I will never claim to know everything. The other day after my set at the darling, I had conversation with a younger jedi DJ ACE D and was reminded of the disconnection from the youth, as it pertains to Chicago Djs and House music.
There are those who have found a way to under credit, under reference and straight out slander djs who play a variance of sounds, whether they intentionally dawn the title as OPEN FORMAT. This is unwise for several reasons. If you look at two of the founders of Chicago's House Music SOUND, you will find their roots firmly planted as OPEN FORMAT. Ron Hardy played a variance of sounds that defied categories. He beat people into submission, to the point that it didn't matter what or HOW he played.  Though I never witnessed his set first hand, (you know what that means to the "house head" lmao) whether you drank the water / punch or not, you know what you ended up doing regardless instead of siting the genres, during his set. Frankie even sited the tune "It's a Shame" by The Spinners as being in heavy rotation BEFORE the term HOUSE started bubbling over. What was the BPM for it's a shame, again?  Yes we can say that they were vested in a particular section of tempos and tones, but you cannot say that ALL of these were set to a 4 on the floor beat, (from a beat machine) of tracks crafted by legendary Chicagoans after them. 

Why mention it now? Because I more than ever pride myself in being a skilled conveyor of good music regardless of genre. I want to leave a legacy that doesn't snub or isolate others who seek GOOD MUSIC and specifically the craft and culture of djing. I want those who wish to make a career of this art to be able to garner the interests of those who are willing to book and compensate them based on their talent, drive and business acumen.

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 Last night I was asked to provide the soundtrack to a space that is less than a year old. The Darling is in the West Loop community, with one of my other favorite spots to play Booze Box. The Darling is an incredibly well thought out venue. Owned by a British woman, who spent time vibing at Funky Buddha during its hey day, Everything from the space and all of it's furnishings,  it's menu, staff and most importantly its musical tone, speaks to specificity and intention. I probably started falling for this space when I first saw it 's SM trail, gaining buzz on Insta last fall. I was curious about it, but never ventured. Yes I could stand to be a little MORE adventurous. (it's coming though;) The specificity of the musical tone will have you understanding why you should make way to experience it. If you love underground / unknown past, present and future; soul, funk, disco, jazz, soul and thoughtful hip hop, You will most definitely TREASURE "this darling". The menu is a piece of art designed, with thoughtfully clever food and drinks, worthy of partaking in. Kate is an amazing mixologist and conversationalist. She made my guest very comfy and I can only assume based on the good time I had playing there, that they had a good experience (lol). I stayed after my set and had trouble wanting to leave! I'm thinking I need to go and hangout again before I leave the city, as I haven't felt so drawn to a space to kick it in a while...
Thank you to my jedis who came to hang out and vibe with me, during my "debut" at this space and one of my final set before parting. The hope is I will be able to play here when I'm in town, because The Darling feels so good!

Last week on Thursday, I had a car accident. After several visits to the hospital and bed rest, I have come to several conclusions about SM. What needs to happen to and FOR me going forward is below. Listen if and when you have the care and time ....

​Joe Russo and I had lengthy conversations, in which we exchanged concerns about the current climate of Chicago’s nightlife. I have (personally) spent a few years lightly consulting and continuing research on angles of the hospitality industry and thankfully, our convo confirmed the many needs.

​Last year carried a lot of ups and downs for me. My businesses came to a screeching halt. A car accident crippled my mobile hair styling business and slowed my dj servicing down as well. I painfully admit, I have occasionally battled with depressive moments, but these almost took me out. Gratefully, my faith in those on high and accessing my ills and desires, lead me to continue. I started receiving new work in areas I hadn’t dj’d in, in years. This summer I’ve had the pleasure of speaking on a few panels and mentoring a few aspiring jedis.

One special opportunity has presented itself, months after communicating with Joe, he decided to move to ATL. Rock Steady is his latest venture in West Midtown and I have been offered a longstanding position. I am now preparing to relocate. I am excited and nervous, all at the same time. In preparation, I have been releasing tons of records and other ​momentous items, to ready myself for my new chapter. Even with the recent wins, I am unable to fully fund my relocation and could use a bit of help.
I am reaching out to my loved ones, patrons and encouragers to support my effort of reestablishing my life and brand of all things Fathom Dj, in ATL. If you have stood with me during my entrepreneurial journey, I humbly ask for your support in the form of a monetary contribution, if you are able. 

If you who have utilized my hair or dj services, come to any of the events or venues I've spun and or purchased my originals, I truly appreciate you and your ongoing support. I'm looking forward to sharing updates from my new city and all the ventures that shall come, with you!

With love, grace and #cozmickisses...

Fathom DJ

I feel inclined to tell you, I better understand why Chicago struggles. It's based on a few very loud themes. (cue Minnie Riperton) I came to this earth different and under the gaze of what Chicago sees as Chicago, I have never fit. Everything about Chicago screams conservatism ie politics. The history of our entering Chicago via Mississippi speaks to our need to fit, in short.  Now even a genre, that was created of  pure love (imo), is tightly gripped in a choke hold by the same business / politics.

