Posts tagged soulful

Victor Simonelli’s name is synonymous with the cutting edge of the Dance Music scene. Simonelli is one of the New York’s finest and most prolific DJ’s. He was also one of the early pioneers of the unique NYC underground dance music movement that has now become a phenomenon it its own right and religiously followed by the clubbing faithful the world over. A producer/re-mixer, song writer, record label owner, and highly sought after DJ, are just four facets of this multi-talented young man. His discography of production, writing. mixing and editing credits reads like a “Who’s Who!

Victor’s love for music began as a youngster growing up in Brooklyn, New York. At a young age he was intrigued by his father’s huge record collection of jazz, blues,electronic,disco,new age,rock,soul,classical,new wave,ethnic, and world music. His parents could see he was talented at an early age and encouraged him to listen to all kinds of music. With this encouragement, and guidance of his parents, Victor took lessons in piano, drums, guitar and bass, as well as voice lessons. But something was missing.I liked trying all of the instruments, but nothing really grabbed me.By the age of 11, he began tuning into NY’s Radio Mix Shows on WBLS, WKTU and WXLO, (which later became WRKS,98.7 Kiss fm) and this is where he discovered the Art of mixing. When I started spinning – I just simply got lost in the music,” Victor said.

Victor’s career as a DJ started at a tender age , assisting his father. In 1979 Victor played one of his first parties with his Dad. It was a party which his Dad organized at Dance Hall (which became a seasonal event in the years that followed). In Autumn of 1982 with his Father, he entered a Tommy Boy Records Master Mix contest via Mail, (promoted via Tommy Boy Rec and Dance Music Report Magazine) , sending A master Mix which Victor and His Dad had done (of Tommy Boy Rec’s Tracks). The winners of the Contest (who’s mix was featured on Tommy Boy Triple Album) turned out to be Tommy Musto, Tommy Sozzi , and Ralphie D (who Victor did not know at the time), though who were also Brooklynites. Within a year Victor started spinning at mobile parties on his own. It was here that he learn his craft and began to develop and fine-tune his ear for music noticing what tracks to play and which ones had the greatest effect on the crowd while he was spinning. His Mother heard had a friend with a small club that was closing it’s doors, and bought Victor their whole Record Collection before closing. By the end of High School Victor could not help But notice that , something was not right, “I wanted to not only mix the music,” Victor explained, “but I wanted to create the whole production”.