|
|
.
| Stacey Mallory
"I believe housemusic can bounce back and be even stronger than it was before.
It will be a struggle but If we all come together in unity we can accomplish
whatever we set out to do."
|
.
PART I
.
Could you tell us how you got into the music, your influences and about your early career?
.
I was involved in club music right after high school. My influence was older brother & sisters, they used to buy the 45's out of the records stores and I remember them playing a lot of songs that stuck with me. Shortly after having my 1st taste of the Club scene, I started buying 45's like aeiou, infatuation, tearing it up snd all night long by the mary jane girls just to name a few.
My influences were Chaka Khan, Micheal Jackson, Stevie Wonder & Teddy Pendergrass, etc.
.
You have just put out a new label - 4 Real Records. Please tell us about this project and it's goals.
.
Yes, it's just another of many goals that I have achieved and I'm blessed and grateful for it. It’s been on my mind since a long time to ago to start my own label. My financial status didn’t let me to do such a big movement in the past. But now the situations have changed. 4 real records is a reality. My main goal now is to work hard with my productions and continue to put out good, quality music as well as releasing tracks of other producers in order to establish and the label in the market. My dream is to see 4 Real Records one of the most successful labels following years.
.
In your records we see contributions by Kelton Cooper, Jerrell Battle, Darl Dixon, John Crockett, Ty Black, among others. If you had the opportunity, are there any other artists you would like to work with?
.
As a matter of fact there are. I've had lots of fun as well as established new relationships with the artists and musicians mentioned in your question. Me and DJ Pope have become very good friends from working on projects together and I have to say I learned so much production-wise from him. But I would love to have the opportunity to one day be able to work with Glenn Underground, Kevin Hedge and Louie Vega. Just to get in the studio and collaborate on a few projects.
.
Which producing equipment are you using? Do you use much software stuff?
.
As far as equipment at the present I'm using Logic 7.1, Motu 2408,Motif Rack, G-4 Mac. My software im using Atmosphere, Stylus, Recycle, Reasons, Peak, Trilogy
.
What is your favorite track, the one that you are the most proud of?
.
Well I have to answer this one honestly. I have two that are my most favourites. The first one is called "Latin Ranura". It is a very high-energy Latin track filled with all kinds of wicked keys, percussions and it's one you can play at the peak hours. I feel better and better about it everytime I listen to it. I think it's gonna do very well. By the way, "Latin Ranura" has been signed to Soul Creations Record Label, owned by Jose Burgos & Duce Martinez. Now my 2nd most favourite is "What Is Housemusic" on Jellybean Soul. I am very proud of this track because I was just jiving around in the studio and wondered I'm not a singer but I would like to know how my voice would sound on a track. I created a track, went into the recording booth and started vibing to the track just basically speaking about what house music meant to me. It was so funny to me to hear my vocals on a track! A few of my friends heard it and as I was waiting for them to start laughing they kept telling me “this is hot and you need to put it out”. I let Tony Humphries hear it and he said he liked it and he would like to play it. Tony played it at The 2005 Winter Music Conference and it created such a buzz, after the conference I got a call from the Jellybean Benitez and he told me he wanted to sign it and the rest is history.
.
What records are you currently spinning every time you play?
.
Well, a few that I really like right now that's in my rotation is: It's Us - Electic Records, My Rhythm - Camio Records, Let Love Slip Away (Arnold Jarvis cdr), Dreamin - Brett Dancer feat. Glenn Underground, Let The Drums Speak - Phil Asher, Transitions - Bruce Jeffers, Asahikawa - Jihad Muhammad, just to name a few. But for the most part I try to mix things up with a little classics, late 70's early 80's & 90's and a few of the newest tracks that are out now. I think a good DJ is one that can show his or her versatility.
.
PART II
.
Nowadays, we see Electro and 80's sound influencing many House Productions. Do you think that in order to move on in housemusic, producers have to always look back?
.
Yes and no. The reason I'm split with this is because I think that to a certain degree we, as producers, should look back sometimes because going back to the early & late 70's. I started listening to a lot of the disco hits from the late 70's just to get some type of idea how they were putting there beats together as well as the music while creating a groove. I thought this is the best way to learn how to produce music, to learn from the great producers. And it helped me a lot. On the other hand it is good to look forward and create new music and not stuck in the past. I feel that there is a lot of new music out now and that's so good. Now is a new era, a new century and a new generation of people. As a producer I want to show people through my music where housemusic is now in 2005. I believe a lot of nowadays music, If given a chance, can one day in 15-20 years from now be considered as classic. So it's good to look back sometimes but my goal is to continue to press forward and become creative while coming up with fresh ideas to keep house music alive.
.
The number of files illegally shared on the Internet dont stop to grow. As a producer, how is this affecting you? What could be the solution?
.
It affects me as a producer in terms of records sales. I don’t know many DJ's that even buy vinyl anymore. This illegal file sharing has gotten so out of control. I really don’t see a solution to this at all. Don’t get me wrong I go on the legal sites such as Traxsource, Westend and purchase music but at least If you go on those your still paying which supports the Artists, Labels & Producers. People think that getting it illegally and playing it is supporting but it's not. Legally purchasing it whether it be mp3 or vinyl is real support.
.
One of your records this year is "What Is Housemusic". What do you think of the house scene at the moment and how do you think it will be in the future?
.
At the moment to me the house scene is suffering. Back in the day house music was always in the forefront in terms of primetime hours on major radio networks, you could pick and choose on any day of the week what clubs you wanted to hang out in, today housemusic has taken a step back to hip-hop/rap & R&B. As children we were raised up on disco & club music. Our children today are being raised to hard core hip-hop. They would rather listen to 50 cent before they listen to Sylvestor or Kenny Bobien. As children I bought 45's from the records store while today this new generation of people are purchasing cd's of Snoop Dogg and Jay Z. I truly believe that if we all as Artists, Producers, and DJ's work together in unity, and support one another and teach our people about the joy, and feeling of happiness and spirituality that you receive from this thing called house music.I believe housemusic can bounce back and be even stronger than it was before. It will be a struggle but If we all come together in unity we can accomplish whatever we set out to do.
.
What can we expect to hear from you in the near future?
.
You can expect to continue to hear good quality music, at the present I am in the process of doing projects with Ty Black, Viola Sykes, Dawn Tallman and a follow up to my 1st track People Of The World feat. D.C.Washington. I also will begin the process of writing a book about my Life as well as my experiences in the music business. Thank you for the Interview and God Bless!
.
---------------
.
Listen here some of his records:
.
.
.
.
