DJ Pierre: Skyy: Call Me

Jonty Skruff has chatted with a true dance music icon, DJ Pierre. Whate were the first records he bought, and what does it say about him?

Skruffff: What was the first record (or track) you bought; how old were you, why did you buy it, what did it mean to you?

DJ Pierre: “The first album I bought was by a group called Skyy. The title track was Call Me’.  I was about 14. I loved the beat, the energy, the bass and lead guitar.  Slamming.”

Skruffff: Did you ever follow any particular music movements before dance music? (which  ones, why, how far did you go?)

DJ Pierre: “I followed the funk movement. I always loved the production, how they played the bass and lead guitars, how creative they sung their vocals and crazy sound FX.

Skruffff: How and why did you first get into dance music? How well do you remember your first rave or nightclub experience?

DJ Pierre: “I got into dance music by hearing the mixes on the radio. The Hot Mix 5 really spurred me on to getting into it. My first nightclub experience was at the Muzik Box (in Chicago) seeing the late Ron Hardy. That experience actually helped shaped me into being the DJ/Producer that I am today. The tracks and the energy that Ron DJed with has had a huge impact on me. Also the way he worked the EQ's and crossovers and the way that the people responded to him was amazing. They were yelling and screaming his name and telling him to "work the Ronnie!"   From that point on I would always aspire to get that reaction when I DJed.”

Skruffff: How much do you identify with the music you make now; and how much do you find people you're friends with  (or in relationships with) like the same music?

DJ Pierre: “I very much identify with the music I make. It's a part of me and I'm all it. It's difficult at times to create because the process is so intense for me. I'm still working on my first album, it’s been four years. I am still working on finding that balance where I know this is music that represents all of me.  So I very much relate to everything I put out. Most of the people I'm friends with are in the business so we kinda’ get into similar music. I appreciate the people around me who I can bounce ideas off of without wondering if they get it or not.”

Skruffff: Anything else to add?

DJ Pierre: “That’s an interesting theory about how someone's choice of music correlates with who they are. I'm not fully convinced on every point made, but it's important to look at why people gravitate to the kind of music that they gravitate to. Nothing happens by chance. I do believe that. Like I said dance music was my choice because I was exposed to funk, and the Hot Mix 5.
So If someone makes a certain musical choice then circumstances led them to that. What if I was exposed to a ton of reggae?  I don't think dance music would have a DJ Pierre (the original one).

Also . . . music is Spiritual. It's the doorway for a spiritual experience. So it is very important to know why you are connecting to a certain type of music. If you don't you will miss the entire experience.”

Click here for more on DJ Pierre: http://www.djpmuzik.com/

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff