Jack The Box

With only about 7 weeks to till the best music festival in the world (imho) I found it necessary to feature one of our friends to the North. The latest addition to Jack The Box is an interview and podcast from John Johr.

I first met John last year just before Movement Detroit (DEMF) when my buddy Grimace introduced us. Grimace says..”Aaron you gotta meet his guy your gonna love him, great DJ, right up your alley!” Seriously,  that’s all he had to say, because he really knows his shit. Taking Gimace’s advice I went on-line, started looking and found a couple mixes of his… “DAMN!” I said.

Smooth, deep, and sexy rhythms is all that needs to be said.  John shows a side of Techno and House music that can only come from Detroit. His mixes are tight and so well composed that you have to feel it to believe it (notice i didn’t say hear it?) John’s sets are just that “Body Music”

I was able to sneak John away for an interview to talk about his time with Paxahau, the current sound of Detroit, and much more, not to mention some of that “Body Music” I was telling you about.

John Johr JackCast016

**CLICK HERE FOR DIRECT DOWNLOAD**

**What are your impressions of the Midwest dance music scene?

I love the Midwest scene! It has qualities that you’ll see no where else in the world and that makes it great. Having lived in Detroit my whole life it’s been amazing to have institutions like Motor, Recordtime, Submerge/UR, and even places like Motown/Hitsville USA in my back yard. Not a lot of people have been or are as lucky to have so much great music and music history so close to home. I’ve also been very lucky to have attended or worked at the festival (Movement or also known as DEMF early on) every year. In my eyes the Midwest dance scene has a lot to offer. Some of the best dj’s and producers in the world have come from the Midwest. I feel pretty lucky to be honest.

**For those of us that dont know Paxahau and Movement could you Tell us a little bit about your work with Paxahau?

I started with Paxahau in early 2005. My main role back then was doing party set-up’s and street promotions, as well I was invited to be one of the resident dj’s. As time went on my role progressed into doing the audio archives and internet promotions. We took over the festival in 2006 and though it’s a lot of work I’ve learned more from that then anything else I’ve been involved in throughout my life. It’s been amazing to work with such a dedicated team of guys and show’s what can be accomplished with a lot of hard work.

Movement 2010

**Are there any new and exciting things planned this year for the Festival? Any little secrets you can spoil us with?
There’s a lot of amazing things planned for the festival this year, Plastikman Live for instance, but I’m guessing everyone’s seen the pre line-up already. Let’s just say it’ll be worth the wait to see the rest of the line-up (and really, I’d hate to get fired!!! haha!)

**What’s going on in Detroit these days?  are there any regular parties or radio shows going on at the moment?

There’s a handful of nice weekly’s going on, Monday night’s in Ann Arbor at Necto if you want your drum & bass fix, there’s a couple fun Thursday weekly’s if you need some house or techno in your life. Also, there’s a great monthly party on Sundays, called SunDayBeats hosted by Auxetic, which is always a really fun time. Currently on Tuesday evening’s from 6-8 Paxahau is hosting a weekly webcast where you can tune in and here some of Detroit best local dj’s and get up to the minute Movement news. Other than that really, it’s mostly one-off events that keep our dance music scene alive. I, unfortunately, don’t get out as much as I used to. Between working in the studio and my *real* job I don’t have much time anymore. It really bums me out because there’s good music all over the city on almost any given night, though, you sometimes may have to hunt it down.

John Johr

**Detroit is constantly producing top notch producers and DJs, some would say more than any other city in the US, Besides yourself, are there any new guys coming up that we maybe haven’t heard of yet that we should keep an eye out for?
Well you may or may not have heard of him but my good buddy Eric Johnston is making some of my favorite tunes right now. The guys on fire!!! He has a few releases coming out on labels like Leftroom and Archipel and he actually just moved to Vienna so he’ll be greatly missed. Keep an eye for his new release’s though, so on point. I guess the other kid who’s really been on the tip of everyone’s tongue lately is Kyle Hall but I think most everyone who’s into dance music has probably heard about him already (if you haven’t… you’re really missing out!!!) Oh, and I could never forget Matt Abbott aka Secrets…. He’s writing some really cool stuff at the moment. He also throws on hell of a party. His new project that he’s doing with a few guys is called Gary Springs Hunting Club, so amazing. Also, the stable of established artist’s that have come out of Detroit is ridiculous….. Lee Curtiss, Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson,  and Shaun Reeves, their work has spread worldwide and the Visionquest project is about to jump off.  We’ve got DTM doing their thing, Dj Seoul, T. Linder, Darkcube, etc, they kill it all the time. Luke Hess and Bryan Kage aka Reference and their Beretta Music label….. I mean damn, it’s pretty out of hand! There’s so many more people too, it’s insane, I know I forgot a bunch more as well… sorry guys!

