Where once DJs just – just – used to play tunes to keep the dancefloor bumping until the early hours, they now need to educate and entertain, promote, produce and more. And DXB DJ Jack Woodcock has embraced that cultural shift, turning himself from a highly respected house DJ into a record label owner, party promoter and fully-fledged Ibiza resident DJ during the 2018 summer.

Playing for Soul Heaven, Hed Kandi, Hush, Savannah, Hot Bed by Abode alongside the cream of the current disco crop – including Horse Meat Disco, The Reflex, Mousse T and Purple Disco Machine – he was an ever-present on the Ibiza scene, playing sunshine disco, house and edits at some of the coolest venues on the white isle. And few come cooler than his residencies at boutique hotel Wiki Woo, Pearl and notably Ocean Beach Ibiza which was recently nominated as one of the World’s Best Beach Clubs.

​It’s all a long way from his house journey started in London when, inspired by the soulful sounds of Masters at Work and Joey Negro, he made the move into DJing as a fresh-faced 19 year old. DJing led to promotion, and in 2001, he set up Backfired with two other DJs, creating a funky house night that would run weekly in London for 3 years, and still be running a decade later with special events. That success led to bookings across the world, playing gigs in London, Germany, Belgium and Uzbekistan, before arriving in Dubai in 2006 just as the city’s club and bar scene was starting to pick up. With long-term gigs at some of the city’s best venues – including the Dek on 8 and Bliss Lounge – he was a best-known for his residency at 360, a stunning open-air Burj-side club and bar that was voted in the Top 100 Clubs by DJ Magazine.

​DJing quickly turned to promoting again as Jack launched Sunstroke, a wild, hands-in-the-air gathering of clubbers moving to classic house sounds. The brand grew from an occasional boat party into an essential, award-winning monthly party, with Sunstroke Records the inevitable next step. Alongside that, Jack continues to host his own Sunstroke radio show on the D3ep Network and Ibiza Radio 1, pushing his sunshine sounds to thousands across the world. At heart, however, Jack is a DJ’s DJ, playing a floor-filling mix of funk, soul, disco and house, having played alongside industry heavyweights like Marshall Jefferson, Graeme Park, Diplo, Louie Vega, Sandy Rivera and Spen. With 360 nominated for a raft of industry awards in 2017, his Sunstroke parties going from strength to strength and a big 2018 season in Ibiza, Jack Woodcock continues to evolve and move with the times (as long as there’s a busy dancefloor involved along the way).