i was thinking of who were some of the dj's that really influenced me in the early years of my dj career....

Farley
Scott Smokin Silz
Ralphie Rosario
Kenny Jammin' Jason
Mickey Mixing Oliver
All of these guys are from the Chicago based Hot Mix 5.
Later on it was Steve Silk Hurley and Julian Jumpin Perez

I used to tape their mixes every weekend on 102.7 FM WBMX

Then I got into MAW, Little Louie Vega, Frankie Knuckles, AJ Mora

Who I enjoy now is Jay-J, Alix Alvarez and Mr. V, Trattner + Galvan, Soul Oasis-Sammy Rock, Tiesto...just to name a few

ok...your turn

Dean Coleman used to spin at a club downtown atlanta called the chili pepper.  He let me hang out in the dj booth and watch his beatmatching skills.  Real super-talented dj.


I think BT and Josh Wink for their music writing early on got me hooked.

808 state and dynamixII were very influential.

I raved probably 6 years before I even thought of becoming a dj or thinking about spinning.


I think right now some of my current favorites and guys i strive to be like are:

marc marburg
axwell
john aquaviva
andy moor

lots others i can't think of right now


doug theodore

Musically,  I can say guys like Fatboy Slim,  Tony De Vit (TDV was a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE influence on me),  Thomas Bangalter....

I think honestly though,  my influences have REALLY been people close to me.  People that I have talked to on a regular basis,  played with many times,  and generally know well....People like Shiloh,  Jeff Belfi,  and Kenneth Thomas recently....And then in the formative stages of my DJ career,  guys like Gene Carbonnell,  Ralph Lindstrom,  Alex Calver,  Kid Dynamite,  and Matt K.  Those are the guys I really grew up with.  

Nobody taught me how to mix...I learned that on my own....But Gene Carbonnell taught me how to approach DJing mentally...Always believe that you ARE a superstar.  Gene also helped me get through the most difficult night of DJing in my life,  and that's the night I was playing at Eleven50 in Atlanta,  and I found out that my father was dying of cancer.

Ralph Lindstrom,  better known as the guy that supplied the sound at Cornerstone,  is a more recent formative influence.  Ralph believed in me and helped me regain the confidence i needed to perform again after taking off a significant amount of time.

Alex Calver introduced me to the international scene.  There's many thing I've done that I would not have been able to do if it weren't for Alex helping me along.

Kid Dynamite...He's personally responsible for the underground Atlanta EDM scene.  Had he not started Playground,  none of it would exist.  He was also a moving factor within n10sive Kare unit,  the group that helped me get started in Atlanta.

Matt K and I have tagged together more than I could remember.  He also played a set with me the first time I ever played in Birmingham.  He's my brother in Hard Dance,  and still rocks it around the world to this day.

I've been quite blessed when it comes to DJing...I've always found myself in the right place with the right people.  I'm trying to be an influence on people as well.  I'm not always the perfect role model,  but I do what I can.

I really do believe it's those close to you that are the REAL influence.

When I first started out, these influenced me:
Seraph!m
Andy Hunter
Tiesto
Fitzpatrick
Ellipse
Kristoff

More I got into Djing and producing:
Kubiks
PAUL VAN DYK
Christopher Lawrence
ARMIN VAN BUUREN
Above & Beyond

but the producer's list is much longer for me.

growing up in LA it was all local dj's
Doran
Thomas Michael
Christopher Lawrence
Sandra Collins
Thee-o
Aldo Bender
Eli Star but the 2 i really look up to are Josh Wink & DocMartin







what¿?

This is easy.

Scott Blackwell
AJ Mora
DJ Pat D (seriously, Pat influenced me long before I knew him on 99.1 KGGI and even more after I met him)
Richard Humpty Vission
DJ Enrie
Paul Van Dyk
Tiesto
Any late night weekend DJ in Los Angeles / Bakersfield in the early 1990s.

As a producers... (and not in any order)

Depeche Mode
Fluke
Steve Lawler
Oakenfold
Nick Warren
BT
Scott Blackwell
Wil Foster
Jamey Wright
Stryke
Chicane
Lovesky
Lustral
Zero
Mortal
Prodigal Sons
and... a few others.

