Baltimore Breakbeat

From what I've heard, it sounds like slowed down miami booty, just as lewd but less digital, more grittier. And with poor production values - even the most mediocre euro club offerings sound at least efficient cause the producers have so much history of expertise and have been well versed in the art of making a club banger... while Baltimore club producers seem to have started from scratch, and still haven't got a clue what they're doing. Which is good in its own throw-away-the-rulebook way, but I've yet to hear somethihg of it that will truly floor me.

My fave is the one that goes "I don't want no boyfriend, I just wanna fuck"... except that it goes "I just wanna FA---", sounds like whoever did it doesn't even know how to chop vox samples properly!

Sengai, also check out my essay on doo dew trax. just skip the stuff about bob dylan, rolling stone magazine, sleater-kinney and the rest of that gunk. the perils of being a drunky-drunk i suppose. the stuff on baltimore isn't that bad though.

the b. club music i've heard sounds a lot like dj deeon, dj funk, dj nehpets etc.

The best place to get it is Baltimore, of course. I would recommend Music Liberated on the corner of Park and Saratoga, (410) 837-1000. At one point the store was the home of Baltimore Breakbeat Records (see above), but I'm not sure how that works since Bernie, the old owner, died earlier this year. Regardless, if you call them and ask for any mixes by Rod Lee or DJ Technics, you should be able to satisfy your curiousity. Dunno if you could scare them up on Soulseek, but I guess it's worth a try.

And I take exception to the notion that club producers are somehow clueless primitives. A lot of them are very accomplished DJs/producers who crank out club tracks specifically because they're fun, popular, and quite lucrative. The stuff is grimy and coarse cause it's all about the beat and the sample (but mostly the beat), it's all gonna get mixed and remixed anyway, and frankly because it doesn't need to be perfect to work on the dancefloor or become a hot track. That said, club has been getting a little slicker in recent years, with people trying all sorts of "fusions" with R&B and hip-hop that haven't really worked. On the other end of the scale, certain producers have been biting old R&B records for their samples of late, which makes them even more fun if you know the incongruous sources (the Coasters' "Charlie Brown" and Shirley and Lee's "Let the Good Times Roll'). Of course, most teenaged club fans don't.

It's amazing stuff. Sometimes I wish it traveled outside the 695 beltway a little better than it does, but like go-go in D.C., it's doing just fine without a wider fanbase.

(Oh, and I liked your Village Voice piece too.)

it definitely resides on local radio in the same way as go-go in D.C....most of the time when go-go is on the DC stations, club is on the Baltimore stations...although I actually caught some club music on a DC station recently, which made me really happy.

my favorite tracks lately are centered around vocal samples of Lil Jon's "I Don't Give A Fuck" and "Uncle Fukka" from South Park, respectively. also a lot of the old R&B sampling tracks are great, especially "Charlie Brown" and "Please Mr. Postman".

anyone have a link to the aforementioned Voice article? it'd be interesting to see what they have to say about it.

that link should work. the sampling on baltimore club trax can be really inspired, but it's also completely illegal, so i can understand people wanting to keep things local. nobody really bothers you that way. i can get the records and mix cd's here in philly cuz there are house party/club dj's here that play it pretty frequently. it is seriously crowd-pleasing music. my dj friend Cosmo who turned me on to the Baltimore stuff years ago used to get flown to Vegas to dj and whenever he put that stuff on people would just flip out and they had no idea what it was. it can be very frenetic and insistent. there are definite similarities to the detroit ghetto-tech stuff. for some reason those baltimore beats just hit me where i live. Rod Lee has put out some great trax by the way.

TECHNICS AND DUKEYMAN ANSWER THE PHONE..HAHAHAHAHA (THAT WOULD BE US)

peace,
titts

right now my favorite club song is rod lee's "your a club king"
so you're a club king?
..... yes yes yes yes yes yes
lol.

lol.

