A nonprofit community-based archive documenting Detroit music through preservation, education, performance, and placekeeping. Future home = The Legendary Blue Bird Inn

Drew is a soul music lover, who has been playing drums and percussion since the third grade. He has played with The Four Tops, Lenny Pickett, The Dramatics, The Miracles, The Contours, The Vandellas, Freda Payne, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Dennis Coffey, The Velvelettes, Spyder Turner, Melvin Davis, Eddie Kirkland, and countless orchestras, jazz ensembles, and gospel choirs. He has studied under Uriel Jones, Bill Ransom, Mike Clark, John Blackwell, Tony Moreno, Jamey Haddad, Lenny Pickett, Mike Richmond, and Dafnis Prieto. In the summer of 2009, he worked at Motown / UMe under Harry Weinger as a ProTools intern and Pre-Production Engineer. He is currently touring with his favorite band, The Four Tops, working on songs for his own debut album, and writing articles for Modern Drummer Magazine. For more information, go to www.DSdrums.com, or e-mail him at Drew@DSdrums.com

Drew’s first encounter with music came through his mother, a piano accompany / voice major who began teaching him piano at an early age. On the weekends, she sang in the “No Name Band,” a cover band consisting of Cleveland lawyers. While the songs by the Beatles and the Stones were nice, the songs Drew really fell in love with were those by the Tops, the Tempts, Martha Reeves, and Junior Walker. Looking to get away from the monotony of scales, he found himself watching Brent Buckley play the drums. While trying to learn all of the beats, he started listening to more and more Motown music. In fourth grade, he began taking lessons from Cleveland drummer Scott Flowers. In fifth grade he began playing drums in school, starting with orchestral percussion, and moving to the jazz ensembles. Throughout high school he played drums for various ensembles and choirs. During his senior year, Drew led the drumline, playing tenors in the marching band. Under the instruction of Bill Ransom, he began to dig deeper, learning everything from marimba to merengue, in both private lessons and Bill’s Cleveland Music School Settlement percussion ensembles. Throughout his high school years, Drew’s love and appreciation for soul music continued to grow.

He fell in love with the music of Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Tower of Power, Smokey Robinson, the Funk Brothers, and many more. After studying during one summer with John Blackwell at Berklee College of Music in Boston, he was presented with a difficult choice. He knew that soul music was what he wanted to pursue, and preferably in a formal educational setting. He narrowed it down to continuing R&B studies at Berklee, or learning the ins and outs of jazz at New York University. With the help of Cleveland drummers Bill Ransom and Jamey Haddad, Drew chose New York. He has since played in ensembles with Lenny Pickett, Mordy Ferber, Ron McClure, Joe Beaty, Mike Richmond, Dave Pietro. Some of the teachers he has studied under include Mike Clark, Dafnis Prieto, Lenny Pickett, and Tony Moreno.

While trying to glean as much as he can from the professors at NYU, Drew has also surrounded himself with the music he loves, playing with his R&B outfit Drew Schultz and the New FAMF, and the NYU All University Gospel Choir. In 2007, the New FAMF was accepted as an All Square organization, becoming the official R&B Ensemble at New York University. In the summer of ‘07, the Mortal Quintet, a group Drew played with consisting of five NYU freshmen, traveled to Costa Rica to play under the direction of the NYU Jazz Department head Dr. Dave Schroeder.

Drew currently plays drums with his role models, The Four Tops. Longtime Tops and Temptations drummer Benjamin Corbett, original Funk Brother Uriel Jones, and musical director George Rountree have provided welcome guidance and inspiration. Drew is greatly enjoying playing and learning all he can from his fellow students, teachers, and the musicians that inspire him to continue.

Live recordings from the Nowadays dancefloor in Ridgewood, New York City.

Speaker Music is a digital audio and extended media praxis by rhythmanalyst DeForrest Brown, Jr.

Detroit-born and Atlanta-based, Ash Lauryn is an international DJ, curator, and cultural voice pushing the Black American roots of house and techno forward. Her acclaimed platform, Underground & Black—which began as a blog and evolved into a beloved NTS Radio show and event series, has become a cornerstone for honest storytelling and celebration within the dance community.

Bookings:
NA/SA: mariesa@liaisonartists.com
EU/WORLD: naomi@earth-agency.com

Music on Soul Clap / Razor-N-Tape / Defected / Young Robots / Diggin Deeper France / Giant Cuts / Philly Int'l and more....

Michael has been on the forefront of many important movements in dance music over the last ten years. With his signature funk-influenced style, he has left his mark across the musical spectrum, sometimes under pseudonyms such as RCMP and Michael The Lion.

He was a part of the multi-genre style of DJing that catapulted his adopted Philadelphia to the pinnacle of the DJ world in the early 2000s. His years of seasoning as a DJ have seen him play all styles imaginable all across the US and Europe.

As a part of the duo RCMP, his work foreshadowed the emergence of Nu-Disco before the genre even had a name. As alter-ego Michael The Lion he is pushing the boundaries of funk in modern dance music.

He is an internationally renowned disco edit-maker, appearing on alongside the likes of Todd Terje and Tom Moulton. He has officially remixed global stars as diverse as Wiz Khalifa, Todd Edwards and Gregor Salto.

He is also is one of the OGs of “Moombahton” – the polyglot global EDM movement that saw DJ Apt One find fame on the BBC, NPR and elsewhere along with pioneers Dave Nada, DJ Sabo, Dillon Francis and more.

He is also a founder and executive of Young Robots Records, and has put out debut records by Solidisco, Nicos Gun, Fashen and more.

DJ Apt One has shared stages with some of the best talents of this generation, including The Rub, Diplo, Tittsworth, Juan Maclean, Treasure Fingers, Nick Catchdubs, Gigamesh, Big Freedia, Blaqstarr, DJ Sega, Sammy Bananas, Spank Rock, Dave Nada, Wale, Dillon Francis, Peanut Butter Wolf, De La Soul, !!!, RJD2, Bonde do Role, DJ Neil Armstrong, The Hood Internet, Anna Lunoe, The Budos Band, The Flaming Lips, Flosstradamus and more..

For general inquiries - djaptone (at) gmail (dot) com
For bookings - brent@rogueangency.us

Detroit record label. Distributed by Submerge

A monthly mix series done in connection with the archival Instagram account There_Is_No_Planet_Earth – Which focuses on the history of House, Disco, Techno and the club culture of 80’s-90’s New York, Chicago, and Detroit, as well as Classic Vogue Ballroom footage.

https://www.instagram.com/there_is_no_planet_earth/

***I do not take mix submissions!

Detroit Sound Conservancy is following