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DJ Dan - The DJ's DJ
In an industry that’s filled with copycat Sashas and wannabe Danny Tenaglias, it’s always refreshing to come across a DJ who completely captures that ‘superstar’ quality while at the same time defining a sound that is truly his own. One DJ who symbolises these characteristics is America’s own DJ Dan.
While he may be unfamiliar to the majority of Australia’s dance music lovers, DJ Dan has been DJing, as well as producing dance music, for a good part of 10 years. During this time he has travelled the world and held residencies in clubs as diverse as Fabric in London and the now defunct Twilo in New York. As such, he’s held in high regard by the likes of Carl Cox and Pete Tong. His interpretation of house music can be experienced in his contribution to the ‘Mixed Live’ series available through Moonshine Music. Trust me, it’s not like any house music you’ve ever heard before in that it not only captures old skool funk but also the energetic quality that can be heard in techno. As one of the exclusive headliners for this year’s Mobile Home, Sydney is in for a unique and inspiring musical treat. While this is his second trip to Australia since 1996, I have no doubt that it will be one of the most talked about sets ever. Being the good sort that he is, DJ Dan took some time out to speak to Resident Advisor and just very quietly, he rocks! Much respect!
RA: You’ve been described as ‘America’s most beloved DJ’ and that you helped transform the 90’s into a ‘decade of dance’. How is the dance culture in America different now when compared to the early 90’s?
DJ DAN: Back in the early 90's, the dance music scene here in America was still trying to identify itself which made it an amazing place to get started as an up and coming dj. The lack of rules made it a very inspiring and refreshing place for all dj's to come and make their mark. The rave scene was a very big part of it since there were not too many big clubs showcasing the new sounds. Today, we have at least 1 or 2 big clubs in every city across America showcasing dance music. The difference is that you know that you will be able to dance all night with great sound and that there is no chance of the party getting shut down early. On the other hand, it has lost that spirit of adventure because it is no longer underground, I do not think that this is a bad thing because at least dj's and clubbers alike know that the party will go on and you are guaranteed a great night out.
RA: Has the RAVE Act changed people’s perceptions and acceptance of dance music?
DJ DAN: The Rave Act has definitely changed things in America. Most people feel that the Rave scene took an unfair hit by the way they pushed it through in such a sneaky way, as well as how it gave the rave scene such a bad rap. It has not stopped many big companies like Sony Playstation from getting behind big DJ's to do tours as well as having big Rave tents at festivals like Coachella, The Smokeout, Area 2, etc. I have seen the scene go through many hard times in the past and I think it will work itself out eventually.
RA: As such, is it difficult for a DJ to maintain a solid career given the restrictions placed on promoters and club owners in relation to drug usage?
DJ DAN: I do not feel there has been so much focus on the drug usage as there has been in the past. It has however, been very difficult for many artists and dj's to maintain a full schedule since the crackdown. I have been very fortunate to have such deep roots here in America that I have been able to stay quite busy between tours, club dates, and festivals as well as international travel.
RA: Your latest mixed compilation, ‘Mixed Live’ is described as a ‘house’ cd but I think it’s much more techier than normal house even verging on the techno cusp of dance music. Is this the style you normally play? Or, given the atmosphere in a club or at an event, do you play other genres to suit the mood?
DJ DAN: I play to the crowd whenever I play. My crowd knows that I am going to take them on the edgier side at some point during my set. I think this is what gets them excited to come hear me play because they can always count on a roller coaster ride as well as something different every time. I like playing peaks and valleys, it's a great rush!
RA: I imagine maintaining a DJ career is not the easy road most people think it is. What’s the most defining moment, so far, that made you realise why you decided to be a DJ?
DJ DAN: The most defining moment for me is when you put your heart and soul into your set and then you drop a track that you just finished in the studio and the crowd goes crazy for it. The energy that I feel from the crowd at that moment is the greatest feeling in the world for me.
