Jack The Box

Lee Jarvis is one of the most exciting young DJs to emerge on the London scene, playing his own blend of fun-fueled jackin’ house, all mixed with his customary energy and passion. Lee has played at many of London’s major venues including Turnmills, Egg, The Cross, the Ministry of Sound, plus several UK, Europe and Chicago gigs.

Lee knows what makes a dancefloor move, having also run his own successful party, Moochin, for the last five years. It has become one of the most respected nights on the UK underground jackin’ scene, with a loyal crowd and featuring only the freshest new music, and guest DJs have included Massimo Dacosta, Giom, The Inland Knights, Jacob London, Joey Youngman, Lee Mortimer and many more.

Alongside his burgeoning DJ career, Lee has been perfecting his production skills and busy nights in the studio have resulted in some killer tracks for labels such as 4Kenzo, Lost My Dog and 1200 traxx. These have been picked up and supported by key players on the jackin’ scene, ranging from Mark Farina to Diz to Justin Long to Colette to Demarkus Lewis to Harold Heath.

With all this and more under his belt (Lee also works for the well respected Freerange Records making contact with leading DJs, producers, magazines and radio shows across the world), Lee is developing into a major talent and gaining international recognition. Over the next two years he will be spending much of his time in his spiritual home of Chicago but returning to the UK on a regular basis for DJ dates and to host Moochin parties. As one of the hottest new names in jackin’ house Lee Jarvis ticks all the right boxes.

This December 5th, Lee will be the guest DJ for HotDish’s monthly residency in the VIP. Nate Laurence had the opportunity to sit down with him and dig a little deeper into everything that is Lee Jarvis.

Click for Larger Flyer!

NL: So…Lee, let’s get one thing out of the way at the front end of this interview: Is it fried tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, and sausage for every breakfast?
LJ: Absolutely! Don’t forgot the eggs and bacon too. And a cup of tea, naturally.

NL: Delish! But…breakfast aside…tell us what made you plunge into house music.
LJ: I listened to a lot of music growing up, from hip hop to Motown to Prince. Around London in the 90s, garage and Speed Garage were the biggest and newest forms of electronic music. From there I kinda progressed into house via the onslaught of 90s funky disco anthems; DJ Sneak, Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Mutiny, Armand Van Helden, Defected and Subliminal records certainly had a lot to do with my honeymoon period in house music!

NL: Prince! Always good to appease the hometown crowd. Nice one Lee! So…I know you were one of the key players behind the event “Moochin” in London. There is no doubt that the “Moochin” name carried afar. You had some incredible talent come through: Joey Youngman, The Littlemen, Massimo Dacosta, and many others. How did this help catapult your DJ career?
LJ: It was a very niche sound in London; clubbers would thank me for finally having somewhere to regularly go and hear the DJs that no-one else brought to town. Playing to a regular crowd certainly helped fine-tune my DJ skills, and being on the same flyer as some high profile producers helped me spread my own DJ career at the same time as promoting the Moochin events. There’s whispers of a Moochin record label going around, but you can’t believe everything you read on the internet now, can you?

NL: Oooo snap! A Moochin record label? We know nothing! On the flip side, talk a little about your music industry work – or as you so gracefully put it, the “trend-mongering and advice sharing.”
LJ: Well, I’ve always been into the business side, and studied the recording industry, marketing, publishing and a lot more at both a London college and Berklee Music, based in Boston. I consult and manage various online marketing and future strategies for small music businesses and independent artists. One thing that musicians often need help with is establishing a following and then creating revenue streams around their music. That’s where I come in!

