I never realized what a commotion this marathon vocal set would cause, but it ended up being one of my most memorable mixes.  I had accumulated so many years worth of soulful vocal house and never had any true medium to bring it out, I just needed to let it out and create a mix of all of them.  My favorite period in house music is the 90s, and before the next decade could really take hold just yet, I'm happy to have showcased some of my favorite soulful jams from that decade.  Here's the original description, written in my usual bizarrely creative style:

"hey girl! welcome to my brooklyn barbecue. it's hotter than a bastard out here. you got your tetanus shots, right? for the next five and half hours you'll understand the deep vocal jams that have been moving me as a native new yorker for the past ten years. scattered throughout the five parts will be old and new records - classics and new feelings all rolled up in one. disco, dubs, r&b, full on hoboken house, ibiza happy and everything in between. every song in this mix shares three things - vocals, soul and depth. i turned my record collection upside down for this project, so show your love!!"

Barbecue (2001)

All of the studio house sets I created in one place.

Studio House Sets (1999-2010)

Dylan Drazen's BBQ

amigos ferdadeirod

soulfull hose sessions

disco

SOULFULL HOUSE MIX 02 04 2014

Cê que sabe - Cristiano Araújo

MC JUNINHO DA 10 E MC FOCA - Medley Proibido 2014  [DJS BR FABULOSO E MIBI] CV RL **BOOLADA

MC Jhon Jhon da Sumaré - Meu Castelo (Palladynus Dj) LANÇAMENTO 2015

it took two years to find music good enough to be justified for this mix.  i was always afraid to make a sequel to valley stream because of how that mix affected me.  it really inspired me on an emotional level, much like 2003's <a href="http://www.dylandrazen.com/?section=set&set=23" target="_blank">only deep</a>.  i didn't want to disappoint myself.  it's also why i never made another ambient mix after nightrain to berlin in <a href="http://www.dylandrazen.com/?section=mixtape&id=dd08" target="_blank">1997</a>.  but then one day i was looking through my intelligent playlist and was amazed at all these brilliant, emotionally charged tracks.  it was time.
           
    produced in space and at triboro studio nyc, 04.2009
                
    this mix was featured as the 100th podcast on <a href="http://www.beatfreax.com/article/5805/Beatfreax_podcast_100!_-__Dylan_Drazen/" target="_blank">beatfreax.com</a>.
                
                tracklisting:
                
                Popnoname - The Smallest Part - Italic
                Ripperton & She Masaya - I Love... - Num
                Martin Skogehall - Rygar - Mezzotinto
                Chymera - Caprica Burning - Connaisseur Supérieur
                Rocco - Heartbeat (Latin Floor Mix) - Shack Music
                BeBe & CeCe Winans - Heaven (Dylan's Heartbeat vs Heaven Mashup)
                Filippo del Moro - Moyo - Electronic Petz
                I:Cube - Prophetization - Verastile
                Slytek - Calyx (Neon Skin Remix) - Standby
                Underworld - Play Pig (Pin & Dan Remix 2) - Underworldlive.com
                Nestor & Lowell - Watching The Waves - Acryl Music
                Nikola Gala - Close 2 U - Escada
                Scope - Quid Pro Quo (Office Gossip Remix) - Urbantorque
                Jimpster - I Want It - Freerange
                Dølle Jølle - Balearic Incarnation (Todd Terje Mix) - Permanent Vacation
                Pryda - Wakanpi - Pryda Recordings
                Loui$ - Pink Footpath (Dylan's 85 vs Wakanpi Beats Mashup) - Max Music
                Supreme Beings Of Leisure - Ride (Gabriel Diggs Remix) - Rykodisc
                Stockholm Cyclo feat. M Elino - Beginning People - Cuadra

Valley Stream 2 (2009)

While I continued to get busy with the techno, I wouldn't let the deep house side go.  From the original description, I wrote that "this music will remind you in the future of your experiences today."

