Soundtrack

DJ Mean Dean (Dean Young) is actually a nice guy. 15 years in the game and he can rock any party. He is equally passionate for sound quality as well as musical programming. As General Manager of Audio Rescue Team, he is known for his extended sound checks. When a Detroit party sounds good, Dean and his cohorts from Audio Rescue Team are the ones to thank. Most recent accomplishment includes the third year of his Mean Dean Winter Welcome To Wednesday Tour.

On being a Detroit DJ

Track List

The Roof is on Fire : Rock Master Scott and The Dynamic Three

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Walter Glasshouse is a curator of underground Detroit music scene with over a decade of events produced and played. Owner of Open Eye Detroit, creative partner with Charivari Music Festival, Treasurer for The Detroit-Berlin Connection Non-Profit Organization, and content creator for Deep Space Radio. In addition to being a DJ, Producer, and Event Organizer, Walter also shares his love for Hip Hop Music as an emcee under the moniker AudioLogical. Walter also holds a Bachelors Degree in Business, and a Masters Degree in Accounting, particularly specializing in assisting artists and small businesses with navigating the tax system.

“The largest reason I love this city and this scene, is the community. The PEOPLE. Sure, the music is amazing, but the hearts here are so pure. Regardless of where you go in this city, you walk in and there’s a hug being offered, a smile being shined, and a welcoming embrace that I’ve never known outside of this city. Perhaps I am a bit biased because this is my hometown, and I have been fortunate enough to create lasting relationships with many members of this community, but from my travels abroad, there’s truly no place like Detroit. Small enough to feel like a family, big enough to get lost in all the best ways… Another thing I love, is the diversity, and the acceptance… There’s every kind of person here, and we exist together. Sure, there’s different circles of people, and that’s natural… But there’s a mutual respect for the tapestry of energy that makes up the mandala of Detroit… And every single part of this community is needed to complete that circle… And deep down, I think we all get that. The soul of this city is in everything we do, especially the music, and I believe we are united by the artistic expression this region so effortlessly exudes. We are a little rough around the edges, and I absolutely love that… We don’t sugar coat, we don’t play games, but we embrace our human experience with every ounce of our existence, and to me that’s pure fucking magic. I say it all the time… I am so thankful to have woken up in this body, in this city, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.“

On being a Detroit DJ

Track List

Tribute To A Hero : Damiano von Erckert

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DJ Venmo (Jakob Harris) has been digging his grubby hands into the pockets of Detroit’s nightlife for the last five years in an effort to pay his rent as well as fulfill his life’s purpose of owning every single private pressing ever made.

“It’s enthralling to live in a city where you can really challenge other people’s ears as well as your own. Lots of bars have a sound system and some gear, so if you are really itching to wreak havoc on people it’s not hard. It’s fun finding the balance between what people are trying to hear on their night out versus whatever disjointed noise I’ve been splurging on at the time. I’ve also learned to not take it so seriously. It’s all just dance parties, right? People complain that there’s too many DJs but there’s a reason for it. Think outside the club!“

On being a Detroit DJ

Track List

Blue In Purple (Puu) : RinnieRadio

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Born and raised an hour north of Detroit in a small country town, Jaco grew up immersed in the sounds of Motown, blues and funk. As a teenager heavily involved in DIY skate culture, he joined a band and taught himself to play bass and guitar, but was drawn to the electronic side of music. In his early twenties, he began producing solo and moved to Detroit to learn from the city’s rich musical legacy. His productions are distinctly jazzy and deep—clear nods to hometown influences Moodymann and Rick Wade—with a tribal edge, while his DJ selections range from 160+ BPM jit records to the dreamiest disco and deep house. True to his roots in the live music scene, he approaches every set with the intention of using the unfamiliar and the unexpected to lead the audience to particular emotional states.

“When I first moved from a small country town to Detroit, living in a city and the club scene was entirely new to me. I didn’t know anyone but within a week, I’d met dozens of people, a number of which are now some of my closest friends. The support and camaraderie within the scene here in Detroit is truly incomparable.“

On being a Detroit DJ

Track List

Baby : Torpedo Fred

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Ill Fusion (David Kloosterman) was interested in a wide range of live music genres from jazz and classical to metalcore early on. His cerebral blend of Techno, Tech House, and breaks draws people onto the dance floor and keeps them moving in a guided meditation.

“Without Detroit and the dance music community here, I would very likely not be among the living. Implicitly, the scene here is designed to give partygoers a place to feel welcome and be themselves; to have others see them for who they truly are and be accepted. Love it or hate it, good & bad, this scene is honest, real, and full of love. The genuine nature of this city is what I originally fell in love with, and I have yet to be anywhere else that feels anything quite like Detroit.“

On being a Detroit DJ

Track List

Shine on You Crazy Diamond pt. 1 : Pink Floyd

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Dr. Poppers (Ricardo Leos) has been emerging as a DJ known for vocal infused, dance floor filling sets in Detroit’s gay clubs as well as underground parties. Rico is the consummate host having establishing himself DJing, bartending, promoting, and managing at Detroit’s legendary Grenadier Club. Next time you see Dr. Poppers on a bill, do yourself a favor and check him out.

On being a Detroit DJ

Track List

Miracle : JazzyFunk

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Since arriving in Detroit, TYLR_ (Tyler Yglesias) has not only become one of the defining DJs in Detroit’s modern electronic music scene, but has also been an integral part of promoting underground events that have resurrected the feeling of Detroit’s seminal parties of the nineties. His sets incorporate soulful house sounds and techno rhythms that span generations, force your body to move, and your mind to get lost in dance floor memories.

On being a Detroit DJ

Track List

Solivagant : WhiteSquare

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Danielle Biggers and Brandon Redoute are Deeper Waters. They met on a dance floor in Detroit and according to them they never left. They love the spirit of the underground as well as the community that keeps it alive year after year. They came to Detroit to help advance a purely Detroit agenda. The scene here has allowed them to find like-minded individuals, some who have been lifting up the community for years. “You won’t find a better backroom, hot-box, underground party than in Detroit. If you look even deeper, you won’t find a more diverse, supportive, group of people who are eager to lift each other up and are so fiercely protective of their community and city.”

On being Detroit DJs

Track List

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