>>PREVIEW
DANNY HOWELLS
Sunday, September 17
Tantra
There aren’t a lot of DJs that have what Danny Howells has. Maybe it’s the music he plays – "deepsexyfuturistictechfunkhouse." Maybe it’s the paisley shirts he’s so often seen wearing or his having spent so many years as a psychiatric nurse. Maybe it comes from his having been chosen to mix the latest Choice CD for the legendary Azuli records alongside such luminary dance music figures as John Digweed, Jeff Mills and Danny Tenaglia. It could of course be his international stature – he’s been ranked one of the top 25 DJs in the world by DJ Magazine every year since 1999. Whatever "it" is, Danny Howells certainly has it, and he’ll be here in Calgary on Sunday, September 17 to share it with us.
Danny Howells was born in Sussex, England in 1970 and was surrounded with music throughout his childhood. His first proper DJ gig was a party thrown in honour of the birthday of his hero, Prince, and within a few years, one of Danny’s demo tapes landed in the hands of John Digweed, who immediately signed Danny up for a series of regular appearances at John’s legendary Bedrock nightclub in Brighton.
Danny’s musical style is truly his own. Throughout the course of his sets, he’ll weave electro, techno, trance and progressive house into a rich, but fun tapestry that may make comparisons hard but makes dancing quite easy.
"I’ve always tried to find my own little niche, to put my own unique stamp on every set," Danny explains from his home in the U.K. "I’ve always tried to play the sort of set that I’d want to hear and create that kind of vibe."
Predictably, Danny’s services as a DJ are in strong demand across the globe, and as such, his schedule is hectic. His upcoming visit to Calgary has been shoehorned in between shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and is the fourth night of five consecutive club-gig nights – hardly a relaxing schedule. How does he keep his professional cool despite all of the travelling, clubbing and partying? Here, Danny draws on his experiences during his time as a psychiatric nurse, where, he notes with a chuckle, he ran into a number of clubgoers who knew him by name. The biggest lesson learned from that experience? Here Danny is reserved.
"I won’t preach," he begins, "but no matter what you’re talking about – drugs, alcohol, pornography or anything else – the key, really, is moderation and knowing your boundaries."
Danny Howells is well-known in dance music circles for being a big part of the parties he plays – from his loud shirts to his over-the-top antics behind the decks, he’s certainly not the sort of DJ that goes unnoticed in a nightclub. During his sets, it’s not uncommon to see the DJ booth surrounded by fans of both genders, buying Danny drinks and straining to catch a glimpse of the master in action. The usual currency?
"I think tequila is the universal ‘we are having a good time’ message that I get my fans," Danny suggests. "The better I do, the more of it they seem to buy for me." |
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