NL: I might have to have a cup of tea with you and discuss said artist strategies! Regardless, we know you’re a dope DJ (Moochin wouldn’t retain you if your weren’t) but you’re also starting to make a name for yourself as a producer. I recently heard Mark Farina drop one of your tracks at a show here in Minneapolis and thought, “bizzo shizzle Lee Jarvizzle!” Tell us all about it! Make us pay you money for music!
LJ: Ah, nice! Yeah Mark has dropped a few of my tracks, I’ve also had support from Sneak, Diz, Justin Long, Heather and co. I’ve released on 4Kenzo, 1200 Traxx, Lost My Dog and remixed for a whole bunch of labels. I’d suggest checking out my Soundcloud page where you can have a listen to most of the tracks in full and then follow the Buy links

Right Click and save as here to Download this mix

NL: For the record, who are – in your opinion — the most excellent producers in your genre today? Who can we expect you to drop at the “HotDish” show?
LJ: Wow, there’s a lot of great music coming out this year. I’m loving TBF’s recent stuff, and I’m very likely to drop some cuts by Andrew Emil, Wes, Andrew Phelan, Wally Callerio…. when I’m in a deeper and techier mood I love Mazi, and the UK staples of Freerange, NRK and 2020 are always on fire!

NL: Finally…in order to maintain airspeed velocity, an English swallow needs to beat its wings 43 times every second, right? Am I right? Or is it an African swallow?
LJ: Well, it entirely depends on if (s)he is carrying a coconut; it could grip it by the husk…

NL: A coconut? In the middle of England? No matter….we REALLY look forward to your debut in Minneapolis and will see you very soon!
Check out the cool Promo video that Nate Laurence and J Matthews (HotDish/BLACK resident) created to promote this upcoming party:

To learn more about this upcoming show, Contact HotDish

interview by: Nate Laurence
Lee Jarvis will be headlining for the HotDish boys this Saturday @ First Ave’s VIP room for BLACK.

If you didnt know, this is with out a doubt the best place for cheap drinks, great atmosphere, and always a good party. Hit up info@hotdishmpls.com for more information.

Click on flyer below for more info on this event.

Event Flyer

JACK THE BOX

As part of an on going effort here at “Jack The Box” to expose what amazing things are happening in the Midwest, our next Interview and Jackcastcast is no exception. In honor of his birthday and his recent release on Klock Works (Time Fog release out in the coming weeks) we took the time to have a few questions with The DVS1.  If you are from the area you know who he is and if you’ve been to a techno show recently then the odds are you have heard him since his music is making it into the bags of many respected DJs around the world.

A party promoter, club owner, sound designer, DJ, and producer, I can’t help but proud of our very own DVS1. Please Join the Particle People Mpls and Hush this Saturday, November 28th 2009 for a special night of music and celebration with Aaron Bliss, Jesse Jakob, Math Static on visuals and DVS1 .

As an extra special treat we have an exclusive podcast! Now, this is no ordinary podcast; but a very special blend of original and unreleased cuts from the man himself. In this podcast you will hear forthcoming music from TimeFog, Transmat, Klock Works, and Others.

_______________________________________________

DVS1 JackCast004

What are your feelings of the Midwest dance music scene? Specifically Minneapolis…

Obviously I’m biased because it’s my home! The Midwest is great and specifically Minneapolis in my eyes is the sleeping giant, the city that has so much talent that most people just overlook and I’m not saying that      just to pump our ego’s, most  other’s who come here to perform/play say the same thing about our energy, our venues and our opportunities, sure we don’t have everything…but what we do have is pretty good!!

As far as our party scene, it goes just like most other cities…Things always go up and down and go through phases of change.  Currently it feels pretty good; we have a healthy dose of club nights and a decent amount of underground spots!  We still get away with throwing all night parties and we play our music as loud as we want…All in all I think we’re all right.

Lately a lot of Minneapolis people have been gaining attention outside of our city.  There have been a few people branching out and putting out original production and it feels like we have a little momentum going right now with our locals!

Your first release on Klockworks (klockworks 05) seems to going well. How has that experience been for you?
It’s been interesting!  I never set out to make music for release; I really just made things for myself and spent time creating the couple live sets that I have done.  From doing those live sets things have really spawned into a lot of opportunities. I have to say I’ve always been a DJ first.   My love and passion is for playing vinyl and I’m really just now gaining  a new admiration for the production side of things. I would say as a DJ I feel pretty fluent and able to show my emotions. As a producer, I’m still learning how to speak and how to express myself.

