Fergie

Fergie fits in between a diminishing trance scene and the radical advent of U.K. garage with an uncomplicated take on hard house ethics. Beginning his DJ career at the age of 14 and taken through the clubland ranks with the help of Tony De Vit, Fergie made his production debut with 1999's "Ooh Sir," eventually building up a reputation as the Hoover-revving street-drilling poster boy for Tidy Trax-sponsored hard house. As the longevity of hard house was called into question, however, Fergie felt much of the niche culture's backlash, and full-length mix albums, like 7 Live and Headliners, had the feel of someone struggling to prove he had found the versatility to pick up the baton from the current crop of aging superstar DJs. ~ Dean Carlson