How I made my profile:.
THIS IS CHARLES FEELGOOD
Legendary for his role in the birth of the electronic music scene in the
Baltimore / Washington DC area, Charles Feelgood has built a reputation as
a DJ in the international dance community through his ingenious remix skills
and a dynamic brand of funky disco, electro, techno and house.
Cultivating a fascination with music since childhood, Charles grew up
listening to Motown, disco and funk, genres that heavily influenced his
personal style as an artist.
"I used to stay up late listening to my dad play records and decided that was
what I wanted to do," says Feelgood. His first foray into the world of dance
music was in the 80's, throwing small scale parties under the name" House
of Fields". From Depeche Mode to Aretha Franklin dance mixes - the music
was very eclectic at the parties and you can hear that range of genres in
Charles's sets today.
An Integral part of the Baltimore/DC scene, Charles if often credited with
helping put the scene on the house music map. In 1992 he joined forces with
fellow DJ Scott Henry to launch Fever, a club event that introduced the
sounds of electronic music to his hometown. The first event of its kind in that
region, the night exploded in popularity almost immediately, attracting
upwards of 2,500 people. Featuring such top-notch, internationally
renowned talent as Paul Van Dyk and Carl Cox, the biweekly event ran
through May 2001.
Maintaining a seven-year residency at Fever helped springboard Feelgood's
danceable brand of bangin' hard house to widespread exposure across the
East Coast. His popularity quickly bloomed thanks in part to his legendary
series of mixed tapes, "Time to Get Ill." He soon developed a club-heavy
touring schedule that regularly took him to famed clubs such as Limelight,
Spundae, Shampoo, and Cro Bar, along with numerous other venues on the
West Coast, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America.
In 1993, Feelgood launced his own label, Charm City recordings, to create
an outlet for his original material. His releases on the label found moderate
success and ultimately, launching his own label proved to be a crucial
stepping stone for exposing his material to more famous imprints.
Charles is busy in the studio again working on new releases for his newest
imprint Supa Cutz, which will be launched in early 2009. The label will focus
on house with a "ghetto retro" feel-so be on the lookout for tracks in your
local record stores and Beatport.com soon.
This past year has bought remixes of Ashlee Simpson and Billie Holliday on the Billie Holliday remixed and Reimagined Cd, along with such artists as Tony Humphries and DJ Logic.
Charles Also has several releases on Beatport.com the newest being
released on Dj Dan's imprint In-Stereo produced with Jeff T titled "Bounce It"
The track has already hit the top 100 electro chart on Beatport and being
played by Carl Cox on his 2009 Tour. Look out for the newest release
"Hands" feat Russell Taylor on Ultra this spring!
on house with a "ghetto retro" feel-so be on the lookout for tracks in your
local record stores and Beatport.com soon.
Constantly in demand all over the world for his ability to light up dance floors
with his sets of funk, acid and electro drenched house, Feelgood has
received numerous accolades in his fifteen-year career. These include being
named Baltimore's Best DJ several years, and being included in BPM and DJ
magazines top 100 Dj's several years running . Playing gigs from as far away
as Russia for the Audi Car Company to working the crowd at 2007's Cochella
Festival - Charles will be busy behind the decks for the rest of the 2009 year
with a tour supporting his new cd "How Sweet It Is "live in La, a live recording
at one of the most infamous festivals with this years attendance expected to
reach 20,000!
Feelgood notes "I definitely try and take the listeners on a musical journey - I
like to start out slow and funky and push for a harder ending, a continuous
rise."
"I'm far from a purist," he adds. "I incorporate many styles into a single set. I
play everything from disco-influenced house to acapella tracks and tech
house, and I especially love bootlegs and electro influenced tracks".
The consummated dance floor rocker, Feelgood sums up his musical
mission in one sentence: "I just want to do what the name implies, to make
people have a good time and go home with a great feeling."