**Are you currently working on any new projects?
Things have been pretty busy lately. Last year I had my first European tour which was incredible. Everyone says the first trip overseas is really eye-opening and Europe far surpassed my already high expectations. Playing for the Cityfox guys at Alte Borse in Zurich and also Watergate in Berlin were huge highlights. Really though, I guess I’m always working on new projects. I’m constantly in the studio working on new tunes. Also, I’ve also been helping with my good friends Matt Kingsley and Nima Bararsani with their new booking agency (Bonus Level www.bonuslevel.us ). Keep an eye for Bonus Level events this year, there’s a few things on the horizon with them this year.

**So the rumors are true! I did hear that you are working on a few music projects and that you have really started to take on the production side of things… Any new releases on the horizon?
This rumor is true, as of late I’ve made production my main focus. I have my first digital release coming out on the UK based label Left’d (Leftroom’s digital sub-label) which I’m very excited about. It’s truly honor to have my first release with Matt Tolfrey and his crew. Other than that I have a handful of tracks I’m wrapping up right now that seem to be a step in the right direction. I’ve only been seriously writing music now for about two year’s so I’m picking up more and more as I as I go. Everyday I’m in the studio I learn something new and seeing my projects come together has been really fulfilling. I just moved in with my friend Lee Curtiss, so I’ve been working with him a lot lately, he Seth, Shaun, and Ryan have really helped me a lot and given me creative direction and I’m very grateful for that. I really couldn’t be more excited about this coming year.

Left Room

**Last year you toured for a short time with a team of artists from Paxahau, do you plan on doing this again this year, and can you tell us a little about it?
Last year Chuck Flask and I did a few Movement festival warm up parties and they were all a blast. I’ve already kicked off the season with  two warm-up parties in Austin Texas, one at the legendary Stubbs BBQ at the Spin Magazine 25th anniversary party and the other at my great friend and Detroit ex-pat Jon (E)ric’s U Funktion party, both where so much fun. Stubbs was really interesting because I shared the stage with Courtney Love and her newly reunited band Hole. It was their first show in ten year’s, It was pretty cool, I’ve never been a part of an event like that. Really, this year,  we would like to get out to as many cities as possible to promote Movement. We have an event set-up right in Grand Rapids MI which I think will be really fun. If any other show’s pop up we’ll definitely get all the info as soon as we can.

**What is your current DJ and music production set up?
My current DJ set-up is really simple, 2 turntables w/serato & vinyl with a x-one92. My studio set-up is pretty simple right now as well. I’m just using Ableton with a ton of plug-ins, a couple of midi controllers, and a pair of KRK Rokit 5’s. I guess money is the main factor with my studio set-up….there’s a ton of stuff I want and not enough to get all of it!

Thanks so much John for sharing with us, cant wait to see you again in Detroit for the festival!

Interview by Aaron Bliss

Be Sure to keep an eye out on John’s new releases and catch him at the festival this year were he will be playing the main festival and my guess is that he may pop up at an after hrs maybe.

Thanks for all your support and thanks for reading Jack The Box – The Midwest at Night.

This article was first posted by RA by Todd L Burns last year and I just had to share it because we recently had one of the UQ crew here in Minneapolis and his name was Levon Vincent. Yea.. He pretty much blew my mind and melted my face and ass all over the floor,  Thank you Levon, Ive been meaning to loose some of that holiday fat.

to view the orig post on RA please follow the following Link…  Link to RA post here

I LOVE NYC

The NYC House renaissance

New York City house music was stuck in a rut in the early ’00s, but a new batch of producers centered around Jus-Ed’s Underground Quality label

have recently emerged, and pushed it into a new era. This is their story.