Performed March 1998 on The Serpentine, NYC

 side a

JT Donaldson - Mota-Vation - Fair Park 
Saint Etienne versus Faze Action - Sylvie - Cre 
Slam Mode - Cres Aquatica - Deep Worldwide 
Darktown Strutters - Manhattan Dub - Neurotic 
Jordan Fields - Are You Serious? - Mood Groove 
Superlova - All Night (svex rmx) - Raw Elements 
The Persuader - Kungstradgarden - Svek 
Experiment 43 - What I Feel - DNH 
Vincent Nello - Sweet Night - Obsession 
Greenbelt - Everyone - diy 
Blue 6 - Do Ya Like It? (b&s dub) - Wave 
Ramsey And Co - Love Call - BBE 
Jazz Twit - Strides - Shaboom 

 side b

Jean Cochois - So Much Pain Inside - Plastic City 
Presence - Better Day (Salt City Orchestra's Better Remix) - Pagan 
Attaboy - Busted Wagon (Salt City Numb Dub) - Toko 
Graham Jerimia - So Good - Rita 
Nouveau Riche - Nights Over Whales - Estereo 
Soul Purpose - Soul Purpose Too - Low Pressings 
Larry Heard - Saga of the Evil Queen - Distance 
Chris Gray - Tranquil Solutions - Music Is... 
Oscuro P. - Sole Inflection - Pan 
Larry Heard - So Much Joy - Guidance

dd14 - Velvet Rope (1998)

The idealist in me brought out some great mixes.  From the original description:

"You know when you're on the beach, layin' under the sungods with your walkman on.. your eyes closed but all you see is brightness. The sounds in the background are happy, filled with hope. The kids are runnin' around, yellin' and hollerin'. The crashing shore, the tight bodies surfin' only a few feet away.  And all of a sudden the most beautiful, rich, phattest jam comes into your conscience. And for that one moment in your life, everything is washed away on that not-too-distant shore. Everything feels good. Under that sun. And you want it to last forever and ever.. I remember once having this experience. I was a teenager, and I felt like a kid. I remembered this moment and I never let it go. I still remember the mix I was listening to. It reminds me of the utter joy I felt within myself that day. It is my dream to provide the sounds that deliver an experience like that."

Performed April 1999 in The Love Zone, Brooklyn

 side a

Erasure - Stay With Me (NY Mix) - Slip 'N' Slide 
Dylan Drazen - Jimmy Después - G-Force 
Laura Alford - Hold On - West Side 
LoSoul - Brother In Love - Playhouse 
Ronin - Lights Out - PTSounds 
The Persuader - Centralbron - Svek 
MSD - Love Line - Wave 
New Phunk Theory - Slope Two - Forensic 
MSD - Satisfy - Wave 
Dan Bell - The Wild Life - Elevate 

 side b

Dee Dee Brave - Mookies Bio - 11:07 
Johnny Fiasco - Fluid - Distant 
Sparkling Experiences - Hardswing Vision - bno 
Sasse - The Better Weekend - i220 
Atjazz - Wind & Sea - Diversions 
New Phunk Theory - Mutha Phuka - Forensic 
Dan Bell - Subterranean - Elevate 
Dreamer G - I Got That Feelin - Mad House 
Ian Pooley - Lite Juice - Strive 
Joe Claussell - Heaven - Ibidan 
Sade - Removable Tatoo - HOA 

dd18 - Everything Is Fine In The Sunshine (1999)

This mix is special to me, as it represents the very beginning of a memorable chapter in my life.

Performed February 2001 at Tetanus Studio, Brooklyn

New Phunk Theory feat. Kerry Green - Always - Airtight 
Addvibe - Feels So Good 2Nite - Discfunction 
The Yann Fontaine Project - Soul Fonction - Brique 
Simply Complicated - Selenia - Hole Subaltern 
Trouble Men - Sunrise On Ocean Drive - Kif 
Phlash - Sparkling Not Still - Estereo 
Braxe & Falke - Running - Vulture 
Dino/Terry Demopoulos/DJ Deep - No More Tears - Basenotic 
The Last Minister - We Talk Romance - Rec In Pause 
DJ Linus - La Chère - Exun 
Rapsody - Time For A Change - Mercury 
Filthy Rich feat. Nicole P. - Too-Nite - i! 
Deaf'n Dumb Crew - Holiday On Night - Riviera 
Mehdi Naili/Buxxy - Mellow Smooth - Stunt Brothers 
Rob Mello - I Like It Fucked - Classic 
Savannah - I'll Do Anything - Kif 
Richard Les Crees - Dengon (Kokoro Kara Odotte) - Distance 
Demon Ritchie - Casa Profunda - Vitamine 
Aquarian Dream - Love and Tears - Defender 

dd22 - Caught In The Act (2001)

part 1 - reunion 

back to the basics. settle into the sounds you used to know. Darryl James on the midday mix on WBLS or Tony Humphries on Kiss FM, saturday nights at 4am, cruising down the belt in mom's datsun. say hi to old friends and make a few new ones. watch your kids - make sure they don't fall off the swing set. have a drink before dinner's on. yo, was that an Anita Baker track? 

