For the past 15 years or so I have been buying records. Mostly I have bought the 4/4 beats and repetitive groove of house and techno music. In the past fortnight I have had the privilege, thanks to M8 magazine (Scotland), of interviewing DJ Pierre and DJ Sneak. To some people the names Pierre and Sneak may not be familiar; however, they represent the original pioneering groove makers and the 2nd generation of beat masters, respectively, and if there was a house music hall of fame they would be surely inaugural members. If you are interested in the history of electronic music or want to find out what house music is all about then you may not need to look much further than these two Chicago bad boys. Whilst Pierre has a strong connection to NYC and Sneak is native of Puerto Rico and now resides in Toronto, Canada, it is their Chicago, Illinois bond that established, inspired and cultivated their respective sounds.

While purists will talk of Kraftwerk, The Yellow Magic Orchestra and Tangerine Dream and even Bob Moog as the auteur’s of modern dance music and all this thump, thump, thump they miss the point. Sure enough Gary Numan influenced the German Techno scene. I agree that the UFO parties ran by Pink Floyd with their trippy visuals and experimental music paved the way for the Chemical Brothers, but predominately white boys across Northern Europe certainly weren’t shaking their asses, their brains maybe, but their asses no. When was the last time you danced to Pink Floyd? Is it possible to dance to Tangerine Dream?

However we must believe that all creativity is interconnected energy and as such all music influences and shapes each other. In America it has been said that Chicago is the home of Blues; New York the home of Jazz; and, Detroit the home of soul, albeit with a healthy pinch of salt. That said is it of any surprise that Chicago became the birthplace of house music; New York the birthplace of Hip Hop; and, Detroit the birthplace of Techno.

can’t be just a coincidence that DJ skills; graffiti art; and, electronic dance music, in particular house, techno and hip hop developed within the poorer sections of America’s metropolis. Lest we neglect or forget the influence of the gay community as when the music of the streets ended up in clubs it was more often than not gay clubs that embraced it, especially house music. Why house music and gay clubs attracted each other is a query for anthropology but hip hop, rap and techno do tend to be macho, even homophobic and male dominated. Anyway back to house music and DJs Pierre and Sneak. Dance music is ubiquitous today. Long gone are the days when acid house and rave music would be in back rooms, basements and warehouses. Today electronic music headlines festivals – Orbital and Glastonbury. From School discos to mobile phone ring tones to TV ads, some form dance music prevails.

For me DJ Pierre epitomizes the pioneering spirit and DIY ethic of early house music whilst DJ Sneak takes a jaded old hack and revitalizes his spirit and faith in house music. When I first heard DJ Pierre’s music, such as Generate Power and Phuture I was inspired. Here was music that I called my own. Others in school didn’t like it or even know of it. Likeminded people gathered to celebrate it by dancing; some took the drug ecstasy and there was always an unhealthy mix of LSD and Amphetamine to make sure the party kept going.

Inevitably the money men exploited the new wave of music and its potential market, however, the DIY ethic or punk attitude prevailed and while American mainstream media refused to accept or give either house or techno a platform DJs like Pierre, Felix Da Housecat, Roy Davis Jnr and Cajmere AKA Green Velvet relied upon Europe for a career beyond club DJ’ing. Patronage by major record companies came in the guise of the ubiquitous remix, usually by a burgeoning Masters at Work, David Morales or Todd Terry. Whatever way you look at it, NYC was getting the kudos over Chicago and many of the true innovators, such as MK AKA Mark Kichen, Mike Dearborn and Maurice Joshua lost to corporate bullshit.

The music developed; the drugs changed; and, the party people got older. House became: hard house, deep house, acid house, garage, 2-step, progressive house. New genres emerged: drum & bass, electro, big beat/breaks. Worst of all hybrids genres, such as trance, electro-clash and happy hardcore gave all kinds of electronic music a bad name.

The drug Ecstasy, E or X, depending on which side of the Atlantic you live, proliferated from gay clubs and raves to football terraces and working-men’s clubs. In ten years the price of one ecstasy tablet went from £20 to £5. Obviously the quality control disappeared as drug dealers maximized profits and party people poisoned their body. Gone were the loved-up days of the summer of love and born were the painful come-downs. Greater sophistication in drug trafficking and the increased need for bigger and better drugs it wasn’t too long before cocaine hit the clubs.

House music is easily 20 years old and the people it first inspired tend to have children and mortgages now. Writing about DJ Pierre I felt obliged to reiterate his biography and history to ensure that the reader, although clued up dance music enthusiasts realized the importance of this man. Physically many of the 30/40 something’s don’t have bodies that can take all night clubbing, few if any would have the emotional or cognitive strength to cope with pills, thrills and bellyaches on a regular basis. Many have too much to lose from the inherent dangers – legal and health wise – of such behaviour, so a new generation of party people take over and the whole cycle begins again. New drugs come onto the market; the music continues to develop; and promoters and club owners get clever in their use of marketing and branding to attract the punter and make as much money as possible. Even the hardcore find it difficult to survive.

Then we have DJ Sneak reared on the original sounds of Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley, Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk and DJ Pierre. Sneak is clearly influenced by meringue, disco and Chicago house. He epitomizes the Chicago style, often referred to as Jackin’. Sneak’s DJ sets are stuff of legend – from Antwerp to Berlin to Cork to San Francisco. DJ Sneak’s production revolutionized house and gave Disco another shot at the title.
Take the words filter, funk, disco and house and arrange them whatever way you feel is most appropriate and that is his contribution to the world. Without Sneak there may be no Daft Punk. Sneak, like Pierre, is a force of nature, that regardless to his vocation he would still have had a significant impact on the world.

Whilst Pierre’s inspiration may be slowly fading, eating away by time, uncontrolled development and drug misuse the strength of his seed flourishes in the revelation that is DJ Sneak, Derrick Carter, Bret Johnson and Mark Farina. House music is rebellious and intrinsic to mans desire to be different. It will find a home, will be re-born and thrive amidst harsh conditions from ghettos to suburban malls, once people still want to dance. Sneak restores faith, makes an old cynic believe again.

Both Pierre and Sneak have new compilation albums out now: Pierre presents The Essence Volume One on Phil Cheesman’s Essence recordings and Sneak gives us The House of Om on Om records. For a glimpse and the past, present and future listen to both. To understand what house music is; where it is and was. Hear the sound of Chicago, for yesterday, today and tomorrow are exemplified by two of the worlds greatest living DJs. Long live house music. Long live the revolution.

Words by Desmond Balmer (Nice & Nasty Media)
www.niceandnasty.net