Skip to main content
 
  • Recording Academy
  • GRAMMYs
  • Membership
  • Advocacy
  • MusiCares
  • GRAMMY Museum
  • Latin GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
  • Advocacy
  • Membership
  • GRAMMYs
  • News
  • Governance
  • Jobs
  • Press Room
  • Events
  • Login
  • MusiCares
  • GRAMMY Museum
  • Latin GRAMMYs
  • More
    • MusiCares
    • GRAMMY Museum
    • Latin GRAMMYs

The GRAMMYs

  • Awards
  • News
  • Videos
  • Music Genres
  • Recording Academy
  • More
    • Awards
    • News
    • Videos
    • Music Genres
    • Recording Academy

Latin GRAMMYs

MusiCares

  • About
  • Get Help
  • Give
  • News
  • Videos
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Person of the Year
  • More
    • About
    • Get Help
    • Give
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
    • Shop
    • Person of the Year

Advocacy

  • About
  • News
  • Issues & Policy
  • Act
  • Recording Academy
  • More
    • About
    • News
    • Issues & Policy
    • Act
    • Recording Academy

Membership

  • Join
  • Events
  • PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING
  • SONGWRITERS & COMPOSERS WING
  • GRAMMY U
  • GOVERNANCE
  • More
    • Join
    • Events
    • PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING
    • SONGWRITERS & COMPOSERS WING
    • GRAMMY U
    • GOVERNANCE
Log In Join
  • SUBSCRIBE

  • Search
See All Results
Modal Open
Subscribe Now

Subscribe to Newsletters

Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events. Privacy Policy
GRAMMY Museum
Membership

Join us on Social

  • Recording Academy
    • The Recording Academy: Facebook
    • The Recording Academy: Twitter
    • The Recording Academy: Instagram
    • The Recording Academy: YouTube
  • GRAMMYs
    • GRAMMYs: Facebook
    • GRAMMYs: Twitter
    • GRAMMYs: Instagram
    • GRAMMYs: YouTube
  • Latin GRAMMYs
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Facebook
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Twitter
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Instagram
    • Latin GRAMMYs: YouTube
  • GRAMMY Museum
    • GRAMMY Museum: Facebook
    • GRAMMY Museum: Twitter
    • GRAMMY Museum: Instagram
    • GRAMMY Museum: YouTube
  • MusiCares
    • MusiCares: Facebook
    • MusiCares: Twitter
    • MusiCares: Instagram
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy: Facebook
    • Advocacy: Twitter
  • Membership
    • Membership: Facebook
    • Membership: Twitter
    • Membership: Instagram
    • Membership: Youtube
Gene Farris

Gene Farris

Photo: Courtesy of artist

News
Gene Farris On "Space Girl" & Chicago House gene-farris-talks-space-girl-rave-safety-return-bedroom-dj

Gene Farris Talks "Space Girl," Rave Safety & The Return Of The "Bedroom DJ"

Facebook Twitter Email
The Recording Academy caught up with the legendary house DJ/producer to learn more about his new track, working with Claude VonStroke, his early years in Chicago's underground and more
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2020 - 12:30 pm

Chicago-bred DJ/producer Gene Farris has been keeping the rave going with energetic, buoyant house tracks since the '90s, and he hasn't slowed down. Growing up in the birthplace of house music, as a teen he DJed underground parties during the scene's golden age, inspired by the greats around him like Lil' Louis and Cajmere a.k.a. Green Velvet a.k.a. Curtis Jones. In 1994, Farris' first release dropped on Jones' iconic Relief Records imprint, and the powerhouse Chicagoan pair would go on to become lifelong friends.

In 1998, the "Move Your Body" artist founded his own dance label, Farris Wheel Recordings, which has released hundreds of dance floor bangers from Farris and his ever-growing group of talented friends like Nathan Barato, Will Clarke, Sonny Fodera and, of course, Jones (and his many aliases).

In 2020 alone, Farris has dropped over a half-dozen tracks so far, his most recent one being the trippy tech-house slapper "Space Girl," his first single on Claude VonStroke's beloved Dirtybird Records. The Recording Academy recently caught up with the legendary house head to learn more about the new track, his relationship with VonStroke and his early years in Chicago's underground. We also got real about mask-wearing and handwashing, his love of Star Wars, how Jones is still one of his heroes and more.

Your new track "Space Girl" just came out on Dirtybird. I'd love to learn a bit of the backstory on the track, as well as your relationship with Claude VonStroke and his label.

How can I start? I'm a massive Star Wars fan. A massive galaxy, universe, Star Wars, "Star Trek," anything that has to do with outer space. The concept of "Space Girl" kind of came from that love for Star Wars, from my obsession as a child with Princess Leia. It is dedicated to Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia.

My relationship with Claude, oh man. First time I met the big guy was about five, six years ago, out here in Chicago, he was doing a show. I'd always been a fan of him obviously, and Justin Martin, Worthy, J.Phlip, the whole crew. I was just a fan of the whole thing that they were doing.

And finally, I was out in San Francisco when they were doing a Mezzanine party, maybe four years ago. I just popped in, ended up hanging out, smoking a doobie with Worthy. Got to meet J.Phlip and Justin and  they all just kind of welcomed me with open arms. And then Claude booked me for the Dirtybird Campout in San Francisco maybe three years ago. And then we just hit it off there. He came and listened to my set and I followed him around and listened to his sets.