A few years ago I got clapped at for questioning why there were no women on the bill for CFP's event. There was quite a bit of dialogue (on fb) around that post, so it was highly viewed, probably furthering the nails in my "coffin". Times have changed, my assumption is folks are scared to say anything (in sm) that might rock the boat, they seem desperate to stay in. My questions never come from a place of mess or that's not what i intend. I also make sure to define my thoughts in the comments, as to not be misunderstood. The popularity game is even stronger now. We have seen tons of shit storms over the years mostly from Chicago djs. Now You can't get anyone to give an UN-produced thought. What I gathered from the safety dance is people don't want "trouble". 

I had an interesting conversation via inbox, with a Chicagoan who attended the  ATL Weekender this year. I witnessed a few live sessions myself to see  if my theory was any different than before. I decided to hunt a little deeper to reference mixes from SOME of ATLS djs. My mix findings (mostly outdated) pretty much confirm what I have felt  all along. I didn't stop there. I decided to ask FB questions about ATLs Djs and it's evolving event. Well lets just say my intuition was screaming, as Chicago people gathered to wait and watch, instead of adding their thoughts to the post. I wasn't asking for a comparison to Chicago's dj's or CFP to HITP.

My expectation for  Chicago Djs playing this event, would be to get looser and step out of "the Chicago norm" tunes, when addressing other peoples markets musically. This doesn't mean not representing. It means that "we" might represent some of Chicago's underground producers and push the narrative of unknown or under referenced music a bit further, for the sake of our music and it's djs / producers. I heard wonderful unknown tunes from the many Atlanta djs all weekend, so the assumption would be that our djs and those from Chicago, were vibing off of their tunes. Unfortunately I didn't hear anything new or different from the streams I witnessed of SOME of our home team. I get first hand, that  you can almost perfectly blend music that you play ALL THE TIME.  I also get the idea of presentation and performance, but then there's the idea that ATL knows the same tunes you reference all the time, because THEY ONCE DID TOO. You easily get people hoping up and down and while it looks good, you never thought to push them or be the difference?  People HERE used to allow the dj to take them on a journey, because they trusted us. What I continue to see from ATL is a level of receptivity from the crowd that says enlighten us, take us higher. It's in the body language and look of the dancers and audience.  We all are, of course at a point where people don't take risks on djs they haven't heard of and don't have the attention span to learn new and  different music. So what happens when "the populars" (here) are all playing singalong top 40's of house and you're supposed to be underground, but follow THAT lead? All the producers and editors have to wait 10 plus years (let it fall lady alma) for one of our creations to "pop", because you're scared. No it doesn't have to be fresh off of traxsource to be in rotation, but it does have to be different than the 1000's of dj who seek to do nothing more than repeat someone else's set. It's exactly why rare grooves, disco, and vinyl "SEEM" to  win overseas. One of the reasons why I was drawn to house music is because I was lead to believe that there was creativity and freedom of expression. Though I know, we are in a period where people pleasing for likability far outweighs breaking new music and challenging a group of people to be educated and grow. 

I wouldn't dare to think that ATL is more of an international city than Chicago is, is it? Does ATL win because they have a city that created a respected music industry, that included a variance of soulful genres and artists? Donnie, India Arie, Outkast, Usher, TLC, Indigo Girls, Cee Lo, Arrested Development, Anthony David.... umm this could get long! How about that fab Moodys record store that keeps a stock of underground goodies  and heavily aids those seeking soulfulness. Or is it the ever growing amount of venues that HOST nights specifically geared toward SHOWCASING soulful house, afro beat and other underground sounds and  bands. All of these things lead me to believe that a better experience would be had at The Weekender, than the same djs and sounds that flood our few venues and many festivals here based on, you guessed it politics. All these things lead my inbox to be flooded with dialogue that suggests, my sound is more like theirs, than my own city. 

I once again am led to wonder, where I should be if not Chicago?

Photo credit Demetrius Williams of Usual Suspects Photography.

