DENISE

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RANK	SCORE ?	GENRE	LOCATION
8223	10	House, Hard	Oakland, US

Alias/Collaboration

• DENISE HOWE [Real Name]

Even when she began watching DJs spin back in 1997, Denise liked a good show. She wasn't as interested by the boring DJs, those who never smiled nor looked up from behind the turntables to see how the crowd was doing. Those who showed enthusiasm, an obvious love for what they were doing and an appreciation for those who were listening, made her dance that much harder. Perhaps even then, a part of her knew what it took to be a great DJ. Less than a year later, that part of her was put to the test.

During the summer of 1998, on DJ/producer Thomas Trouble's whim, Denise had her first impromptu DJ lesson. Her amazing natural ability behind the decks led Thomas to book her for his next show just two weeks later, under the name DJ D. By the time 1999 rolled around, Denise had risen through the ranks to become one of the most beloved and sought-after DJs in the Bay Area. She played nearly 50 events within her first year of spinning alone. In 2001, only a few months out of UC Berkeley, she quit her day job and took on DJing full-time. Her first moves as a full-time professional were to start her own business, Mizumo Music, and to change her DJ name to the sleeker-sounding Denise. Her mixing style, too, has only gotten sleeker, and today she is a staple headliner in the San Francisco Bay Area rave scene. Thomas Trouble's one-time protégé can now inarguably be called the Bay Area's premier hard house DJ. Word has spread quickly, and Denise now rocks parties all across the Western US and Canada - and don't forget Hawaii!

In March 2002, tired of limiting herself to one scene, Denise began exploring other genres. The result was "Live at the Howe House," her first funky house compilation. The success of that mix resulted in a new string of gigs: playing house music in the San Francisco club scene, where her name is starting to carry the same weight she's had in the hard house scene. At the request of Denise's fans, "Live at the Howe House Volume Two" was recorded in 2003 with "Howe House 3" following up in early 2004. Although her track selection is clearly influenced by a strong personal taste for good bangin' beats, the Howe House series is a good indicator that Denise's skills, talent, and love for good music are consistent across genres. It also offers a taste of a new, refined style. Now, when her sets are longer than one hour, it's not uncommon to hear Denise move from one end of the spectrum back to the other, incorporating both hard and funky house into her mixes.

Not satisfied with producing her own mix tapes, CDs and mp3s, Denise took the next big step in her career. Joining forces with Tripoli Trax, one of London's top hard house labels, Denise released her first licensed CD in November 2003. The project, "Hard Dance Sessions Volume One," is a 2-disc release with one disc mixed by top London hard dance DJ/producer Steve Hill. This compilation has sold hundreds of copies internationally and has been featured as the top-selling CD on BangingTunes.com.

The future looks promising for DJ Denise, as her skills grow stronger show by show. She is widely known for her tight beatmatching and her own style of mixer cuts and tricks, but she lets it be known that she is always experimenting with new techniques. Judging from the sounds emanating from her practice studio, we can expect some excellent scratching to be incorporated into her live set soon. And as with all properly evolving DJs, she has recently dipped her toes into the producing realm with a new collaboration with veteran DJ/producer Aleks (A10 Records).

As if all this weren't enough, Denise continues to throw the successful Sound Asylum rave series which has been drawing a sold-out and enthusiastic crowd every time since 2000.

Since the moment she first touched the tables on that unforgettable day in '98, Denise has never been able to envision another fate but DJing. In this world of divas, she stands out as an original with the talent to go far. She doesn't do it for the fame; she does it because she loves to make people happy through music. Thousands of fans can attest: it's working so far!

In 6 years of DJing, Denise has shared a stage with many other musical greats, including but not limited to: Paul Oakenfold, Binary Finary, BT, Crystal Method, Dave Ralph, Christopher Lawrence, Donald Glaude, Gene Farris, Superfast Oz, Lock N Load, DRC, and last but not least, Thomas Trouble.

Last edited - November 2004