Electric Elegance Productions

It runs in my Blood, it is in every inhale and exhale.

2011-10-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

So much has been happening in my life as of lately. How I am still sane is absolutely beyond me. Thank God I am a creative. Slight insanity comes with the territory. The only thing that has been keeping me balanced is walking everywhere and listening to mixes. Not music but mixes. It made me focus on what is really going on when a DJ does a mix. If done correctly,it is a time consuming process. Live mixes are great as well. They really capture a uninterrupted emotional state. A rare and refreshing thing. As I listen to the blends ,which is how I learned to blend.( My Paul Johnson Need another plan pt 1 and 2 is wore out due to my studies.) Hearing a Dj ever so slightly fall of beat and catch it . Exhilarating to say the least. Now if you train wreck, or have shoes in the dryer it causes me to cringe. When I do things like that in public,sooooo not cute. I likes to strut when the songs are starten to beat! (yes. That was a very intentional sentence. Please use your imagination.) If a mix can make me smile and start tapping my feet in the middle of street. Oh Boy ! Accomplishment achieved.Even bigger achievement is when a mix makes me want to go home and practice. Inspiration. Eureka Son.

I have had 3 on repeat. 1. is Derrick Carter's 2011 westfest live mix. 2. Samone Roberts 5mag mix. 3. Dj Kwest_on Groove Session. As a House Dj I believe it is so important to go back to basics. This comes from my ballet background. As a dancer you are always required to take at least one beginning class. One will be surprised how quickly they forget. I went back to basics. I listened and learned. Here is a short list of what I took from my self studies.

1. Intros can be exciting most of the time they are intriguing
2. When playing live even the Greats make mistakes. Realize. Fix it. Move forward.
3. Certain mixes touch your soul. Half the time you don't realize it. Kinda like the break a la Africa Bambataa
4. programming is so important. Finesse is key. but it should come naturally.
5. Music relates to real life. Utilize your lessons.
6. At the end of the day I am more open to new music . Mixes do get you open.

With all that being said... A.D (AfterDisco.com) is right around the corner Nov 11,2011. Mr.Suit put me on to RCMP ( Young Robots Records/Philadelphyinz) . Oh my I was impressed. Keep on jumpin one of my first disco favorites. go check it out! Decision is yours. Maintain a open mind. You will be amazed.

Much Love, Yazi The DJ

SideNote: I feel better. Thanks for reading.

From the Ashes I Rise

2011-08-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

March 2010 was the last post I made... How did that happen!?Goodness so much has happened. Super semi quick update. I was doing events quite frequently,hit a creative block,watched a lot of doo doo rise to the top,then sink back down to the bottom. Cleaned house, decided to throw the whole damm thing house and all away. Went into silence. Didn't work. An idea kept nagging at me. Pushed it aside for I was to become normal. Met a suit in the process. Yet another idea was born. Welcome A.D which stands for AfterDisco. (AfterDisco.com)

Conveying the message of A.D was alot harder than I thought. I have way too much faith in humans(myself included) Yes that was the jaded Dj in me. How do you explain what happen After Disco.... aka House? I thought I knew but the whole thing is so abstract. People hear music so differently,even more so with House. Most of my peers were just being born , my early 70s babies were just gaining some semblance of consciousnesses. The few friends I have that were born in the late 80s early 90s. Then there is born in cook county or not. Northside ,SouthSide and everything in between. Stop the madness! One nation under a groove. Yea right! I myself caught it the 4th time around. (a la NorthSide Andersonville Northwestern hospital)

So,I broke it down. 1979 to 1989 the first 10 years of house. AfterDisco.com was born.

The state of Djs was meh to say the least. From what I could tell creativity was fleeting. Time for a community art project. Back to basics. 30 min mixes + 1 specific year= well take a listen for yourself at AfterDisco.com . (the suit has taught me well.) Some of the Djs I asked declined for various reasons. My favorite was " I wasn't even born that year!" Some really took it to heart. One even wrote an essay. You can really hear it in the mix. I haven't done one myself as of yet. I am kinda in awe. So once my gushing is done,I will get on it. Part 1 of A.D done. PARTY TIME!

