Rich Wakley: The Rise, Fall & Return of Filthy Rich

In this latest episode of Hardhouse History, Paul Glazby sits down with his old friend Rich Wakley, better known to many as Filthy Rich, for a deep, honest, and at times emotional conversation spanning decades of club culture.From the early days of handing out trance tapes at university in Leeds, Rich takes us right back to where it all began, cutting his teeth playing five nights a week at Heaven & Hell while immersed in the exploding UK club scene. What starts as a passion quickly evolves into a career, moving from trance into hard house, and eventually into the global electronic scene through his Filthy Rich alias. The episode dives into his evolution as an artist, from those early residencies to producing alongside some of the biggest names in the industry and forming the Spectre project with Paul Maddox. It's a story of growth, reinvention, and constantly adapting to the shifting sounds of electronic music.But this isn't just a highlight reel. Rich opens up about the realities behind the scenes, the pressure to produce, the stigma around working with engineers, and the ever-changing landscape of DJ culture. He speaks candidly about how COVID hit at the worst possible time for Spectre, halting momentum just as things were peaking, and the difficult transition into full-time work outside of music.What follows is one of the most raw parts of the conversation, as Rich reflects on loss, identity and the challenge of rediscovering passion after stepping away from something that defined his life. It’s honest, relatable and something many in the industry will connect with.This is Hardhouse History at its best: real stories, real people, and the reality behind the music.JOIN THE HISTORYWere you part of the Leeds club scene, Kiss Da Funk, or those early 2000s hard house nights?What's your memory of that era, the music, the people or the moments?Drop your stories in the comments and tag someone you were on the dancefloor with.Subscribe to Hardhouse History and help keep the legacy alive.#HardhouseHistory #FilthyRich #RichWakley #UKClubScene #HardHouse #RaveCulture #DanceMusicPodcast #LeedsNightlife #ClubHistory #ElectronicMusic