We chat to Chris Sims about the link between house music, hyperfocus and ADHD, and how he’s helping bring new sounds to the Nottingham soulful house scene...
DJ Chris Sims is something of a Nottingham legend. Vintage ravers may recall him from his longstanding Saturday night residency at Tantra – you know, that slinky bar on Victoria Street that had beds in it. During lockdown, Chris launched a radio show, cleverly titled Housebound, on the global MyHouse YourHouse station. Now, he’s championing local talent and bringing soulful house spearheads such as The Journeymen and Neil Pierce to the Nottingham scene with his own Housebound club nights. We ask him about his DJ journey and how his recent ADHD diagnosis has influenced his life.
What’s it like to be diagnosed with ADHD as an adult?
ADHD makes a lot of sense to me – in fact, it’s a common thing among DJs. Since I was officially diagnosed, I’ve learned that one of the main traits of the condition is hyperfocus. Put simply, this is the ability to zero in, almost obsessively, on a particular activity for hours at a time – sometimes at the detriment of everything else that’s going on around you. This resonates with a lot of DJs – you get so into mixing and producing tracks, it can seem like nothing else matters. I agree with Luke Una when he said that, with ADHD, you have a million sounds and distractions inside your head at any one time. Strangely, music helps to stop the noise.
How did you get into DJing?
I started DJing aged 14. Believe it or not, it was a stint of volunteering for my Duke of Edinburgh Award that got me into it – my mate Paul and me chose to work at a charity called Gateway in Ipswich, which provides support for disabled adults and their families. They had a load of DJ kit, which they let us use, and we thought it would be a good idea to hold discos for the service users. I loved it so much, it became a regular thing – every Thursday night, we’d put a party on. It helped to play to a very appreciative audience, most of whom had Down’s Syndrome. We played classics, dance, all that stuff – and they absolutely loved it. From then, using the decks we’d borrow from Gateway, we began putting on school discos to raise funds for charity.
What attracted you to house music?
At that point, the acid house scene was really kicking off. I loved tunes like Jack Your Body by Steve “Silk” Hurley, Love Can’t Turn Around by Farley Jackmaster Funk and French Kiss by Lil Louis. A few listens and I was hooked. From the second I started DJing, I didn’t stop. My dad was in the RAF and we got posted to different locations, one of them being RAF Brampton near Cambridge.
Having been firmly bitten by the DJ bug, I started holding nights for the squaddies, playing house, hardcore, rave – as well as Madness and all the shit they requested. It was during these years, aged 16-22, when I really cut my teeth as an amateur DJ – as you can imagine, things got pretty rowdy at the base after a few pints had been consumed, with regular punch-ups on the dancefloor. As well as these exploits, I began venturing into London to check out some of the big clubs, falling in love with the music and atmosphere.
And what’s life like as a Nottingham resident?
My music career has gone from strength to strength – I was playing in London at Turnmills’ infamous Gallery nights – then, I met my wife and decided to make the move to Nottingham. I was pleased to get a few regular gigs, including the Tantra residency. When my daughter, now a teenager, was born, I stood down from DJing to focus on my family and my business. Then, lockdown happened. Like everyone else, I found 2020 really hard, especially in terms of my mental health – so I turned to music for solace.
I approached Alex Traska, founder of MyHouse YourHouse Radio, to see if I could start playing again. Creating Housebound helped me through a very difficult time. I was streaming from the garden shed, where I had my decks set up. It was great to be part of a network of local and global DJs, and it helped us all feel connected during a time when we couldn’t play to actual crowds. I’m so happy we’ve all come out the other side, although I am still doing my radio shows – search Chris Sims on MyHouse YourHouse and you’ll find my stuff there. What I’m really excited about, though, are my Housebound events.
ADHD makes a lot of sense to me – in fact, it’s a common thing among DJs
So you’re getting out and about, beyond the House?
I’ve been going to events like Southport Weekender and SuncéBeat for years – and I really wanted to bring some of the amazing soulful house artists I’d seen there to Nottingham. We kicked off with a brilliant headline set by The Journeymen in November, which went down a storm. I’ve enlisted El Johno (Groovebox) as a Housebound resident, who’s a real talent – he’s got the same sort of soulful sound as me. I’ve also managed to bag Neil Pierce for our next event on 11 March at Hidden Warehouse – he’s one of the hardest working DJs and producers on the soulful house scene and a regular at events like Soul Fusion and Southport. You might have heard his Rok da Riddim track, which was a huge summer anthem in 2022. We can’t wait – it’s gonna take the roof off!
We’ve heard you’re seeking Sanctury…
Yes – I’ve got lots of plans for Housebound, including a day and night party with Sanctury, an exciting DJ collective from Nottingham. Headed up by Ark-S, Cookii Shakes and Matt Wise, these guys are all about creating a safe, inclusive space for ravers and play a diverse range of house; deep, tech, disco, electro, Afro and more. I strongly believe that music brings us together, gives us a sense of community, stops the outside noise for a while. There’s so much talent on the house scene in Nottingham – I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Buy tickets for Housebound Presents Neil Pierce, on 11th March, here
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