For all its talk of the future, dance music has a decidedly classicist bent. Some of the best music currently being released is unabashedly backward-looking, whether it be in the purist strains of Berghain techno, nu-disco’s Balearic fixations or house music’s deep resurgence. The latter is being pushed by artists around the world, but few are doing it with the same sort of vitality—and coherence—as a group of New York-based and -influenced artists centered around Jus-Ed’s Underground Quality label. Some are calling it a New York house renaissance, and based on the incredible music and parties that have been emerging from the likes of Ed, Levon Vincent, Black Jazz Consortium, DJ Qu and Anthony Parasole, it’s hard not to see that something is happening there. And that 2009 may be its tipping point.

To call it a New York house renaissance, though, is slightly misleading. New York is a big place. But of the five artists largely responsible for this sound, only two actually live there. Parasole, who co-helms the Deconstruct imprint and co-runs the House-N-Home party, is in Brooklyn. While Black Jazz Consortium, AKA Fred P, is based in Queens. DJ Qu (New Jersey), Jus-Ed (Connecticut) and Levon Vincent (Indiana) each have strong ties to the city, though. Record stores, record distributors and parties in New York have all left an indelible mark on each.

The story of how this group came together revolves around a record shop called Halcyon. Set—at that time—in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood, the store, which doubled as a cafe, was among the finest that the city had to offer. As Jus-Ed remembers it, “You had to fill out an application to play [an in-store show] there. There were a lot of big-name DJs that wanted to play there that never did. I was lucky to be with Vic Money, the big dog at 98.7 KISS FM, and we still got the shit night. Mondays from 6 – 9 PM.” Levon Vincent, an employee at the time, quickly grew to love the slot, though, warning off any fellow co-workers from taking that shift so that he could listen to Ed’s sets each week.

Parasole also worked at Halcyon later on, and eventually became a buyer, purchasing some of the first records that DJ Qu released to stock in the shop. Vinyl that Ed had championed to New York distributor Downtown. And Fred P? The producer did a remix for Ed’s wife, Jenifa Mayanja, on an Underground Quality EP of a song called “Time Waits For No-One” that piqued Ed’s interest. In talking with Fred about his experiences in the industry, they immediately realized they shared common struggles, as well as similar sounds.

That sound, despite being house-based, though, is hard to pin down. The music that is being released by Levon Vincent and Anthony Parasole’s labels has a toughness to it that is finding fans in the techno community. DJ Qu’s tunes appeal to the old-school house heads. Fred P, meanwhile, is charting a course towards a deep house that is equal parts darkness and light, simple and complex. And Jus-Ed simply mixes it all together seamlessly, making it all sound like one big canvas upon which these artists are painting.

Jus-Ed is the Godfather. The central figure in the New York house renaissance, his label Underground Quality and weekly radio show on myhouse-yourhouse.net are the first port of calls for anyone interested in learning more about the artists talked about here. Ed never asked to be the mentor to these artists, but due to his gregarious nature and his record business experience, he’s given plenty of advice to Parasole, Vincent, Qu and P in their efforts to launch their own labels. And, crucially, plenty of advice on how to represent themselves, and Underground Quality, at gigs.

“The one that I impress upon the guys is professionalism. I tell them, ‘How you are received, is how we are perceived.’ You want to keep the door open for the next person, whoever that may be. When Fabric came calling the first time, I said, ‘Finally! This is my Shelter moment!’ Now I have to make a good impression, because I know these people are taking a risk creatively having me here. It’s been a while since they’ve had this type of character. And they’re not even clear on who this character is! But I went over there with Qu, and we played together and we kicked ass. They had to throw us out of the room. They had to tell the boss, Judy, who was in there jamming to shut us down. Normally they close it at 5:30, but that night we had it open until 6:30. The next time, we were there until 8!”