DIRTYBIRD · Tim Baresko & Gene Farris -Fly With Me

I did a record with Riva Starr on the label, right before the Campout, we did a really big song for them. It was my first record on Dirtybird and it did really well. And then I did another song with Tim Baresko after that, called "Fly With Me," on another Dirtybird compilation.

And then I made "Space Girl." And I sent a couple tracks directly to Claude and when he heard "Space Girl" he was like, "Whoa. I definitely want to put that on Dirtybird." So it ended up being my first single with them. I'm super stoked about that.

And it's just the timing of the world right now. It could be worse, but at the same time it's a good thing because most records now, I believe they're going to have a little bit more longevity than they normally would because we'll be able to play them again once this is over. It'll be like brand new music again, most of the stuff that came out. And they'll have fan life, because a lot of the people who are listening to Spotify and stuff will listen to it and they'll know the songs when it comes back in the club.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQnFyohHVN

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gene Farris (@genefarris)

Record Store Recs: Jean Pierre Takes Us To Chicago, Brooklyn, Frankfurt, Amsterdam & London

It really is such an unprecedented time for music. The clubs and the festivals are probably going to be the last thing that can safely come back. But I feel music is such an important thing right now because no matter who you are, it can be healing or let you escape for a moment.

Well, I think it's absolutely important. And back in the '90s raves, we all used to wear a mask and gloves anyway. I think [when things open up] the parties will be packed again and there will be a bunch of people wearing masks and the people who are really worried about things will be wearing gloves. I think it will be a couple of things that would change. People would probably bring their own cups to the clubs so the bartender could just pour the alcohol right in there. All the bartenders will have on mask, you won't know if a girl is hot or guy is hot. [Laughs.] I'm thinking, I'm optimistic, but hopefully by the end of July or August we should be back.

The good and bad thing—for DJs it's a good thing—Americans are really stupid. We love our money here [in the U.S.] more than we love people, that's proven. At some point everybody's just going to crack and everything's going to open. The important thing is for people like ourselves is to be safe and keep ourselves masked up and gloved up. If you're an entertainer and you gotta be in the middle of all this and if you're a patron as well, you need to be responsible.

And we need to wash our nasty-ass hands. The good thing that can be taken out of this is that we don't get to be nasty-ass humans anymore. We have to be a little bit more sanitary and that's okay. I don't mind not passing my joint on my left. If all my friends join, if they want to smoke, I'll roll them their own personal joint because I love them. I never was one to share my drinks or anything out of my cup, I don't really drink alcohol, but my water and stuff. The only thing that's drastically changed with me is that now I wash my hands like 98 times a day.

How Will Coronavirus Shift Electronic Music? Maceo Plex, Paul Van Dyk, Luttrell, Mikey Lion & DJ Manager Max Leader Weigh In

I want to talk about another track you released this year: "Spirit of House" with ATFC. What elements where essential to you to bring in to it to reflect the spirit of house and its Chicago roots?

So ATFC is a good friend of mine. I was in London when I recorded the vocals for that. We were in the studio over there and he let me hear this real raw version, and it immediately hit my brain. I was like, "Oh, this was great. This is going to be old school but new school." Old-school wording and phrasing to get that vibe. But with a new-school production, new-school synergy. It still captured the sound of today but the sound of yesterday as well, with Chicago.

And as soon as I heard the piano chords he came up with, I knew exactly what to do. I was thinking about old Marshall Jefferson on the "Move Your Body" track. All his rhythms, and the rhythms of old Chicago and the original piano house, I would say. And it just clicked, everything just kind of worked. And the song did really well us.

Back in 1998, you launched Farris Wheel Recordings in Chicago. What was your original intention with the label and in what ways do you feel it's grown beyond that? 

Oh, wow. That's a great question. 1998 was many moons ago. I was a young, silly little boy and my whole original plan with Ferris Wheel was to have a label that my friends and I could put anything out on. For my close circle of friends at the time, it was five of us. I was just beginning to get a little bit of popularity at the time. And I was like, "I want to start a label for all these tracks that these labels keep turning down. I know they're good." My original idea was nothing more innocent than being able to have another outlet to release my music for myself and my friends.

How she's grown into her own little beast. She's outgrown that little dream; we've had probably 100 artists on the label over the years. Now, maybe more than that. We've had hundreds of releases, I'd say 150, 160. And I've had the opportunity to work with some of my heroes; Green Velvet's done a record on the label. Paul Johnson, Miguel Migs, Jay-J. So many people over the years, even the newer guys. Now we got Will Clarke on the label and this new kid that I got, he's massive now, John Summit. And DJ Sneak's done stuff on the label. We've had almost everybody from Chicago there, Derrick Carter's done remixes on there, Mark Farina's done a record on there.

Everyone from Chicago in the '90s, the golden era, has been on the label at one point in time. It's totally awesome. Now we get probably—nowhere near as many demos as Dirtybird I'm sure—but we get roughly 15, 20 demos a week. From the smallest artists all the way up to the biggest. I'm proud of her. She's my girl.

ARTBAT On New CamelPhat Collab, DJing In The Clouds & Loving L.A.

What role do you see yourself having in sort of passing the torch or sharing your wisdom with the younger generation of DJ/producers?

