DJ Pierre
Encyclopedia
DJ Pierre is the stage name of Nathaniel Pierre Jones, a Chicago
born DJ and performer of house music. He helped to develop the house music subgenre of Acid House
, as member of Phuture
, whose 1987 E.P. Acid Tracks, which has been called the "first Acid House recording."
Allmusic.com calls Jones a "crucial DJ and the production wizard partly responsible for the development of Chicago acid-house." Jones' first single "Generate Power," "became standard fare for scores of producers during the next few years." Philippe Renaud, a journalist for La Presse in Montreal, states that the term "Acid house" was "coined in Chicago in 1987 to describe the sound of the Roland 303 bass machine, which made its first significant recording appearance on Phuture's Acid Trax (DJ Pierre) in that year."
with his friends Spanky (Earl Smith Jr. –founder/technical producer) and Herb J (Herbert R Jackson Jr. - keyboards). During the mid-1980s, the trio began using the "squelch" sound that became common in Acid House recordings after their initial experiments with a Roland TB-303
bass line synthesizer
produced these "squelch" sounds. Living in the Chicago area, they were exposed to many house artists, such as Hot Mix 5
artists (Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, Ralphi "The Razz" Rosario, Kenny "Jammin" Jason, Mickey "Mixin" Oliver and Scott "Smokin" Seals) who were producing many tapes and vinyl
recordings. Frankie Knuckles
was DJing and the Warehouse club (where House Music may have derived its name).
DJ Pierre went on to record many of the early Acid House tracks on Trax Records
under the names Phuture, Phuture Pfantasy Club, Pierre's Pfantasy Club (with Felix Da Housecat), Phortune with songs such as Your Only Friend (Cocaine), The Creator, String Free, Got The Bug, Box Energy, Dream Girl, Mystery Girl, Fantasy Girl, We Are Phuture, Slam and Spank Spank. One of the tracks has a voiceover proclaiming "We are The Creator of Acid Music and we're back." DJ Pierre's track 'Your Only Friend' has an anti-drug message.
's Essential Mix
on British BBC Radio 1
.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
born DJ and performer of house music. He helped to develop the house music subgenre of Acid House
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
, as member of Phuture
Phuture
Phuture is a Chicago-based acid house group founded in 1985 by Spanky, DJ Pierre and Herb J.The group's 12-minute track "Acid Tracks" is one of several recordings that lay claim to being the first-ever acid house record....
, whose 1987 E.P. Acid Tracks, which has been called the "first Acid House recording."
Allmusic.com calls Jones a "crucial DJ and the production wizard partly responsible for the development of Chicago acid-house." Jones' first single "Generate Power," "became standard fare for scores of producers during the next few years." Philippe Renaud, a journalist for La Presse in Montreal, states that the term "Acid house" was "coined in Chicago in 1987 to describe the sound of the Roland 303 bass machine, which made its first significant recording appearance on Phuture's Acid Trax (DJ Pierre) in that year."
Phuture
Jones has recorded under the names DJ Pierre, Phuture, Phuture Phantasy Club, Pierre's Pfantasy Club, and Photon Inc. He formed the group PhuturePhuture
Phuture is a Chicago-based acid house group founded in 1985 by Spanky, DJ Pierre and Herb J.The group's 12-minute track "Acid Tracks" is one of several recordings that lay claim to being the first-ever acid house record....
with his friends Spanky (Earl Smith Jr. –founder/technical producer) and Herb J (Herbert R Jackson Jr. - keyboards). During the mid-1980s, the trio began using the "squelch" sound that became common in Acid House recordings after their initial experiments with a Roland TB-303
Roland TB-303
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a bass synthesizer with built-in sequencer manufactured by the Roland corporation from late 1981 to 1984 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music.-History:...
bass line synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
produced these "squelch" sounds. Living in the Chicago area, they were exposed to many house artists, such as Hot Mix 5
Hot Mix 5
The Hot Mix 5 were an American DJ crew originating from Chicago, Illinois and formed in 1981. The founding members were Farley "Funkin" Keith , Mickey "Mixin" Oliver, Scott "Smokin" Silz, Ralphi Rosario and Kenny "Jammin" Jason...
artists (Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, Ralphi "The Razz" Rosario, Kenny "Jammin" Jason, Mickey "Mixin" Oliver and Scott "Smokin" Seals) who were producing many tapes and vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
recordings. Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
was DJing and the Warehouse club (where House Music may have derived its name).
First recordings
Pierre and Spanky had been to Chicago DJ Ron Hardy's club called "Muzic Box." The first Acid House track they recorded was 'Acid Tracks' (renamed by Ron Hardy from its original title 'In Your Mind'), which had a slow burning, bassy, heavy, deep sound, and which was over eleven minutes long. Their first track was put on tape and first played in the Music Box club in the mid-1980s. Ron Hardy played it several times on its first night. It was rerecorded at Trax Records (produced by Marshall Jefferson) and released in 1986.DJ Pierre went on to record many of the early Acid House tracks on Trax Records
Trax Records
Trax Records is a house-music record label based in Chicago. It played a major part in the development of house music with records such as Jamie Principle & Frankie Knuckles's "Your Love."...
under the names Phuture, Phuture Pfantasy Club, Pierre's Pfantasy Club (with Felix Da Housecat), Phortune with songs such as Your Only Friend (Cocaine), The Creator, String Free, Got The Bug, Box Energy, Dream Girl, Mystery Girl, Fantasy Girl, We Are Phuture, Slam and Spank Spank. One of the tracks has a voiceover proclaiming "We are The Creator of Acid Music and we're back." DJ Pierre's track 'Your Only Friend' has an anti-drug message.
Post-Chicago
In 1990, DJ Pierre moved away from Chicago, where the House Music scene was slowing down and joined Strictly Rhythm records, where he was also briefly the A&R manager. One of the problems that DJ Pierre and other Chicago House music artists faced was that they did not usually own their own copyrights; the music they produced was sometimes exported and licensed overseas, and they were not able to share in these revenues. Other hits he released since leaving Chicago include Generate Power by Photon Inc, Follow Me by Aly Us, and The Horn Song (featuring Barbara Tucker). He is still DJing and producing; on January 14, 2007 he appeared on Pete TongPete Tong
Peter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
's Essential Mix
Essential Mix
The Essential Mix is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 03:00 and 05:00 Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, The Essential Mix features contemporary DJs and music producers of electronic dance music....
on British BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.