David-H, affectionately known as ‘TheBongoman’, is a pioneering percussionist, DJ, producer, and remixer whose creative career spans over three decades. Born in Eastbourne, East Sussex, his passion for rhythm began in childhood, drumming on kitchen pots and pans with his mother’s knitting needles. By seven, he was performing with a UK marching band, and by thirteen, he had purchased his first drum kit with earnings from weekend hotel work. Encouraged by a dedicated school music teacher and mentor, David toured the US and Europe, recording a live album—all before the age of sixteen—laying the foundation for a lifelong journey in music.
The UK’s late-80s rave and house explosion ignited David's evolution into electronic music. After relocating to London, he began releasing underground dance tracks on his Planet 10 imprint, including Engram EP (1992), Da Bitch (1993), and Heaven (1993). He later launched Indalo Records, through which he released Equilibrium and I’m in Control (both 1994). His breakthrough came with Passion (1995), an underground club anthem famously remixed by TRADE legend Tony De Vit and released in 1996 on EMI’s Feverpitch label.
Under the alias Subsola, David’s next hit, So Pure, became a global smash, remixed by trance icon Ferry Corsten and championed by Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1’s Essential Selection, before being signed to Tong’s FFRR label in 1998. As Pure Seduction, he remixed tracks such as Outta the Blue by System F (Ferry Corsten) and Victor Imbres’ You Can Do Anything, earning a BPI Silver Disc Award.
By the late ’90s, now based in Brighton, David began accompanying local DJs with live, interactive percussion. His high-energy performances—often without a mic—at venues like the Zap Club birthed TheBongoman persona. A hand injury led him to develop a now-iconic technique: playing bongos with reversed drumsticks. This unconventional style, now mimicked worldwide, sparked a new generation of dance-percussionists.
A pivotal season in Ibiza (2003) saw David secure residencies at Eden, Space, Privilege (Manumission), and El Divino, alongside guest sets at Cream (Amnesia) and CircoLoco (DC10). Collaborations with Mr C of The Shamen and regular appearances at Superfreq (formerly Superfreak) cemented David’s global presence across Europe, Asia, and the USA.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest live dance percussionists today, David’s glittering performance history includes landmark sets at The End in London, Popcorn at Heaven, and Superfreq events worldwide. As a pivotal figure in London’s LGBTQ+ nightlife, he held long-standing residencies at the iconic Heaven nightclub and with the Orange Group at Fire, Area, and Lightbox. He’s also headlined major Pride events in Brighton, London, and Antwerp.
David-H Percussion sets have been featured on BBC Radio 1’s LGBTQ+ Pride in Regent’s Park and Pete Tong’s Essential Selection Winter Tour live from The Syndicate Superclub in Blackpool. Since 2017, he has proudly served as headline artist at European Snow Pride in Tignes, representing the LGBTQ+ community at one of the world’s premier alpine festivals.
2012 following a successful tour of Malta, David co-founded WRONG!—a raunchy underground after-hours at Club Union in Vauxhall. Here, he debuted The Percussion DJ—a revolutionary hybrid performance blending four-deck DJing with live drumming on a custom-modified Roland Handsonic sampling drum machine, enhanced by integrated digital FX.
Today, The Percussion DJ is a standalone brand—www.thepercussiondj.com—showcasing David’s pioneering fusion of rhythm, technology, and showmanship. A proud neurodivergent artist and outspoken mental health advocate, David continues to challenge stigma, champion inclusion, and push the creative boundaries of live electronic performance.
