DJ Pauze aka Gav Pauze
DJ Pauze aka Gav Pauze Biography:
Gav Pauze is a UK broadcaster, DJ, audio engineer, writer and founder of Pauzeradio and Pauzewear, with roots stretching through three decades of Jungle, Reggae and Dub.
Starting out in the Jungle and Drum & Bass scene during the mid-1990s, Gav played clubs and events across England and Scotland before studying music and audio engineering at Clarendon College in the Midlands in 1998. While his early years were in Jungle and Drum & Bass, his growing connection to Roots Reggae and Dub later evolved into the creation of the “Unique Reggae Mix Show” in 2006.
The popularity of the radio show quickly expanded internationally, featuring on stations in the USA from 2007, Germany and the Philippines in 2010, Portugal in 2011 and Bermuda in 2014. Through both radio and online broadcasting, Gav Pauze’s work has reached listeners in over 150 countries and territories worldwide.
Broadcasting & Pauzeradio
Pauzeradio was launched in 2009 as the official home of the Unique Reggae Mix Show, archiving every broadcast released since its creation while continuing to premiere new shows regularly. Over the years, the platform evolved beyond radio into a respected independent media outlet covering Reggae, Roots and Dub through reviews, reggae artist biographies, interviews, press releases and vinyl releases.
Since 2022, the Unique Reggae Mix Show has also aired on Genesis Radio Birmingham, the only station outside of Pauzeradio authorised to broadcast the programme.
Writing, Journalism & Production
Alongside broadcasting, Gav Pauze established himself as a published writer and poet. His first poetry book, “In Heart Mind & Soul”, was released in 2011, followed by “Pauze For Thought” through mPowr Publishing in 2016. His writing explores themes surrounding life struggles, love, self-reflection and social issues, eventually leading into songwriting work within the Reggae industry.
Gav’s writing and journalism work expanded further in 2022 through a journalism internship with The Canary, where he published the feature article “Suppression in the music industry leaves artists voiceless”, exploring the challenges independent musicians face in the UK.
His songwriting credits include work with artists such as Mikey General, Peter Runks, Wild Life, VC, Torch Eva Burnin Flame, The Lambsbread, Carol Ellis, Bredren B, Karina Nistal and others.
Gav has also become recognised for his recording, mixing and mastering work with a wide range of respected artists including Bunny Rugs of Third World, Luciano, Perfect Giddimani, Mikey General, Errol Bonnick, VC aka Valton Craige, Peter Runks, Percydread Natural-Ites, Terry Ganzie, Blessed Barak and many more.
Alongside his broadcasting and production work, Gav Pauze became known for his audio production and mastering work on the “Topple Uncaged” podcast series, working closely with broadcaster Steve Topple from The Canary. From Pauzeradio’s custom-built studio, Gav handled the final production for episodes featuring artists including Protoje, Micah Shemaiah, Tarrus Riley, Kabaka Pyramid, Busy Signal, Mortimer, Yellowman, Clinton Fearon, Kumar Bent and many others.
Pauzewear & Creative Direction
In addition to his music and broadcasting background, Gav expanded further into creative design and independent fashion through Pauzewear, a UK streetwear brand drawing inspiration from music across many genres, beyond the reggae and dub roots of Pauzeradio. The brand combines original artwork, storytelling and a mixture of core and limited pieces, while staying true to its foundations.
Gav remains deeply connected to vinyl and the traditional craft of DJing, with a long-standing passion for Roots, Dub and Jungle. His love for music, creativity and the values he learned through the music remain at the heart of both Pauzeradio and Pauzewear today.
Musical Influences, Philosophy & Today
Musically, artists such as Buju Banton played a major role in shaping Gav’s direction during the 1990s, particularly through albums such as “Mr Mention” and “Inna Heights”. During the mid-90s, Buju Banton was also one of the most sampled Reggae artists within Jungle music, helping strengthen the connection between Jungle and Reggae during that era.
While Gav continued playing Jungle and Drum & Bass up until 2004, a brain injury and recovery period later changed the direction of his musical journey. During recovery, Gav discovered Dub Judah’s album “Better To Be Good”, which became a major influence on the conscious Roots Reggae and Dub direction that would later define the Unique Reggae Mix Show.
The philosophy behind Gav Pauze’s work has always centred around positivity, respect, creativity and genuine connection through music. Reggae music, poetry and creative expression became an important source of healing and focus during recovery, eventually inspiring the direction that defines both Pauzeradio and Pauzewear.
Today, Gav Pauze continues to independently build both Pauzeradio and Pauzewear, with music, creativity and core values at the centre of everything he does. While the Unique Reggae Mix Show archive lives on through Pauzeradio, much of Gav’s recent focus has shifted towards the creative development of Pauzewear, including original designs, writing, storytelling and the ongoing growth of the platform.
Alongside this, Gav continues working on the wider redevelopment and future direction of Pauzeradio, while also helping shape the platform’s writing and creative direction with a small team.