My biggest influences were both DJs in my hometown, Nicodemus and Eddie C., who among other things had a radio show on the local university station in the late 90s and played everything under the sun, beatmatching on ancient turntables (the station couldn't afford 1200s).  I would actually sneak out of work every second Thursday to run home and press record on my tape deck to catch their show...I can't believe nobody ever busted me for that!

Nicodemus was the local champion of the electro sound, from Kraftwerk on up through to Dopplereffekt and beyond, and I bought up as many of his mixtapes as I could find, running down the tracklists to get the records I suddenly needed like a junkie needing a fix.  So he's probably my number one influence in terms of style.

In terms of technique I have to mention Jordan Teschke, as he's the one who helped me learn how to beatmatch and taught me my way around a DJ mixer.

I haven't had much experiences in the clubs themselves so hanging out or seeing specific DJs perform was never something I was really able to experience... I had a bad club experience when I was 16 and never really felt like going back... but anyways.... my influences from listening to mixes and buying cds would be :

Paul Van Dyk's older stuff from like 2000-2003
Fatboy Slim's Better Living Through Chemistry
Moby's Play and earlier stuff but really dug the sampled goodness of tracks like why does my heart feel so bad? and natural blues...

and just random dj mixes I would find in random trance irc channels...  ;D

My more recent big influences would be Andy Hunter and Stryke their style and seeing their crowd control has really just taught me a lot.

Being from Jersey and hearing music out of the NYC market there are many but a few that stick out are:

Tony Humphries-still have a autographed copy of Eddie Amador's House Music
Little Louie Vega-gave me my 1st autographed vinyl
Todd Terry-who I met 2 days after buying Keep on Jumpin and gave me his blessing in becoming a DJ
Mike Rizzo-who introduced me to the Progressive House genre
DJ Groove-my DJ mentor
DJ Disciple and DJ Dove-had a great mix show on Thursday nites on NYU
Don Juan-used to purchase his mix tapes and had a radio show at Rutgers University
DJ RC- who taught me how to mix Freestyle and we would hang out at the Latin Clubs where heads thought I was either Cuban or Dominican

Frankie Vibe
 

I grew up in the midwest saw most shows in Detroit and Chicago areas so my list of most influential DJ's would be:

Richie Hawtin
John Aquaviva
Paul Johnson
Hyperactive
Jeff Mills - best I have seen on two decks, insane, rocks three well, but two is crazy
Juan Atkins
Derrick Carter
Surgeon
Claude Young
Kikoman

Paul Johnson=Awesome stuff!

Yeah he usually rolled up with his records and a 909, and it was Chicago house time!

Carl Cox

Sasha

Fatboy slim

Mason

DJ Phat D!

Dan Smith of Liquid People
Inland Knights
Ally Boss
Brian Tappert
Full Intention
Fat Boy Slim (until I worked out it was all show)

And I'll chuck some more up when i can remember who they were.........

Simian Mobile Disco
Justice
Infected Mushroom
Armin Van Buuren
Ferry Corsten
Gabriel & Dresden
Guy Guerber
Gui Boratto
Shiloh
Andy Moor
Ticon
Minilogue
Quillroader

etc...
etc...
etc...

Paul van Dyk first and foremost, followed by...

Sasha
Digweed
Sven Vath
Danny Tenaglia
Fluke
Underworld
Stylus

To name a few

I totally dig and respect:

1. Dave Clark
2. HMC (dj hmc)
3. DJ Rap
4. Nick Fish

I could go on and on, but this is just a few who broke the mold for me.

Cheers

Wil

DJ Pat D! He did teach me how to DJ after all   ;D

Early Influences were:
Dustin Skiles (My first co-host on my radio show / mentor / great friend)
Jeremy Dawson
DJ Dan
Carl Cox

Later On:
DJ Phenom (He played on my radio show weekly and got me hooked on breaks)
Elite Force

Scott Hardkiss (SF/NY) - always played something unexpected - absolutely beautiful
DJ Garth (SF) - always very deep - yet very soulfull - brought acid house back to america
Carlos (SF) - played a crazy mix of house, acid house, disco house, breaks,
Jeff Feller (STL) - could interact with the crowd like no one else - EVER
Nitro (STL) breakbeat/disco house extraordinaire
Robbie Hardkiss (SF) - very very deep.