I did not want to get stuck with a throwback night. Its sooooo Chicago. I saw all these talented Djs and producers with no public creative outlet. (aside from the internet) Time for a party! ahhh wait!!!!! We are in a state of economic demise. Even better. Hello A.D (Afterdisco) at Sub-t. $3 or free with an rsvp at Do312.com 10 to 2am. A night to showcase the "new" state of House music. Some Djs you will know ,some you won't. If you know me I try to maintain a even flow. Where it's gonna go I have no clue. As long as we land a little more educated and on our feet I am happy. House has been around for a long time. To know your history is to Know your future. Just don't forget to embrace the future when it comes.

Cubic Zirconia Tour Day Two: Chicago | URB.COM

2010-03-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

Cubic Zirconia Tour Day Two: Chicago | URB.COM

March 14 2009 I was working with some really great people. We had our first party called The Living Room presents with Carlos Mena. A magical weekend to say the least.

One year later.... March 13 2010 on my own,and fate shows it's pretty face,with a gift in hand. I open the gift to reveal Cubic Zirconia. An amazing group of people. Chicago in 09 we asked you to STAND UP! In 2010 it was nothing but a word. I am so happy our relationship is built on trust! I really had no clue who Cubic Zirconia was. Hersh came to me CZ this and That. The lead singer Tiombe Lockhart is what caught my attention. ( Huge fan) I started chit chatting with Nick Hook,uh best dude EVER! Doud (I may have spelled his name wrong)is quite the peaceful spirit. Justin the drummer, hurting em on the skins. Brokenbeat live all day. Kwest_on and I were like yea this is a cool bunch of people. We had both only heard a few tracks here and there. When Cubic Zirconia hit the stage... What...My spirit and soul stood at attention. It has been a looooong time since I have been impressed musically. I danced, people danced, Kwest_on continued on where CZ left off. Amazing! Thank you Silver Room, Cubic Zirconia, Kwest_on, Hersh, Rodan, Taste (kind words),and the supporters. I truly love my city. It has been proven to me yet once again ,Never fear the unknown.

I am at it again....

2010-03-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

So, I was at a club and a idea snowballed into a concept. A concept became a test of reality. Let's see how it goes. I was at a friday night disco party,and a conversation went as follows :

Person: Hi Yazi

Me : How are you?

Person: I am well,do you know Tiombe Lockhart?

Me: uh Yes ! blah blah .gushing, more gushing, adding my two cents. (thinking to myself must stop these tangents) ....

Person: (happily) says well she is working with a friend on a new band. Cubic Zirconia. have you heard of them.

Me: No but I heart Tiombe (again with the tangents.)

Long story short, 3 text messages, 5 tweets, and a quick phone call later . We have For The Love... Random place, Not so random music, New to you, Old to others. F.T.L is a party. Just that simple. Cocktails, music, a conversation here and there. Time to go back to simple ways. I like this Cubic Zirconia, and The BeatStreet Club. You should come over and check it out.

Here ----->http://www.beatstreetclub.com/ and here ------>http://www.cubiczirconiamusic.blogspot.com/ . Enough said . Much Love and Respect Yazi The DJ

Change is

2010-03-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

The new home for RTDJ has already made me feel like a first time home owner. That is ok. I still am loving what I am doing with the place. Just needed to replace, patch, and repair. Things are still in a whirlwind. Just have to wait and see,once the dust settles. I am quite excited for Le Principle and OCD Automatic. These two really make my ears happy. I think we compliment each other musically very well. It is always nice to have chemistry behind the decks. There is a little added bonus,not only do they Dj. They produce as well. Nice stuff I might add. You should check it out. ----->http://solidbump.com/2010/03/03/le-principle-free-track-interview/. Yes they are signed for a few releases with Solid Bump. Le Principle and OCD Automatic are two guys who have the utmost respect for house music past, present, and future. Future is looking bright. RTDJ NOW.