Jamie Lewis feat. Michael Watford - For You - Deep Vision 
Cleptomaniacs feat. Bryan Chambers - All I Do - Defected 
Romanthony - Trust (Chandler dub) - Downtown 161 
Al Kent - Back in Love - Million Dollar Disco 
Nigel Hayes - Back Together - Sunshine 
Homecookin' - All About The Mind - Solevisions 
PB & Co feat. Yvonne Brown - I'm in Love - Suburban 
Fierce - Sweet Love - Wildstar 
Billie - Come Along - Purple Music 
95 North - Unbelievable - Vinylicious 
Planet - Friday Nite - PandaMonium 
WPA - Where Da Party At? - DJ Promo 
The Factory - Do What You Feel - i! 

Barbecue (Part 1) (2001)

part 2 - ribs 

gather round the grill y'all cuz the ribs is on! we in the thick of it now. the saucy vocal jams of our past and present. grab a few paper towels - you're bound to get a little messy. it's too bad kraft had to discontinue that oven pit rib sauce, but this outta do. home is where the heart is. 

Blaze - Home Is Where The Heart Is - Shelter 
Phlash 3000 feat. Marcus Begg - Participate - Estereo 
Indigo feat. Joy Malcolm - Fly to the Moon - Defender 
Donell Jones - U Know What's Up (Jeremy B mix) - LaFace 
Brownstone - Pass the Lovin' (Maurice Joshua mix) - Epic Street 
Disco Anarchists - You Are Everything - white 
Homecookin' - Stay Away - Sole 
Paula Ralph - Ain't No Runnin' Away - Estereo 
Moments of Soul - Live My Life - Wave 
Shazz feat. Alec C - Fallin' In Love - Epic 
Robyn - Good Thang - BMG 
The Rurals - Sweeter Sound - Pêng 
DSE - Bound - Mood Music 

Barbecue (Part 2) (2001)

part 3 - macaroni & cheese 

the perfect side dish to make it go down smooth. we take it down a notch and gives it to you a bit deeper still. make room on your plate for melodies made not only for the dance floor. now that's nice. 

George Levin - When I'm With You - Recreation 
Lovebirds feat. Marie - Tweak - Trax of Interest 
Jersey Street - Step into the Light - Glasgow Underground 
Weekender - Spirit in Your Soul - Toko 
Modaji - Into Something - Laws of Motion 
Taana Gardener - Heartbeat (Touch of Class rmx) - West End 
Gemo/Fabrice vs. Street Vibes - Walking - Disco Inn 
Microman - Too Mankind - Ahab 
Losoul - Lies - Classic 
Bougie Soliterre - Superficial - Quiet Riot 
Soldiers of Twilight - Feeling So High - What's Up 
Seal - Latest Craze - white 

Barbecue (Part 3) (2001)

part 4 - watermelon 

the meal is almost over, but the party isn't. eat up your juicy dessert as you expose your ears to some of the vocal depth from across the atlantic. this one's a bit happier and uplifting. 

South St. Player - Who Keeps Changing Your Mind (Paul Harris mix) - Cream 
Tom & Joyce - Vai Minha Tristeza - Wave 
Warm - It's In The Music - 3345 
Only Paradise - You Got The Way - V2 Music 
Pure - U & I - Atletico 
Ricky Montanari feat. Lisa Millett - I Believe - Azuli 
Groove On Da Rocks - La Bonba - GDR 2 
Nova Fronteira feat. Guida de Palma - Supernova - Z 
Deaf'n Dumb Crew - Feel The Funk - Riviera 
Negrocan - Cada Vez - Swing City 
Danny Tenaglia feat. Celeda - Music Is The Answer - Urban 
Tony Esposito - Kalimba De Luna (Kamasutra mix) - DW Boys 
Tony Esposito - Kalimba De Luna (Sebastian mix) - DW Boys 
Electrix - Blame The Music - 3345 

Barbecue (Part 4) (2001)

can't ever have enough of the local talent. as we say goodbye, here's a handful of true classics for some perspective on how long we have come. love is the only way. 

