March 2017 House Mix – All Songs By Agent Blak
- Legacy
- Too Hot In The House
- Porgy House
- For The Good Times
- The Void
- Beautiful People
- Wake Up
- Loving You
Which came first for you, hip hop or house music? Did one lead to the other? Do you see a connection between the two?
Agent Blak: House and hip hop are very related to each other in my mind. I started with hip hop back in the day, around the '80s and into the '90s, listening to beat producers like Jazzy Jeff, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, J-Dilla, Jungle Brothers, etc. Along that timeline, I listened to house music late nights. In St Louis, where I am from, most folks rocked out to Chicago-style jackin' house, some disco house, and soulful / deep house so I have a fond liking of those styles as well as tribal and funk house. I also lived in Providence, RI, where I started spinning more regularly. It wasn't until the early 2000s, after moving to Miami and spinning the local house scene there, that I started producing tracks. I simply wanted to play some of my own tracks and see folks dance to them. When that happened, I was hooked. I started putting together house music projects and podcasts and kept moving forward.
Do you use hip hop production techniques when making house music? Do you find that your production work in one genre influences the other?
Agent Blak: Most definitely. I am a 'crate digger' from way back. I love deconstructing samples to make something new out of them. I also am a drummer / percussionist with various instruments, play some keys, and mess around with guitar and bass. I combine all these skills in my tracks. I produce my tracks with Propellerhead Reason 9.
How did you meet the 70x7 Records crew?
Agent Blak: At my 9-to-5 job! I am a bicycle mechanic for all bikes including electric bikes. I became friends with this guy Ron (I work on his very expensive electric bike), who is a house music lover / DJ from Chicago. We started talking about music and he found out that I produce and DJ. We started a group called Chocolate Satellite Music Group and put out an album with myself and another member, Jaymo Ultimo, titled My Radio Station. He then introduced me to Dimitri Craven of 70x7 Records who asked me to do a couple house remixes for a release on his label. From there we set forth to release a solo project by yours truly. This … is just the start of the journey so stay tuned.
Tell us about the 5 Tracks By Agent Blak EP. Are there stories behind any of the songs, or the EP as a whole?
Agent Blak: 5 Tracks was inspired by to my love for throwback remixes, sounds, and styles. As I mentioned, I really enjoy digging for the hottest and obscure sounds and vocals as well as recognizable riffs, anthems, and choruses. For example: "The Void" was inspired by the movie Space Is The Place with Sun Ra. The dialog in the movie is super-inspiring and awesome. "Porgy House" was inspired by Nina Simone's original song. I have many other tracks ands remixes that might come out of the vault soon.
What are your thoughts and feelings on the Los Angeles house music scene? What’s it like DJ’ing in Los Angeles?
Agent Blak: I am new to the L.A. house scene (I moved to Cali a few years ago) and will be spinning a lot more house venues in 2017. Prior to this, I played on the East coast and some Amsterdam clubs. Then some small venues in Santa Monica as well as functions and events. However, be sure to Keep an eye out for Agent Blak dropping sound science all over southern Cali this summer and on into the Future.
What is next for Agent Blak? Anything you want people reading this to know?
Agent Blak: Agent Blak will be doing more of the same and that's getting in the lab to create great tracks and getting them out to the people. I hope to build a solid fan base and make folks happy and uplifted with my production, podcasts, and radio shows. Check in at www.agentblak.com.