That's another awesome question. Most of the people I work with, outside of Curtis a.k.a. Green Velvet and Barclay a.k.a. Claude VonStroke, are much younger than me. It's only a few of us from my generation who've found a way to stay relevant, stay current and stay inspired. It's not many of us left from my generation who've managed to keep going.

With the younger generation that I work with, it's not that I'm just giving all this knowledge, like I'm Yoda on their back giving them all these notes. It is more of a give and take thing. As I try to teach some of my younger friends, they don't listen to me. They're smart, they know not to listen to a word I say. [Laughs.] But I try to teach them some things or explain some things. I'm also learning from them about what's going on today, how to stay current and what's popular at the moment. It's not all just a one-sided thing of me just dumping wisdom on my little brothers.

It's just more sitting down and having talks with a lot of my younger friends and younger producers and stuff. We've put stuff up on the label, and we just kind of bounce ideas off each other, it keeps me current. If you get to an older age, you just don't go out as much. If you don't go out and don't have any younger friends, you only have the people who grew up in your era, you're losing a lot. I think it's going to be very difficult to stay current, to stay relevant under those circumstances unless you're a nerd and constantly on Beatport and things like that. Even then, you won't get the essence of the energy of the current music scene.

I have a lot of younger friends, thank goodness. I have a wide range of friends of all ages, creeds, colors, gay, straight, all of it. I still get to know what's going on with the scene and everything today. I still go out, my wife's only 28 years old.

I think my biggest advice for anyone in my age group is to get a young friend. Hang out with somebody who you don't think you can learn anything from, party with those guys and kind of see where their headed at with the music and you'll learn some things you can incorporate in the music that you're making.

And on the flip side of that, the young guys who want to learn some stuff from us, I say just be open; a lot of us are older and a little bit outdated, but give us time. Some of these older guys are definitely willing to work with some of the young generations.

From Drake's "Toosie Slide" To Doja Cat's "Say So," What TikTok Dance Have You Been Practicing During Quarantine?

Well, the real question is, do you have a TikTok account?

I do not have a TikTok account because I thought it was lame. [It's] absolutely nothing to do with age, [I] just feel like, "this is lame, I can't do this." With that being said, my managers, who sometimes call me an old fart, they're telling me, "G, you need to get a TikTok." I'm like, "Aw, come on, man." But don't be surprised if you see me get a TikTok account.

It's crazy, essentially how you chart on Billboard now is if you have a popular song on TikTok.

Wow. Unbelievable. Maybe I should do that with "Nursery." The Eeny, meeny, miny, moe song. Put that on TikTok, that probably will go viral. [Laughs.] That'll fly right in.

When you were first starting out, who were your biggest influences? And was there someone you saw that made you feel like you had a place in making dance music?

Absolutely. My biggest influence, I had only one the person I looked up to, fanboyed, when I was in my teens was Lil' Louis. He was my hero. I grew up listening to all his tracks from "French Kiss" to "Blackout" to "I Called You," "Club Lonely," "War Games," "Jupiter." I was, and still am, a massive Lil Louis fan. He was my biggest influence for sure.

Seeing him play was the first time I ever saw anyone DJ in front of a 1000 people, which was a lot back then. He blew my mind and I was like, "I got to figure out a way to be like that." I was already DJing at the time, but I needed to figure out how to get where I was as a 16-year-old kid to that, to him.

Somebody else who had a massive influence on my life is one of my best friends, Curtis, Green Velvet. He put out my first record in 1994 on his label Relief Records. He took me to Europe for my first time, to [London's] Ministry of Sound, my first gig in Europe. I even work with him a lot still today and we still talk regularly. And before I even got to meet him, he was already a hero of mine. I mean this was the guy who made "Percolator" for God's sake. He's also had a massive influence on me and played a pivotal part of my life.

I would say, those two guys as well as DJ Rush, he's a Chicago guy. I would say those three are people that inspired me to want to do this, to try to be a world-renowned producer and DJ.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVUfneBR5b

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gene Farris (@genefarris)

When you look at the evolution of house music from its birthplace in the '80s Chicago underground to this huge multi-subgenre, global thing, what does that mean to you?

I think it's great. I have dreamed my whole life about house music being a global thing that is as big as hip-hop. That everybody knows about it and knows the songs. My dream is that it's as massive as Lady Gaga or anything else. We're getting there for sure. But you still want it to have an underground feeling.

I was just talking to DJ Pierre about this. He's like the godfather, he's one of the people who started this. We were talking about how massive it is, but how it still has the basic element that was started in Chicago. The basic elements of a dark room, low lighting, massive strobes hitting every now and then, massive sound. And not so much lighting on the DJ; all those elements of the dark room, big sound and the low lighting started in Chicago. The whole structure of the party itself, the underground, the warehouse, the feeling, all of that started here. Those elements are still the key elements to any festival, any party, any club you go to in the world with electronic music.

If you go to a hip-hop show, it's a bit different. The stage is much more lit, really focused on the artists. Rock concerts are lit up like a Christmas tree. EDM even, the big commercial stuff, it's just kind of lit up, cannon balls are going off and it's just a completely different thing than what we do. We kept the essence of the raw warehouse, underground feeling.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_nCUdIBsWP

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gene Farris (@genefarris)

Do you feel that there's something that needs to happen with house to ensure it honors the people who created it and where it came from?