Presence feat. Shara Nelson - Sense Of Danger - Pagan 
Yolanda Wyns - I Know You, I Live You - Suburban 
Monday Michiru - Sunshine After The Rain - MAW 
Abstract Truth - Get Another Plan - Streetwave 
Can7 - Windjammer - ProgCity 
Larry P. Rauson - Love Is The Only Way - Vinylicious 
Tortured Soul feat. Christian Urich - I Might Do Something Wrong - Central Park 
Sun Kidz feat. Chance - Rescue Me (MAW mix) - white 
Kerri Chandler - Rain - Nervous 
Lil' Louis and the World - New Dance Beat - Polygram 
Double Exposure - Ten Per Cent (Ken Lou mix) - Salsoul 
Michael Jackson - Rock With You (Frankie's Favorite Club mix) - Epic 

Barbecue (Part 5) (2001)

I couldn't believe five whole years passed since I did the original Barbecue, but I was honestly having trouble finding tracks in that genre that matched the quality of the original.  But there was still some excellent tracks coming out here and there, so I decided to showcase them before it got too late.  Rereading my description from back then makes me laugh.  I really am insane.

"hey girl! it sure has been a long time! you look good, girl. work them pumps! and your family looks good too, but yo sista looks like she put on a few! anyway grrl, put the kids on the swingset, cuz we have some shit to take care of, yes we do! oh and it looks like you've lost some weight too, but screw all that healthy stuff, cuz tonight imma fill yo ass with sweet potato pie, ribs, fried chicken, collard greens and save some room for my sweet lemon meringue pie. maya angelou would be proud, girl, she really would. oh, you wanted to know about these beats? well girl, let me tell you, these tracks are two and a half hours of some of the nastiest vocal jams to hit the streets from three years ago to three weeks ago. we just pick right up where we left off back in 01. now I know it's hot as hell up in here but that don't make no kinda difference. get yo ass out there on the patio and shake ya rump!"

recorded at triboro studio, nyc 03.2006 

DB Boulevard - Point Of View (Stringapella) - Airplane 
Gwen Stefani - Holla Back Girl (Dom's Rmx) - White 
Shawn Christopher - You Can Make It - Soulfuric 
Mark Grant feat. Russoul - Girl With U - Blackstone 
Melba Moore - My Heart Belongs To You - Soulfuric 
Terri Walker - Whoopsie Daisy (Beginerz Rmx) - Mercury 
Kloud 9 - So Many Reasons (Reel People Rmx) Copyright 
Eddy Meets Yannah - Reach The Sky (Reel People Mix) - Compost 
Jon Cutler feat. Pete Simpson - Runnin' - MN2S 
Soul Central feat. Diana Waite - Faith - Clean Cut 
Soul Central feat. Diana Waite - Memories - Clean Cut 
Usher - Caught Up (Kings Of Soul Mix) - White 
Dom & Alex feat. Lelani - (You Are) Head Candy - Deft 
Cue Kids feat. Paula Bernadel - Blue Mood - Peng 
Blaze - Found Love - West End 
Markus Enochson feat. Ingela Olsson - Listen For It - Ricanstruction 
Franck Roger & M'Selem feat. Chris Wonder - Reason - Straight Up 
So Much Love - White 
Miami Collective feat. Oliver Cheatham & Jocelyn Brown - Mindbuster - Vocal 
Kenshyro - Sky City (Marquito Rmx) - Map Dance 
Laura Pausini - Escucha Atento (T&F vs Moltosugo Klub Mix) - Airplane!

Barbecue 6 (2006)

I admit it, this set was not actually recorded live at a beach party, despite my old website's claim of it being "performed live at Jones Beach Field 6, June 2009."  In fact, it was one of the very first mixes I made using Ableton Live.  I forced myself to learn because I was laid up in bed for a week hopped up on pain killers after having all four wisdom teeth extracted.  I made good use of my time.