Must learn+have more...

i love this song! its like the sequel to inoj - love you down because it samples the ready for the world song. i wish technics would come back and post on ilm

so what happened with this

http://www.myfonts.com/images/family/characters/accelerator.gif

http://www.myspace.com/doodewkidz

BIG GIRL BIG BIG GIRRRRRRL

meeting w/ them after work today, bringing a sack full of mixtapes to talk about.

410 Pharoahs (the Labtekwon/Doo Dew Kidz club rap side project) got national distro for the album they're dropping in I think April, I like the singles they've released so far.

thats cool. i'm w/ deej, u might as well do it

http://www.baltimoreclubtracks.com/public_html/previews/problem.mp3

http://www.baltimoreclubtracks.com/public_html/previews/doggystyle.mp3

'fresh' video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SDBaD18T_4

damn

http://www.baltimoreclubtracks.com/free.htm

lots of free mixes here

oh nice. i knew Technics had talked about uploading stuff like that but didn't know if it'd ever gone up.

new K-Swift mix in Downtown Locker Room out this Tuesday.

just bought rod lee 'the producer', might be the best club mix i've heard in a long time

and unruly just put out a mix cd of juke music?!

finally got beyond hamsterdam, a lot of the tracks are great.

the beat on projects is pretty cool,, it's almost a new orleans beat (and i'm not talking about bounce, it's close to a brass band beat). is this a pretty common feel or no?

I'd say there are plenty of modern hip hop tracks that have that same kind of marching clap rhythm as "Projects," although none of them from Baltimore (except maybe B. Rich's "Whoa Now"), lotta southern stuff like Hurricane Chris's "Hand Clap." Darkroom Productions don't really have any Baltimore club in their sound, though, if anything they're more go-go influenced.

"hand clap" is totally different (and pretty standard issue as far as what i'm talking about). for me the cool thing about "projects" is that there's no backbeat, and the handclaps are on the upbeats. also the specific bass drum rhythm is like a new orleans beat without the accent on the last upbeat ("get em mami" has the same one, except with a backbeat).

Yeah, I guess you're right, if I was at home I'd listen to them closer for exactly what you mean. Darkroom definitely have some kind of unusual, almost counterintuitive (for rap) rhythms in their bass drum patterns, that's kinda their thing, at least in my mind.

http://a951.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/60/l_50bd0c491c77001e2518bb49a28bbf76.jpg

Operation: Not Done Yet and Vol. 3: The Pressure, Morphius was supposed to reissue those too like a year ago, but for some reason it never happened.

these came out. i got vol. 2 a while back, it's good.

i walked past the new clubtrax location on park ave and it's got an official store sign up and everything but i guess it still hasn't opened yet?

Yeah, as far as I know it's still just "coming soon." DJ B-Eazy told me it'd be opening Memorial Day weekend, but it came and went and no dice. I drive past there on my morning commute every morning so I'm sure as soon as it's open I'll find out. Saw those Rod Lee reissues too, need to cop Vol. 4 since that's the only one I never got an original pressing of.

DJ Booman = killing it this year

this is kinda crazy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soskI17x_lI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqwGa8P0jgo

does booman have mixes out?

I don't think Booman does mix CDs (at least not of club music), but he has an EP available on his MySpace and he drops some insane new remix every other week these days: http://www.myspace.com/DJBOOMAN

kswift died???

RIP

Yes. Didn't wanna revive a thread on a forum so prone to RIP jokez, but it's true. I just saw her DJ at Artscape on Saturday night, and then on Sunday she had some kind of swimming pool injury and passed away. Only 29 years old. Really sad day for the whole city.

no fucking way

never got to see her spin either

DJ 'K-Swift' is dead at 29
By Sam Sessa and Gus G. Sentementes | Sun reporters
3:33 PM EDT, July 21, 2008

Khia "K-Swift" Edgerton, one of the city's most popular radio DJs and performers, died early Monday morning after a pool accident at her home. She was 29.

The cause of death was unclear, but an autopsy was planned.

According to a preliminary police investigation, Edgerton, who lived in the 4300 block of Arizona Ave. in Northeast Baltimore, had been hosting a party at her house through Sunday evening and into early this morning. Police investigators believe she may have been drinking, said agent Donny Moses, a Baltimore police spokesman.