It doesn’t seems like yesterday, but I was living in Lake View, intentionally collecting records and feverishly aspiring to dj. It was one of the hottest days in Chicago 95'. People were leaving the planet at record numbers, because the temperature was consistently above 100 degrees. I got a fon call from my best friend, crying. My best friend who favored the lovely Ms. Hyman, called to share sentiments about Phyllis and her departure. Time can stand still again and I will travel further backwards. I reference myself sitting in my bedroom, in Chatham. I must've been 5 years old, doing what I often did, staring at the radio. That radio played then, what remains some of my favorites now, George Benson, Patti Austin, Donny Hathaway (amongst others) and most certainly Phyllis Hyman. The tune that I recall making me the happiest was "You Know How To Love Me", not that I didn't feel extremely loved listening every tune of Phyllis'. It's one of the things that I will be forever grateful to my mother for, her taste in music. Rich, belly belting, and undisputedly SOULFUL, are a few terms to describe Ms. Hyman's sound. A tall drink of water, as the elders would say, She laid the soulful sorrows of the trails of life down on us. As I grow out musically, I am becoming less interested in titles. She is categorized as Jazz, blues, and soul. What we can call Phyllis' sound in hindsight is Blues regardless to wether or not she wrote those lyrics she sang the blues so passionately. Though she did very little writing, she became the songs she sang, because she was them. Her acting had to play a part in how she molded and "mooded" her tunes. We can talk about the ills of the industry and the twist and turns. And yes I have heard more than a few stories of the craziness that went along with the many moods under the big hats and shoulder pads she dawned. I'm glad to have been years younger and unable to witness any of this first hand. I am saddened that I didn't get the opportunity to witness one of her performances live and in person. Google had yet to be invented during the time of her death. If it had been, I’d be doing what I am trying not to do now, researching every angle of her ascension, as I have done with Marvin and others. And I say ascension because regardless to the stigma that goes with suicide, we don't know where the soul ends up. I'd like to believe that she was sent here from the ethers, to bless us with the sound of soul and returned there. Phyllis was not just soul and song, but the BUSINESS. NO, not in the trended term way, but about hers. She was involved in running her business. Her bookings, her staff all selected by HER. I watched a youtube video from BET years back, where Phyllis spoke passionately about making sure to hire black people. She even referenced TIna Turner and Diana Ross, for not seeking to employ their own people. I'm almost certain this is why she had a short lived relationship with Clive Davis, who sought more of a bobble head of a songstress. (no disrespect to Whitney) There's another blog to be written about her.

We as African American women have to hear the words from the mouth of Phyllis about being an executive and the trails of being focused tall and intimidating.

I love Phyllis for more reasons than her strong, rich voice, her tall beautiful face and stature. I love her effort to maintain and continue, in a world that only wanted her YOUNG face and voice. A world that struggled to control her talent, but not the trails of a not so average black woman. A black woman who refuses to bend, but is sensitive enough to acknowledge the fragility that breaks us. I'll stand as long as I can, for those who battle the odds, and fight depression by continuing to create in love, honor and respect of music and self.

(I’m not done, I’m watching videos now and so much is coming from it. You might want to check back as I will continue to edit, when time permits)

​I'm not new nor am I old. This has to be said out the gate. We should always be growing, expanding, changing, and of course inspiring. I have experienced quite a few obstacles as a woman artist, dj and now producer in this arena called Chicago. Oh I can most certainly share my thoughts and opinions on quite a few aspects of "the game". You may have witnessed some of those via Fb Live, Instagram and Youtube, of course. I definitely could rant about the countless male djs / producers, who wow us with talent, until we peek behind the curtain to find painful truths, that deflate massive egos. But not today.

Today we will simply address the gratefulness I feel to have been heard and listened to. Yes they are the same, yet different. People listen /  read our ramblings everyday, all day. Application is an entirely different action. It is mostly a dropped ball, you find on the platform where you acquired the "info". When people start to apply your ideas or inquire about your services in order to facilitate the tasks you advise them on, you get to be a part of their manifestations of goals. And I CANNOT EVER WAIT to see what the universe brings forth based on those shifting from comfort, in order to grow.

Pap Spencer, as some may well know, has been a culture conveyor long enough to closely associate with both Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles. He is a dj, producer, sound engineer and visionary. We have crossed paths more than a few times, as I have "tinkered" at production over the years. This past year, we pow wowed a few times. Pap engineered "Apocalyptic Conversations" for me last year and "The Smokers Church" last month. During that period we discussed quite a few untapped angles and resources for marketing music. Did I mention this started a year ago? lol

Yesterday, after our now weekly studio session, I left with another feather in my cap. After a whole year of waiting on a small bit of content from Pap, we sat and I was able to pull enough together to put a dent in the website that will house all things related to PUMF aka Paps Underground Music Factory. Yes this is a fete. Most artist understand creation. We do this to breathe. The business end can be a hard undertaking. Based on what I have experienced in recent years, I can testify that having these tools in the ever growing pond of djs, can only help further the infinite possibilities of even a JEDI MASTER LIKE  Pap Spencer​.  

Oh yeah fotos and website by Dani Abston of Abston Consulting.:)
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Hmmm I released another tune and energetically, it was already a challenge. Three plus years ago I shadowed a very talented Chicago based producer. Needless to say, I was once again met with the challenge of battling the insecurities of men. Isn't it always that way, when you peek behind the curtain? There are tons of tiny frail men trying to run big machines, alone. Anyway, after that brief understudy, I decided to tuck the one and only tune that I started working on with HIS musician away, until June 1st of this year. (hehe you nosies can get to work now) I pulled the session, a month back, changed the name and some of the drums / arranged it. The Smokers Church. is available for your referencing NOW....