Julius O'Riordan, known as Judge Jules, was born on October 26, 1965, in London. He began his DJ career in 1987 and earned his nickname during university while hosting parties. His breakthrough came at Club Valentino in Colchester, leading to his hiring by the then-pirate radio station Kiss. Judge Jules was voted best DJ in the world by DJ Mag in 1995. In October 1997, he started a long-running radio show on BBC Radio 1. He has been instrumental in launching popular trance tunes and acts in the UK.