Ed’s tireless work ethic only comes into focus, though, once you realize that despite his gigs around the world, he still maintains a full-time job back in Connecticut. Our conversation is peppered with quick phone interruptions about perennial flowers and tax talk, as Ed graciously relates the history of how he met each member of Underground Quality—even the ones not affiliated with New York—in painstaking detail. It’s clear that he revels, to a certain degree, in multi-tasking. Or that he’s simply become accustomed to it. Needless to say, however, his joy for DJing has never dimmed. “If I could get enough money to pay for my kids to go to college, I’d do every gig for free,” he tells me before breaking into his trademark laugh.

Levon Vincent is the survivor. Each of the artists featured here have gone through a lot, but anyone that has met Vincent at his increasing slate of international DJ gigs knows that he’s had to endure a lot in the past few years. Vincent walks with a cane, the result of a back injury sustained in New York. It’s one of the reasons that he decamped to Indiana early in 2009 to focus his energies on music, after the usual run of odd jobs that never amounted to much in the way of health insurance. The injury, as Vincent will admit, though, was a blessing in disguise. Without any distractions in Indiana, he’s produced the best work of his career, releasing track after track that bridges the gaps between house, dub and techno in a novel way.

Releasing on his own imprint, Novel Sound, and a label that he co-runs with Anthony Parasole called Deconstruct, he’s seen his star rise over the past six months to a level that he likely never would have predicted when he was working at Halcyon, making sandwiches and working the register. Vincent, like the others, has had a long history in New York, but perhaps the most formative experience was working at designer Pat Fields’ shop in the mid-’90s. It was there that he saw many of the wild characters that made up the local dance scene up close and personal. He was even booked to play The Limelight for the first time the night that notorious club owner Peter Gatien was hauled off to jail on federal drug charges.

It was seemingly an apt metaphor for Vincent’s work up to that point: While he made initial forays into the club world, it was only years later that he was able to truly find his own niche, taking the musical lessons he learned when studying at the State University of New York and applying them to the wisdom taken from watching Jus-Ed and others work the floor. As Vincent put it in a recent interview with Bodytonic, “I am a scientist working in the field of ass-shakery.”

Fred P is the quiet genius. Humble is the word that was uttered over and over to me when I asked the other artists about Fred Peterkin, and you can hear it quite clearly in his music. Recording under the Black Jazz Consortium moniker—”It was originally called Brooklyn Jazz Consortium. But then I moved,” he laughs—Peterkin has carved a niche for himself in the deep house community. But, as Philip Sherburne noted in a recent column for Pitchfork, Peterkin stands above many classicists. He points to the sneaky complexity to his rhythms that contrast the simple and beautiful sentiments contained within the keys that he often plays over top. In listening to his latest album, Structure, or one of his best singles preceding it, “God’s Promise,” it’s hard not to agree.

Structure almost never materialized, though, as Peterkin had given up music completely in the mid-’90s in favor of a full-time job. It was only a good friend bringing him mixtapes with music from the likes of 4 Hero and Spacetime Continuum that got him back into production again. Inspiration only went so far: “[When I started producing again] I couldn’t get arrested in this town. ‘Too this, too that, could you make it this way, could you make it that way.’ The music I was making wasn’t right for that time period though. It was too raw. Everything back then had a finished, glossy, beautiful kind of feel to it. And I was living in a room filled with cigarette butts, y’know?”

Like Vincent, Parasole, Ed and Qu, Peterkin went out plenty during the late ’80s and early ’90s to clubs like The Sound Factory, The Red Zone and The Tunnel, but you get the sense that in listening to Black Jazz Consortium that it’s music borne out of hours of studio work. While Qu was dancing in the middle of the floor, Peterkin was busy studying what was making them dance. Peterkin is no slouch behind the decks, though. His mix in advance of the crew’s appearance at Berlin’s Tape club may be the set’s best. “I’d definitely like to play more, but I know I’m a bit different than what is happening now. I’m not reinventing the wheel, though. I guess it’s just because it’s where I’m at, or where I’m starting from.”

Anthony Parasole is the party maker. His major contribution thus far to the New York house renaissance is via his DJing and his crucial House-N-Home loft party, an event done with The Bunker’s mastermind Bryan Kasenic. Coming up on its first anniversary, the loft party has hosted the likes of Patrice Scott, Keith Worthy, Dixon, Mike Huckaby, Move D and more to the 12 Turn 13 space in Brooklyn. But just as it has showcased international and domestic talent, it’s also served as an unofficial UQ residency, giving space to Vincent, Fred P, DJ Qu, Ed and of course Parasole on a regular basis to push their sound at an ideal location.