During the party early this morning, she jumped into her above-ground pool with several other people, but didn't resurface. About six or seven other people were in the pool, which was about 4 or 5 feet deep, during the time she had jumped in. After an unspecified period of time, her friends pulled her onto a metal-frame deck that adjoined the pool, and called 911.

When paramedics arrived, they discovered that Edgerton was breathing "very shallow and her pulse was weak," Moses said. She was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital where she was pronounced dead soon after her arrival.

Edgerton, known as the "Club Queen," introduced a younger generation to Baltimore's club scene and helped breathe new life into an aging genre. Born in Baltimore, she started working at WERQ-FM 92.3 10 years ago as a mixer and worked her way up the ranks.

Five years ago, she began hosting a popular club music show from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on WERQ-FM 92.3, which earned her a widespread fan base in and around Baltimore.

Edgerton performed live at clubs up and down the East Coast, spreading Baltimore's dance music to other cities. She appealed to a large demographic of listeners and concertgoers, said 92Q station manager Howard Mazer.

"She had an enormous following and meant a lot to the people of Baltimore," he said. "People just gravitated to her. ... When she threw parties, thousands of people would come."

Edgerton owned a graphics and production company and was the city's only female record pool director. She performed at Artscape Saturday and was scheduling concerts overseas for the coming months, Mazer said.

"It's a terrible loss to all of us and the city of Baltimore," Mazer said.

aw man :(

Sam asked me for a couple quotes for that obit (writing one myself for next week's CP), but I guess that's the first edition and I'll be quoted when the story's updated?

she'll be sorely missed from local radio :(

what happened with the excellerator article, some dude?

it happened, it was a supplement to the issue w/ Bun B on the cover. I wasn't credited by name (just 'Government Names') and no picture, which was cool with me. they asked for my shoe size but ended up bringing one size smaller, I wore them one night and they hurt the fuck out of my feet, so that part of it was a wash.

rip

xpost - thats cool. chucks are terrible anyway.

so apparently this is being investigated as a suspicious death.

Witnesses told police there were several people in the pool when Edgerton jumped in, but none of the swimmers were alarmed when she didn't immediately resurface.

There were also lifeguards present.

After time had passed and she still didn't surface, they got alarmed and jumped in.

They were able to pull her out to the side of the pool. Medics were called but no one at the party attempted CPR while they were waiting.

When medics got there, they attempted CPR to no avail. She was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

When police arrived at the house to investigate the pool was very cloudy and the area was dimly lit.

yeah...since I don't have to file my story until the end of the week I'm just kind of watching and waiting to see how this pans out, but it's all really weird and sad.

al, can you link to some new baltimore tracks that aren't using the think break?

-- jaxon, Thursday, August 14, 2008 6:35 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Link

hmm, i guess. there's tons, though! revive this thread in a few hours when i'm home and maybe i'll throw up some myspace links or something: Baltimore Breakbeat

-- some dude, Thursday, August 14, 2008 6:39 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Link

suppose i'm looking specifically for stuff done w/o breaks. drum machine stuff. haven't listened to any of this in a long time and wondering how different it sounds now.

been listening to some of the mixes on that link amon posted to above and heard this kinda stuff.
http://www.baltimoreclubtracks.com/free.htm

there are still breaks sprinkled throughout. some of the straight 808 stuff has a more detroit sound. maybe a bit more syncopated.

ahhh fuckin' called my bluff!

here's one page that has a lot of mixes of new stuff to start with:
http://www.myspace.com/djpierre2008

http://www.myspace.com/saywutmusic

http://www.myspace.com/blaqstarrmusic

i heard that Rye Rye song today and was gonna mention it, but i thought i'd get a lollertronix response

haha. well anything associated Blaq Starr is cool, her included. I just don't really understand why they picked up a girl that rapped on one of his tracks and seem to be giving her more publicity than him.

