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Well, I was born at 7:07 AM on May 3, 1978 to the Andy Griffith theme song (hahaha).
Since I was about 6 I have played the piano, when I was at church with my mom. Eventually she got me to take lessons, but I found everything so much easier when I could memorize a song and just play it from habit. So the lessons didn't work out too well. I could read notes, but not as fast as I should be able to play them. I played violin, alto saxophone, flute, recorder, bass guitar, percussion, and got my first drum machine, a Roland Dr. Rhythm, when I was about 12. My next instruments were the turntables, which I got after realizing I could make a tape of all my favorite songs mixed as one long nonstop set. This idea fascinated me, and I struggled for 9 months with beat-matching on two Gemini DD-50's and a Gemini Technomaster. Then I got a Roland 707 Rhythm Composer to play with, which is a MUCH better version of a drum machine! After about a year, I got pretty lucky and my friend gave me this promoter's number who was looking for resident DJ’s in my area. I decided to give it a whirl, and had a residency on Fridays and Saturdays. It went pretty well until the owner of the venue (a sports arena) said we would draw more people than top capacity.
During that time, I had met a guy named Paul in the 18+ line outside Buzz with his girl Laila. They seemed pretty chill; it was Paul's birthday and he had just come to the East Coast. We all ended up hanging out, and I had a get-together afterwards which I invited them and a few others over my house. We all had a great time, and exchanged numbers and all that.
About a year later Paul called me up and told me he was throwing parties and he'd like me to play there, as part of Unity, his production company. I was psyched, and started playing for him at Tracks. The first one I played for him at was called "Fyxtion", and I played the main room. I pulled out some trance first, but no one seemed to get it! Then I played some progressive house, but I got the best reaction that night from breaks. It seemed to only last a few minutes, but 2 hours went by and I was just aching to play more! So Paul booked me again, and again, and again there until he stopped throwing parties at Tracks and started throwing them at the Edge. I loved the main room there, the Rane mixer was a dream to play on, and as always Technics were so much better than my Gemini's back home.
I lucked out some more, and some friends of mine in Baltimore started throwing weekly parties at the little Copacabanas club. Soon enough, Family got a hold of a bigger club with 2 floors and 3 rooms called Club Midnite. I went almost every Saturday, and eventually they booked me to play there. It was a lot of fun, the Baltimore crowd (post-Fever shutting down) was different though, and not as much into dancing as DC kids had been. Even so, it was still my city and I loved being there with my friends smiling up at me. I felt like we were family. Soon enough I was! =) I've never known a nicer promoter than Chris from Family. He's been like a brother to me, and always has something nice to say about everything.
I went to Sunrise Festival 98 and was handing out flyers for a party I was spinning at for Paul, and ended up handing one to this guy named Joe.
Then I played at Midnite and when I was done my set, my boy Shasta wanted to go home because he and his girl were arguing. So on my way out I saw Joe from Sunrise there, and he handed me a tape of himself. We stood there talking about music (which we play a lot of the same records), records and traveling for a bit; but Shasta really wanted to go so we left. En route, I popped Joe's tape in the tape deck and we all listened to it while we dropped Shasta off and went back to the club. It was pretty good, and I recognized a lot of the songs on there... quite a few were tracks I was looking for. I remember his email address was on the tape, and I emailed him and told him I thought it was pretty good. Later on, he asked me to help him come up with a logo for his production company, Kidz That Groove. We had a pretty good time, his friend Brian was going to draw it and we were to give him ideas. Joe asked me to be in his production company (which was himself, Jerramey Sin, and his roommate Chris Bulla), and I agreed.
