Shy FX (London-born DJ and producer Andre Williams) is a veteran jungle/drum'n'bass DJ and producer who has scored several U.K. pop hits and helped the genre achieve mainstream acceptance while maintaining underground credibility. The grandson of pioneering Jamaican sound system DJ Count Shelly, Shy FX made his name producing ragga-jungle, marrying fast, choppy breakbeats with reggae samples and dancehall vocals.

"Original Nuttah," his groundbreaking 1994 single with UK Apache, was one of jungle's first U.K. Top 40 hits and remains one of the genre's signature tunes. As jungle evolved into drum'n'bass and shifted away from overt reggae influence, Shy FX remained a respected and influential producer, releasing countless underground club tracks — including the 1998 classic "Bambaata" — and founding successful labels Digital Soundboy and Ebony Dubsters.

His hit singles in collaboration with fellow drum'n'bass veteran T Power, beginning with 2001's Top Ten-charting "Shake Ur Body," brought a pop/R&B sensibility to the genre. He has remixed or collaborated with British pop stars such as Yasmin, Plan B, and Emeli Sandé. Many of Shy FX's productions from the 2010s, including 2016's "Honey" (with Agent Sasco) and his 2018 remix of Jorja Smith's "Let Me Down," pay homage to his reggae roots.
He collaborated with dancehall artist Bunji Garlin on 2024's Rudeboy Design Soundtape.

After debuting in 1993 with the breakbeat hardcore single "Jungle Love," Shy FX signed to S.O.U.R. (Sound of the Underground), where he had previously been employed as a tape operator. Singles "Gangsta Kid" and "Sound of the Beast" established his explosive ragga-jungle style, but his third S.O.U.R. release — the infectious anthem "Original Nuttah" — was an out-of-the-box success. The song epitomised jungle’s growing ragga-ruffneck style, with light-speed breakbeats and rude-boy scatting from UK Apache. Almost immediately after its release, the single ignited dance floors, flew off shelves, and hit the British charts.

Several more singles on S.O.U.R. followed, as well as his full-length Just an Example in 1995. That same year, Shy FX founded Ebony Dubsters, releasing hard-edged tracks such as "Wolf," "The Message," and "Bambaata" — kinetic jump-up fusions of ragga attitude and old-school hip-hop themes. Ebony Dubsters also spawned a sublabel, Disrupt Recordings, releasing steady rollers on low-key white-label 12"s.

In the early 2000s, Shy FX began collaborating with T Power on more pop-oriented drum'n'bass songs. Their first — the samba-flavoured "Shake Ur Body" — was released on the mainstream dance label Positiva and became a U.K. Top Ten hit. The duo were subsequently signed to Breakbeat Kaos (run by DJ Fresh and Adam F), which released their full-length Set It Off in 2002. They continued their pop collaborations while also releasing underground jungle tracks as Ebony Dubsters.

Shy FX founded a new label, Digital Soundboy, in 2005, releasing his second album with T Power, Diary of a Digital Soundboy. The label expanded into electro, U.K. funky, and dubstep, releasing music by artists such as Skream, Benga, Breakage, and Redlight.

Shy FX produced album tracks for Dizzee Rascal in 2007 and 2009. His remix of Wiley, Emeli Sandé, and Chip's 2010 single "Never Be Your Woman" became a Top Ten U.K. hit. He also remixed Plan B’s number three hit "She Said," released the single "Raver" featuring Yasmin, and produced Ms. Dynamite’s "Light Up (The World)," featuring Paige Meade.

Two 2013 singles — "Soon Come" (with Liam Bailey) and "Cloud 9" (with Liam Bailey and Kate Stewart) — also reached the U.K. charts. A pair of singles with Shingai ("Feelings" and "Everyday") arrived in 2014. "Honey," a roots-reggae collaboration with Agent Sasco, was released in 2016. He continued branching out with 2017 singles "We Just Don't Care" (featuring Shingai) and "Chocolate" (with Breakage, Ragga Twins, and Bunji Garlin), and his 2018 reggae remix of Jorja Smith's "Let Me Down."

Shy FX launched the Cult.ure label in 2018 and released vocal-driven drum'n'bass singles including "Badboy Business" (with Kate Stewart and Mr. Williamz) and "Roll the Dice" (with Liam Bailey and Stamina MC), leading to 2019's Raggamuffin Soundtape. He reunited with UK Apache for "Original Nuttah 25," a reimagining of their 1994 classic.

In 2020, he released the remix collection Raggamuffin Reloaded alongside the DJ mix Honey, I Shrunk the Rave, Vol. 1. Shy FX and Breakage teamed up for the 2021 EP Darker Than Blue. "Come Around Slowly," a collaboration with Breakage, arrived in 2022, followed by "Amazing" with Liam Bailey.

In 2023, Shy FX released "Good Morning," featuring Ms. Dynamite and Breakage. Rudeboy Design Soundtape, a 2024 collaboration with Bunji Garlin, featured appearances from Breakage, Liam Bailey, Stamina MC, and KINGH. He rounded out the year with the single "Risk It All" featuring Maverick Sabre.
~ John Bush & Paul Simpson, Rovi

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