Sega doesn't really use Think. Philly and Brick City club seem to be much more kick-focused. I'd download more of his tracks to confirm this general opinion if they weren't 5 bucks apiece.

well, those aren't Baltimore producers.

new Blaq Starr is pretty dope.

http://fiftyonefiftyone.com/2008/08/blaqstarr-bang-hard/

club kingz store is open now. saw rod lee standing outside today

where did this site go http://www.baltimoreclubtracks.com/ ??????

found this elsewhere though:

DJ Technics Q & A (a self interview)

I have done tons of interviews with various mags and press, and i have only seen one honestly good article on the Baltimore Club scene.

It’s bad when i’m getting asked more questions about Chopped n Screwed music than our own scene.I have read all of these articles on our scene and its music and it’s always some guy who has more opinions about why the tracks are so ghetto or why we APPEAR to lack creativity when making tracks. So in the wake of all this madness….i will do us a big favor and i will ask myself the questions that you should know cause these cats didnt get good grades in english classes obviously.

NOTICE THIS !!!!

I am not doing anymore interviews so please do not email me and ask me any questions about doing a story for any reason. I am sorry but i’m a bit discouraged about the whole thing so this is how its gonna be until someone improves their presentation.

Baltimore Club “What It is” by Glenn Brand aka Technics

Glenn: Q - WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE IN THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MUSIC TO THE PEOPLE ??

Technics: A - IN 1991 A FRIEND AND I WERE IN MY HOUSE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO A NEW STYLE OF HIP HOUSE MUSIC. SO WE CREATED A TRACK WHERE THE BEAT WASNT QUITE A 4/4 BEAT BUT A 4/4 WITH A SLIGHT TRIBAL SHUFFLE .

Glenn: Q - WHAT TRACK WAS THAT AND WAS EVER RECORDED ON RECORD ??

Technics:A - YES IN 1991 THAT RECORD WAS THE ” ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY EP ” FEATURING ” TAPP” (R.I.P). TAPP WAS A GUY THAT LOCALLY SANG AND CREATED GHETTO ANTHEMS IN THE 90′S HERE IN BALTIMORE .THE TRACK ON THE RECORD THAT HE WAS FEATURED ON WAS ” SHAKE THAT ASS ” WHICH LATER WENT ON TO BE BOOTLEGGED IN NYC BY THE GREAT DJ MR CEE IN NYC. MY TRACK WAS “DICKONTROL” ON THAT SAME RECORD.THE TRACK WAS CREATED BY ME AND MY FRIEND TIM (DAPHATDADEE). THE LOOP IN THAT TRACK WAS ME JUGGLING “THE BRIDGE” BY MC SHAN.

Click for more

Glenn: Q - WHAT WAS THE SCENE LIKE BACK THEN …I’M MEAN HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS AS A RESULT OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING BACK THEN IN 1991 WITH THE MUSIC ??

Technics: A - BALTIMORE WAS A R&B TOWN IN THE 80′S THANKS TO WWIN,WEBB AND V-103 RADIO STATIONS.WE HAVE AN AWESOME HISTORY OF MUSIC AND PARTY VENUES IN BALTIMORE CITY ALONE .FRANKSKI WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN EXPOSING THE SOUND OF UNDERGROUND HOUSE MUSIC TO BALTIMORE COMMERCIALLY.I WAS EXPOSED TO THE CHICAGO AND NYC HOUSE MUSIC BY FRANKSKI EVERY NIGHT ON V-103 AND SUNDAYS AT HIS “SUPER SUNDAY ” PARTY.AT THE TIME CHICAGO WENT THROUGH A FAZE OF HIP HOP & HOUSE FUSION. THIS WAS CALLED HIP HOUSE . FOUNDED BY PEOPLE IN CHICAGO LIKE “TYREE COOPER ” AND ” DJ FAST EDDIE ” WITH RECORDS LIKE “TURN UP THE BASS AND ” HIP HOUSE 89 ” AT THE SAME TIME PRODUCERS IN THE UK WERE CLONING THE SAME STYLE OF MUSIC. THERE WERE GUYS LIKE ” SHUT UP AND DANCE ” AND ” THE DYNAMIC GOVORNERS ” TO NAME A FEW.SO FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS WE PLAYED THESE HIP HOUSE RECORDS THAT ULTIMATELY BECAME CLUB CLASSICS HERE IN BALTIMORE .

