We like DJs from the North East... Boston, NYC, Connecticut... like something in the air or the water up there flavors their music with a raw real energy, no matter what the style. And they know their history, maybe from living, working, and dancing in buildings and streets old and new. If you don't know what we're talking about, toss on the latest CD from Boston-born, NYC-based Steve Porter. From the 90s samples to the Porter remixes and originals, it's on. It's happening. It's "Porterhouse" and we wanted to know more! We shot Steve a few questions via email, and here's what he had to say. If you need even more, check out his tour dates at the bottom. Then you'll REALLY know what we're talking about!!

Your album's name -  what does "Porterhouse" mean/how did you come up with it?  

Porterhouse started out as a funny little nickname that played off my last name and house music, but I like to think now though that Porterhouse stands for a blend of all types of dance music.  Trance, house, breaks, or techno...  its a "no borders" approach to dance music that I've always had, and I've always had great crew of friends to influence me that way.  

What made you decide to do re-edits for this release?  

I add production to and re-edit every single record that I play, so putting re-edits on the album was a fairly normal thing.  

What are some of the tracks you re-edited, and what exactly is involved in doing a re-edit?  

Every track was re-edited, but I always try to concentrate on the meat of music when I re-edit.  In most cases I'll take out repetitive sections and focus on what I deem to be the strongest points of the tunes, and in other cases I'll bring in midi tracks and start writing music around the track to fill it up... some take me 2 minutes to do, and some I'm basically co-producing around somebody else's beats.  It's a lot of fun, and you always have the piece of mind that your sets will be exclusive.  

Your press release says you chose from 300+ tracks.... how did you narrow them down?  

I had over 300 to choose from initially, but maybe 40 or so really strong tunes from my inner crew of friends.  Once I figured that I could put together a strong album of my friends tunes along with my own, I was sold on the concept and the album came together fairly quickly from there.    

Has your DJing or producing style changed since and as a result of releasing your artist album last year?  

I'm always challenging myself to be more diverse, so I'd hope to think that I've come a long way since last year.  Homegrown was a compilation of tracks that I was playing maybe a year before the album came out, so by the time of it's release I was already somewhere slightly different musically.  I think this year I'm much closer to the Porterhouse compilation as a dj than I was to Homegrown.  Hopefully that's a tribute to my evolution.  

How did you first get into electronic music?  

It was a slow process that started when I was just a kid listening to Technotronic on the radio, evolving into producing dorky music in my dorm room and djing high-school dances as a teenager, and eventually to where I am now thru hard work and dedication to the industry.  

How did you learn to how to produce?  

I learned by myself but it wasn't pretty.  Initially I just recorded sounds into my old macintosh computer and I'd use those sounds in an old ass backwards sequencing program called Player Pro (which was discontinued years ago).  Eventually I realized I needed something higher end and stumbled upon Pro Tools, and I've been using it ever since.  It's taken a lot of trial and error, I was always the kid who never read the instruction manual... always insisting to figure it out on the fly.  

How would you describe the music you play when you DJ to someone who’s never heard you before?  

I'd say I play fantasy funk, an upbeat selection of tunes somewhere between trance and house with a few break-beats in between.  I like a mix of music that is one part heady, and one part sexy.  

Do you find that older DJs are supportive or resentful of you and the next generation of DJs you are a part of?  

In general I'd say that the music peers I've met have been very supportive.  Respect is respect I believe.  I've always let my work lead me forward, and I think it's generally a good way to earn respect from your elders because they know how hard things can be at your age.  

Where do you get the wide range of music that you play when you DJ?  

There's a variety of online music sites I'll hit up like Beatport, Stompy, or iTunes, and I always check out what local record stores in NYC have on the shelves.  Sometimes I'll order records from Juno in the UK, and sometimes I'll have a bunch of new original material I can put into my bag as well.     

What do you say to people when they say _____ (fill in any electronic music genre) is dead?  

I'd turn their attention to the solar system.  Everything goes in cycles, everything revolves.  If you can't stand the beats, get out of the booth!  

What are some of the essential elements of software and hardware that you use when you are making music?  

Pro Tools is my sequencing software, I also use Ableton for a few things.  I have a few outboard synths, my novation supernova is my main midi controller.  Sample Tank is my preferred internal sampler, and I have a variety of virtual synths including a Moog V.  And I love sampling just about everything.  

What inspires you when you get in the studio to make a track?

The fact that I can produce a piece of music and try it out the following weekend at a gig... that's inspiring.  Having an outlet for your music is always inspiring, no matter if it's your friends or a record label.  Music is a form of communication, so getting your music out in the open is essential.  As far as knowing what kind of tune you wanna make, that comes down to the mood and what influences you wanna bring to the table.

Where are you living now and why there?  

I live in NYC (Manhattan).  It's just generally an amazing place and it's a great place to live if you like to travel.  You'll hear it from anybody, the energy in NYC is unmatched.    

Your fans want to know... do you have a girlfriend?  

I do not :-)   fully eligible and quite lovable 

What’s the funniest pick up line or instance that’s happened to you while DJing?  

I had a girl ask me recently, "Are you my fire?"  It was cute, but I've never been asked that before... so I kinda just sputtered out, "um uh... I don't know... am I?"  haha, I'm so not a pimp.        

Maybe not a pimp, but we'll buy that amazing music you are selling! You can light your Porterhouse fire (sorry we couldn't resist saying that) at his World tour dates:  

February 23 Philadelphia, PA @ One 14
February 24 Denver, USA @ The Church
February 25 Vancouver, Canada @ Red Room
March 3 Washington, D.C. @ NATION
March 5 Madrid, Spain - Space of Sound
March 10 Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg
March 11 Ljubljana, Slovenia - Media Park
March 22 Miami, USA @ TBA
April 7 Toronto - This is London
April 14 London, England - Turnmills

For more visit:
www.djsteveporter.com
www.porterhouse-online.com
www.faderecords.com  

-- Written by Jennifer Warner