By: Tanya Bailey
November 28, 2011
A DJ that has built his loyal crowd appeal from the ground level of electronica and up, all while unleashing his high-energy electro and dubstep tracks on a crowd of screaming fans craving more. I had the chance to chat wit Mr. Dual Canadian & American citizenship himself, Buckeye Red.
Who is Buckeye Red?
Some horribly good-looking lad that curses way too often.
What does “House Music” mean to you?
Life. I really feel that I wouldn’t be here without it.
Who are some of your musical influences and why?
It might sound cliche, but everything and everyone from jazz to baroque, from country to neo-punk & hip-hop. I’m actually a HUGE fan of motion picture composers.
You have performed with various artists from Deadmau5 to Sneak. How has that experience been?
DJ Sneak is a legend and the devotion of his fans really makes for something special every time he’s around. He doesn’t even have to play to brighten up a room. In [Deadmau5] Joel [Zimmerman]’s case, it was very educational. I didn’t open for him in front of 20,000 people, but I’ve played alongside him back to back a few times and been in the studio with him. The guy is a (and I hate to overuse such a common word to describe him but) genius. The things he’s doing now, no one has ever done before. They’re the stuff dreams are made of.
You are the host of a weekly podcast called Kill the Radio – how is that going?
It hasn’t been as “weekly” as I’d like, due to a tight production schedule right now, but it’s also a lot of fun! I get to try out new things & provide quality dance music from DJ’s around the globe to everyone who listens, so that’s ace!
Your EP Battery Pull on Eden Recordings is a great fan favourite. Were you aware of the impact when you released it?
Absolutely not. I mean before the release, we knew we had something special, but we never figured three of the mixes would have a go at the beatport top 100 & even reach #2 on the breaks chart. that release really changed the way I look at production, and you’ll hear it’s influence in upcoming months 🙂
I love your claim to fame remix of Farace’s “Back From the Break” track that won you the IDJ Remix competition in 2007. How has the aftermath been since then?
That was really the first track I ever put my name on. My production partner (DJ Legatto) and I finished it in four days – and it was the most fun I’d ever had. I was addicted to making music since that, finishing and enjoying the song was confidence boosting enough…winning was just a bonus.
How does it feel to hear artists like Pete Tong play your tracks…
There’s not many thrills that compare. It’s surreal. Like, ok was this a fluke?…..let’s see if we can get him to play another……and another…..it’s like getting a tattoo lol. I’m not at the point where it’s “another day at the office” and if I ever am, I’ll start bullfighting.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got release after release to get through one at a time, other than that it’s just one big surprise…and that’s how I like it.