The DJ List

Thomas Zweifel

So You Think You Can Dance

Getting cool with DJ Icey

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DJ ICEY is considered America's "King of Breaks." His latest release is the mix CD "For the Love of the Beat," out now on system recordings.

In the following interview, ICEY discusses his name, his dancing ability and the commercialization of dance music.

Q. What made you pick the moniker DJ ICEY?

A. When I got my first apartment, I lived with three other guys, and we lived in (Florida). At night I would turn the air conditioning down to like 55 degrees and freeze out the apartment 'cause I had a big, fat down comforter that I wanted to sleep under, so they started calling me ICEY.

Do you work with your vocalists, or do you work separately?

The vocalists that have appeared on my tunes all have come in and cut their vocals in the vocal booth at my studio. I have only worked with a handful of vocalists and continue to work with Marlon, who appears on my brand-new mix CD. … It is a mix CD that includes several original productions of mine as well as many tunes that I added additional production on. The mix is loaded with vocals from artists like WEEKEND PLAYERS, THE CRYSTAL METHOD, SHAKEDOWN, etc.

Do you have a favorite track off of "For the Love of the Beat"?

On my new CD my favorite tune is probably the Aquasky vs. Masterblaster "Shadow Breaks" tune. It has a breakdown that is a throwback to the mid '90s and a wicked bassline with a nice vocoder break bit.

You played in Kansas City last year. How would you rate our crowd?

The venue was cool (the Uptown Theater), and the vibe was great, and the people were nice. I had some good barbecue, too.

Just curious, are you a good dancer?

I am always shaking my (booty) behind the decks. I don't consider myself a good dancer though, just very average.

Do you have any musical guilty pleasures?

I listen to all types of music, from bands like Taking Back Sunday to Tahiti80 to Bad Brains to JUNIOR JACK. I love music and have a very broad range of music that I enjoy listening to.

What producers/DJs have influenced you?

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, RENNIE PILGREM, KRAFTWERK, etc. Really too many to mention. I am a musical sponge.

How do you respond to critics who say that dance music has become too commercialized?

Dance music for the most part is instrumental music, and instrumental music can only go so far in the corporate control of the U.S. radio. It is just not that accessible to the majority of people, and that is fine.

[ June 11, 2004 ]

Written by McCLAIN JOHNSON

Courtesy of Kansas City Star

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