A few weeks ago I used Twitter Search looking for “deep house” content. The search was filled with spam and stuff that I didn’t care much for, but I did engage in a few threads. After a few minutes I found PACE. He was talking about his radio show OPEN HOUSE SELECTIONS so I decided to check it out. Wow. Was I impressed. His work is SO good… I can’t stop listening. I reached out and requested an interview.
We stayed in touch and after listening to a few episodes of his show, I requested an interview. In the meantime, I listened to a few more episodes and have a hard time turning it off! While listening to one of his episodes he requested fans leave a review on iTunes. Since that is where I listen to podcasts, I was happy to do so. PACE has a new fan and I am excited to share his story with you. It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to PACE, the hottest sound in deep soulful dance music.
“I can read a crowd and adapt to its unique taste which is a skill that can keep a Dj working in this highly competitive field.” – PACE
Start by giving me an overview of PACE. Where are you based, how did you first get into dance music, and how long have you been a DJ?
I’m based in Los Angeles, California. I first got into house/dance music when I was living in Chicago during the mid to late 90s. I carried that love for house to LA, and eventually my fan-love turned into DJ-love. As of January 2020, it’ll be my 8-year anniversary as a professional DJ. 2 years prior to that I studied and trained the art of deejaying under the tutelage of local DJ legend Bob Bagha of Street Sounds.
You host OPEN HOUSE SELECTIONS. I LOVE the name and can’t stop listening to this podcast. Tell me more. How often do you release new episodes and where can people download it?
My weekly house music mix podcast is centered on deep and soulful house music. These tracks can be found from numerous producers centered all around the globe. I myself don’t produce tracks but I’m instead a curator/tastemaker and proud of it. I find immense joy in finding/buying/mixing all these great tracks that range from downtempo, mid tempo, uptempo and beyond. I release new mixes almost weekly and anyone can subscribe/share/review/rate OPEN HOUSE SELECTIONS on all the major podcast platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and iHeartRadio.
Tell me more about For Those Who Know and do you get the chance to play live very often?
For Those Who Know was fun to be apart of. Rudy Carmona Jr., the curator and also a DJ, started the party back in 2002 in LA and he does 4 to 5 of them a year. This was my first time being booked and it was a really good time. I played the opening slot and it was fun curating a set that was complimentary to the DJs that followed me. What I love about the entire F.T.W.K. experience is the old school underground (late hours) vibes that defined the birthing years of the house music genre in the early 1980s.
Where did the name PACE come from?
Before I got in the DJ profession I had a comedy background (I’m still active in the comedic world) so when it came time to choose a disc jockey name I decided to go with my stand-up comedy moniker but just add the letters deejay to it (DJ JokerPace). 2 years into my career I had a buddy who volunteered his services to assist in getting me booked for gigs (basically be my manager). One of the 1st things he suggested was I change my DJ moniker so my audience could decipher my talents. He threw out my last name as a title, PACE. I thought about it for a while and then wrote back, “Hell yeah, let’s do it!” The rest is history. Needless to say; he ended up being a horrible manager, didn’t get me hired for 1 measly booked gig, but his moniker assistance was huge for my career going forward…. “Thanks Michael!!!”
What are #PACEtheDJconfessions all about?
It’s a mostly weekly sixty second video diary, via my Instagram account, where I speak candidly about my feelings surrounding the house music/DJ industry. I like to keep it real with my audience/fan base and part of that is letting them peek behind the curtain on how I feel about certain topics/scenarios
What can fans expect from a live performance? Have you ever made a mistake while on stage?
I’ve made mistakes during live shows, you haven’t been DJing that long if you haven’t, we all do it, but the mistakes are usually so minimal or undetected that most audiences wouldn’t or couldn’t hear where the miscue landed. A PACE live show is lead by my track selections. I’m telling a carefully curated story with the music, beginning-middle-end, every time I get behind the decks. My goal is take my studio and live audiences on a journey, where that journey goes is different each and every time
Las Vegas has become the center of dance music in the United States. Have you been to Vegas recently? Curious some of your favorite places to see a show.
I’ve been to Vegas plenty, with me living so close, but the only shows I’ve seen are the many musical style shows that come in and out of Vegas. Dance music is huge there amongst the many hotel clubs but the DJs they typically book are EDM DJs and simply put I don’t care for the EDM subgenre. I respect it but it’s not something I seek out to listen to live. With that being said, I do read up and watch clips online from time to time just so I can stay knowledgeable on what’s happening in the industry I’m a part of. But hey, if the promoters of those Vegas hotel nightclubs want to switch it up and start booking real house music DJs, give a brutha a call, I’ll take your money!