Gregory Del Piero - I Love You More (Laura Seduces Dylan) - Del 
JT Donaldson & Giom - Let's Make A Recrd (Lucas Keizer Remix) - Kolour 
Johnny Fiasco - The Message - Control 
Roed Svensk feat. Diana Waite - All Love You Need.. 
..(Raul Moros Old Skool Dub vs. Dylan's Message Beats) - Reelgroove 
Rasmus Faber feat. Dyanna Fearson - Give It To Me - Farplane 
Phunk Investigation feat. Kwesi - The Promised Land 
Sylvia Tosun & Loverush UK - 5 Reasons (Original Club Mix) - Sea To Sun 
Michael Woods feat. Inaya Day - Natural High (Dino Lenny Mix) - Legato 
Fruitcake feat. Ann Yung - Fudge (Stonebridge Club Mix) - Stoney Boy 
Lily Allen - The Fear (Stonebridge Club Mix vs Dylan's Fudge Beats) - EMI 
Hott 22 feat. Bonnie Bailey - No Promises.. 
..(Thomas Gold Mix vs Dylan's Fudge Beats) - Gossip 
Liquid Nation feat. Andrea Britton - Breathe Life - Hit! 
Rochelle - Fer De Lance (Cahill Remix) - Southern Fried 
ATFC feat. Rae - Give Me Luv (ATFC's Ocean Trench Mix) - Defected 
Cevin Fisher feat. Loleatta Holloway - You Got Me Burning Up - Stereo 
Giofriddo Brothers - The Music That We Play - Kult 
Meck feat. Dino - So Strong (Inpetto Remix) - Frinetic 
Sylvia Tosun & Loverush UK - 5 Reasons (Arnold T Dub) - Sea To Sun 
Schumann & kloss - Shabuka (Cressida Remix) - Euphonic 
Natasha Bedingfield vs. Chicane - Bruised Water (Adam K Dub) - Modena 
Jerry Ropero feat. Cozi Costi - The Storm (Inpetto Remix) - Positiva 
Deadmau5 + Kaskade - I Remember - Mau5trap 
Chymera - Umbrella (Beatless Mix) - Ovum

Beach Party 5 (2009)

In 2007, I wrote:

"i typically end my abrasively hard techno sets with a touch of trance, melodic techno, or progressive house, but sped up to fit the tempo of that night's set. this mix is comprised of the tracks that i would put at the end of a techno set, but spun at the speed the producers intended, around 128bpm. you might not know that i grew up listening to progressive house. but when i began to DJ in 1993 i largely shunned it due to its overwhelming success, and my intense desire to stay true to the underground. but now that so much time has passed, i can look back and see that this style was indeed brilliant at times. here's a group of luxurious tracks carefully selected to demonstrate how possible it is to create beautiful dance music. after recording this 2.5 hour set in the studio, i felt the tracks might be too long, that some needed to be edited down for time, that they took too long "getting to the point." but then i listened to the final mix and realized it was actually perfect. the nice thing about this medium is that there are no time constraints. no commercials, no schedule, no program. super long blends that ride into oblivion. the art of the blend is becoming a lost one; people are starting to mix with ableton live or other such software, eliminating the need to keep two records going without slipping. at my age now, you might consider me old school. i recorded this the old fashioned way - through serato via my 1200s!"

recorded at triboro studio, nyc 10.2007 
	 
tracklisting: 

The Gladiator - Soundtrack (J&S Project Meridium Mix) - White 
Perasma - Swing 2 Harmony - Vendetta 
Holden & Thompson - Nothing (93 Returning Mix) - Loaded 
Karen Overton - Your Loving Arms - Ego Music 
Benz & MD - Mar Del Plata (Dousk Elaborate Mix) - Aurium 
Elevation & Kenneth Thomas - Preen 2006 - Electronic Elements 
Pig & Dan - Decisions - Submission 
Rico Puestel - Interstate West - Minimal Sound Noise 
The Timewriter - Is This Life - Plastic City 
Aerosoul - Time Is By Your Side (Cala Azul Remix) - T.U.S.O.M. 
Delerium feat. Isabel Bayrakdarian - Angelicus (Redanka Remix) - Nettwerk 
Wally Lopez - Dark Sweet Piano (Moussa Clarke Remix) - La Factoria 
Nikola Gala - Blue Impulse - Subterra 
Simon Pierce - I'm Yours - King Kong 
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered (Seamus Haji Remix) - EMI UK 
The Oval Five Project - Vertigo (Dylan's :92 Remaster) - Gee Zone 
Elton D - I'm Happy - Code 
303F - Rising (Neo Mix) - 303F 
Glenn Morrison - Hydrology - Mau5trap 
Deadmau5 - Jaded - Mau5trap 
Deadmau5 - Faxing Berlin (Chris Lake Edit) - Mau5trap 
Satoshi Fumi pres. Deptech - Sweet Sensation - Klik 
Vince Watson & Paul Mac - Track 2 - Influenced 
outro

Eleganza (2007)

No artwork, no tracklist, no nothing.  Just a spur of the moment mix I made in '99 as a bit of a precursor to Ultimately Deep.  The track at 18m remains one of my biggest influences.  I was a white label by I think Pal Joey.