I have said this to a few people already in regards to my first release and meeting Ben Klock.  I couldn’t have connected with a better person to give me insight and answers to my questions when it came to putting out music.   Ben Klock is not only an amazing DJ/producer, but he is a very down to earth guy who was open to my questions and was really good about helping me get this release for Klockworks ready!  He has a great ear and really helped me focus my ideas for the release.

Speaking about connections – the story surrounding your chance encounter with Ben Klock is a really fun story; would you like to share a little about that?
I’ll give you the short version…I’ve only done 3 live PA’s EVER.  1 over 3 years ago and the other happened to be the weekend that Ben Klock was playing in Minneapolis.  After he got done playing at Black, he was brought over to the underground party where I was about to perform.  I think he literally walked in as I was starting.  That night was magical for me, cause that was the 2nd live set I had ever done.  I had a great crowd, great sound and the vibe was on fire that night!!  After Ben heard the set, we started talking and it appeared that he genuinely liked what I was doing and my approach to making music.  We kept in touch afterward and the rest is history…Klockworks 05 stemmed from that live set he heard me perform that night…

Are you currently working on any new music projects?
Yes.  I just finished a release for the Timefog crew, its should be coming out soon.  (timefog04 flight to no where EP).  3 tracks of mine with a remix from Drumcell of the DROID crew in LA. (DIGITAL ONLY)

I’m also doing a very limited 7 inch record for a crew in Sweden.  I’m doing a remix of Van Rivers (of sublimal kid and van rivers from SWEDEN).  This release is being done in conjunction with a party I’m going to play for them and the pressings are for the people who attend the party. But you know I’m grabbing a STACK of em to bring home!

The next release I have slated is something I’m really proud of as well…I actually gave some of my early tracks to Derrick May last year before meeting Ben Klock and he sat on them for a long time.  After deciding to resurrect Transmat he offered me a release with 2 tracks that he was playing out…  I cant really explain the feeling of having a record come out on Transmat.  Derrick May and that entire era of DJ’s and record labels is what I grew up on and what became such a huge influence on what my style and taste is today…I’m seriously honored and humbled to be a part of the re-start of Transmat!  DVS1 love under pressure EP MS96 comes out VERY SOON!!

I’m also working on a follow up to the Klockworks release.  There are a few other projects on the horizon for people that I have been following for years, but for now they are top secret!!

Are you planning on touring soon in support of the new music?
I wish/hope!!!  All though things are starting to pop up and I’m getting some really unique opportunities from the record release with Klock.  I’m playing in Sweden November 14th and Berghain in Berlin on January 23rd.  I’m hoping to get another gig while over in Berlin!

Since this interview you recently returned from Sweden, tell us a little about your first official international gig, how was it?
It was great!  The people were really nice and the gig was good.  They lost the original space about 2 days before the party and at the last minute got another one.  Unfortunately they had to turn the sound down due to noise complaints early on at this new space…I still played for nearly 4 hours to a packed underground party though!

What are your expectations of Berlin and Berghain? (Or just pick Europe in general if you prefer)
Really I don’t have any expectations.  I can’t….  I keep going back and forth with how much I should expect, or how much I should prepare or how much I should tailor what I do with what I expect…In the end I think I really just need to go over there and do what I do best…ME.   That’s not meant to be Cocky, its really meant to try and convince myself of that being the right thing to do..J  If I cant convince myself of that I might just go crazy over thinking it!

One of the things we support on this Blog is gear!  I know, I know, Its so cliché, but hey, the fact is, people really do like to know.  What is your current DJ and music production set up?
For Djing…I prefer 2 tech 1210MK5G. (+-16). A Pioneer 800 Dj mixer and some type of Isolator strip (vestax DCR 1200pro 4 channel EQ).  I PLAY WAX!!!! So I just need a good mixer and a good set of DECKS!!

In the studio it’s just REASON 4.0 with a full keyboard and a UC33 controller.  I try and use reason as organically as possible recording live mix downs and live manipulation, nothing is preprogrammed or laid out as far as programming.  Unfortunately I had to get rid of a lot of my analog gear from back in the day… All though I recently picked up a MINT emu sp12 sampler.  I’m thinking about going on a binge of sampling old disco and soul cuts and making some twisted old techno jack tracks… (That’s my Midwest roots!)

