Image via Complex Original
Anyone who has ever endured an evening of horrendous house music or played-out top-40 tunes knows the importance of a good club DJ. Here is a list of the 5 turntablists you should make it a priority to hear spin when given the chance. (Helpful hint: it likely won’t be at a Bat Mitzvah or your birthday party…well, unless your name is Kanye.)
5. Mike Nouveau
This downtown regular and Rockland County native (represent!) has been spinning throughout NYC for over seven years now. He’s also become bi-continental, playing at various Fashion Week events in both New York and in Paris. Nouveau recently went on record that his current favorite venue to spin at is Club Le Baron in Paris, but qualified that statement by saying it’s only because the Beatrice Inn, his former fave, closed its West Village doors last year. He still remains loyal to the TriBeCa Grand, and, when he’s in town, you can try catching him as SoHo Grand’s resident DJ on Saturday nights.
4. Declan Bennett
A man whose skills extend well beyond spinning, Declan Bennett has been performing in a wide number of capacities for over a decade now. A native of England, he started performing professionally in theatre while still a teenager, moving on to starring roles in such high profile productions as Boy George’s musical Taboo, the US National tour of Rent and Green Day’s Broadway blockbuster American Idiot. As a teenager, he was a member of the British pop group Point Break, and performed for a number of years under the name Sumladfromcov (a reference to his hometown of Coventry and him being, well, a lad).
Bennett was the DJ in residence at New York’s Hotel Griffou, but, at this writing, the hotel’s original owners have departed and its ultimate fate hangs in limbo. Not a concern for Bennett, who continues on with a very busy schedule, including recent gigs at Ars Nova and the Studio at Webster Hall. He is also collaborating with Sting on a forthcoming musical, in which he will also star.
3. Mia Moretti
When not too busy spinning at magazine parties or events for insert-name-of-wildly-high-profile-fashion-designer-here or Chelsea Clinton’s wedding (President Clinton is a big fan too—true story), you can catch Mia Moretti at venues like Westway or the Surf Lodge in Montauk. Moretti doubles as an actress, having majored in theater at UCLA (as well as studying abroad in Italy and London), and has made appearances in several of Katy Perry’s videos as well as her recent film Part of Me.
2. Justin Miller
Certainly the most “on the rise” of these five, Justin Miller spent several years working at James Murphy’s (of LCD Soundsystem) indie dance music label, DFA Records, before breaking out on his own. Nowadays, in addition to clubs, he plays regularly at fashion shows, as well as various art galleries, including some recent galas at the Museum of Modern Art. Inspired by DJs from the 70s and 80s, Miller is celebrated for his diversity of play, spinning everything from 70s tunes to brand new tracks (a little Neon Hitch anyone?). You can catch him at Cielo, the Mondrian, the Club Room at SoHo Grand, The War Room in Bushwick, and many others.
1. A-Trak
The most high profile name on this list, A-Trak is the essential DJ’s DJ. A five time world champion (his first coming at age 15, making him the youngest person ever to win), A-Trak is a craftsman of “turntablism” (a term he himself uses). A-Trak’s dedication to the craft is clear. As he recently wrote in the Huffington Post: “Real DJing lives when you witness someone play for hours and take risks.” It was exactly this kind of creative risk taking that caught the attention of Kanye West in 2004, when he recruited A-Trak to be his personal tour DJ (the two have continued to collaborate since). In addition to spinning, he is also the co-founder of the Fool’s Gold record label, based out of Brooklyn, which has introduced the public to such artists as Kid Cudi. Not bad for a kid from Montreal.