Happy! (1999)

House Calls was a weekly party on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where I played lots of classic house music for the locals.

House Calls 2 (Part 3 - My Roots) (2010)

Playing with Leon at all of these Sunday Love! parties have influenced my tech-house sensibilities, causing me to get back to basics. I had a great time in the studio manipulating these tracks to sound exactly as I wanted them to.

recorded at triboro studio nyc, 08.2010

Alex Sosa - Come Dance With Me - Alma Soul Music 
Rene Breitbarth - Wave - Deep Data 
Rene Breitbarth - Deux - Deep Data 
Reboot - Hello Sweden - Love Letters From Oslo 
Renato Cohen feat. Technasia & Mark Ribas - Cosmic Man - Sino 
Latenta Project - Only One Life (Surrealism's Dirty Life Remix) - Wavesurfing 
Surrealism - Funk Fool - Discoteca 
BalErik & Vadim Yershov - Everybody (Surrealism Remix) - Discoteca 
Neighbour - Mozambique - Kolour 
Kruse & Nuernberg - Drenched (Motorcity Soul Dub) - Kolour 
Groove Armada - Paper Romance (Kruse & Nuernburg Remix) - OM 
Rasmus Faber - Cidade Oposta (Tiger Stripes Remix) - Farplane 
Jerome Sydenham - Deep Fried - UK Promotions 
Matt Tolfrey & D. Ramirez - Bounce To Me (Lauhaus Remix) - Phonica 
Chris Lattner - Sick - Fear Of Flying 
Lewis Boardman - Mist (Chris Lattner Remix) - NRK 
Oliver Dahl - Kanemia - Stereoseven Plus 
Technasia - Voyager Eternals - Technasia 

Colors: West Side (2010)

Mc Romeu - Judas (By. Dj Robson Leandro e Luciano Coulti)

Mc Pitico - Historia de Vida - WwW.divulgafunk.com.br

Studio deep house set recorded in cold December, 2010.

Rene Breitbarth - Airy - Deep Data 
Rene Breitbarth - Widescreen - Deep Data 
Rene Breitbarth - Ready - Deep Data 
Alex Sosa - Go Deep - Alma Soul 
W!ld Mr. K - Now Now I'm Dancing - Bloop 
Okain - Scream (Nina Kraviz Remix) - Tsuba 
Chris Wood & Meat - Back Down (Sascha Dive's Chunky Dub) - Murmur 
Sascha Dive - The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues - Raum...musik 
Sascha Dive - Deepest America (Samuel Davis Dark Soul Mix) - Ornaments 
Rocco - Someday (NJ Mix) - Real Tone 
Patrick Specke - Bitchual Linestepper - Desolat 
BLM - Nacho - Fear Of Flying 
Mathias Kaden - Roots (Luna City Express/Matthias Tanzmann Rmx) - Vakant R 
Tanov - Lajoue (Okain Remix) - Freshliss 
Pho - Border Food - Full Flavor 
SLG feat. Smolny - Feeling 4 U (Catz 'n Dogz Remix) - Pets 
LawnChair Generals & Alexander East - Talk To Me (Giom Dub) 
Portrait - Here We Go Again (Bootleg House Mix) 
Sueno Soul feat. Denzie - What You Want (Tom Conrad Dub) - Adaptation 
James Johnston - She's Gone - Kolour 
Shur-i-kan vs Milton Jackson - I Want It (Shur-i-kan Mix) - Freerange 
Samantha James - Waves of Change (Nikola Gala Remix) - OM 
Inaya Day & Ralf Gum - Lose My Worries - Gogo Music


Deep Cover (2010)

No discussion of underground techno purism and technical DJ mastery would be complete without the mention of Dylan Drazen’s uniquely remarkable life and career, and the myriad of musical influences it has brought. Conforming to no one person, genre or entity, Dylan has fiercely charted his own path since his sonic journey began over thirty years ago.