How can people find out more about hush/dvs1/your events and all the other things you do…
www.hushsound.com
I’ve always procrastinated on my website, but I finally have it up.  It’s in the early stages now, but I am adding content and already have a bunch of mixes posted from myself and almost all the DJ sets from my guests at the future classic parties I’ve been throwing.  I’m also about to start a monthly question section on the website for people to interact and talk about music on a deeper level.  I first saw Jeff Mills do this on his AXIS site and I used to really appreciate the comments people had.

Other than that…you can find me on myspace.com/thedeviousonempls or facebook under DVS1.

Interview by Aaron Bliss

Right click and save here for Direct JackCast Download

Be sure to Join us all at Black this Saturday Nov 28th, 2009 to Celebrate our friends Sharie, and Zak’s Birthday. Join Aaron Bliss, Jesse Jakob, Math Static and DVS1 himself for an amazing night of great music, lights, and sound.

DVS1 at BLACK

Droid artists are no stranger to Minneapolis, in 2007 The Particle People began a tradition with out even realizing the power of this collective.  Since then we have had return visits from Acid Circus, and Drumcell so make sure to come out and experience the next member of the Droid family…   Audio Injection

Audio Injection aka David Flores aka Broken Rules has been hooked on electronic music since his introduction to the culture in the early 90’s. By age 15 he was DJing at clubs and undergrounds around Southern California mixing all varieties of techno, house, and hardcore techno.

His career as a DJ eventually moved to music production and David’s early releases were HardCore and Industrial Techno on labels such as Monoid, Industrial Strength, and Third Movement. Around the same time, he began a relationship with our friends at Droid Behavior (Eat, Sleep, Shit, Techno). Since then David has been at working with the funky minimal side of techno as well and after a few collaborative releases, remixes and live sets with the Droid label head, Drumcell, David joined the resident roster of the infamous Interface warehouse series.

An amazing Discography that includes releases & remixes on labels Droid Rec, 4 Track, Tora x3,
Stimulus and others, Audio Injection continues to shape his own sound while releasing thumping minimal techno with a funky twist.

Join the boys from Loud and Clear at Black in the VIP Room on Saturday November 21st. To learn more visit www.audioinjection.com and www.droidbehavior.com

Jackcast003 w/Audio Injection direct download here

Dave, it’s becoming a bit of a tradition with me to ask artists at least one question about their thoughts on Minneapolis .  This being your first time to Minneapolis , what are your expectations? Are Vidal, Vangelis and Moe saying good things about us? *wink *wink –

Well this will be my first time there and yes I’ve heard lot’s of good things from the other Droids, also from DJ Hyperactive! I don’t really know what to expect, but I hope the crowd digs my sound, and if all goes well, go back and play more shows!

Tell us a little bit about your two alias’s…  Who is Broken Rules and Who is Audio Injection?

Broken Rules is my alias for the harder projects, which include hardtechno and industrial/hardcore, I’ve released a lot under that name and still do this day, I work with Lenny Dee, owner of Industrial Strength records…..I grew up listening to the harder stuff as well and it always had a place in my heart. Also a great way to relieve stress hehe.

Audio Injection is the name I use for my techno/minimal projects, I started releasing under Audio Injection back in 2007, although I’ve had that name since 2002, but just didn’t release anything back then, it was more of a site name than producer name. Lately I’ve been focusing more on Audio Injection because I’ve always had love for techno since I was a kid and it just keeps growing more and more these days. I have a lot of remixes and projects coming up with Droid and other labels…..so these days I keep the two separate that way when you hear either name, you know what you’re going to get.

When I look at your discogs sites you seem to be a busy man.  What is it like being one man but two artists at the same time?

