Sutter - Loft Lyfe - 018

Dan Bain says that DJs just play other people’s music. His humility, however, cloaks the fact that his DJ sets sound like his own harmonious song. Vocals that ripple, keys that drip, and buoyant percussion are the standard to this Detroit native.
Bain cannot be whittled down to a genre. Having traversed the dunes of house and techno, to the crest of indie and trip-hop, he maintains a unique presence. His sense of victory comes by reach- ing even one person in the audience, although the majority hold on for the duration of the set. His sonic language comforts the dancer who is heartbroken, gyrates the weekend warrior, enlightens the lost, and flirts with the rest, even leaving his own heart on the dance floor.
With an ever-expanding music collection that includes his favorite 12"s, LPs and 45s, Dan’s depth of knowledge hints at an insatiable quest of the universal language. On any given night, whether his message is through hip-hop, heartfelt house, or the quickened pace of techno, there is always a gentle let-down, but never a conclusion. You’ll have to return for the next chapter in the story.

Sutter wasnt born with headphones, or knew he was destined to make people dance at age 3, or any other lame cliches to make a bio sound cool. He did take over his mom’s crate of records filled with Michael, Janet, Stevie, and Whitney pretty young. Big love for hip-hop and R&B as a teenager, but once he discovered underground house music, he turned the radio off and never really looked back. 

Detroits underground music scene, iconic Motor Lounge and the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival were the driving forces behind crafting his own parties back in Flint around 2003. He never really set out to be a DJ, but when you find yourself surrounded by DJ’s, you kinda just learn to DJ. Sutter got booked for gigs before he could even mix. His track selection is what kept him in rotation until his hands stopped shaking every time he put a needle on a record in front of people.	By teaming up with the Disfresh event label, and after countless weekends of non-stop music and years of curating events with the crew, he learned to tighten up his mix. He quickly carved out a name in the underground as a go-to house head. His next big move came in 2010 by co-founding their current creative home base [something clever]; with forever homies Jeremy Poling & Nesto. Sutter’s played just about every spot from Detroit to Grand Rapids on lineups with major players like Mark Farina, Colette, Miguel Migs, Fred Everything, DJ Heather, and Justin Martin to drop a few favorites, but the list goes on. He’s worked to bring new and edgy artists to Detroit for thier first time appearances like Lovebirds, Sonny Fodera, Benoit & Sergio, and Eats Everything. Holding residencies at Detroit’s Oslo, Whiskey Disco, and Northern Lights Lounge and playing on festival lineups like Tec-troit, City Lights Music Festival, and Land Of NOD, with national bookings in Chicago, LA, Miami, and Buffalo, Sutter has secured his position as a seasoned vet of the game. 

His sound lives in the pocket between deep and disco to jackin’ party pumpers, and soulful panty-droppers—all bridged by vocal-heavy edits and throwback samples. With a rooted love for old school hip-hop and R&B, his fan favorite annual OG House mix series features classics from his youth reworked into house edits. This influence comes through his sets while guided by one rule—Rule #1: Make the girls dance. Those who know Sutter can recognize his sound within the first few tracks—deep, vibey, unapologetically soulful, and built to quickly fill a dance floor. 

Sutter’s name is synonymous with unforgettable parties—from legendary loft weekend ragers (yes, the turntables really hung from the ceiling) to iconic pajama jam house parties, monthly club series, NYE blowouts, and Movement weekend gatherings that are now part of Detroit’s underground lore. For over a decade, Prelude has signaled the unofficial kickoff to Movement weekend—a guaranteed vibe, expertly curated by the [something clever] trio and Infiltr8:Celebr8’s own Atnarko.

Sutter’s a DJ first, but he’s shadowed John Johr and Hugh Cleal in the studio, and has since built a respectable discography. (Eric) Sutter’s early production has dropped on labels like D-Records, Coyote Cuts, Open Bar, and Deep Hype Sounds. His recent cuts can be found on House Global Alliance (and HGA Deep), World Sound Trax, Stay Up, Evolve, Twists of Time and 4E&A Records tuned up with remixes by heavy hitters Andrew Emil, Henry Navarro, Andrew Macari and more.

These days, you’re just as likely to find Sutter on a boat as behind the decks—but always ready to show up when his name is called, Henny in hand. 

Booking: sutter.detroit@gmail.com
soundcloud.com/sutter
beatport.com/artist/eric-sutter/167135
traxsource.com/artist/42509/eric-sutter