In a sense, it's definitely important for the youth to know and the world to know that the music started in Chicago. That is absolutely important. But it's also very important for us as Chicago artists to stay current so people know who we are. They can have interviews and talk to people like you and inform them on what it was and what things are. They have the opportunity to keep the torch going. It's not the world's opportunity to bow down to Chicago, it's definitely the world's opportunity to know where it's from and that we did start house music and electronic music for the most part.

I believe we have to earn our stripes. I don't think anyone should sit on their oats of what they've done 20, 30, even 40, 50 years ago. There are some like Frankie Knuckles obviously, R.I.P., and Ron Hardy, RIP, and Lil' Louis as well. These are people I would say are the Mount Rushmore of house music, Larry Levan as well, he was from New York City. I think everybody else needs to try to stay as current as possible so you can keep the torch going on as long as you can, if you're still on active duty. [Laughs.]

It's a balance of honoring the past, but then also being, "Yo, we're still dope. And here's why."

We are still dope. And we have a lot of really dope people from Chicago right now here. You got myself, you have Green Velvet, you have Derrick Carker, you have Mark Farina, J. Worra. I think J.Phlip's is from Chicago too. We're lurking in the bushes, we're doing some things. [Laughs.]

With all the craziness in the world right now, what is one thing that gives you the most hope?

The thing that gives me the most hope right now is the music. I hate to sound corny but out of all of this, the one thing that hasn't stopped is the output of new music. Also, the return of the bedroom DJ, I'm loving that right now too. Everybody's back DJing, they got live streams going on and everybody's still in love with the music. And the people who aren't doing that are the fans who are tuning in still. I think that is making me very hopeful that once the ban is lifted, that the parties are going to be berserk, they're going to be off the chain.

Record Store Recs: Chulita Vinyl Club On The Best Music Stores In L.A., Oakland, Austin & Beyond​

Grammys Newsletter

Subscribe Now

GRAMMYs Newsletter

Be the first to find out about winners, nominees, and more from Music's Biggest Night.
ZHU

ZHU

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

News
Electric Blockaloo: Above & Beyond, ZHU & More electric-blockaloo-minecraft-rave-above-beyond-zhu-tokimonsta-claude-vonstroke-jamie

Electric Blockaloo Minecraft Rave: Above & Beyond, ZHU, TOKiMONSTA, Claude VonStroke, Jamie Jones, Diplo, Desert Hearts & More

Facebook Twitter Email
On June 25-28, over 300 DJs will bring a massive electronic music festival to life in Minecraft, complete with dozens of artist and label curated stages and interactive spaces
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 21, 2020 - 1:20 pm

On June 25-28, Electric Blockaloo will bring the rave to Minecraft, with dozens of artist curated stages and interactive spaces modeled after Red Rocks Amphitheater, "The Office," Dirtybird Campout and more. Above & Beyond/Anjunabeats, ZHU, TOKiMONSTA, Claude VonStroke/Dirtybird Records, Jamie Jones, Diplo, Desert Hearts and Lee Burridge/All Day I Dream are among the stacked list of artists/labels curating stages at the online festival.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAdHpJylrDd

GRAMMYs

Content Not Available

Lee Burridge Hopes His New Album With Lost Desert, 'Melt,' Helps You See Passion & Truth In Yourself

Nicole Moudaber, Nora En Pure, LP Giobbi and Femme House, Claptone, GRiZ, Lane 8, Gryffin, Whethan, Sacha Robotti and Lee Foss are also among the electronic music powerhouses hosting stages within the huge digital event hosted by Rave Family. More artists will be released in the phase two announcement. Sign up here to stay in the loop.

According to a press release, attendees will have to get on an artist's guest list with a signup link they share to gain access to the Rave Family club within Minecraft. Once in the club, guests can pay either the GA or VIP ticket fee to get access to the fest, as well as their Discord channels, and exclusive streams and releases. Artists will share the proceeds with the organizers based on the tickets they help sell. The event is limited to ravers ages 18 and up.

WATCH LIST: Online Concerts From BTS To COASTCITY To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

The event will work in both desktop and mobile versions of the game. The Rave Family Training Camp will be offered ahead of the fest for Minecraft virgins wanting to learn the basics.

"Everyone asked us, 'What's the new normal?'" said Rave Family founder Jackie McGuire in the release. "That normal is one without large festivals for the foreseeable future. Electric Blockaloo is a place where artists and fans can come together, create shared musical experiences, and reconnect with each other in an immersive way.

It's also much more environmentally friendly than traditional festivals, and a portion of each ticket will help support Bye Bye Plastic, an amazing organization that aims to eliminate single-use plastic from music festivals by 2025."

The event production company will be planning more Minecraft raves in the future, including one with Diplo's Mad Decent label and experimental New York act 100 gecs, the latter who have already thrown concerts on the platform.

Earlier this month, on May 16, Block By Blockwest brought another star-studded music festival to Minecraft, featuring Massive Attack, Pussy Riot, FEVER 333, Cherry Glazzer, Sir Sly and more. It was originally slated for April 25, but due to a huge turnout, the servers were overloaded and the event rescheduled. Block By Blockwest saw 5,000 Minecraft players participate and 134,000 viewers tune in on Twitch and YouTube, raising over $500,000 for the CDC Foundation.