Yeah it’s pretty crazy haha! When I first started with the 2 different projects/alias I didn’t think it was going to be like it is now, I get remix opportunities all the time and labels asking for music which is good and keeps me super busy! Sometimes it’s hard when you’re working with 2 opposite genres, like the harder stuff with the more stripped down minimal stuff, but also you get ideas from both genres, and they end up working out.

Are you working on any new music projects that you would like us to keep an ear out for?

Yes definitely. Drumcell and I just finished a couple of remixes for Chris Liebings CLR label which should be out by the end of this year. We’re also working on putting out more Droid records, and also focusing on the Droid digital label, which I have a release coming up soon with remixes from Monoloc, Miro Pajic, Acid Circus, & Rene Walther. I’ve also been really busy working on remixes by myself, and also working with Drumcell on another Droid record.

How is it… being part of a scene like in LA?  At the moment it really seems to be a great place for Techno. Does this seem like an overnight explosion or a gradual change? How has Droid Behavior been a part of this movement?

Man it’s great! The techno scene is growing more and more here and it wasn’t an overnight thing, Droid has been working at this scene for years and they’ve put a ton of hard work and thrown lot’s of legendary parties, it’s really a great thing to be a part of. Just recently they did their 7 year anniversary of Interface, which had Chris Liebing, it was madness. Droid is definitely at the forefront of this movement in LA.

Another tradition in these interviews has to do with my own personal addiction to all things tech.  Tell us a little about your set up for DJ and for Production. Software, Gear, we love to hear all bout it!

My studio set up is pretty simple, I’m mostly software and plugins. I use FL studio for all my sequencing, then drop that into Cubase for editing and mixing. Sometimes I use Ableton live too, for laying down ideas when I’m not in my studio. I also have a couple of hardware compressors, just for some color, and a Roland JP8080 synth, for some cool twisted sounds. My DJ setup is also pretty simple, I switch between Traktor Pro and Ableton Live…..Traktor I use for more of a DJ set with NI Maschine as my controller, where as in Ableton I use as a DJ/Live set with the APC40, I cut parts of my own tracks and mix them with full tracks, as well as play other peoples music together, sort of like a live mashup.

Interview by Aaron Bliss

Back in April The Particle People were visited by Ben Klock. While on a short visit to the US (NYC and Minneapolis only) with a special night at BLACK we were able to find out why he was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. He was modest, nice and simply blew the dance floor away with an amazing mix of new and classic techno and house. This set was a perfect example of the raw gritty underground sound of US (mostly Midwest) and German dance music coming from Berlin at the moment, most noticeably a little club you may have heard of recently called Berghain.

While in Minneapolis Ben not only was able to see what the Midwest was about, Ben even took home a little piece of Minneapolis by signing our very own DVS1 for KlockWorks005. While here he interviewed for Tanya Norman from IPR and recently with us at Jack The Box for a followup. What Follows is the followup interview and below is the original interview from Tanya and Ben Klock from April.

To top it all off we were also able to get hold of a recording of that night for JackCast002 Ben Klock Live@BLACK…

JackCast002 Ben Klock Live @ BLACK MPLS

Right Click and save here for Direct Download

You recently visited  Minneapolis, What were your impressions of the American Techno scene before coming and what are your impressions now? Specifically  Minneapolis …
Well I have to say before I had the impression that it’s a very small scene there and this was approved. But in the end it’s more about quality than quantity. And there were some people who were really into it – especially in Minneapolis. And it was great fun playing there, because people seemed to really appreciate.

Your latest release on Klockworks (klockworks 005) is from one of our own locals and is very exciting for us.  Is klockworks005 the first release from artists other than you?
Yes it’s the first release from someone else. So it’s something special for me too. I was really impressed by Zak (DVS1). He is minimalistic in it’s original sense. And very energetic. I loved his short but intense performance he did at that party in Minneapolis. And I’m glad I didn’t go straight home after my set and had the chance to meet this guy. I will bring him over to play at Berghain in February.

Do you plan on bringing more artists into the Klockworks roster?
Always depends on the music. If I find something that really fits into the concept that I have in mind for Klockworks then maybe there will be other artists. In fact I’m just planning something with a new artist but it’s to early to tell more.