Glenn: Q - WHERE DID THE TERM “BALTIMORE CLUB ” COME FROM ?

Technics: A - BACK THEN KIDS WENT TO THE CLUB TO HEAR THIS MUSIC THAT WAS LIKE HOUSE MUSIC BUT WASNT HOUSE MUSIC SO THE TERM “CLUB MUSIC ” CAME FROM GOING TO THE CLUB TO HEAR WHAT YOU COULD ONLY HEAR IN THE CLUBS.

Glenn: Q - WHAT WAS YOUR INVOLMENT WITH THE SCENE AT THAT TIME. WHO WERE YOU KICKIN IT WITH WHEN IT WAS JUMPIN OFF IN THE EARLY 90′S.

Technics: A - IT WAS ME AND MY HOMEY SCOTTY B. WE WORKED IN A RECORD STORE TOGETHER, IT WAS CALLED ” THE SOUND OF BALTIMORE ” SCOTTY AND A FRIEND SEAN CEASAR STARTED A RECORD COMPANY CALLED ” UNRULY RECORDS ” THEY CREATED THE GROUNDBREAKING UNRULY RECORDS THAT SET THE TREND FOR WHAT WAS TO SOME 15 YEARS LATER .I WAS ONE OF THE PRODUCERS ON WHAT WAS THE BEST ASSEMBLY OF PRODUCERS IN BALTIMORE’S HISTORY.UNRULY BROUGHT THE MUSIC TO THE MASSES.AT THAT TIME ALL THE DJS THAT WERE BREAKING RECORDS WORKED IN A RECORD STORE IN THEIR AREA SO IT WAS EASY TO GET THE RECORDS TO THEM .

Glenn: Q - SO ITS SAFE TO SAY THAT BALTIMORE CLUB AS ACTUALLY BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW ?

Technics: A - YES ITS BEEN AROUND AND SO HAVE I …HAHAHAHA

Glenn: OK I GET IT…TELL ME MORE

Technics: I WAS THERE IN THE UNRULY ERA…I WAS THERE IN THE CLUB KINGZ ERA… AND I AM STILL HERE NOW DOING THE DAYUM THING TILL IT DROPS.

Glenn:OK ….THAT MEANS YOU HAVE WORKED WITH MANY PEOPLE, WHO ARE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT YOU CAME UP WITH AND PRODUCED WITH ALONG THE WAY ?

Technics: THERE WERE THE DOO DEW KIDZ AKA KW GRIFF & DJ BOOMAN, DJ BIG RED & KOOL BREEZE, JIMMY JONES.THESE WERE THE GUYS THAT PUT IT DOWN DURING THE UNRULY ERA THAT I WORKED WITH .I PUT OUT A FEW NICE RECORDS WITH UNRULY THEN I WENT ON TO CREATE MY OWN LABEL “KNUCKELHEAD RECORDS ” WHICH WILL BE RETURNING IN THE 2006 YEAR. I PUT OUT A BUNCH OF RECORDS FROM THE STORE THAT I WAS WORKING OUT OF ” MUSIC LIBERATED ” THE OWNER WAS BERNIE RABINOWITZ A 30 YEAR VET IN THE RECORD STORE GAME .

DURING THIS TIME I MET ROD LEE WHO WAS AT THE TIME A FAN OF OUR WORK AND WANTED TO GET INTO THE GAME . I SHOWED ROD LEE THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE IN THE PRODUCTION GAME . I SHOWED HIM EVERYTHING I KNEW ABOUT THE ASR-10 SAMPLER THAT WE USED AND THEN ON TO THE SOFTWARE THAT WE USE TODAY. ROD LEE AND I PUT OUT A FEW RECORDS TOGETHER AND THEN HE WENT ON TO FORGE HIS OWN CLUB MUSIC EMPIRE .ROD LEE BROUGHT NEW SOUND TO BALTIMORE CLUB WITH HIS SING SONG STYLE OF MAKING TRACKS THAT FEATURED HIS VOCALS.