Lightning In A Bottle To Host DGTL LIB Fest Featuring TOKiMONSTA, KAYTRANDA, Four Tet, Tycho & More

Claude VonStroke at Dirtybird Campout 2018

Claude VonStroke at Dirtybird Campout 2018

Photo: Max Benedict

News
Dirtybird Campout: Justin Jay, Jhené Aiko, More dirtybird-campout-2019-justin-jay-jhen%C3%A9-aiko-jphlip-shiba-san-mija-tiga-more

Dirtybird Campout 2019: Justin Jay, Jhené Aiko, J.Phlip, Shiba San, Mija, Tiga & More

Facebook Twitter Email
The camping music festival includes "'OG' Saturday night" sets, featuring your favorite Dirtybird heavyweights, from label head and house music legend Claude VonStroke himself, as well as Ardalan, Justin Martin, J.Phlip, Kill Frenzy, Worthy and more
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 4, 2019 - 4:24 pm

Today, Dirtybird Campout announced the lineup for their beloved 2019 West Coast music festival, which includes many of your Dirtybird favorites like Justin Jay, J.Phlip, Shiba San, Mija, Walker & Royce and Dirtybird Records founder Claude VonStroke. The event returns to its 2018 home along the water at Modesto Reservoir Campgrounds on Oct. 4–6.

GRAMMY-nominated soulful R&B queen Jhené Aiko, turntable legend Cut Chemist, Detroit funkstress DJ Holographic, and Wajatta, the project of spoken word artist/comedian Reggie Watts and experimental house producer John Tejada, will also be bringing the beats to Dirtybird Campout West 2019.

More: Justin Jay On The Joy Of DJing, Expanding His Horizons, And How Fans Think He's Still A College Freshman

Who are you most excited to see at Dirtybird Campout 2019?

Retweet + tell us for a chance to WIN 2 TICKETS to DBC '19! pic.twitter.com/HfCgtfGh8Y

— Dirtybird Campout (@DirtybirdCamp) June 4, 2019

For all the early Dirtybirds who can't wait until that Friday to get their groove on, this year's Campout offers early arrival passes that not only guarantee "premier camping spots," but an extra special Thursday night B2B set from Tiga and Matthew Dear, as well as a "warm up set" from VonStroke. "Head Counselor Claude," as the press release calls him, will also be performing under his trippy beats alias Barclay Crenshaw aka VonStroke's given name.

Other musical highlights include an "'OG' Saturday night" featuring sets from longtime Dirtybird Records/events regulars including Ardalan, Justin Martin, J.Phlip, Kill Frenzy, Worthy, Christian Martin and, of course, the OG master of good times, VonStroke.

Related: Metronomy's Joe Mount Breaks Down Surviving Music Festivals

The weekend will not only be filled with enough music to keep you dancing literally all day and night, the camp-themed fest also features tons of fun activities and games to help you live out the best version of summer camp you could possibly dream up. Attendees, including those behind the decks, are assigned to teams who will duel it out in dodgeball, tug of war matches and even the ".5K Floatie race."

Arts and crafts will also be aplenty, for campers to get their creativity flowing with screen-printing, totem-making and more. Grill$on's BBQ, a staple of the Dirtybird BBQ day parties the label hosts across the country every summer, will be on site to provide ample dancefloor and activity fuel up.

Tickets for Dirtybird Campout West are on sale now; for all options, including camping and BBQ add-ons, as well as the complete lineup, check out their website.

Your 2019 Guide To The Best Summer/Spring Music Festivals

Hot Since 82

Hot Since 82

Photo: Courtesy of artist

News
DJ Hot Since 82 On 'Recovery' & Boy George dj-hot-82-talks-healing-through-debut-recovery-boy-george-collab-nu-disco-meets-star

DJ Hot Since 82 Talks Healing Through Debut 'Recovery,' Boy George Collab & Nu Disco Meets 'Star Wars' Track

Facebook Twitter Email
The album is "about picking yourself up and getting yourself in a better headspace ... it's more of a healing album," the "Nightfall" producer recently told GRAMMY.com
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 15, 2020 - 3:41 pm

British DJ/producer Hot Since 82 (a.k.a. Daley Padley) swiftly become a dance festival and club staple around the world with dark and moody tracks that were crafted with a sweaty dancefloor in mind. His rise came shortly after he began releasing bangers in the 2010s—there was his 2013 emotive melodic house jam "Shadows," his massive remix of Green Velvet's summer 2013 dancefloor epic "Bigger Than Prince" and 2015's tech house gem "Veins" (still one of the top purchased tracks on his Beatport), to name a few. He's since served up clubby remixes for RÜFÜS DU SOL, Foals and Joe Goddard of Hot Chip. He's also released many more singles and completed three residencies at Ibiza's legendary dance club Pacha.

Yet a lot has changed for him in recent years. He faced a huge tragedy when his best friend died by suicide in 2017, just two weeks prior to kicking off his debut Ibiza residency. To help himself cope with the loss, Padley created a beautifully emotive EP in honor of his friend: 2019's 8-track, whose proceeds he donated to U.K. mental health organization MIND. Not long after, he began working on his debut full-length album, Recovery, released Nov. 27 on his Knee Deep In Sound label.

"[The album] was more about picking yourself up and getting yourself in a better head space. If Recovery is anything, it's more of a healing album," the "Nightfall" producer recently told GRAMMY.com. He also talks diving deep into the creative process of the album—including the Boy George track that was five years in the making, what he thinks makes a great dance track and more.

Hot Since 82 · Recovery
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

You just dropped your full-length debut, Recovery. Congrats!

Thank you.

