps), is a British DJ and electronic musician.[3][4][5] With a background in dancehall and rave music, Sherelle is best known for her DJ sets and mixes.[6][7][8] Sherelle is also known for co-founding the label Hooversound with Naina and for founding Beautiful (stylized in all caps), a label and musical project for black and LGBT musicians.[9][10]
Sherelle was raised in Walthamstow, East London[3] by her mother and sister. She grew up listening to dancehall, R&B and hip hop music, pirated through her family TV.[6] She also grew up playing football and is fan of Arsenal F.C.[8][11]
She was a presenter on the South London station Reprezent[12] whilst attending Goldsmiths University. She completed radio courses before being given her own specialist slot on the station playing footwork and jungle. She eventually held a slot on BBC Radio 1 as a part of their Radio 1 Residency until 2021. She now has a slot on NTS alongside label co-owner and Apple Music 1's NAINA.[13] Sherelle is openly gay.[6]
Sherelle's breakthrough was with her 2019 Boiler Room DJ set, which went viral and allowed her to take up music full-time.[3][6][14] In September 2019, she participated in the BBC Radio 1 residency series, featuring guestmixes and interviews from 4hero, Goldie, and Virgil Abloh.[15][16][17] In 2020, she was recognized by DJ Mag as the year's best British DJ.[18] Sherelle was also recognized as the 2020 BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix winner.[19]
In July 2021, her debut EP, 160 Down the A406, was met with positive reviews, and was acclaimed by Resident Advisor as "one of the year's most exciting production debuts."[20]
In October 2021, Sherelle released her first clothing collection, a collaboration with Boiler Room.[21]
She gained wider recognition with her recorded mix for fabric, fabric presents SHERELLE, released in November 2021.[22] The mix was met with positive reviews, with particular praise for its high level of intensity and genre mixing.[23] Pitchfork described the mix as "compressing decades of dancing to tightly woven two- and three-minute segments" which "catalogs a moment in which a new generation is grasping and reshaping a raving past that's too distant for them to remember."[22]
Until its disbandment in January 2022, Sherelle was a member of the all-female and non-binary DJ group 6 Figure Gang.[24]
From September 16, 2023, SHERELLE started hosting a new weekly show on BBC Radio 6. Showcasing the very best blend of jungle, footwork, breakbeat and a few classics thrown in for good measure! [25][26]
Sherelle is known for the 160 beats per minute pacing in her music.[27] Her music is considered hardcore and when DJing, she often mixes music released over the course of several decades.[23] Her DJ sets and mixes have been described as breakbeat, acid house, and footwork.[28]