Just Dance
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DJ BRETT HENRICHSEN
I never saw myself becoming a DJ,” says Brett Henrichsen, whose smarts, talent, good looks and chiseled body took him from working in marketing to masterminding the Masterbeat download site. “As a marketing specialist for IBM, I had access to CD burners in the early ‘90s, way before they were in everyone’s computer. I would make CDs of all my favorite dance tracks.” A friend told him that the mixes were good enough to sell, and Masterbeat was born.
Being a sought-after DJ has sent Henrichsen around the world, mixing at hotspots in Ibiza, London and Paris — and at every White Party imaginable here in the United States. “Brazil and Sydney, Australia, are my two favorite places to visit and work,” he says. “Both have incredible cultures, a love for dance and insane nightlife. The people and food in Brazil are both amazing, and the clubs are packed with 3,000 people EVERY weekend — like the good old days in the U.S.”
If it weren’t for the gay community, Henrichsen says, “Not only would there be no Masterbeat, [the world would] have little to wear, bad hair, no entertainment… basically no spice to life! Growing up in Utah I remember wishing, ‘If only I could change, I would.’ Knowing what I know now, I would never change who or what I am — we are the lucky ones!” |
TRACY YOUNG
Since being handpicked by Madonna to create a remix of “Hung Up,” off her 2005 Confessions on a Dance Floor record, Tracy Young has been on fire. A household name for those who follow the dance music scene, Young is quickly creating a niche for herself in a male-dominated industry.
“According to People magazine, I was one of the first female DJs to break through the glass ceiling,” she says. “Today, I’m happy to say the idea of a ‘female DJ’ is not as foreign as it was just five years ago. I like to believe I played a role in changing the stigma.”
From humble beginnings as a local DJ from Washington, D.C., Young has mixed many megastars. But it’s her work for her Madgesty and a certain rock ‘n’ roll gypsy that still has her head spinning. “I started DJing for [Madonna] before I remixed any of her songs,” she says. “I still can’t believe it to this day.”
Then Young was asked to remix Billboard hit “Stand Back” for a woman whom Young calls “one of my favorite artists of all time” — Stevie Nicks. “I was blown away,” Young says. “Not many people can say they have remixed a Stevie Nicks song because she is very picky about the music she releases. Being one of the people who has done so is a huge honor.”
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DJ ESCAPE
This Queens, NY, native may be straight, but he’s intimate with the gay dance club scene. “My music is more adapted to the gay community,” he explains. “Gay guys know music, and they party from night until the afternoon. They’re always ready to tear the dance floor up, just like me.”
DJ Escape disagrees with those who think the dance scene is dead or dying. “The scene is more fun than ever,” he says. “All of a sudden, the industry is back to high-energy, happy music. The dark, monotonous beats that took over dance floors in 2001 are history. It’s all about vocals and base-driven beats, which I love. I play familiar mainstream music, but not the versions you’ll hear on the radio or see on MTV,” he continues. “I rework the classics specifically for my dance floor. You won’t hear my versions anywhere else.”
Though he prides himself on originality, there is another DJ whom Escape credits with inspiring him to spin house music. “I began as a hip-hop DJ,” he says. “But one night on Junior Vasquez’s dance floor changed everything for me.”
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SETH GOLD
One of the youngest DJs on the scene (on his website, he admits to 26), Seth Gold is acclaimed for both his beauty and his beats. But Gold doesn’t take his fame too seriously — his eyes are set on career longevity and continuing to be unique. “I stand out because everything I do is an extension of who I really am,” Gold explains. “I don’t have large muscles, or look like a punk rocker. I’m just me. And people see that and respect that.”
Gold had long dreamed of pledging allegiance to the rhythm nation. “My poor parents have put up with loud music for years — and they still do when I visit,” he says. “It was something I was born to do and have loved ever since I can remember.” But traveling the country, performing for millions of beat-seekers and living the life he always wanted hasn’t changed Gold’s perspective of his appreciation for the gay community. “Getting to the top and staying there are two different things. It’s just as challenging to stay fresh and stay interesting as it is to rise through the ranks,” he says. “I find myself spending more time and devoting more energy to coming up with creative, fun ideas.” |
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JUNKIE XL
A junkie of “xpanding limits,” DJ JXL (or as his parents named him, Tom Holkenborg) is Netherlands-born but American-adored. Though touring the world doesn’t give him muchtime in the U.S., he still scored a 2008 Grammy nod for his remix of Madonna’s “4 Minutes.”