Unlike many of the other excellent parties that UQ-affiliated artists play at, such as the Tuesday deep house soiree Deep See, DJ Qu’s aforementioned House Dance Conference or the outdoor summer series Sunday Best, it’s one of the few that brings together disparate crowds—old-school house heads ready to dance, The Bunker’s techno-loving crowd in search of a house alternative, those simply looking for a good loft party. Parasole often opens or closes the night, breaking out a mix of classics and future classics that you’ll have rarely heard before. His recent mix for mnml ssgs is as good example as any of his talents.

After many years of being ensconced into the New York scene, it’s clear that Parasole is finally reaping some of the benefits of his hard work as a DJ. The reason that you haven’t heard much out of Parasole in the production arena? Like Ed, he has a full-time job, which occupies a great deal of his time. But he’s also resistant, like many of the UQ-affiliated artists, to delve too deeply into new technologies. (That’s also a major reason why Deconstruct, his label with Vincent, is still an entirely vinyl affair thus far.) He’s set to release his first remix, an effort done with Fred P, on the next Deconstruct.

DJ Qu is the dancer. Now known primarily as a DJ, Qu made his start in the dance music world through dancing. Traveling the world as a dancer for a variety of artists, and then going on to teach classes and workshops alongside his mentor Brian “Footwork” Green and friend Joey Anderson on house dancing, when Qu talks about tapping into the spirit of true house music, you can be sure he knows exactly what he’s talking about. Over the past few years, Qu has largely given up dancing and instead focused his energies toward DJing, production and the House Dance Conference party, an event that was started by Green in 1999. It’s a night for true heads, with people flying in from all over the world to visit.

“I had been wanting to DJ at their party for a while, because I consider myself the dancer’s DJ,” Ed laughed, when I asked him about how he met DJ Qu. It’s a common sentiment for each of the UQ DJ’s: Their music is embraced by connoisseurs of the genre, those who have either lived through house music’s golden age, or those seeking to capture a little piece of what they imagine it must have been like. Qu’s music is some of the most stripped down of the artists working in the New York house scene at the moment, carving out deep grooves that reflect his tendency to favor the dancer above all else. You can hear as much in his recent mix—part of the six-mix CD that the label is using to promote their upcoming night at Berlin’s Tape club—whose irresistible rhythms are perfect for fancy footwork.

Like Ed and Parasole, he also has a full-time job, which limits his time, but he’s nonetheless been able to build his Strength Music imprint into a respected label based on the quality of what are largely his own productions. Qu has a shorter production resume than most. In fact, his Strength Music label hasn’t issued a single released in 2009. He’s spent the majority of the year focusing on remix work, and is set to relaunch the label in September with The Semesters Pt. 2, as well as a DJ Qu album which will likely hit stores sometime in 2010.

BILL PATRICK

On Saurday October 24th 2009 Bill Patrick gives us a pre-Halloween treat in the VIP room for a special edition of BLACK Saturdays. The Particle People had some time last week to get a few great questions in from Bill. We span the gambit here with stories from secret bromance and spirit horses, to his hatred of Serato (I do not support his hatred of Traktor and a threat was made to edit his comments but I promise his comments were not edited in any way.) *wink* wink*… Be sure to check in next week for a followup to Bills interview with a brand new mix recorded live from the show.

This is your second time in Minneapolis, what excites you most about visiting our city for the second time and what are your impressions of the Mpls scene?
The first time I came to Minneapolis I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was really blown away by the response and enthusiasm of everyone that showed up. My experience with playing in the states is that the cities you least expect to have a blowout are usually the ones that turn out the best. St Louis is also a good example of that. So I’m expecting this second visit to go even better. Or maybe I should keep my expectations low. What do you suggest?