Do you plan on visiting the  US  in 2010?
I’m not sure about that yet. We’ll see.

You are known for playing a very wide range of records. I remember hearing a number of classics in your set from your visit.  What is your favorite dance floor track, the one you almost never leave home without?
Yes I like mixing old and new stuff. But it always changes. I can’t tell you the one favorite classic. There are too many great records. But if you ask me which one never left the bag since I bought it in 1995 it’s Tyree on Dance Mania: Nuthin Wrong.

Are you currently working on any new music projects that we should keep an eye out for?
I’ve only been doing remixes since my album came out in February this year. Brand new in the stores is a remix for Function on Sandwell District.
And then there will be a record on Deeply Rooted House, distributed by PlanetE with two older tracks of mine coming out before the end of this year.

One of the things we love to talk about on this Blog is gear. Some people are gear enthusiasts and some are minimalists.  What is your current preferred DJ and music production set up?
I’m sorry to disappoint you if you expect a large analog production park. For my productions I’m using Logic Pro on a Mac and lot’s of digital plug Ins. That’s all I need at the moment. For me it’s more about music than loving machines. My DJ set up is two turntables and two Pioneer CDJs 1000 and a Soundbite loop player.

Thank you Ben!  Interview by Aaron Bliss for Jack the Box.

Below is the interview by Tanya Norman the night Ben Klock Played in Minneapolis.

Particle People Bring Ben Klock To First Ave VIP Room by Tanya Norman

On April 4, 2009 local promoters Particle People welcomed Ben Klock to the First Ave VIP Room. Coming to the USA all the way from Berghain Club in Berlin, this respected producer and deejay was here to promote his new album One and EP Before One out now on BeatPort and where vinyl is sold. Ben was kind enough to grant Tanya Norman an interview opportunity, allowing a glimpse inside his world of Berlin techno and sharing insight into why sometimes less is more…

TN: Who inspires you?  Mentors in music?

BK: I don’t know where to begin.  I’ve been making music all my life.  I listened to all kinds of music.  In the 80’s I loved Prince.  In the beginning of the 90’s I was beginning to look for new sounds.  There are some heroes: old US guys, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Robert Hood.  Basically, that’s where it comes from.

TN: What kind of technology and tools do you use?  Describe your studio.

BK:  It’s not that interesting. [laughs] I changed to complete digital. I really like total recall recording.  When I worked on my album I worked on different tracks at the same time.  I don’t want to have to reconnect cables…..with digital you can really do a lot of things.  I use Logic, a little Ableton… usually a Logic user.  And some plug-ins.

TN: Your current record label, Ostgut Ton, how long have you been with them?

BK: Since I’ve been a resident DJ at Berghain, about 3 years. Ostgut Ton is the label of Berghain. The venue they had before the Berghain was called Ostgut, that is why the label is called Ostgut Ton.

TN: You’ve been deejaying for over 10 years now?

BK: For a little over 10 years.  The international bookings started about 4 years ago, coinciding with the beginning of my residency at Berghain.

TN: Did you play any instruments as a child?

BK: When I was a kid I played piano. Before I became a DJ I also played in a band and did some songwriting, playing guitar and singing…

TN:  Did you find those experiences helpful with your current productions?

BK: Yes and no.  Sometimes it is not helpful when you are too educated in music and you want to make a good techno track…you don’t want it cluttered with too many solo parts, well, iIdon’t want it… [laughs]
See the full Interview at…
http://www.ipr.edu/blog/2009/04/particle-people-bring-ben-klock-to-first-ave-vip-room/

Be sure to see Tanya’s post for video and pictures from the night as well as visit Particle People on RA for more pictures here…

http://www.residentadvisor.net/photo-gallery.aspx?set=6248

and on http://www.myspace.com/particlepeoplempls

Big shout about one of NYC’s legends. Coming up this weekend, check out this bad ass and a solid line up.

Friday, November 20th

Get your presale tickets at vitalculture.com

TIMEFG003-JON HESTER

If you ask me… There are a few people that really stand out in my mind when I think of my most recent nights in Minneapolis. Thank person is Jon Hester.

