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Here's an article from Hamilton entertainment magazine View
http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=5088
DJ DONALD GLAUDE
By Tamara Holmes
International superstar DJ Donald Glaude has been spinning for
more years than some of his front row fans have been alive. He’s
just that good.
The Washington-born, classically trained musician arguably
founded the modern rave movement and house phenomena with
friend and peer DJ Dan, having mastered his craft early with the
help of tape decks, mismatched turntables and an inexpensive
mixer from Radio Shack. Taking his unique brand of spinning
tactics (he’s been known to abandon his decks to dance in the
crowd or mix records using unorthodox body parts such as his
nose, mouth and elbow) to clubs in the greater Seattle and
Tacoma area during the mid-80s, Glaude soon launched himself
into a world-wide self-made anti-brand. Long known to shy from
commercial success, his some two decades in the business have
rendered the possibility of people liking him, buying albums and
paying to watch him spin a mere byproduct of his first love – the
music.
“The direction (I’m going) is the way of live mixes being
released,” details Glaude. “It’s right for right now. That’s what the
people want. I’m fortunate enough to have patrons of clubs lining
up to see me and, if some can’t be there or they want to take the
night home with them, a live mix is the best way we’re going to
reconnect.
“I wanna be for real with the fans. It’s a tight rope walk
because artists should sell albums. But I don’t want to lose who I
am, and that is a DJ for the people. I don’t want to keep only
making record labels happy because then I become a commodity
that they can wipe off the fucking chalkboard when they think
someone else is coming up. This way, I’m in constant connection
with people who like the music. Live mixes are something that
can legally be put out and are a sound of the times.
“Big things are happening,” reveals Glaude, the warm sounds
of Miami’s annual Winter Music Conference in the background.
The Seattle-based DJ was in the middle of a marathon 10-gig
weekend as the who’s who of electronic music culture from
around the world descended on South Beach for a March Break all
their own. “Miami is crazy. Nuts. It’s the perfect background for
all the big things (happening.)”
Glaude isn’t necessarily being elusive. Whenever Glaude is
involved, “big things” are expected.
There is a list of sorts, however. If 10 sets in four days
weren’t big enough, next up is the spring hatch of his latest
album, For The People. The live set was mixed at a legendary
appearance in San Francisco and is slated for release this April.
This year will also play host to the inception of Glaude’s own
record label, of which our own local favourite, Toronto-based
artist Josh Oberont – better known as DJ JELO – will back creative
A & R roles for. The label, which Glaude reveals has been a long
time coming in this format, will serve as a platform for “pushing
the limits the best way I know how.
“(JELO) and I are still growing as artists and need room to do
that,” continues Glaude. “We’ll still have our names, but this gives
us and others room to collaborate, come up with new genres and
really get out there in terms of sound and what’s next.”
For someone with more than twenty years of experience as a
pack leader, Glaude insists he’s never short on inspiration. “I take
it from my mother, my children and my fans,” he says with a wily
chuckle. “There are no limits. It’s just me dinking around with my
computer and mixer. I’ve got some fucked up thoughts, and some
fucked up ideas so there are always places to take new music.
“I’m a dirty ass, grimy DJ and producer in all the ways (a
producer) can be a dirty ass, grimy DJ. They say I’m a crazy mo’
******!”
External influences are also key for Glaude, who grew up
listening to hard rock, R & B, funk and hip hop. “There are sounds
that hip hop and jazz can get away with and it makes me want to
integrate them, cross it over and create. My son has turned into a
great hip hop producer (as well as) drum n’ bass. He does things I
never thought of and I’ll give him all the applause for it – he
knows (music).”
Pioneer. Visionary. Crazy mo’ fo. These are all
complimentary terms when it comes to Glaude and his unique
brand of house music. Before Glaude, house was not spun. So
where would we be without Gluade?
“Not very well off,” laughs JELO. “He’s such a force that the
industry would suffer without him.”
Glaude and JELO have been friends for years, with JELO
considering him a mentor, colleague and trusted ally. Having
been in Miami at WMC together, JELO describes the time
surrounding his own personal gigs as nothing short of non-stop.
“Miami is crazy,” he says, in agreement with Glaude. “You wake
up and there is the breakfast party, beats going, the works. Then,
there’s the lunch party. Then, there’s the pre-party. Then, the
“party” party. Then, the after party. And you wake up and do it all
over again.”
The time on South Beach gave the pair time to discuss their
upcoming ventures for the year, as well as time to wax that
musical chemistry that gives party goers such a show when they
spin together. “ I’ve been watching him closely for more than 11
years,” says JELO. “I know his style and habits that I’m able to
react without watching too closely or over-thinking it. We have a
really good flow (when we spin together.)
“It’s all very surreal,” JELO continues, blushing in his tone
just a little! “When I spin with Glaude, there is a part of me that’s
like a little kid. It’s so magical because it comes together so great,
and I’ve been a fan for a long time.”
The venture into record label-dom has JELO handling many
of the creative aspects. “We’re going to put out some albums, and
still do our own respective releases,” JELO discloses. “We’re also
going to work together on some stuff under the name D J (editor’s
note: Donald / JELO… get it?) and we’d do a tour to accompany it.
“Hamilton is getting a preview to everything that is to come,”
JELO adds about this Friday’s show at O Lounge. This is the two-
year old club’s first international booking of this caliber, ranking
it among the province’s finest venues, having been a local
favourite for Hamiltonians and Torontonians alike for some time
now.
JELO is quick to point out the reasons Glaude casts such
compelling spells on the audience at each and every gig, and says
it goes farther, into his production and day to day life. “Glaude is
a guy you want to be around. In fact, he’s always got people
around. He’s an entity. He’s funny, polite, huge heart and just a
force to reckon with. He’s imagination, and that’s something so
many (new) Djs are lacking these days. They say they want to spin
tribal. Well, there are three other international Djs already doing a
great job of tribal so that’s not going to happen. New talent needs
to think laterally and break existing molds. Technology has never
made it so easy to make that happen than now. That’s what we’ll
be looking for, and that’s what Glaude already is.
“You gotta ask: do you want to be an artist or an iPod?
Glaude’s an artist.”
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nightdreamer
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