DJ DJ

About me:

It’s not often that a DJ makes his public debut atop the privileged stage of Ultra’s Music Festival, and it must be rare for the second booking to land an international residency with Italy’s exquisite Chalet delle Rose. But such extraordinary events are simply typical for Derek James, a rising star from Miami who hasn’t stopped since he started. Strongly inspired by his Dutch and Spanish descent, Derek started his career in the music industry at an early age. When he began playing the saxophone in the 3rd grade, it was clear that his natural talents had set the stage for a lifetime of harmony. Throughout high school, he was an instrumental player in the band’s drum sector, and assisted his team in winning numerous state, regional and national championships. Joining the drum line was a defining moment in his career, a decision to which he persistently credits his notorious hard-hitting, tribal injected sets. These fundamental experiences inspired him to major in Music Engineering at the University of Miami. But Derek’s academic interest in music composition was suddenly submerged when his part-time job at the infamous Liquid nightclub introduced him to electronic sound. Witnessing today’s superstar DJ’s cultivate their raw talents in an undeveloped genre, now known as “house”, was a privileged experience for this new novice. Through recreational employment in Miami’s hottest nightclubs and venues, Derek was afforded a front row seat to the creation of house music by local legendary influences like Victor Calderone, Manny Lehman and Austin Leeds. It wasn’t long before Miami-based artists such as Murk, Eddie X, Abel, Edgar V and Cue began developing and producing regionally influenced sounds that would universally represent them. Such progressive success inspired Derek to pursue his desire to DJ, which was now a more tangible opportunity. Derek first hit the decks two years ago in the Downtown Miami warehouse scene, where he benefited from the perfect underground training platform. With limitless opportunities to practice before fellow artists and dedicated listeners, the industry’s finest helped to fine tune his craft. Such exclusive encounters offered privacy to Miami’s local DJ’s, artists, producers, club owners, promoters, and industry “superstars” wishing to escape the monotonous limelight. Through covert congregations, artists exchanged ideas and shared their talents, while serving up rare, live entertainment that could only be found -- in the underground. Derek quickly made his mark with the dance music community and is currently showcasing his DJ skills on an international level. While jet setting between Miami, Europe, South America and a growing list of US venues, he is now spinning at the hottest clubs, hippest restaurants and most exclusive parties across the globe. Through his exposure, Derek’s unique style is continuously evolving, and he has become a more diversified artist, determined to create his own signature sound. In doing so, his interests took a recent shift, and he immersed himself in the fundamentals of production. This back-to-basics approach set the pace to propel his music in many new and unexplored directions. And with even more enthusiasm and excitement about this next musical voyage, DJ Derek James headed for the studio… …and to think, this is only the beginning.