Steve Barker
(UK)

Biography

Steve Barker has been braodcasting on the BBC for almost thirty years, his On The Wire show (www.onthewire.uk.com) was first broadcast in 1984 with Adrian Sherwood as special guest on the first programme, the show is still running today. Over the years Stev has interviewed many of the reggae great including Augustus Pablo, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Joe Hill from Culture and Lee "Scracth" Perry. Steve has been an associate of both On U Sounds and Pressure Sounds record labels, writing sleevenotes, reseaching samples and performing an ad hoc A&R role. For the past ten years he has writtent the dub column for the Wire magazine. He has lived in Beijing, China for the last five years and plays the occasional DJ for the Upstepper Crew or Beijing Home Town Hi Fi, appearing as DJ Lao Lao Shu (DJ Old Rat!)