Noel Watson

Brothers Noel and Maurice Watson moved from their native Belfast to London in the early '80s, influenced by early hip-hop and electro. The duo mixed several volumes of the classic Streetsounds series, but changed direction after Maurice visited Chicago and picked up some early house singles. DJing at the London club Delirium, they mixed in the recent additions to less than widespread acclaim; the club was forced to construct a cage around the brothers to protect them from bottle-throwing patrons. Delirium closed in 1987, but Noel took over the club, renamed it Heaven and began to bring in American house stars such as Frankie Knuckles and Ce Ce Rogers; the dedicated core of club-goers began to grow and Britain's house explosion had begun.