Legendary for his role in the birth of the electronic music scene in the Baltimore/Washington DC area, Charles Feelgood has built a reputation as a DJ in the international dance community through his ingenious remix skills and a dynamic brand of funky disco and hard house.
.BUMP IN THE TRUNK EP
Known for his role in launching the electronic dance music scene in Baltimore, Charles Feelgood has earned a stellar reputation as a top-flight DJ in the international dance music community through his ingenious mixing skills and dynamic brand of funky disco house.
Charles teams up with newcomer Jeff T for his debut InStereo release. Since early 2008, Jeff's name has been on the tips of many people's tongues. Known for the success of his remix on DJ Dan's "Illectrolingus". Jeff's had releases on labels such as Prompt Digital, Mizumo Music, Dynamic Musik and Vibrance Recordings.
The "Bump In The Trunk EP" is due out on February 27th exclusively on Beatport
.INTERVIEW
DJ Charles Feelgood's mere presence makes Orange County a good 50 percent more legit.
How did you get started as a DJ?
I started in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., when electronic music—house, dance, industrial—first came around. I played some of the first raves on the East Coast. People there heard me, and I started going farther west, over to the West Coast. I started producing in 1991; I put out my first dance record that year. Back then, it was an anomaly because things were just getting started. Now it's pretty commonplace for DJs to play and produce music at the same time.
What was it that brought you from Baltimore to Huntington Beach?
I always liked the beach lifestyle. I spent a lot of summers in Ocean City, Maryland. I grew up in a beach environment during my summers, even though we lived in the city. I first moved to LA, but it was a bit too over-the-top for me. I had some good friends there, so I thought, "I'll give Huntington Beach a try." That's where I planted my roots. I had a son there; He was born in Irvine. I figured it was a nice place to raise my son.
Baltimore to LA to Huntington Beach: Was there any sort of culture shock for you?
Actually, no. I've spent the past 10 years traveling. I'm so accustomed to playing in California that it was a really easy transition.
The international aspect of your career must help.
Exactly. It doesn't matter where I live.
So how do gigs in the States compare to a gig in Europe?
There's definitely a difference. There are some really good parties and clubs in Southern California. But overseas, you're never going to have someone come up to you and ask you for a hip-hop song. Dance music is more mainstream in Europe and Asia. There's no question about what they want to hear when they come to the club. Sometimes I find, when I play here, that there are not a lot of purists.
As someone who has been in the dance-music scene so long, how do you see the state of DJ culture today?
It's changed, especially from a technology standpoint. Not too many of us are playing records anymore. We're using Serato and playing with CDs and all kinds of digital formats. It used to be only records. There's also been a progression to both deejaying and producing music. There's a lot more music today because there are a lot more bedroom producers and DJs. Technology has afforded that.
Technology must make the life of a traveling DJ easier.
Absolutely. It's changed drastically. I can remember so many times flying to a city and losing my records. I'd end up in a local underground record store at 1 in the morning, picking out records and trying to find what to play. Now I bring my CDs on the plane, and they never get lost. And it's a lot less weight and money. A domestic record was at least $5.99; MP3s are $1.99. And I probably get 20 to 30 records e-mailed to me daily from producers. I still have a huge storage container full of records. I don't know what I'm going to do with it.
Do you still run into vinyl elitists?
There are definitely vinyl-only people. I'd rather play records, but the problem is that a lot of labels aren't producing records anymore. There's a lot less cost involved. One thousand records cost $1,800 to $1,900. And you've got to ship them, and you've got to store them.
How do you describe the music you're producing lately?
I use funky house or electro house. You've got to be like Madonna and keep up with the times. Right now, electro house, house and fidget house are really big. It's very '80s, very synth-y, but funky and grinding dance music.
How is life on the road as a DJ?
I did a tour a couple of years ago with a full swing band and burlesque dancers. Being on tour like that is rough. I get on the plane, I get picked up, and someone carries my record bag to the hotel. I get to sit and chill till I play the show. Musicians on the road have it a lot tougher than me. +