I feel like I could go on forever...........But these definitely stand out the most.  These guys transformed my thoughts on djing.

that's a heck of a list.  lots of heavy hitters in there.

some of those "influenced" me i guess: i remember going to see ritchie where i just stood on the stage right behind him...and getting invited to hear john (acquaviva) & chatting to him through his whole set...not realizing that was incredibly rude! ...and claude young is just SICK

BUT it's what oneel said: it's the people close to you that really influence you. there wasn't any DJ who's mixtapes i bought.  I only bought DJ mixes YEARS later.

 for me it was a year and a half of working at record time here in metro detroit. i worked with dan bell. john aquaviva would come in all the time & i got to know him a little. same goes for claude young.  i'd go into the dance room and hear all these great (and i mean GREAT)  dj's throwing down & thought it was cool music.  the owner mike & the manager of the dj room mike huckaby would always steer me to cool music,as would some of the regular customers.  dj Munk (alvin hill jr) kinda taught me to dj. most of it was self taught by paying attention to other DJs...

 so..there ya go!

- J Pudd
- ATB
- Paul Van Dyk
- Tiesto
- proteus
- Roger Sanchez
...and whom ever whenever... ;)

And also mine! ;)

i thought i would bump this  8)

Paul Oakenfold
Sasha
Tiesto
Darude
Aphrodite
Dieselboy
Andy Hunter
Infected Mushroom
Armin Van Buuren
Ferry Corsten
Gabriel & Dresden
Pendulum
Fitzpatrick
Tech Itch
HIVE
Dylan
Concord Dawn
Noel Sanger
Above & Beyond
Makoto
Roni Size
Kubiks
Bcee & Lomax
L.A.O.S.
ParagonX9
Uberzone
Noisia
Faith Massive
Matrix & Futurebound

well thats mostly all that I can think of ATM

(Notice I didn't put down Evol Intent...lol)

wow... took some digging to get this one...
anyway,
dave richards, doug theodore and oneel: ive been sending all of them mixes for the last month or so off and on and they have been really tearing it apart and not letting me get lazy with the development of my skills.

fatboy slim: i bought big beach boutique II on DVD and was blow away. he just seemed to have alot of fun with it and just having a great time. i watched it again after i started getting back into and i decided that i didnt want my djing to be something really serious. but something fun, just rock out and have a great time.

and im gonna have to throw Jesus in there too. there has been many times where i have questioned buying a record for various reasons (lyrics/vibe) and i really need to listen more to it.

Paul Oakenfold threw me into the dance music orbit! And from there...

Sasha
Layo & Bushwacka
Nick Warren
Dubfire
Radio Slave
Henrik Schwarz
Markus Schulz
Hernan Cattaneo
Spooky
Eric Prydz (Especially Pryda)
James Zabiela
Danny Howells

Everything I know about dance music I've taught myself. My influences are based solely on mixing and productions that I enjoy.

Deep Dish
Jonathan Peters

EARLY STUFF...

Nile Rodgers

Arthur Baker

Cybertron

Todd Terry

Mr Fingers

Bam Bam

Phuture

Juan Atkins

Derrick May

Fast Eddie

Sasha

BT

Hardfloor

Dave Seaman

Paul Oakenfold (PRE 98)

DJ Jon Pleased

Local DJ's that did it for the love of it not the money or fame


NOW...

All DJ's and producers worldwide that have talent and are moving the scene forward. No big players, no superstars, no egos



 

Dont tell me he pre records his set like hook? or even worse uses someone elses.

Or do u mean that most of the time he drops a track in on the bar?

Its all the "manipulation" of the tracks  -dropping bass out etc - its all the records........

But he has got the party sound thing going on which is cool.......

yep agreed. still cool

Amazing! Honoured bro.