What has it felt like to share this project with the world, particularly in 2020, the year we can't dance together?

Weirdly enough, the album was never going to be aimed fully at the dancefloor. The tracks are not seven, eight, nine minutes long like you would expect a dance record to be. They're all pretty short, around four minutes, five minutes. It was more like a real full album. I don't think people really listen to six, seven-minute songs on Spotify. With the rise of streaming platforms, music's so disposable now. I'm sure there's some algorithm or whatever that tells you three-minute records will do a hell of a lot better than long dancefloor ones. With that in mind, I did shorten the tracks. They weren't specifically meant for a dancefloor, but they are made for the dancefloor if that makes any kind of sense.

It feels great to have it out. Obviously, no one's in clubs right now, no one's dancing, but at the same time music is such a big thing. It's such a personal thing. It can really elevate or decrease your mood. We all need positive music right now ... 

It does feel like albums are becoming a bit more commonplace in dance music. I'm curious what caused you to want to release a proper album, and how the creative process felt different for you versus when you've released EPs and singles in the past?

I think definitely with the streaming platforms, it's really accessible to get your headspace in a full-scale album where you can visually see which track goes after each of them. Sometimes when you're buying music on Beatport you just buy one, two or three of the tracks out of 13, and you don't really understand the full philosophy behind why the tracks are scheduled in a certain position. The ethos behind the whole album is lost when you buy individual MP3s. With streaming services, obviously, you can choose which one you're going to play, but ultimately, it's all there.

I like the challenge as well. I write music at home. I write a lot of music. I think the whole concept of an album tells a stronger tale than one or two tracks on an EP. I've been writing dancefloor bangers for forever really. I guess it comes with maturity because with an album you are putting yourself out there for criticism because it's not 13 tracks of banging dancefloor records. I tried different things with different musicians—slower BPMs, working with live musicians like keyboard players, saxophonists—and different instrumentation which I wouldn't use before. The whole idea of it is exciting to me. I've got to keep it interesting for myself, never mind the people buying the music and dancing to it. An album just works for me. If you would have asked me 20 years ago if I'd be writing an album, I'd think you were crazy. Could I even do something like that? Now I've done it and it's out, and people seem to be enjoying it.

The best thing about this album is no two tracks are the same. You ask one person what their favorite record is and they'll tell you one track and you ask someone else and it's a totally different one. I've never had that with any of the projects I've done before. There'd always be one or two tracks that everyone headed towards. With this project, it's really sporadic. I love that.

What do you feel like the journey or the through-line is?

The name of the [title] track, "Recovery," I named it last year when I finished the 8-track album, which was a personal project. My best friend passed away and the 8-track was dedicated to him. It was very much that kind of project [that] definitely told a tale throughout it. Coming back on something like that, Recovery just felt like it made sense, title-wise anyway. It was more about picking yourself up and getting yourself in a better headspace. If Recovery is anything, it's more of a healing album.

I guess the next project after this would be strictly for the dancefloor, but I think I'm going to take a year off. I'm definitely not going to write an album next year. I think I'll probably return to doing EPs and that next year, which is quite exciting now. After doing my two albums consecutively, it's quite exciting for me now to get back in the studio and just make some dark stuff.

"It was more about picking yourself up and getting yourself in a better head space. If Recovery is anything, it's more of a healing album."

How long did it take to make the album?

Actually, it takes me forever [to make an album]. Writing a track is easy and I can do it in a few hours. I'm just meticulous and I never stop rehashing it, just going over it. Ninety percent of the time, the first version was better than the twentieth version. I need to know when to stop. My wife goes insane with me because she knows when it's finished. I end up just ruining the whole record. It wasn't as bad this time around. 8-track was a nightmare because it was a personal project and I wanted to do the best that I possibly could. It was a tough project and was a tough period. With Recovery, I made the tracks quite easily and let them go. In terms of "it's finished," wasn't as hard. In January I started properly on it.

I think most creative people can relate to the perfectionist struggle.

They're your babies for a short period of time, aren't they? It is hard to let them go.

I love the early U.K. rave vibes on "Body Control"—and with Boy George, what! I'm curious about the inspiration going into it, the creative journey of bringing him and Jamie Jones in, and how it all came together.

I was supposed to do a record with Boy George about five or six years ago. We were going back and forth for quite some time. I could never write the right record that really worked for his voice. It had to be sassy but I kept writing something too dark. We shelved it for a little while. I still had all of the vocals he sent me on my computer, waiting for the right moment. With the new project, I thought it was a great way to get this track finished and, obviously, it would look great on the album to feature somebody so iconic like George. I was working on some bass lines and made a super minimalistic, upbeat demo. I sent it to George and he said, "I love this." Then, I went back to my old self and started going over and over it and just making the record worse.

That's when I sent it to Jamie, and he said he loved it. So I asked, "Do you want to get on board? Just need a bit of help on the breakdown and whatnot." I gave it to Jamie and he had a week or two on it and sent me some stems back. Then it all felt quite organic between the three of us, we finished it off. It's not a super long track. It's only just under four minutes, but I don't think a track like that needs to be any longer. It tells a tale, it does its thing and that's that. I'm really happy we managed to get it all done. It's kind of the unlikeliest of collaborations. George being a British icon, it's amazing. Actually, my dad called me the other day and he was just blown away that I managed to get Boy George on the record because he doesn't really know the ins and outs of the success I've had with DJing and what not. I think it was a bit of a wake-up call for him. He was buzzing.

Watch: GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Boy George & Culture Club Win Best New Artist In 1984

I love that your dad was like, "Okay, you've made it. Boy George."

Yeah. That's basically what did it. He was at work and he called me and he was like, "Wow, this is insane." [Laughs.]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQvgl1nSHv

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hot Since 82 (@hotsince82)

I also want to talk about "Naboo"—I mean, Miss Kittin is also iconic. What was on your mind when you were creating the beat? And when you sent it to her, did she then come up with the lyrics on her own?

I actually made three tracks, and they're basically the same, over a day or two. I wanted to make something kind of nu disco, kind of an indie vibe, kind of Todd Terje. I had this vision in my head. I saw Todd play in Barcelona in 2013 in this old castle and he was playing disco and everyone was losing their mind. It was amazing. I wanted to make something like futuristic disco, just something totally different that people wouldn't think was a Hot Since 82 record. That's how I set about it. Then I got a little catchy "do do do do" [hums beat], super simple but it just works.

As quick as it was, I needed somebody to elevate it, and I just thought of Miss Kittin straight away. We're friends already, and she's a fellow sci-fi nerd. She loves Star Wars—she has a lightsaber tattooed on her arm—and we get along really well. She's one of the sweetest women in the world. She's an icon in her own right. I thought, "How amazing would it be to not only put a record out that doesn't sound like me, but to feature somebody that's known as a techno/electronic icon legend." She's been putting music out forever.

She just said, "Look, I don't play your music, but I love you. Let's do it. I think this is really interesting." She literally did it in an afternoon. I sent her the track and a couple of hours later she sent me a voice memo. I was like, "This is amazing. This is exactly what it needs to be. Don't take it too seriously. Let's have a bit of fun with it. Life's too serious anyway." I just asked her to say a couple of little more things. The next day she sent it to me acapella and then I finished it that week. When records and collaborations work like that, they're always the best ones as well. I really like that one. "Naboo" is the record that people are surprised by and the Boy George one as well, but I think this track really is a "wow" kind of thing because it doesn't sound like me, which is great.

Related: Gene Farris Talks "Space Girl," Rave Safety & The Return Of The "Bedroom DJ"

I love that. Nu disco meets Star Wars meets techno legend.

It doesn't make sense, does it? But it works.

Recently, you did the hot air balloon set which looked super fun.

Oh my god. I survived.

What did that feel like for you?

It was freezing at about five degrees. It was 5 a.m. when I first got there and [it was] pitch black. It was 7 a.m. when we finally went up in the air. The basket was small and we had three people in there. The guy who is steering it was an absolute legend. He was off his head, seriously. Obviously, I've got to play and it was super loud. He always seemed to pull it when I was mixing. It was really difficult to mix. There's another dude who's twice the size of me to my right who was the guy from Minirig that installed the sound system in there. They did a great job, by the way. He needed to stay there just in case we had a power issue. My manager told me that a lot of people on social media [were] like, "Why have you hidden this guy?" It's like, "Dude, it's the sound guy, he's gotta fix it."

Anyway, it was a very unique experience. Definitely ticked it off the bucket list. I won't be in a rush to do it again. It was scary! Let me explain: The thing is because I'm a short dude they put a step in the middle, one of those Reebok steppers they use for fitness classes. It was wet outside so the whole basket was soaking. I wasn't strapped in, there was no harness. I was elevated above the basket, so if I fell back I literally would have tipped over and hit my head on the back of the basket. Seriously. If you notice, I'm mixing while holding on. At the same time, when you're up there it's the most beautiful feeling ever. It really is. You probably could tell that I'm like a little kid on Christmas.

Annie Mac just named your track "Rules" her Hottest Record in the World. I want to know what your favorite track by another artist is right now.

In general? In the last two days, I've been listening to, on Spotify, a playlist called R&B of the '90s. It's super cheesy R&B. All I've been listening to is my album. I need to listen to something completely different, so I've just been listening to loads of '90s R&B. That's been rocking my world this week. If you're looking for a new artist, I couldn't tell you one. I can't find a new album that I like. Usually, I'm really lucky and I go on Spotify and find an album and I absolutely obliterate it. This year, I've not been able to find one album I love. I don't know why.

What do you think makes a great dance track?

A track that takes your mind somewhere else. Music's made for emotion, isn't it? If I'm on the dancefloor I want a track to take me somewhere. I think a good record has to have a good lead, something that you can sing along to a little bit. I like vocals in records—not on every record, but I think a vocal will always elevate it. If I can leave the club at the end of the night and still be humming that lead sound or vocal then that's a hit record, I think. I try and inject both of those kinds of things into my music.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIgP-k9H4mP

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hot Since 82 (@hotsince82)

What's your biggest hope for 2021?

Just to put all this crap behind us. It's been dark. The last month has been dark. The last month has dragged on more than the rest of the summer and that's probably because I've not been able to go out and go to the gym. I feel better now, but just the normality of going out and eating and just doing normal things with family and friends—to just say goodbye to this year.

It's not all been a disaster. We had a baby four months ago. It's been great being at home and co-parenting. We want to take him out and show him off and do all the things. The best that we can hope for now is for everyone to get better, the vaccines to work, everyone to stay healthy and just live a normal life. You don't realize what you miss until it's gone, do you? Some of the stupidest, tiniest little things.