Do you pay attention to the DJ Mag Top 100 at all?
In the early years of my pro tenure I glanced at the list(s) just to see what the dance industry was trending towards but it’s a been few years since I’ve made it a point to read it. I don’t like the list cause it’s more of a popularity contest, it’s not a highly respected amongst DJs, plus they never highly rate the deep and soulful house DJs I admire and look up to.
Who are some of your favorite DJs? Curious who you are listening to when you’re not producing your own mixes.
I could write a 20-page list, but I’ll just give you a few. Little Louie Vega, David Morales, The Martinez Brothers, Jullian Gomes, Black Coffee, Kerri Chandler…
What headphones are you using?
I am using PIONEER HDJ-700 headphones.
How long does it take you to produce a new episode? You are releasing the podcast weekly… That is dedication, man!
At this point in my career I’m still a 1-man band so it can be a bit of an endeavor to produce these weekly shows, but don’t get it twisted I love producing this podcast. There are some weeks where I don’t release a mix cause I’m on the road traveling or I might have several other projects here in LA that demand my attention (as I mentioned earlier, I’m still very active in the comedy industry while simultaneously keeping my music career relevant). But for the most part, every week, I engineer each show in bits and pieces… Picking out the tracks, mixing the tracks, listening and relistening to the completed mix and then uploading the mix to my host podcast platform. BTW, I don’t own my own DJ equipment, just yet, so I’m renting recording studio space every time I record a mix. So yeah, I’m DEDICATED!
I love the podcast artwork. Where did you come up with that? Who knows, that might be your house!
The artwork was done by my frequent collaborator of fifteen years, Josh Fong. He is super duper dope graphic designer. He’s one of the few people I’ve met since I’ve lived in Hollywood that keeps it real and “walks the walk” and not just “talk.” He’s actually a film director/editor by trade but as you can see, he is highly skilled on the computer. I told him the title of the show and he took it from there…
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
I grew up on hip-hop and R&B so I’ve been to numerous concerts involving artist in those categories. I still listen to those genres even though I’m now a certified-bonafide “house-head.” It’s hard to nail down just 1 great concert but I’ll say any of the fifteen or so KRS-ONE rap shows I attended, over the last twenty years, would qualify as great. He’s my favorite rapper of all time and I try and go see him anytime he’s playing near me. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the definition of hip-hop.
As you’ve said, dance music, especially deep house music, isn’t a focus for people here in the United State. It sounds like you are trying to do something about that. First off, what are you doing and how can I help?
NOTHING compares to this genre, if you ask me! What can we do? The deep/soulful house subgenre is the absolute best amongst all in the dance music world because of its meaty texture and complexity across many styles. There’s a lot to chew on as a consumer that’s why I was a huge fan of it before I had 1 iota of a thought of being a DJ. So basically, what I’m saying here and what I’ve been preaching from day one is: “We can never forget real house music.” Even though there seems to be a lil bit of a resurgent in the last year or so, that’s still not enough, so I’m taking up on myself to spread the love of real house music through my actions behind the decks and in conversations like this one. Dance music was born out of the disco era and the first iteration was simply titled HOUSE. But over time house has taken a back seat in lieu of other fast-food style subgenres and I wanna be one of the new-school DJs, amongst some of the old-heads that still play/produce it, to bring it back to the forefront. I buy house, I speak on house, I embody house. So, for anyone that’s reading this they can help the house music movement by being active in it. Especially here in North America, dance music in general is only being played in 5 or 6 of the major big cities across the continent. On all the other continents dance music is a major player on the charts 24/7/365. If you live in the States, Canada too, generally search for deep/soul house artist online and listen to them and buy their music. Then share the music with your friends-even people you don’t know. When those artists are on tour go out and see them DJ live. Follow those artists via their social media platforms. Every lil bit counts. It might take a while but if everyone contributes, over time, the house will regain its health. And finally, you can also contribute by subscribing to my podcast OPEN HOUSE SELECTIONS.
What’s next for PACE?
For the immediate goal, heading into year 2020, I’m looking to acquire a weekly residency at one of the high-profile LA clubs/hotels where I can build and sustain, more rapidly, a fanbase, while at the same time nail down some quality artist representation. Beyond that, the goal is always and continue to be, considered one of the best house DJs on the planet!!!
Thank you for doing this. In all of the interviews I always give the artist the last word, Go!
“Move On and Prove On!”
Connect with PACE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pacethedj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pacethedj
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pacethedj
