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| HOUSE
MUSIC - What is House Music? |
| But the owners had a
trick up their sleeves. First of all they renamed the
club to be known as the "Musicbox",
and then they hired the another black talented Dj in the
name of Ron Hardy. Many people who can
remember Ron Hardy, will testify that he was something
else. Possibly in their eyes the world greatest ever Dj???
Soon the club scene was
set in Chicago, Usa of whom you wanted to party with
during a weekend.
With Frankie Knuckles,
you got the more sophisticated, more smartly turned
out partygoer that was to be found at the "Powerplant".
Whereas at the "Music Box", with Dj
Ron Hardy, the younger kids went there for
the craziness of his dj sets.
Remember, Frankie had
been one of Chicago's top dance dj for 5 years , and
was ruling the roost. If Frankie was the Godfather
of House music then it has to be said that
Ron Hardy, was there to share the "raising
of this music child"!
Another legendary Chicago
House music producer called Chez Damiler
adds, "Frankie was ruling the roost. They
were calling it House music now, and that was because
of Frankie. And for Ron Hardy to come in there and steal
Frankie's thunder, it was really something" - Source
taken from the Book called "Last Night a Dj saved
my life" - Headline Press - London
The 2 clubs became so
successful that it was aggreed upon that it would be
in the best interests of all concerned that the they
opened on different nights. With the Powerplant
opening up during Wednesdays and Fridays. And the Music
box opening up on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturadays!
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The difference in dj styles between
Frankie and Ron could be seen as this.Frankie
djs sets were more controlled, and his tempo's
were much lower.He also paid much attention to the quality
of sound within his sets.
Ron Hardy, on the other
hand played as if his life depended on it. His sets were
based on pure energy. No less, no more. He planned nothing.
Speeding up everything as fast as possible, pitching records
to plus 6 to plus 8. Equing like his life depended upon
it. Slamming up the bass and treble without no
hestitation.
With these 2 Djs genius at the helm.
Chicago nightlife was unique in this
moment in time. With no Studio 54 celebrity scene
coming in to spoil the "celebrations",
as it had did so with the New York Disco scene.
It allowed the music of House to stay
underground and to reach more poeple then it was ever
thought possible during its inception. |
Hot mix 5 Dj's and Dj Radio
show.
Those that were too young
to go to the "Music Box or the Power Plant",
could at least try and reach the music via radio. The
station in question was WBMX, based in Chicago,
Usa
From 1981 to 1986, a quintet
of Djs from Chicago gave us another way of looking on
how dance music could be presented to its listeners.
Known as the Hot mix 5, they consisted of:
Kenny "Jammin"
Jason, Ralphi Rossario, Steve "Silk" Hurley,
Mickey "Mixin" Oliver and Farly "Jackmaster"
Funk
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| These djs played anything which could
include music's such as New Romantics styled music
from England. See if these names rings
any bells with you - (*Groups such as) The Human
League, Depeche Mode, Yazzoo and Gary Numan and European
Pop/Dance music from artists such as Yello, Kraftwerk!
In fact, during 1983, one third of all of the
tracks that made up the Usa Pop Charts were from the Uk!
Such was the dominance of the Uk Syth sound (New
Romantics Sound), that the blackier Usa
Disco sounds that Knuckles and Hardy
were championing were having a had time of it on the dance
floors within Chicago. But what the Hot 5 were reknowned
for was their mixing! No one had heard this style of mixing
or presentingover the radio airwaveswithin Chicago.
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"All of the Hot Mix 5
Djs were amazing, technique wise. They would have 2 records
of everything, everything was phased,
then they would do backspining and things on every song
Pefect mixing, no mistakes, slamming shit, man" -
Source taken from the Book called "Last Night a Dj
saved my life" - Headline Press - London
The WBMX station within Chicago
claimed that the show had up to 500,000
people listening to the show during its heights. Thats
a sixth of the city's population.
Students would deliberately miss school
to tape the mixes. The city's then leading
record specialist "Imports Record Etc",
would have a noticeboard explaining in full the mixes
that were played on the show, to save their staff from
answersing the hundreds of questions that normally came
about from people had listened to the show the day before!
Despite confusion of the
original team, the names of replacements and the vendettas
that surrounded the industry as a whole, these five
remained strong - strong enough to leave a severe dent
in the city of Chicago. They may not have parted "best
friends" - or have even passed as business
associates - but they made Chicago,
house music, and the world that surrounds that lifestyle
what it is, as we know it today
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