In the meantime, I was booked for Paul of Unity one last time at the Edge. My best friend Dave, who got off work late, had promised to take me and my friend Deiter and his sister up there so I could drink when I was done and not have to drive. I had a job from 8am to 6pm so it kind-of limited me on the time I could spend out on Wednesday nights at the Edge. When I got home the night I was supposed to spin, he'd left a message asking me to come early and open instead, and if it was a problem then to call him. I called, and told him about my friend Dave and when he was getting off work. Paul told me to get there at 1am and he'd work something out. Dave got off at 11, and picked us up. We went the hour drive there and got there around 12. I had forgotten my ID at home and realized this in DC. I was hoping that Paul or his girlfriend Suzy would be there and could help me out. I was very fortunate and Suzy was there, and she eventually convinced the door staff to grant me entry with my 21-bracelet (that was so hard to get! I must look 16!). I rushed in to find Paul and see what he had worked out. As far as I knew I was to play at 1, but Charlie at the door told me that Paul had told him I was to play early. I found Paul and asked him what was up, as he walked out of the booth carrying his crate of records (funny, he had just got his first records a couple of months before). He said he'd be right back after he took his crate to the car. So I waited around, went up and talked to my boy Scott in the booth, and had a drink with him. I was waiting for a while, and finally got to looking around for Paul. I asked Suzy about it and she checked, then told me his car was gone. So things were unresolved, Paul had told Suzy I was too late, and Ryan (Onit) a resident there, refused to let me play for even 45 minutes after Scott so I could go home a bit earlier than 4am. I was pretty mad about this too, since a few months previous to that Ryan saw me have trouble at the door getting in at a club I was booked at that night (and was scheduled to spin at in minutes) and jumped on the tables when I was supposed to play before him. I blew it off, thinking he was just trying to keep a flow going, but he went on a bit early and wouldn't let me play until he was done. Oh well, I have learned that some people are table-hogs.
I dropped Unity from my name, and went on to play for Family and for Kidz That Groove. That experience, and Chris, has taught me to use contracts when I am booked so this kind of thing does not repeat.
I’ve played for KTG in York a couple of times at the Zodiac. The first time was pretty fun, and the sound system was great! They had just renovated the building and the DJ booth was now on the 2nd level looking down on the dance floor. The next time was worse though; the sound system was blown except the monitors (thank God!) and there were a few other complications…
Well there’s been other little stories here and there but this is all I feel like typing right now! =) I’ll throw more in later. As for upcoming news, Joe and I should be doing a Valentine's set around the date of February 14th at Databass in Virginia, and we should also have a tape out together soon. It will be me on one side and him on the other, of a 90 minute tape. Mine will be some progressive house/trance and breaks, a lot of stuff I pulled out of 612 on their opening day and some stuff that has been becoming my favorite tunes (currently). This tape should be out and about in a month, so if you want a copy let me know (wish@familyproductions.net)… I’ll see what I can do. The next on both of our agendas is a slower tape, with mainly slow old breakbeats from back in the day. This will also be a compilation effort with our own sides. I will be pulling together some old drum and bass from 95-97 on a tape for my girl Alexis and my boy Dave, if anyone is interested in a copy of that as well let me know. I love feedback! (Bug me about this please, everyone! I need a good kick every now and then to stop playing video games and get to work!)
Keep checking back here because I’ll be updating things off and on.
Take care,
*wish*
FAVORITE
Colors:
Blue-Green/Silver/Fushia
Animal:
my cat, Skook
Food:
spaghetti/shrimp chow mein
Drink:
Toasted Almond (top shelf Disarrono!)
Day:
Friday
Games that never leave the Playstation:
Final Fantasy 8 and MTV Music Generator (it's NOT cheesy!)
Movie:
Dune
Anime Movie:
Record of the Lodoss Wars
Anime Character:
Deedlit (Lodoss Wars)
Car:
Diablo... hahaha.... Honda Del Sol
Song:
tough call... "Promise Me"
City:
Philly! =) I love the people!
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What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
Making my own records and playing live shows, also making anime movies =) big dreams
Where do you most want to dj?
Fever
How did you get started dj'ing?
My friend Jeff convinced me to start buying records so I could make tapes of my favorite songs for myself to listen to. I just liked it so much I kept at it.
What's your IQ?
Hahahah check out www.iqtest.com I made 149 (dammit, one more!).
If you could change anything, what would it be?
I would want people in the world to be less money-motivated and more motivated to better themself in other ways. I think the environment as a whole would benefit from that greatly.
an old high school pic of me
