DJ X-Dream’s Dance Nation Podcast Subscribe
Steadily gaining recognition and credibility over his 24-year DJ career, X-Dream, has carved a niche for himself as a DJ and producer within the global dance community. From the moment he put on his first pair of headphones, he knew DJing was for him. "Being a DJ," says X-Dream, "is all I ever wanted to be." Although the profession did not have the popularity and interest it does today, X-Dream says, "Something just drew me to it."
As a driving force behind the groundbreaking techno and break beat label Caffeine Records, DJ X-Dream’s extraordinary ability has led to remix work, collaborative productions and a steadily growing touring schedule.
During his 7-year tenure, DJ X-Dream helped propel the label, into a hugely successful venture with a permanent place in the rich history of the East Coast dance community. The Caffeine phenomenon began on Long Island, NY, as an underground techno/break beat club in 1991. The club’s cultural impact was soon deeply felt as the nucleus of an emerging street movement made up of club kids, skateboarders, break-dancers, graffiti artists and music lovers, were brought together by the common beat of the Caffeine DJs. Caffeine later evolved into a multi-faceted organization, spawning a popular clothing line, record store, independent record label and yearly artist tours. X-Dreams creative force solidified him as an indispensable influence, securing him a DJ spot on four years of the legendary Caffeine Culture Tours while he acted as the store’s vinyl buyer and record label manager. Breaking new ground for the company X-Dream conceived and produced www.caffeineculture.com in 1999.
While running the show behind the scenes, DJ X-Dream quickly gained the admiration of Caffeine club goers for his impeccable mixing and intuitive gift for rocking the dance floors. His crowd-pleasing sets at Caffeine events swiftly gave rise to an impressive touring schedule. His travels have spanned across the United States, including stops in Seattle, New Orleans, Orlando, Atlanta and Houston plus such renowned clubs as Limelight, Tunnel and the Roxy in New York City, Buzz in D.C., and Motion in Philadelphia, where he maintained a residency. As a featured DJ for Philadelphia’s Local 13 and New Yorks Stuck on Earth Production Companies, DJ X-Dream has spun at famed Local 13 events Whistle 2, 3 and Bang 1 and 2 parties as well as Stuck On Earth Productions events such as Joy, BOO, One Nation, and I have a Dream events. While working to build national recognition with relentless touring, DJ X-Dream continued to support his local dance music community in Long Island by producing weeklies such as Revival, Natural, React, and Pure with longtime friend and fellow Caffeine artist DJ Micro.
In 1997 DJ X-Dream joined forces with Vicious Vic (Nervous/Sorted Records) and hammered out the now classic remix of "Free" for Caffeine Records. The track immediately caught the attention of Moonshine artist John Kelly, who licensed it for his 1998 mix-compilation "Funky Desert Breaks 2." The original artists, DJ Micro and Debo (a.k.a. M.A.D.) were also impressed with the remix of their tune and encouraged Vic and DJ X-Dream to get back in the studio and create something original. The resulting track "Jack Tweaker" was an instant smash and was released on the second installment of Caffeine’s DJ EP series together with a feature on DJ Micro’s 1998 mix-compilation "Micro Tech Mix" for Moonshine. ." These early sessions with DJ Micro were the starting point of their long-standing professional relationship and affiliation.
In 1999, DJ X-Dream created the Caffeine Records sub-label Stimuli Records as a high-quality outlet for trance producers worldwide. With support coming from such celebrated artists as John Digweed and Pete Tong, the label quickly became a huge success. Past hits, including, Cliff Tengredi’s "Shimmer" is regularly featured on the UK’s Radio One, and news of upcoming releases never fails to excite trance enthusiasts. Upcoming release for the label includes "Future Sound of Amherst" produced by Seth Lawrence and remixed by the British duo Starecase (Kinetic). After the launch of Stimuli X-Dream also had the opportunity to showcase his skills for live broadcast. Working at the radio station 92.7FM WLIR, Garden City, NY. X-Dream recorded the innovative X-Treme Groove; a two-hour radio show devoted exclusively to underground dance music tracks.
June 2001 marked the release of DJ X-Dream’s first full-length mix CD, "Trance Theory Vol 1" Released on Topaz Records, home to artists such as Commander Tom, Kevin Saunderson and Jon the Dentist, "Trance Theory" is also produced in conjunction with Stuck on Earth Productions, a major force in New York’s party scene. He has since then completed the "Trance Theory" Series with Volume 2 & 3-D. March 2005 marked the most recent CD by DJ X-Dream entitled "Trance Sessions 01".
DJ X-Dream continues to be a positive force in the dance music industry. Whether he’s igniting the dance floor behind the decks or inspiring producers and DJs worldwide with his own productions and remixes, X-Dream still firmly believes that he’s nowhere near where he wants to be. "I’ve just begun," he says with a smile. "I’ve still got a lot of work to do."