TRACKS PREVIOUSLY WERE REMIXES OR SLIGHT EDITS OF SONGS THAT WERE ALREADY HITS. SINCE THEN I HAVE PUT OUT LOTS OF GREAT RECORDS AND THE SCENE HAS CHANGED GREATLY SINCE THEN.

Glenn: Q - WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND HOW HAS IT CHANGED ?

Technics: A - BERNIE PASSED AWAY THAT OWNED THE RECORD STORE AND THE SCENE ON A RETAIL LEVEL WENT DOWNHILL SINCE. I MYSELF ATTEMPED TO OPEN MY OWN STORE TO SERVE THOSE WHO I THOUGHT WOULD APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT A DJ THAT EVERYONE KNEW HAD HIS OWN STORE AND UNDERSTOOD THE EXACT NEEDS OF HIS FELLOW DJ. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT DIDNT WORKOUT. LACK OF SUPPORT FORCED ME TO CLOSE THE STORE AND RELOCATE IT IN ANOTHER CITY. PEOPLE IN BALTIMORE WERE OBVIOUSLY NOT READY TO BE LEAD BY ONE OF THEIR OWN.

ALSO THE LACK OF RECORDS BEING RELEASED ON VINYL FORCED DJS TO GET CD PLAYERS AND SPIN CLUB TRACKS FROM CDS. TO A DEGREE I FEEL PARTLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE I MYSELF CONTRIBUTED TO THE CD CAUSE . BUT THAT AT THE TIME WAS ONLY TO BE USED AS AN EXTENTION OF THE TURNTABLE ITSELF.

WE HAD TONS OF NEW PRODUCERS WHO DIDNT KNOW SHIT ABOUT MAKING TRACKS JUST BANGIN AWAY ON FRUITY LOOPS AND RUSHING TO THE RADIO STATION TO GET THESE UNFINISHED TRACKS PLAYED.I MYSELF ELECTED TO SIT THIS ONE OUT. I WASNT GONNA COMPETE WITH GUYS WHO ARE MAKING 20 TRACKS A WEEK AND WERE GETTING THEM PLAYED ON THE RADIO.THESE GUYS DIDNT HAVE THE CONSUMER IN MIND WHEN THEY WERE MAKING THESE TRACKS. THEY WERE DOIN IT JUST FOR THE STREET CREDIT.BUT THEY ARE BROKE AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE GETTIN RICH OFF OF THIER SHIT AND ITS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT.

Glenn:Q - SINCE YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE NEW PRODUCERS ON THE SCENE , HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM AND WHAT THEY ARE DOINGFOR THE SCENE ??

Technics: A - LET ME SAY THIS …I AM A FAN OF LOTS OF THE NEW PRODUCERS. I LOVE WHAT THEY DO BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I INFLUENCED ALL OF THEM AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. BUT I WISH THEY WOULD TRY TO FIND WAYS TO HELP THE CONSUMER GET THEIR PRODUCT. THERE ARE MANY DJS LOCAL AND NOW NATIONWIDE THAT SEEK BALTIMORE CLUB.THE NEW PRODUCERS DONT PRESS RECORDS AND DONT SELL TRACKS ONLINE OR DO ANYTHING TO HELP FURTHER THE SCIENCE OF WHAT WE DO AS A WHOLE .ITS MUSIC THAT PEOPLE HEAR AND WANNA BUY BUT CANT BEACUSE THERE IS NO LINK TO THE PEOPLE .

THIS ISSUE WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE NEW YEAR …I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SCOTTY B ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO TO BRING THE SCENE BACK TO A REASONABLE STATE . UNRULY WILL BE RELEASING THE HOTTEST TRACKS BY THE NEW PRODUCERS AS WELL AS RE-ISSUES OF THE ENTIRE UNRULY CATALOGUE IN 2006.

Glenn: Q - BALTIMORE CLUB HAS BEEN EMBRACED BY THE WORLD NOW THAT YOU HAVE CREATED THE INTERNET RADIO STATION.WHAT DO YOU FEEL HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE ?

