Clicking Around with Music: DJ Bam Bam

Name: DJ Bam Bam

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Label: Bass Heavy Records

Label Type: Indie

Myspace Visits: 2,446,328

Myspace Friends: 136,536

Ladies and gents, house music has been floating around since the late 80's (and in forms the 70's) and is here to stay. We have a new generation with folks like Teen Wolf and DJ's cutting incredible mixes and vs tracks. With the graces of MySpace and a cool DJ from the heart of House, we got a chance to chat with one of the best in the business. DJ Bam Bam, born and raised in Chicago, works with an amazing sense of blending and a unique pride in the house tradition. Check out the latest mix ... here ...

Jackin' House Mix

As a side note, throughout the interview and correspondence process, I have been met with nothing but respect and humility from power player in the house scene. Cheers and enjoy!

ArtStar: Who would win in a street fight: the combo of daft punk and 50 cent or the wu tang clan (...yes w/ ODB)

DJ Bam Bam: Technological advancements overcome all else, I gotta go with Daft Punk.

AS: If you were a sticky note what would you be stuck to and what would it say?

DB: I'd be stuck to this interview and I would say READ ME!

AS: What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

DB: Chocolate chip cookie dough

AS: Favorite Band Live:

DB: The Roots

AS: Favorite person you have opened up for and/or that has opened for your.

DB: Bad Boy Bill

AS: Favorite instrument that you do not currently play

DB: Guitar

AS: In the 2008 election, what issue do you feel was the most important?

DB: Character, because at the end of the day, each candidate will make try and make you believe they are fighting for what's right for the American people, and the majority of the time they are lying through their teeth just to get votes. I just want to see a politician not look like a complete ass or idiot.

AS: How did you come up with your dj name?

DB: It was a DJ nickname that was given to me in grade school. At first, I was known as Dave "Bam Bam" Boenzi, but eventually I dropped my given name and threw a DJ at the front of Bam Bam.

AS: What artist is currently revolutionizing music (other than yourself, of course)?

DB: Crookers. These guys are a production powerhouse and are bangin' out tracks left and right. They don't use the typical sounds you hear in every other dance record, which is what drew my attention to them in the first place. They aren't afraid to be diffferent.

AS: From what do you draw musical inspiration?

DB: Everything. It could be an image, a color, an everyday sound. Someone could say something to me and a light will pop on in my head, and the subject doesn't necessarily have to be about music.

AS: What music did your parents expose you to in your youth?

DB: My parents listened to 50's and 60's Rock 'n' Roll. I was exposed to artists like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Beatles, etc.

AS: What was the toughest decision you have had to make as a dj? How did you come to that decision?

DB: The toughest decision I've had to make yet was to switch up my sound from Chicago hard house and hard techno to more house and electro stuff. After producing and playing the harder stuff for so long, I began to notice that my taste for what I'd been doing was changing. At that time, I was pretty much pigeonholed into the hard sound and was apprehensive to make the slightest change because I didn't want to be classified as a sellout. After much thought, I decided to make the change to more house stuff, knowing that some supporters might not like where I was headed. It's still affecting me to this day when it comes to getting gigs in certain venues because promoters will just hear my name and say, "You mean the old school UC hard house Bam Bam?" Hopefully within time everyone will recognize that my roots run deeper than Chicago hard house and techno.

AS: First Instrument:

DB: Keyboard

AS: Favorite venue to DJ:

DB: Club Volume in Seoul, South Korea. What an amazing venue!

AS: At what moment did you realize you wanted to do live music?

DB: The moment I realized that I could do it better than most of the DJ's I saw perform live.

AS: Most embarrassing moment on stage:

DB: Picking up the wrong tone arm while beat matching the next record. I thought the left turntable was live and picked up the right tone arm. I was wrong and there was a brief moment of silence, but I never let it happen again.

AS: What are you looking forward to the most about this touring session?

DB: Breaking my latest music. As of a couple years ago, I've been incorporating a lot of electro into my sets, to the point that they are solely comprised of it now. Crowds have been extremely responsive to my new stuff and I couldn't be happier.

AS: And finally, is there anything else that you would like to share with the Art Star audience?

DB: Stay tuned to myspace.com/djbambam for news on my latest productions, including my upcoming original artist album in 2009!