The Bedrock boss brings his label to town
Welcome back JD. A Miami sampler at last from Bedrock, you have been threatening one for a while – why this year?
“I think we are just a bit more organized this year, plus I have had so many great tracks sent to me at the start of the year the album just seemed to fall into place.”
You have obviously been road-testing these out on the road, what tunes have been raising the roof?
“I’ve been playing all the tracks out and getting great reactions to them all. Stand out tracks for me are “Nightstalker”, “Machines”, “Motone” and “How Do You Do It”.”
DMC have also been speaking to Marco Bailey today – we hear you have been closing your sets with his latest monster?
“Marco & Tom’s track “Stars & Shines” is amazing – just the right amount of melody that sends shivers up your spine – a perfect end of night track without it sounding cheesy.”
Looking back on 2011 now that the dust has settled, how was the year for you and your label? What were the big changes in the electronic scene?
“2011 was amazing for me, some incredible parties and festivals around the world plus the Bedrock label just seemed to go from strength to strength, I think the big news for 2011 was Skrillex who exploded onto the scene and injected his raw sound.”
Have there been any new pockets opening up in the States, any new towns or cities finally ‘getting’ it?
“America has seen a explosion over the last few years with the electronic sound being bigger than its ever been, the commercial dance sound has taken off on radio and the commercial clubs are packed. ‘Are they getting it ‘ well the kids are having fun and they are experiencing electronic music which can only be a good thing. There is still plenty of room for the underground sound and parties and I am very happy to be playing amazing parties and huge festivals every year in The States to people who want to hear quality music.”
We know that the WMC is more about profile and the party rather than business deals, is it the most important date on the dance calendar still?
“I think there has not been much business done in Miami for years, but in our industry just hanging out with a new promoter or DJ can build a working relationship that can last for years, so in a way a lot of business can get done without you knowing it. I think it is still an important date in the industry calendar and this year due to the rise of EDM in The States it will be one of the biggest.”
As thousands of next generation clubbers descend on the big events, do you feel the spirit of house music is being lost to a crowd looking for that instant anthem hit?
“I think you can still find great parties playing fantastic house music keeping that spirit alive in a modern way.”
Have you had to change your musical direction in the last year in any way?
“I have always stuck to music that I believe in and play it with passion, I could not play every weekend music I did not like as my heart would not be into it.”
What are your thoughts on the Dennis Ferrer ‘Mansion’ Miami club story – he was basically kicked off the decks for not playing commercial enough?
“The commercial sound is the most popular at the moment so I guess that’s what the main clubs are going to focus on as that’s what will bring them the most money, as for Dennis being kicked off it’s a shame that the booker did not have a better idea of how he played as its a waste of time for Dennis and money for the club. Plus how will you ever educate the crowd if you just spoon-feed them what they want with the same records week after week, night after night? I think it’s a bit of a shame that people don’t want to be surprised musically when they go out, just wanting to hear what you already know and hear on the radio all day. If you like a DJ you should trust his selection, what’s next… jukeboxes in nightclubs?”
With clubs and charts being dominated by dance music worldwide, shouldn’t we be rejoicing it’s success rather than being bitter with crossover?
“R&B singers and rappers on house music is a million miles away from what I and many other underground DJs are playing so it does not really affect me as I don’t play in those type of clubs.”
Your set at Vagabond is like a homecoming for you in Miami, loads of friends on the dancefloor. Do you prefer doing these 5 hour sets compared to your set at the Ultra Festival?
“It’s important for me to play at gigs like Ultra, EDC and Electric Zoo as these are huge events and you reach thousands of people in one gig. Sometimes this is the first time some of these people have heard me play, so if I make a great impression these are future fans for me. The Vagabond, as you say, is a small intimate gig with friends from all over the world on the dance floor having a blast in an underground club.”
Have you any secret Buzz bombs tracks set for WMC 2012?
“An amazing remix of Slam’s – ‘Eterna’ which has been massive for me.”
Have you noticed a big dip in industry folk not attending these last couple of years?
“Miami is a not a cheap place to go these days and with record sales down there has been a dip in the amount of industry people attending, but we have also seen an increase from DJs, producers and club owners from all over the world, so it’s all good.”
What are your thoughts on the IMS in Ibiza? Will you be attending?
“I have heard nothing but great things about IMS, I’m away this year so sadly won’t be going, next year hopefully I’ll be there.”
And finally – what are the big outdoor shows you are looking forward to this summer?
“I’m really looking forward to the following festivals: Timewarp, Electric Daisy Carnival (NYC and Las Vegas), Creamfields and Ultra Miami, to name a few. 2012 is already looking busier than last year.”
