Def Mix presents.....
David Morales
www.defmix.com

With his 1999 Grammy for Remixer of the Year, plus his influential Def Mix label, his constant touring, and his new residency at Montreal's Stereo club, Morales is using his high profile to preach the gospel of house music to dancefloor churches around the globe. "I come from a different era of music," says the 37-year-old. "I'm there to educate people. I try to blend yesterday with tomorrow so the new kids can understand it." For Morales, the Grammy represents industry recognition of his life's work. Having remixed heavy hitters such as Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, and Jocelyn Brown, David Morales has a résumé that reads like a Who's Who of the diva circuit, just look at the calalogue!!

When Morales checks into the recording studio or DJ booth, he doesn't spend time blueprinting. "When we go into the studio, we don't have a plan," he says. "We have a live session, like playing records in a club. Theory goes out the window. Production is about heart and soul. My ear knows what makes people dance."

In the studio, Morales relies heavily on a Korg Z1, E-mu Orbit and Planet Phatt, and Roland JV-2080. "My 2080 is maxed out," he reports. "It's loaded. I have the Pop card, the World card, the Techno card, the Piano card. . . . I can't help myself!" But live musicians also play an important part in Morales's high-powered remixes. "No matter how good the keyboard sounds, the essence of a flute sound is all about the breath."

When it comes to drum machines, Morales finds that "different machines have different feels. Some have a cheesier, rougher edge. I can sample the same sound into the Akai MPC60, S950, or S3000, or into the [E-mu] SP-1200, and they'll have different feels." That's why he keeps a stable of beatboxes and percussion modules onhand -- which also includes an E-mu Procussion and a classic Roland TR-909. "What I use depends on what I'm looking for sound- and feel-wise. If I'm making a commercial remix, for example, the 909 may be too dark for the track."

DJ gigs during the early days of house music at New York's Better Days and Brooklyn's Ozone Bar were essential building blocks in Morales's remix career. "In 1985 we used to remix records live on the spot using three turntables, a homemade trigger, and a little Roland TR-505 drum machine," he recalls. He hopes his residency at Stereo will ignite the old-school spirit of his youth, spent in legendary rooms like the Loft and Paradise Garage in New York. "I want to create something special. Stereo is a pure dance club. What they're selling is music." Morales himself requested the residency, seduced by the club's monster sound system. "This one touches you deep inside. A club's system is made to be worked. I can wreck the place like a train coming through; I can take the bass and pick you off the ground and drop you without you even knowing!"

Morales has come a long way from his humble beginnings as a bedroom DJ. "My mother cracks up," he says. "She remembers when I was at home with two turntables, trying to make noise. And now, even though the money is ridiculous, at the end of the day nobody can take away what I love to do. If I wasn't famous, I'd still be a bedroom DJ."


Sean Miller (Stereo Productions, Harlem Records, Toronto)

www.djseanmiller.com

Set Times:
Sean Miller: (1:00-3:45)
David Morales: (3:45-close)

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Last edited by DigDeep on Nov-09-2004 at 23:27