This one-man band plays the drums, guitar, piano and violin; so it makes sense that JXL lives for the thrill of performing in front of a live audience. In fact, he calls his 2008 release, Booming Back at You, a trip into the mysticism of his live performances — though to us, it plays like a party that’s been distilled for your listening pleasure. |
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SCOTTY THOMSON
Not too many DJs spin vinyl anymore, but Scotty Thomson does — and he’s good at it. The multifaceted Thomson discovered a Dr.-Jekyll-and-Mr.-Hyde duality within himself long ago. “I’d be at the office in my Gucci suit, and then suddenly I was at a nightclub with a mohawk,” he recalls. From his early days as a competitive sailboat racer, the once preppy boy has reinvented himself with music.
“I think I have managed to bring a sense of excitement and uniqueness to gay parties,” he says. “People expect the unexpected with my sets, and they know I will always be working my ass off to make their night interesting.”
Thomson hasn’t stopped pushing himself to new heights. “I’m a DJ who is never happy with mediocrity,” he explains. “To me, hearing the same songs over and over is boring and artistically limiting. I’m unique because I play things that other DJs would not. I’m also not afraid to take risks, so in many ways I have broken the status quo.” |
PAUL OAKENFOLD
Already a legend around the world, Paul Oakenfold has further expanded his fame by scoring boldface pop-culture names to sing vocals on his last two albums. He’s credited with being the first DJ to bring house music to the U.K. in the late ‘80s and hasn’t stopped pushing the envelope since. Whether working with unforeseen talent like actress Brittany Murphy or grooming future chart-toppers on his Perfecto Records label, Oakenfold always has his eye on the future while partying in the moment.
Oakenfold has also become a desired collaborator for film scores and unforgettable commercial soundtracks. Just last year he added his genius touch to scores for Californication, The Bourne Conspiracy and Speed Racer. Having completed his own world tour last summer, Oakenfold joined Madonna on her Sticky and Sweet Tour for a few dates. He’s since settled down, making Las Vegas his home. But his fever for work is still blazing, resulting in Paul Oakenfold Presents: Perfecto Las Vegas at the Palms Casino and Resort famed nightspot, Rain. |
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THE CRYSTAL METHOD
“Get busy, get busy child,” says one notable track from American electronic dance music duo, the Crystal Method. When dance music first became big around the world, the U.S. had very few entrepreneurs of its own until the Crystal Method took to the scene. The famed duo, Las Vegas natives Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, have seen their work featured in film, commercials and video games, likely because of the high energy their beats enlist.
The Crystal Method’s last album, Drive: Nike + Original Run, was the product of a partnership with Nike; the boys have been getting busy (child) working on a new studio album for release this year. |
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RICHARD MOREL
Cyndi Lauper couldn’t have brought 2008’s Bring Ya to the Brink without the help of long time friend Rich Morel, who also recently remixed the Killers’ “Human.” Don’t recognize his name? Most of his work is done under his alias “Pink Noise.“ A singer/songwriter, DJ, remixer and record producer, Morel aims to attract a wide fan base by pushing himself to new levels. “When I DJ, I play a lot of bootleg mixes of old songs that I’ve done,” he says. “Its a way to play older records from the ‘80s and ‘90s but have them mix in sonically with new records, which have a more forward, aggressive sound.”
Though you can find much of his work available for download online, Morel thinks the Internet can be a tricky tool. “The music industry today is in a bit of a freefall,” he says. “The Internet, downloads, MySpace, Beatport, iTunes — all of these have opened the door for so many more people to get their music out there. The problem is that [the amount of music available] becomes overwhelming. I’m not sure where things will wind up, but the constant is that there is always a new kid pushing the envelope. That’s what keeps the music industry alive and vital. |
JUNIOR VASQUEZ
Oh, the ‘90s — when a remix could only be found as a B-side to a hit single, making it a sought-after treasure. From Whitney to Cher to (of course) Madonna, Junior Vasquez has created treasured tracks for pop’s most divine divas.
“When I look back at my discography, I can see that it’s pretty impressive,” he says. “I don’t even think of yesterday. Life is like DJing: The crowd doesn’t know what I’m playing next, because I’m not living in the moment of the song. I’m already thinking about how to fuck with their heads with the next one.” His signature can be found in the tribal rhythms and intense percussion of his remixes, but Vasquez is the master of reinvention. “I like being controversial,” he says. “I won’t stop that. I’ll keep doing whatever I can get away with. Because if you don’t cross boundaries, you don’t get attention.” |
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| Please, don’t stop the music! Think Tony Moran is terrific? Mad about Manny Lehman? E-mail us at letters@metrosource.com and tell us about your favorite DJs whom we didn’t have room for on this list. |
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