- Optimus Prime / Marcus Tandy / Mark Hardy (same guy) taught me the ropes, clearly a big influence there
- Armin, definitely my favourite pro DJ
- John 00 Fleming
- Yoji Biomehanika
- Above & Beyond
- Andy Hunter

The Prodigy to start it off
Dj Hype
Mickey Finn
Andy C
Dj Zinc
Krome & Tyme- (Back In Tha Day)
Dred Bass
2 Bad Mice
Jumpin Jack Frost
Roni Size
Bryan G
Logistics
High Contrast
Remarc
Fabio & Grooverider

just to name a few

^^ nice choice

what happened to krome and tyme? r they producing under another name now?

They (Krome & Tyme) did some re-releases but that was really it but honestly if anybody has any of there tunez you better keep dem they are serious anthems & keep sakes I know I won't part with mine.

Arjahn
(DGK)

ashamed to say i sold all mine!

mistake i know!


Heats like a fireball was my favourite!

Would have to say my fav would be The License & Ganja Man sick choonz & I just remembered Bass Too Dark (Metalheadz) 8) :smiley34:

Kevin Saunderson
Juan Atkins
Derrick May
Jeff Mills
Richie Hawtin
Adam Beyer
Joel Mull
Danny Tenaglia
John Acquaviva
Wink
Terry Mullen
Dante
DJ Traxx
Mike Dearborn
John Kelly
Rick West
Dieselboy
Aphrodite
Skynet
Tony Faline
Oakenfold

^^ i another nice choice! i need to increase my list

Yes you are.(but don't let it get into your head)
But also Chris (Harrington)...he has...A-W-E-S-O-M-E mixes...but it is quite cheaper to get you from Jyväskylä to play! ;)

Talking about L.A.O.S. and DARUDE they are playing @ bigest rave in Finland: http://www.laserpoint.fi/

I'm updating my influences. Joel Armstrong had a huge influence on me @ Cornerstone 2007.

I would  :smiley27: to see L.A.O.S. Live!

It was fun thinking about this.. lots of good memories of the DJ's that inspired me and have had a strong influence on me over the years..

1st and foremost Kenny M (aka Kenny Mitchell) I went to Nyack College with him in the early 90's and he was the first DJ that actually gave me the desire to spin records.

Lots of others too...
-Hipp-E
-Josh Wink
-Derrick Carter
-Mark Farina
-Some Toronto DJ's like Mark Oliver, Nivoc, and John E
-Jordan Vesteyo
-Barry Weaver
-On-E or Ani
-Dmitri

Most recently I am feeling the vibe of guys like Troydon, Sound Republic, James Curd, and of course CHUCK LOVE baby! If you get a chance to check him out I highly recommend it.. more than a DJ, a musical master



 

I should ad:
- Frankie Vibe
- dj neon
-dj proteus

Have you spent much time in Toronto?

Jordan Waeles
DJ Fixx
DJ Icey
Above and Beyond
Chris and Matt Kidd
Tiesto
Armin Van Buuren
Stanton Warriors

Yes, lots in the early-mid 90's. I used to play up there quite regularly back then and got a chance to hear a lot of good talent. Funny thing about Toronto is they love their local DJ's, but the local talent never seemed to get out of Toronto too much.. it's weird. It seems a little different now as I see more TO names making it down to upstate NY now and again. It is a different scene up there, definitely lots of fond memories! Unfortunately I don't get a chance to get up there as much anymore

You're right about it being a bit of an add scene. It's still a little mixed up I think, since the old rave days.
As a trance DJ, I don't even know where you could get a gig (but Deadmau5 seems to think it's alive)... cause all the underground events are techno or funky house or hip-hop. On a grassroots levels it seems no one cares for trance or that kinda stuff. However, who plays at Guvernment? Tiesto, Oakenfold, Armin... haha. And that place is packed. I think it Toronto the suburbs also play into it, cause the city is sprawling like nobody's business, but the club district is confined to a tiny space downtown, and unless someone big is coming into town it's like people won't make the effort.

trance is becoming less and less popular in clubs.