What are you listening to at the moment (non dance music)
Oh wow. I could go on for days naming bands and artists I am listening to right now. Actually, I hardly listen to any dance music aside from when I am searching for tracks. I just got some new Thom Yorke songs that are obviously amazing. I’ve really been into the band Studio thanks to my friend Sussi. The new Kings of Convenience album has been on repeat as well as Erlend Oye’s other band Whitest Boy Alive. Beirut is also one of my favorite bands at the moment. Blonde Redhead, Bon Iver, Leonard Cohen, Burial, Japan, Hercules and Love Affair, Junior Boys, Brain Eno, Philip Glass to name a few more. Marc Houle recently turned me on to this band Iko one afterhours in Berlin. Super cool 80’s synth pop from Quebec. They put out one album in 1983 under this alias and no one every heard from them again.

Are there any artists you are really fond of at the moment?
Masomenos from Paris are my favorite right now. Their album The Third Eye is easily the best thing I have heard in some time. I passed it along to a bunch of friends and everyone was equally amazed. In fact, the most trainspotted tracks in my set are always theirs. We played together in Romania recently and I was blown away by their DJing as well. They are on fire at the moment and should be booked immediately. Let’s see, who else am I fond of? Well of course all the Wolf + Lamb artists like Deniz Kurtel and No Regular Play. Deniz has lots of goodies coming out on Crosstown Rebels as well. A full length album to be exact. Breaking onto the scene with an album is pretty impressive so be sure to check that out. No Regular Play just did an EP on W+L that I’ve been playing a lot. I would mention Seth Troxler but I don’t think he needs any more press or boosts to his ego. But I love him dearly. He is my spirit horse.

WE ARE ROBOTS

We Are Robots’ and ‘Robots Radio’ seem to be on hiatus at the moment, do you foresee it making a return?
We decided to end things at a good time. I was always a fan of clubs, parties, artists, ending while on top and I can honestly say I think we did that. I made my move to Berlin, Nick moved to London, and it just made sense to wrap it up. I am not sure about any reunion parties at the moment. Perhaps something down the road. RobotRadio however is something I would love to start back up. I am not sure how to go about that though. I get more people asking about that show than anything else. Dennis and I had so much fun doing it and it allowed us to play tons of music we wouldn’t necessarily get to play in a club. If I could start something up in Berlin I would. Something to look out for…

When I was a young raver in NYC I was inspired by a handful of parties that made me want to be a contributing part of the culture….  What was it that influenced you to make the move from fan to DJ/Promoter?
Well, I would have to say the first raves I attended in Brooklyn and Queens and then eventually the parties at Twilo. Those parties completely turned my world inside out. I would show up to Twilo at 11pm on the dot in order to hear the first track played and stay till the last track was dropped. I always had this appreciation for the opening DJ. Guys like Jimmy Van M, Luis Diaz, Sean Cusick, and Danny Howells. So I would say musically speaking, I was mostly inspired by the deep, moody, sexier music they were playing in the beginning of the night. I’ve never been influenced to be a promoter. I wouldn’t call myself a promoter at all. In fact, I hate promoting. It’s the worst job in the world. Sorry. *wink*
There is too much stress to deal with when throwing your own party. Starting with the bullshit you have to go through with the DJ’s and agencies. Add the constant nagging for guestlist that continues well into the night of the party (getting a phone call at 1am asking for guestlist is always fun) and then having to worry about the numbers and whether the bar is making enough money, blah, promoting sucks! haha.

What was your favorite party of the summer?
Probably the Sunwaves Festival in Romania. Seth Troxler, Lee Burridge, and I played one stage. Also Luciano, Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, and Steve Lawler were on other stages. Oh yeah, and of course, Masomenos! We all partied well into Monday morning and missed our flights back to Berlin. This is common practice in Romania however. It was our fault for even booking our flight to return Monday.  The Black Sea Coast is my favorite place in the world to DJ. The Sunwaves Festivals happen every May and August and I would recommend checking it out if you have a chance. It’s clubbing at it’s finest.