Brandon Lucas Talks Staying Hopeful, Working With Dr. Cornel West & Empowering Dance Producers Of Color

Sharam

Sharam

Photo: Yoshitoshi Records

News
Sharam Debuts "Exodus" Mix Feat. James Baldwin premiere-sharam-debuts-exodus-mix-featuring-james-baldwin

PREMIERE: Sharam Debuts "Exodus" Mix Featuring James Baldwin

Facebook Twitter Email
"Dance music is and has always been about inclusion and acceptance. I wanted to celebrate that by shining light on James Baldwin's legacy as a writer and civil rights activist," Sharam writes in this exclusive, personal letter
GRAMMYs
Oct 29, 2020 - 10:00 am

At Coachella 2019, GRAMMY-winning house legends Deep Dish, consisting of Iranian DJ/producers Sharam and Dubfire, reunited for a set in the Sahara tent. During Weekend Two, they played Sharam's techno banger "Exodus," released a month later on his Yoshitoshi imprint. Now, Sharam revisits the track with a powerful 2020 update—a sample of one of author and civil rights activist James Baldwin's speeches—and reflects on the early house tracks that introduced him to other racial justice leaders as a young immigrant in America. You can pre-order "Exodus (Pin Drop Mix)" here.

When I came to America as a young kid I didn't know much about it, other than what I had seen on television in Iran—shows like "Sesame Street," "Fat Albert" or a few American movies that made their way to TV in Iran pre-revolution, which typically starred Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood. I also knew about Muhammad Ali, as my father and brothers used to stay up late to watch him fight.

When we immigrated to the U.S. and I started to attend school, I studied American history but didn't really grasp or understand much other than topical information because of the language barrier. My sole focus was to learn the language as quickly as I could, so the television became my best friend again, this time mostly MTV. I soaked up as much music as I possibly could. I would write down and track the MTV Top 20 countdown every week like a trainspotter to see how the songs did in the charts from week to week.

Pop culture was my pathway to learning about American culture and to understanding the language. I had an insatiable appetite for discovering new music, almost an obsession, which led me to become a DJ and producer. I recall a few tracks I came across in the record stores early on featuring the spoken word. These unique records started doing the rounds at the stores I frequented. Little did I know that those songs were serving as an educational device for me and so many others. I was introduced to Martin Luther King, Jr. and to Maya Angelou. Speech and poetry over house grooves. Those records were my entry point to learning about these great American historical figures. Those pivotal spoken word house records opened my eyes and ears to the civil rights movement.

Yoshitoshi · Exodus (Pin Drop Mix) With James Baldwin

Fast-forward to 2020 where awareness surrounding racial equality has witnessed a new awakening. I thought this would be a great opportunity to use the medium with which I was introduced to civil rights, to bring awareness to another civil rights titan James Baldwin, one of the great writers, orators and civil rights leaders of the 20th century. His poetry, novels and speeches brought to light the racial and sexual discrimination issues facing our society throughout his lifetime.

I'm honored to present this reworked version of my 2019 track "Exodus" featuring Baldwin's remarks from his famous debate with William F. Buckley in 1965 at Cambridge University about Race In America. His powerful words illustrate the divide in accomplishing the American dream, something that is still present in today's world and something that has resonated with me.



View this post on Instagram


As many of you know, house music means more to me than a craft or a career. To me, it is also capable of being educational, a source of inspiration and an exchange of ideas and wisdom. This Friday I'll be releasing a very special re-release of my track "Exodus" on @yoshitoshirecs , and I can't wait to share it with you. Proceeds will be going to Hampshire College's James Baldwin Scholars Program. You can find the pre-order link in my bio. Stay tuned for more details!

A post shared by Sharam (@djsharam) on Oct 27, 2020 at 9:25am PDT

I hope this record can help shed light on his work and inspire others to discover his important work. I will donate all proceeds from this song to Hampshire College's James Baldwin Scholars Program, a fund which supports students who have great potential but who, because they have attended under-resourced and underperforming schools, might otherwise lose the opportunity to attend college.

2020: a defining moment for everyone who cares about equality in America and around the world. Dance music is and has always been about inclusion and acceptance. I wanted to celebrate that by shining light on James Baldwin's legacy as a writer and civil rights activist who has inspired many of today's great minds.

EXCLUSIVE: Wale Pens Personal Letter About His Powerful "Sue Me" Video: "There Are Two Different Americas"

Grammys Newsletter

Subscribe Now

GRAMMYs Newsletter

Be the first to find out about winners, nominees, and more from Music's Biggest Night.
Top
Logo
  • Recording Academy
    • About
    • Governance
    • Press Room
    • Jobs
    • Events
  • GRAMMYs
    • Awards
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
    • Store
    • FAQ
  • Latin GRAMMYs
    • Awards
    • News
    • Photos
    • Videos
    • Cultural Foundation
    • Members
    • Press
  • GRAMMY Museum
    • COLLECTION:live
    • Explore
    • Exhibits
    • Education
    • Support
    • Programs
    • Donate
  • MusiCares
    • About
    • Get Help
    • Give
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
  • Advocacy
    • About
    • News
    • Learn
    • Act
  • Membership
    • Chapters
    • Producers & Engineers Wing
    • Songwriters & Composers Wing
    • GRAMMY U
    • Join
Logo

© 2021 - Recording Academy. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Copyright Notice
  • Contact Us

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.