Yeip...it seem to be quite true...it seems like trance is going AGAIN into UG! 8)
(but it ain't dying 8) )

I don't know about that.. it seems to me that it is more of the mainstream now and techno, house and dnb would be considered the UG.. For example, you can go to a city like NY or Toronto and hear trance all over the radio. It has been this way for a long time in Europe. The biggest clubs in the world (ala Ibiza, etc) cater to trance. Mainstream artists like brittney and the like are having trance remixes made of their songs.. Not sure if I would consider all this "going again into the underground"

and before people start flaming me... NO I don't have an issue with trance.. this is just MY opinion, that is all.. AND yes, I am sure there are trance artists that are not selling out to the mainstream, but the genre as a whole has pretty much gone that way (and I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing either)

trance was my first love. it has gotten more and more popular in radio and such (trust me) but think about this. Brighton is the UKs club capitol (more clubs per square mile then any other city in the UK). your looking at like 60-70 clubs in a city that you can drive across in 15 minutes. almost none of them are playing trance. yes, some of the bigger clubs are playing trance, but house is becoming a staple, if not the staple, of real clubs.

Boywonder, I don't disagree with you, as I had a tough time finding trance in smaller places in TO... but I've never heard it on the radio. Canada's radio is flooded with rock and hip hop, and not a lot else.

I am surprised to hear that.. as I mentioned it has been a while, but I remember there were 3 stations that used to play a lot of trance. In fact Dr Trance hosted a show on one of them for years, I think maybe it was CFNY? On the way to the events.. I can remember driving on the QEW and tuning in to hear interviews with the DJ's that would be headlining the biggest party of the weekend and thinking how cool it was that EDM was on the radio in Canada when we were stuck with numerous crappy classic rock stations back in the states.

Fascinating. Maybe it changed... or maybe I missed out. I left in August, lived there for the past 8 years. Not a peep. Who knows...

You're probably thinking of either Energy 108 (also known as Dance 108 in the early years) or 103.5FM...Dr. Trance did his "Dr. Trance Radio Hour" show on one, or both (and he was on CFNY too in some capacity at some point), but he migrated to online radio about ten years ago. 

Energy 108 changed formats and I haven't listened to 103.5 in a dog's age, but it's true, on Saturday nights you could hear him interview the major DJs that were in town to play at that night's Destiny rave or what have you. 

Hearing dance music played at all hours on the radio was amazing.  Dance 108 was the first place I heard "The Age of Love" on the air.

Now the less said about, say, Electric Circus, the better, but more often than not they also had major headlining DJs playing (or pretending to play).

As an aside, I still listen to old John E and Nivoc tapes I bought at X-Static back in the day...great stuff...

WOW X-Static  I use to work there and I use to play for Syrous that's crazy that you guys are from back in tha day

Nice!  I still cast longing glances at the nondescript-looking door on John Street and the bare signpost overhead whenever I'm downtown.

But dude,WE AIN'T EVEN SELLING COMPARING to jay-z or something...TIESTO is like begger...comparing to sell charts of those ppl! ::)
But is SELLING A LOT A CRIME?
I think there should be UG core,people play in UG,and don't care about fame.
Then there should be the one's that sell...are main stream but not bowing them.
We need more vicibility still.
Right now it looks like the main sound to party to these days kids are like  :police: R'n'B and  :police: rap! :hurt:
And do we need to stay UG????
No ish...we need to rise,and catch those kids,otherwise they don't buy electronic music! :smiley22:
We need TO SELL MORE...or do U wanna all kids buying R'n'B??? :police: :hurt: :smiley28:

My opinion:
NO  :police:!!!!

Same here I shead a lil tear when I see it sooo many memories...Did you ever here why X-Staic closed it's doors? if ya did then I don't have to tell ya, but it's a sad story none the less

Well I've heard stories/rumours about it, and there was part of it told in Mirielle Silcott's "Rave America" book (though I hear she took liberties with what she wrote in the Toronto chapter), but nothing from someone who was close to the situation...

A few years ago Mark Scaife sold off the remaining boxes of X-Static tapes on Tribe Magazine's website and it turns out he dubbed over the DAT masters with his own recordings...d'oh!  Although I think he got good money for the cassettes.

