To some, the name Silverlining might evoke hazy scenes during the 1990s of rumbling bass lines, flickering high hats and dubbed out vocals in cavernous underground spaces. To those hearing it for the first time, there is a freshness and authenticity that emerges from his trademark aesthetic. One thing is evident: the Silverlining sound has proven to withstand the sands of time.

Silverlining, aka Asad Rizvi, accidentally fell into DJing in 1993, when he was invited to host an experimental techno show on a London pirate radio station, being the only person they know with any records of that ilk. When he first committed his early studio productions to vinyl in 1995, he only expected it to be a short-lived stint of fun. The intention was to have a go at making some records that smelted the shuffle-heavy grooves of US house, the abstract energy of Detroit and deep techno, using the mixing desk as an instrument in the way that the early dub technicians did in Jamaica. Before long, he was invited to play his first gigs from Brixton to Berlin to Buenos Aires.

Two decades on, the man-hours he has put into the studio and decks can be heard at every instance. With over 150 titles under different names, old titles recently have been fetching up to £75 on Discogs. In response, he has decided to launch his Silverlining Dubs imprint to make the music accessible to ordinary vinyl buyers. The label has addressed the demand, whilst re-contextualising the sought-after back catalogue with fresh tracks, re-edits, and lesser-known gems. All titles have hit the top 10 genre vinyl charts on Juno, with one number one. After several years of using other names, he has reinvented the Silverlining guise with the benefit of an extra 20 years experience.

All the while, his sophisticated, party-savvy DJ sets have been tickling feet and minds alike in over 40 countries, in hundreds of venues over from warehouses to main stages at festivals, often with repeat bookings that are too numerous to count. Although he has not headlined Ibiza’s super-clubs, he has played some of the world’s most illustrious venues and remained a regular proponent in some of the world’s finest but lesser-discussed party scenes such as those on the West Coast of USA and Canada, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Brazil and more. Straddling the lines between the contemporary and the old school, his addictive journey sets encapsulate a broad spectrum of moods that can be communicated within the 4/4 and electro format.

Although he continues to create a unique blend of house, techno, electro, he insists that it is not ‘Tech House’. Beyond the Silverlining name, his other work spans numerous other genres and influences, with his breadth of taste adjoined by a common groove that can be found in his extensive record collection. The Silverlining sound is unmistakeable yet uncontainable, and it just needs to be heard. This is Behind The Headphones.