Creator of the “Convergence” nights in Minneapolis this man is with out a doubt a taste maker in the city. Now, even though Jon recently moved to Spain to pursue his life in music and art and we miss him much, its nice to have a little reminder of the guy dancing on top the speakers!

Jack the Box is really happy to share this one!

This last week, The crew at Time Fog released its tird in a stream of Minneapolis related artists with Jon Hester’s “Spring Heat EP”

Timefog 03 – Jon Hester Spring My Heat EP  (w/ Dustin Zahn rmx)

Jon Hester ‘s musical background and performance panache are presented in this package with a remix from the talented and versatile Dustin Zahn. Hester is known for delivering powerful DJ sets with memorable selections that give each moment a purpose, complimented with live saxophone, effects, and any amount of wild antics in the DJ booth.

“Spring My Heat” This is a track built for the terrace. An extended dramatic intro with trippy sustained percussion makes it perfect for layering or extending the anticipation of what’s to come. At last the jets thunder in, washing the dancefloor with sound and smiles. Warm latin-infused synths dance around layers of gyrating drums with a subtle hint of libido in the mix. Surefire burner!

“Classy Lady” A jack track back beat taking a nod from the early rhythms of Chicago house with a sleek updated feel. The bass hits its stride early and pumps the pocket as claves open up the room to taut high hat workouts, soaring string stabs and a xylophone hook. Classy and freaky – the best of both worlds!

“Night Endurance” A track perfect for dropping at an eyes-closed hands-up early morning moment. Dubby basic channel synths and ethereal sounds ride along with circular, driving percussion on a Freak n’ Chic tech house vibe. Subtle strings and bleeps keep the floor moving, with a dramatic, spacious break in the middle to take a deep breath before diving back into the bass.

“Night Endurance” – Dustin Zahn rmx Dustin Zahn (Drumcode, Rekids, Enemy, Solar Cathedral) ups the endurance ante by bringing the strings to the forefront, thickening the percussion, and adding some extra tricks for fans of Audion and Marco Carola. Time to sweat!

WE MISS YOU JON!!

http://www.jon-hester.com

https://www.beatport.com

PROJEKTMKE

// PEZZNER seattle | om records . free range . urbantorque

//DELA milwaukee | projekt

//FORTUNE milwaukee | forUevents

Check out this LIVE PA download of PEZZNER:

AND….

DELA 10:PM

To celebrate the show our good friend Dela provided us a special deep house mix!! I have to say I really love what Dela plays and I Love what ever vibe he is on and this mix is no exception.

This is just one more way to show why we think that the Midwest is the best.

If you have appreciated what PROJEKT has done in Milwaukee over the last 2 years then please make a point to stop in and see what this crew is all about!

visit projektmke.com for more details…

BBC
2022 e. north ave.
milwaukee, wi

21+ w/ID

JMatthews: Hey Bryan, really looking forward to having you play Nov. 7^th for HotDish’s “Local’s Guide to Trainwreckin’” @ First Ave’s VIP. Many people know you in the Minneapolis dance scene, but can you give us a quick rundown of the history of Bryan Gerrard?

Gerrard: Lookin forward to it too man! It’s been a minute since I played up in the VIP. Quick rundown huh? Well I guess when it comes to house in MPLS – Been playin music since ’94 and like a lot of us dusty old cats still left around,  I came up playin raves and warehouse parties throughout Mpls and the Midwest in the 90’s. Started playin clubs shortly after and have been doin it ever since. I’ve played at or held a residency at pretty much every club in the city over the last 10-15 years and still love it!

JMatthews: Can you give us a rundown on Celebrity Records?

Gerrard: Celebrity was formed in ’99 with my homeboy David Drone in the back of his record shop Bassment Records. We started basically with the idea of releasing quality music that we believed in as opposed to saturating the market with a million tracks like a lot of other labels do.  It’s always been a labor of love for us and about quality over quantity. Over the years we’ve had the pleasure of working with industry veterans like Andy Caldwell, Scott Wozniak, Gene Farris, Jay-J, Stacy Kidd, Jay West and Alexander East as well as exposing the world to now famous and prolific artists such as Chuck Love, Audiowhores and Random Soul (all of whom released their first productions on Celebrity).  It has also been an outlet for many of our own production and will continue to be till the sun (or we) burn out!