Hit me up with a PM and I'll give ya tha low down and yes she did take liberties with that article she worte

But dude,WE AIN'T EVEN SELLING COMPARING to jay-z or something...TIESTO is like begger...comparing to sell charts of those ppl! ::)
But is SELLING A LOT A CRIME?
I think there should be UG core,people play in UG,and don't care about fame.
Then there should be the one's that sell...are main stream but not bowing them.
We need more vicibility still.
Right now it looks like the main sound to party to these days kids are like  :police: R'n'B and  :police: rap! :hurt:
And do we need to stay UG????
No ish...we need to rise,and catch those kids,otherwise they don't buy electronic music! :smiley22:
We need TO SELL MORE...or do U wanna all kids buying R'n'B??? :police: :hurt: :smiley28:

My opinion:
NO  :police:!!!!
[/quote]

what?? I am not really following your post, however I will reiterate what i said.. I don't think it is a "bad" thing. It is good that Tiesto and the like are selling lots of music, and if it goes mainstream all the better for guys like us (my 2 cents) I guess I don't get the jist of your post..

I think I have a Chemistry flyer in my flyer box, although maybe it's a Sykosis flyer. Remember Genetix?

I still have my ticket to the Syrous Total Recall party somewhere.

Play De Record has outlasted all the record stores in Toronto I used to shop at (RIP Speed, Traxx, Eastern Bloc, Release, Metropolis, TranceAtlantic/The Pit, 2thebeat, etc. etc.)

2thebeat was good, they closed up last year. Did Metropolis go too? I was just there before I left Toronto (I suppose that is 8 months ago almost).

Yup Metropolis closed up in July or August if memory serves.

2thebeat was a great store.

Man, that's a shame. Metropolis was a landmark. Toronto's losing all it's musical landmarks, haha.

2thebeat was great, I used to by a lot of my trance from there. I thought they were doing well. They had started throwing a bunch of parties, maybe it was desperation.

But dude,WE AIN'T EVEN SELLING COMPARING to jay-z or something...TIESTO is like begger...comparing to sell charts of those ppl! ::)
But is SELLING A LOT A CRIME?
I think there should be UG core,people play in UG,and don't care about fame.
Then there should be the one's that sell...are main stream but not bowing them.
We need more vicibility still.
Right now it looks like the main sound to party to these days kids are like  :police: R'n'B and  :police: rap! :hurt:
And do we need to stay UG????
No ish...we need to rise,and catch those kids,otherwise they don't buy electronic music! :smiley22:
We need TO SELL MORE...or do U wanna all kids buying R'n'B??? :police: :hurt: :smiley28:

My opinion:
NO  :police:!!!!


what?? I am not really following your post, however I will reiterate what i said.. I don't think it is a "bad" thing. It is good that Tiesto and the like are selling lots of music, and if it goes mainstream all the better for guys like us (my 2 cents) I guess I don't get the jist of your post..
^sorry dude,I might miss sometimes point...because some times I just read too fast...and I am not native english... :smiley22:

Yeah, like Speed in Kitchener, 2thebeat went out at the top of its game, I guess the owner wanted to move on to some other opportunities.  It wasn't just the vinyl vs. mp3 question as their digital store disappeared too.

Brian, I think his name was.

what?? I am not really following your post, however I will reiterate what i said.. I don't think it is a "bad" thing. It is good that Tiesto and the like are selling lots of music, and if it goes mainstream all the better for guys like us (my 2 cents) I guess I don't get the jist of your post..

the underground isnt always a good thing.

EDM is in a lull for the most part.  Music has seasons just like the rest of life.  If you call it underground that's fine.  The demographic for EDM is heading towards middle age.

Yeah.
The CORE SHOULD STAY UG...but I think there who should be artists that made into mainstream!
Think guys like
TIESTO
Who draws not so much party crowds too...they could turn into "ravers",if they have ENOUGH good night out!

I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE SHOULD STAY UG AS A CULTURE?
:smiley33:

I wouldn't sight Brighton as the clubbing capital, it may have the biggest concentration of clubs geographically but I think London, Manchester and Leeds have the biggest club scenes. I certainly know that they are the cities where people travel the furthest distance to to go clubbing.

actually, youre the first person that has disagreed on that one. alot of the people i know in ministry in england agree, but who knows.

Manchester's surely got the history ;)

brighton has the history too...
check out the royal pavillion..

why does this matter.  Atlanta is the king of crunkville.  We OWN hiphop!!!  That is clubland here now...heheheheheheheh