Technics: A - FIRST LET ME SAY THIS ….PEOPLE IN BALTIMORE DONT EVEN HAVE A CLUE HOW BIG CLUB MUSIC IS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE EMBRACED US. IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE I HAVE FANS IN PHILLY,NEW JERSEY,NEW YORK, WASHINGTON DC, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, ATLANTA, ALABAMA, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, CHICAGO, BOSTON, DETROIT SEATTLE, OKLAHOMA AND EVEN CANADA .ON A WORLD LEVEL OUR LISTENERS REACH TO LONDON, ITALY, GERMANY , FRANCE AND JAPAN. PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE FOUND OUR SITE AND LOG ON DAILY TO CHECKOUT THE 24/7 RADIO SHOW OF NOTHING BUT THE BEST BALTIMORE CLUB.

Glenn: Q -THERE ARE DJS AND PRODUCERS DOING THEIR OWN VERSIONOF BALTIMORE CLUB…WHATS YOUR FEELINGS ON THAT ??

Technics: A - I THINK THAT ITS GREAT….I LIKE THE FACT THAT THEY WERE

INSPIRED TO DO WHAT THEY DO BY WHAT WE DO.I WAS INSPIRED BY MANY PEOPLE SO NOW THE TABLE HAS TURNED

AND NOW I’M THE ONE DOIN THE INSPIRING. ITS GREAT FOR THE SCENE AND IT HELPS PEOPLE IN OTHER STATES UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO.THESE CATS OUT OF TOWN ARE THE REASON WHY I’M STILL ABLE TO STILL DO THE TRACKS THAT I DO. THERE ISNT MUCH IN THE WAY OF UNITY IN BALTIMORE SO IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING AT TIMES.

Glenn: Q - WHAT ARE YOUR INFLUENCES OR HOW ARE YOU INSPIRED TO MAKE A TRACK ?

Technics:: A - ANYTHING THAT I HEAR CAN INSPIRE ME ….I CAN BE WALKING THROUGH THE MALL AND HEAR A SONGBEING PLAYED ON THE MALL SYSTEM AND THINK WOW I NEED TO GET HOME SO I CAN JACK THAT . I MAINLY RELY ON MY PERSONAL PREFERNCE OF MUSIC.I MOSTLY LIKE REMIXING SONGS THAT I HAVE A PERSONAL FEELING FOR . FOR INSTANCE “PILLOW TALK” BY SYLVIA ISON OF MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD SONGS SO I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE MASSES ON THE CLUB TIP.BIG SHOUTS TO KW GRIFF WHO BROKE THAT RECORD ON 92Q FOR ME AND MADE PEOPLE FEEL WHAT I WAS FEELING.I CAN BE INSPIREDBY ANYTHING AT ANYTIME FOR ANY REASON.

Glenn: Q -WHATS NEXT FROM TECHNICS ? WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO TO HELP THE SCENE LIVE ON ?

Technics: A - THIS IS NOTHING BUT A SITUATION WHERE YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE ON TOP OF YA GAME . I HAVE OUT GROWN BALTIMORE AND ITS INFLUENCES SO I CAN NO LONGER LOOK TO IT FOR HELP. WHAT I INTEND TO DO IS ALWAYS BE CREATIVE AND BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE. I’M GONNA ALWAYS MAKE TRACKS BUT ITS WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE THEM SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAT GIVES THIS ITS APPEAL . I’M GOING TO BE DOING NEW VARIATIONS OF BALTIMORE CLUB TO CATUR TO A LARGER AUDIENCE . HERE IN BALTIMORE IF A TRACK DOESNT HAVE A GUNSHOT IN IT…THE PEOPLE DONT WANNA HEAR IT AND THATS NOT THE ROUTE THAT I WANNA GO WITH WHAT I’M DOING.I’M ON THE NEXT LEVEL WITH WHAT I’M DOING IN THE NEW YEAR AND PEOPLE IN BALTIMORE ARE NOT GONNA BE READY…BUT THE WORLD IS ALWAYS READY.I WILL ALSO BE INTRODUCING THE OFFICIAL BALTIMORE HOUSE SOUND THIS YEAR IN 2006. ITS MY SECRET SO DONT ASK ANY DETAILS…BUT ITS GONNA STORM THE WORLD !