Is it true that Berlin is the new “Greenwich Village” (new Williamsburg )?
Style wise? I guess there are a lot of hipsters in Berlin. Artistic wise? Yeah sure. Lots of galleries opening up. Musically speaking, I would say it compares to Greenwich Village 20 years ago. There are record shops everywhere, flyers and posters for all sorts of shows, mainly rock and punk but of course also house/techno. It has a similar vibe to the Village. I remember walking around Greenwich Village in the early 90’s and feeling like I was a part of something. You could feel that there was a movement happening. The same feeling is going on right now in Berlin. You know people are flocking to the city because there is an opportunity for artists to make something of themselves. There’s a similar creative outlet in Berlin that was in the Village back in the day. So yes, I could see the comparison.

How has the adjustment been going from NYC to Berlin?
Oh it’s been amazing. We have a nice solid group of friends in Berlin. The pace and rhythm is much easier than NY. Plus the cost of living is much much cheaper. So that eliminates a ton of stress. I could do a better job of learning the language though. That would definitely help make things a little bit easier.

What record never leaves your bag or keeps making its way back in time after time?
Notorious B.I.G. “Ready to Die” album, Cevin Fisher “Love You Some More”, and Ricardo Villalobos “808 Bassqueen”

What does your current DJ set up consist of?
2 technic turntables,  2 CDJ 1000’s, 1 Allen and Heath Xone 92 mixer. I really have a profound hatred for Serato and Traktor. I am almost at the point where I refuse to Dj with anyone using it. I can not tell you how many issues I’ve had with it. We were in Zurich last week and I was playing with Ryan Crosson and all of a sudden the stupid shit decided it wanted to play the record in reverse. As I was trying to mix. This type of stuff happens all the time. Not to mention the pain in the ass it is when you are DJing and the guy after you has to set up his Traktor and is all over you trying to plug everything in. I don’t care that you can play your stupid 80’s disco records at the end of your sets because it allows you to carry more music, it’s a pain in the ass and I would love to see it disappear.

You do a fair amount of traveling and get to see quite a few up and coming artists…in your opinion, who are a couple of people to watch out for in the next year?
I think we answered this question already. But I’ll name some more. Well, lets recap. Masomenos, Deniz Kurtel, No Regular Play…oh, the guys in Romania! Praslea, Ali Nasser, Kozo, Prik (yes thats pronounced Prick). These guys are insane Dj’s. Everytime I go there we end up doing some massive afterhours and play for days. Last time I was there Raresh, Praslea, Kozo and I played for around 11 hours at this seedy bar up in the mountains somewhere. It was amazing. These guys would put most of the “big dj’s” to shame.

Your buds with Lee Curtiss…tell us a story about that crazy SOB.
Lee is my JO bud. Did he tell you that? That was suppose to be a secret.

CPR - A Piece of History (Crosson, Patrick, Reeves)

I recently read that you plan to take some time off from your busy DJ schedule to pursue your own productions…can you tell us about your project with Shaun Reeves and Ryan Crosson? Any plans on solo work?
I don’t know about taking time off from Djing. Unless I am playing 8 times a month, I don’t see myself taking a break. I have started a few things with Ryan and Shaun. One that recently came out on Wolf + Lamb. It’s available on their site www.wolflambmusic.com
I don’t know about solo work. I am really bad at finishing stuff. Plus I love having the extra set of ears in the studio. I find myself getting stuck on one sound for too long and it’s good to have someone there who can be like hey, lets move on this sucks, or lets try adding this. This is why I enjoy working with people like Ryan, Shaun, and Seth. We’re all very comfortable with each other. So if something isn’t working we’re not afraid to speak up.

If your a baseball fan….   *Twin/Yankees series is about to begin…We’d like to take the time to apologize in advance for the ass whooping.  : )
I hate the Yankees. I hope the Twins beat them. I don’t see that happening though. I am a Mets fan. Don’t laugh.

For a taste of the past we were given permission to share an extra special mix from Bill. This set was recorded the last time he was her for Eccentric Beats a few years back but hurry, the mix is only available till Friday before the show. A big thanks to Phil Good for the mix. LINK HERE

Thanks go out to Jesse Jakob for help with a few funny-ass questions!  Be sure to visit Bill Patrick’s Myspace for new mixes and be sure to come back here for a recap of bills visit with a recording of the nights shenanigans.

FACEBOOK LINK HERE

interview by Aaron Bliss