RA: AT the other end of the spectrum, has there ever been a time when you thought about giving it up and getting a regular 9-5 job?
DJ DAN: No, I know that I will be involved in this music in one form or another for the rest of my life. It's too intoxicating to ever trade it in for a 9 to 5. The only other thing that I might get back into is fashion design ,but that would be way down the road.
RA: Who is the one person that has influenced you the most?
DJ DAN: I would have to say there are many. Like, Depeche Mode, New Order, Prince, James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson, Roger and Zapp.......The list goes on.
 RA: If there is one DJ/producer/musician that you would like to work with, who would that be and why?
DJ DAN: I would love to work with Prince. He is the Funk Innovator. His sounds are so quirky and sexy, and he always makes it sound so fluid and fresh. He was one of the first musicians that made me realize that I wanted to take dance music seriously and keep pushing it further. He was one of the key factors to me wanting to become a dj and mix sounds together.
RA: You’ve done quite a lot of remix work, in particular you remixed New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ back in 1998. It’s regarded as a classic dance track. What brought about the idea to remix it and what did New Order think of it?
DJ DAN: I was commissioned to do the remix from a friend of mine who worked at Warner Brothers at the time. It was actually a cover of New Order by a band called "Orgy". I heard the rock version that Orgy did and decided to go back to the original New Order version and try to do it some justice. The only elements I used from Orgy's version was their vocal and even then I chopped it up, changed the pitch, and used tons of effects on it. It was a great honor to do a remix of one of my all time favorite tunes growing up, so it makes me very happy that the mix has become such a huge classic.
RA: Your own production work with ‘That Zipper Track’ and it’s follow up, ‘That Phone Track’ has garnered you further acclaim a producer. Will there be a solo album released any time in the future?
DJ DAN: I am currently working on tracks for my original artist album and it will include both of these tracks as well as some unexpected crazy new goodies.
RA: You appear to have a very hectic touring schedule. When you don’t tour or aren’t in the studio, how do you relax?
DJ DAN: I am able to relax at home because I live about 20 minuites out of the madness of L.A. I have turned my house into a very zen-like Utopia with an outdoor cabana, a full "Austin Powers" style entertainment room and a full studio in the basement. I never want to leave home when I get back into town, but it makes it all okay knowing I get to come back to my favorite place every time. It does however make it very difficult to tour for long periods of time.
RA: You’re one of the headlining DJs at Sydney’s Mobile Home for New Year’s Eve. Is this your first visit to Australia? How long will you be staying and will you be playing at any other clubs or cities?
DJ DAN: I believe it was around 1996 that I played in Sydney for Mardi Gras. Sugar Ray and Phil Smart are friends of mine and they brought me out to play a party that they were throwing. I played the party and it was incredible. I saw some crazy shit go down that night--things I will never forget. I was supposed to play another gig in Melbourne but I developed a very serious middle ear infection as a result of flying with a really bad sinus cold, so I had to cancel the Melbourne gig. I ended up staying longer than planned (by doctors orders) in Sydney and Sugar Ray looked after me the entire time. I think I ended up calling him daddy or something--great guy! This time I will be staying for a few days and I decided to just do the 1 gig because I really want to enjoy some time off as well. I have such fond memories of my last time there and I really want to enjoy the city as much as possible this time.
RA: Given that some people attending Mobile Home won’t be familiar with your DJing, what kind of set should Sydney be expecting especially for such a special event?
DJ DAN: I am going to play music that is colourful and electric, I cannot classify my sound so I will leave it at that! I am coming to celebrate a great year, as well as share some great tunes in celebration of my return to Australia. I will be playing alot of new and unreleased tracks and I guarantee it will be funky, energetic, and party rocking! I look forward to seeing everyone there!
Peace---DJ Dan.
DJ Dan will be performing at Mobile Home on New Years Eve. Wharf 3, Sydney Australia.
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Published / Tuesday, 18 November 2003
 5 Comments
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