DJ Dan

Called “America’s most beloved DJ” by URB Magazine, DJ Dan helped transform the 90’s into a decade of dance. His unerring feel for diverse styles has earned him admiration throughout America and the world. Now, for dance music fans and aspiring DJs who want to hear just how it’s done, DJ Dan has released Funk the System, his sensational new Moonshine Music compilation comprised of fourteen tracks guaranteed to keep the party jumping. Funk the System highlights one of DJ Dan’s specialties: funky house music. “I wanted this album to be more house-oriented,” says Dan. “Most of the tracks are mixes of other artists’ material, as well as one original and a remix of “Needle Damage.” That last track has proved one of the most popular of recent dance hitters, with respected Radio 1 DJ (U.K.), Pete Tong calling it “relentless, pumping house” as well as naming it “Single of the Month” in Mixmag (May, 99). Funk the System also includes mixes of hard-to-find classics such as Avalanche’s “Acid Attack” and DJ HMC’s “Phreakin.” Says Dan, “This album is more mellow than my last, but my next will be more banging, techno-oriented.” That affinity for music propelled DJ Dan to the top of the dance world. A native of Olympia, WA, he first experienced music as a welcome escape, surrounded as he was by nine brothers and sisters. By age 14, he’d figured out how to rig his tape deck to the turntable to mix record to tape. Around this time, he also developed a passion for clothing design, so much that he was later accepted into Seattle’s prestigious Thomas Edison School of Design, form which he graduated at the top of his class. Attending his first rave in L.A. in 1991 put his design career on hold. “Something flipped,” he recalls. “I realized my true calling. I knew this was something I must do.” Dan spent every waking minute learning the art of mixing, scratching and programming, and soon he was ready to test his mettle in the club scene. He hooked up with top L.A. DJ Ron D Core, and by 1992, Dan had emerged as one of the cities top DJs at a time when the city’s rave scene hit its peak. “The parties were so fresh, so colorful,” he remembers. “There were no categories back then, nobody come in with preconceived notions of what the music should be. Those were the moments that started the trends.” As the L.A. rave scene waned, Dan and Ron launched No-Doz, a musically diverse club that set a new standard for after-hours parties. He also seized on San Francisco’s burgeoning funky house scene, moving to the Bay Area and aligning himself as a resident DJ with the Funky Tekno Tribe. “Those were the best parties ever,” says Dan, who soon became one of the most popular DJs in the USA and Canada. DJ Dan’s international profile expanded exponentially with the release of the groundbreaking “Loose Caboose” by the Electroliners, a classic track he co-wrote and co-produced with Jim Hopkins. It was soon picked up by XL Records in the U.K., which led to a fruitful partnership between Dan and famed DJ Carl Cox. The Electroliners continued to create many remixes, which only bolstered DJ Dan’s reputation as a producer. He’s remixed projects for fellow Moonshine artists Keoki and Cirrus, and is currently working on new remixes for Carl Cox, Reprise Platinum recording artists Orgy, Warner Bros./Primal recording artists Deep Red, as well as British Breakbeat band the Freestylers. All that studio work hasn’t kept DJ Dan off of the turntables. He still DJs every weekend all around the world. Recently, he wrapped up a six-week tour of Europe and South Africa, and he maintains a regular monthly appearance with Carl Cox at Twilo, New York City’s #1 club. Yet, everywhere he goes, DJ Dan detects the same spirit. “When you feel the incredible energy on the dance floor, you want your entire life to be that way,” he says. “That’s why this work is so exciting, because it reminds me that life can be this good. There is a driving force behind all of this, and it’s what keeps me going.” As for his own persona, DJ Dan defies the conventional wisdom that the DJ has to retain a kind of standoffish mystique. “I got into this,” says Dan, “because I love how people unite on the dance floor, bringing their own energy and excitement. So, I never turn my back on the crowd.” And they’ve never turned their backs on him. DJ Dan remains a towering figure in the world of dance music, always a step ahead in bringing new musical styles to his fans. Now and forever, DJ Dan has the floor.