JMatthews: What has been your biggest influence in the Minneapolis music scene?

Gerrard: Wow biggest influence…Well if we’re talking about people its without a doubt my house brothers 4 life Monte Hilleman, Alex Jarvis and David Drone. Those boys were doin this shit before me and I used to go see all them play before I ever started and that’s without a doubt the reason I got behind the decks. They graciously invited me into the fold a few years later and we’ve had sooo many crazy experiences since then it’s impossible to count. I’d also have to say the early days of SNDP at First Ave and old nights at The 90’s with DJ Miss Miss back in the day were major influences as well.

JMatthews: Who would you say has the most influence on you and your music right now both locally and internationally?

Gerrard: Well without a doubt all the people I mentioned before remain a big influence. I’ve been getting into a lot of other music lately but when it comes to house I’m diggin the stuff Crazy P, Spirit Catcher and Lovebirds are  doin big time. Really diggin the slowed down disco approach to things although there really doesn’t seem to be much of an ear for that here in MPLS. I’m also a big fan of Jay West and Manuel Sahagun’s stuff. Pretty much every track those guys do stays in my wallet forever. I love that they really respect sound quality while keeping the tracks innovative and funky as hell!

JMatthews: Can you tell us a little bit about the earlier life of Bryan Gerrard in the early 2000’s with beatopia, First Avenue, etc? Do you feel that times then are different then vs. now?

Gerrard: That was definitely the heyday that’s for sure! The best times I’ve EVER had djing in my life were up in the VIP room. I miss the feeling that people were open to hearing music they didn’t know and music with a feeling and just having a great time!

JMatthews: Let It Be, what a shame, right? Have you been able to visit the warehouse or the now online shop?

Gerrard: Yeah that’s too bad but not a huge surprise. All the good record shops are gone. Haven’t had the chance to check out the warehouse yet.

JMatthews: Digital versus vinyl. Thoughts?

Gerrard: I think I get asked this question about once a week. And honestly I’m surprised I still do considering digital has been the standard for several years now. My take on it is to move along with technology instead of fighting it. I love the sound of a record as much as the next guy but when clubs refuse to have a decent set of working turntables in them, all the record shops are gone and only about 10% of all the music getting made is released on vinyl the choice kind of makes itself no? I will be busting out some vinyl in the VIP!

JMatthews: Best club to rock out at outside of the 612?

Gerrard: My favs are Smart Bar in Chicago, Blue in Miami, and until last year before it closed Pink in SF was the joint!!!!

JMatthews: You are now holding a residency at The Lounge, can you give the dance community who doesn’t know a little about what your nights are like there?

Gerrard: I love it at The Lounge. That place has been around for so many years that you just gotta! I play a lot of different styles there depending on the night but when that place gets goin it can be one of the best nights in town. They recently remodeled the Main Room which I think makes a huge difference. People need to come down and check it out!!!

JMatthews: What are your thoughts on where house music is going and where it is going to be in the next 5-10 years?

Gerrard: wow man who knows. In the past just when you think house is dying out it comes back. I think people get wrapped up in all these sub-genres and fads but at the end of the day house always wins and will always be around in some format. Probably just need to wait a few more years so it can be all “Retro” then we’ll see its next big resurgence.

JMatthews: Well we sure are looking forward to having you come out and rock some of that vinyl, that is one thing we will never deny a DJ!

Bryan Gerrard will be bringing it this Saturday, November 7^th in the VIP room alongside myself, Nate Laurence and DJ SoulFeather for “A Local’s Guide to Trainwreckin’”. Be sure to come out and get down! Its only a $5 show, but if you email HotDish (info@hotdishmpls.com), we will get you on the list for reduced admissions! Plus free crossover to TOO MUCH LOVE. How can you fail?

Interview by: J Matthews