With the outset of Drazen’s path arriving in the early 90’s at the age of 18, a crescendo would already manifest by the late 90’s when Spain took note of his visionary methods and pioneering sound during the earliest days of the Internet, and he quickly became an originating stalwart of its nationwide underground techno scene for years, putting in over a million air miles commuting from his New York base, crisscrossing the Iberian peninsula many times over, as fans couldn’t get enough of his relentlessly energetic, organic and authentic rhythms that were so novel to a generation of partygoers.

Yet at the height of all this in the mid 2000s Dylan became swept up in the worldwide poker boom and found himself at a crossroads with dual careers. Maintaining both for nearly a decade, he decided to relocate to South Florida in 2012 to take poker more seriously and music took a back seat. By 2020, Dylan’s poker talent would bring him over $1 million in cash and tournament winnings. Then the pandemic hit, the world ground to a halt and everything was reset as he noticed fans begging for his return, bringing him to yet another crossroads…

So let’s reset.

Dylan’s exposure to multiple forms of music began at the age of 16 getting his first job working at his local record store on Long Island, NY. He quickly gravitated to electronic music, heavily inspired by what New York’s FM airwaves had to offer well before the hiphop era would take over. That summer he would sneak out to NYC and into his first club experience, The Limelight, where he instantly fell in love with its debaucherous environment and DJ booth, which he vowed to get into.

By graduation in 1993 he was beyond hooked. Before heading off to college, he took that summer to intern at a few Manhattan based labels: Todd Terry’s Freeze Records, as well as Astralwerks and Instinct Records. All the while insatiably crate digging through NY’s various vinyl shops, Dylan’s teen self was already swimming in local contacts and influences.

But college awaited, and throughout his time at Boston’s Emerson College (obtaining a degree in audio engineering) he launched a weekly radio mix show called “Underground 88” on WERS 88.9 FM through 1997, working his contacts and continuing to hone his technical skills live on air. During these formative years Dylan maintained working at various vinyl shops in NY and Boston doggedly advancing his exposure to every genre imaginable, thus contributing to his encyclopedic knowledge of electronic dance music and all of the wide-ranging influences it would bring him. As a byproduct, his position enabled him to recommend tracks to and influence the taste of bedroom DJs and a myriad of luminaries alike.

Through these years, he even made good on his promise to play at The Limelight before it shuttered, as well as other infamous New York megaclubs like The Tunnel, Twilo and Save The Robots. And thanks to his stint as assistant engineer at The Looking Glass Studios where David Bowie was recording his latest album in 1997, Dylan was hired to DJ Mr. Bowie’s private 50th birthday party after his sold out birthday performance at Madison Square Garden.

But by the turn of the millennium it was off to the races and Dylan was spending more time on the road than at home, as he found himself in demand not only in Spain, but also in The Netherlands headlining the Awakenings festival three times, as well as other major events and festivals in Germany, Brazil, Japan, and Colombia, spreading his unique form of techno gospel one city at a time. 

Between journeys Dylan made the most of his audio degree by building out his own studio in Brooklyn, releasing a handful of original releases and remixes on some of America’s more influential labels of the era: François K.’s Clicktracks; Ascend; Blueline; Remains; and Ultra Records. Even after moving to South Florida in 2012, Dylan continued to work on remixes for other Spanish and European labels.

Then as Dylan began to go dark quietly diving head first into South Florida’s world of high stakes poker, he made sure to finalize the curation of his life’s work on his website and SoundCloud page, with that nagging feeling he would one day return…

That day arrived in 2021 when Dylan decided to look for work as a local DJ in Fort Lauderdale and its saturation of gay nightlife. His bimonthly residency at the legendary Ramrod helped pave his way back, growing just as comfortable in today’s booths as he did 20 years prior.

After a couple years of this and then launching The Techno Files podcast, he realized it was time for more. So in 2025 Dylan decided to relocate once again, this time to the birthplace of where it all began: Detroit.

Within his first year as Detroit resident, Dylan was already playing events for Detroit Techno Militia & Bang Tech 12, along with multiple appearances at Spot Lite, Spkrbox & TV Lounge.

New York-born, Miami-tested, now Detroit-welcomed: Dylan Drazen is primed and ready to return to the world’s electronic stage showing modern audiences how 30 years of sonic mastery, experience and musical influence can be put on brilliant display in a single set.