Glenn: Q - TELL ME WHAT CAN PEOPLE THAT KNOW YOUR SOUND CAN SAY ABOUT YOU .

Technics: 1ST - I WAS THE FIRST PRODUCER TO PUT DRUM BUILD UPS IN BALTIMORE CLUB RECORDS

(PUSH IT UP TO THE CEILING)

2ND - I PIONEERED THE BEAT THAT YOU HEAR IN EVERY BALTIMORE CLUB RECORD TODAY.

(DICKONTROL)

3RD - I WAS THE FIRST DJ TO GET BALTIMORE CLUB EMBRACED OUTSIDE OF BALTIMORE .

4TH - I’M NOT AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW WITH MY MUSIC .

Glenn: WHO WHERE YOUR INFLUENCES BACK IN THE DAY BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY BEGAN TO PRODUCE YOUR OWN MUSIC ?

Technics:I WAS INFLUENCED BY A NUMBER OF PRODUCERS AND ARTISTS…HERE’S A LIST OF THOSE THAT I REMEMBER OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD:

MASTERS AT WORK (KENNY DOPE & LOUIE VEGA) - TODD TERRY - SHUT UP AND DANCE (LONDON) - THE BLAPPS POSSE (LONDON) - THE DYNAMIC GOV’NORS (LONDON) - THE 45 KING - CAJMERE (CHICAGO) - FRANKIE BONES - FAST EDDIE (CHICAGO) - TYREE COOPER (CHICAGO) - ARMANDO (CHICAGO) - SIMON HARRIS (LONDON) JUST TO NAME A FEW

Glenn:Who were the djs that made club music have the impact that it did during that era in BALTIMORE ?

Technics: I’d love to answer that question….there were djs like MARC HENRY, SEAN CEASAR, SHAWN MARSHALL , DJ BOOBIE , SCOTTY B , MIKE CROSBY and ROD BRAXTON these guys were on the frontline at one time or another crankin out the hits to hundreds if not thousands of people on a regular basis.

Glenn: What about the club scene back then…what were the spots that put club music on the map ?

Technics: Thats a great question too and it brings tears to my eyes to even think about a few of these places. Kids today have no fuckin idea how off the hook clubs were in baltimore back in the day. They think that the shit thats going on now is whats hot but they aint even close….there were spots like: THE BODY FACTORY , THE SPORTS BAR , THE ORIGINAL HAMMERJACKS , THE PARADOX , THE BEAT , ODELLS , GODFREYS , CLUB OZONE , MARCOS , 32ND STREET PLAZA , THE FRANKFORD ROOM , VOLCANOS , THE BALTIMORE OAK TREE and FANTASYS.

Glenn: What about the producers of the tracks once you guys started doing the records yourselves.Who were putting out records early in the game.

Technics: Before i answer that questions i wanna just tell everyone to please visit my HISTORY ROOM to get the full effect of what i’m about to say next.Now…to tell ya who was puttin it down back in the day: DJ PATRICK - DJ KENNY B - DIAMOND K - DJ ICE - DUKEYMAN - DJ PRECISE - SCOTTY B - SEAN CEASAR - DJ EQUALIZER - FRANKSI - DJ FREEZE - KW GRIFF - DJ BOOMAN - JIMMY JONES - FRANK JOHNSON - DJ GRAND O & SUGARBEAR - DJ BIG RED - KOOL BREEZE to name a few of those who cranked out the records.

Glenn: THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND I WISH THE BEST FOR YOU AND THE BALTIMORE CLUB SCENE IN THE FUTURE.

Technics:THANK YOU FOR SUCH A GREAT STORY AND I WILL BE UPDATING INFO ON THIS PAGE DAILY SO THAT ALL OF THE FANS CAN GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

great piece