Lyrics Make The world

2010-02-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Whew ... Chicago Rising with Blah Blah Blah inspired me to a point where I needed to sleep for two days! It was pure magic. Check out the pictures on my face book. Moving Forward, Respect The DJ (RTDJ) is having a house party. The F.O.R and Marcus Shadden bringing four on the floor . Local all day. I really want to get back musical integrity. So, I am gonna keep it genre specific for a few weeks. Personally, a little structure is needed,in order to create greatness.
Now on to the new look. At Lava we paid tribute to the artist that inspire RTDJ. At Butterfly we are focusing on the lyric. As DJ's being in the public eye holds a lot of responsibility. This is why the lyric is key. Do we just hear bass lines, or does the word resonate? You be the judge. These lyrics come from a friend of mine in L.A.. He was at a Dance party and it came on , he paid attention. Now the search is on.. Who made the song ? I would love to hear it? The lyrics have grabbed my attention .
I would like to take a moment to really Thank BLAH BLAH BLAH. Friday's show was so amazing. Keep up the hard work. You guys are really starting to Shine.
Much Love and Respect Yazi The DJ

I love you tonight...

2010-02-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day. Boo I say. boyfriend or not. This is one of those "holidays" I really don't get. Meh, enough bah humbugin from me. There is always a bright side. I get to play really sexy, mood inducing music. I also get to play it at The boy's room. A room of good looking men. My eyes will be happy. Heart will be broken,cuz they ain't looking at me. (" I can always window shop".) For some this is a really special day. I don't want to take from that. I would however like to musically enhance it. I have found some great gems. Ones that really warm my heart amongst other things. Ok,ok enough silliness. The boy's room is my Sunday spot. whether I am playing or not. It is a really great spot with tasty french fries ! House music and Fries. Lovely. Me (Yazi ) Frique,CT,and Johnny Hollywood. A dance party will ensue.

Changing the way you think ,

2010-02-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am forever looking for that feeling when it comes to music. Yes,yes,yes,it is like a drug addiction. I was able to have that stop dead in your tracks feeling with Blah Blah Blah. A band is so different from a DJ. A band not only wakes up your soul. It makes hormones go haywire. Changes out looks almost instantly. I relate it to how I feel when I meet a man that has caught my eye. Stomach does a quick flip. Hard to make eye contact. Please don't touch me I may just disintegrate. Then you get over it(i.e. reality kicks in.) . Well that has not happened with this band. I bop around the house to Blue moon. (Saturday morning cleaning song. ) I contemplate life to Kill the Waiter (with a glass of wine on Sunday evenings). Blahx3 has videos as well. My inner pre- teen comes alive again. It makes me smile when art does it's job.
Sometimes acting on emotion is a good thing. I put a party together.and called in the RTDJ family. Who are big fans as well. Friday February 19 at NV Penthouse Lounge 116 west Hubbard . The band and DJ's who can do them justice. Blah Blah blah, Trancid (DWD), Myself (Yazi),and Moppy. Wicker park infiltrates Downtown. This is sure to be memorable. Much Love and Respect Yazi The DJ

Open your Eyes.

2010-01-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

The first RTDJ of 2010 is here. I am excited to see what happens. It is always a surprise to see the end result of my choices. Sometime I am ahead,spot on, or way off. Hey whatcha gona do. In the end for me it is all about the execution of music.
The world is going through great changes at this time. Open your eyes people. The time is now,more so than ever. I pondered over what would be a great housewarming party. So, much tragedy in Haiti. So, out of any ones control. I don't even want to start on what is in our control,and the trauma that is causing. It quite depressing. I came to the conclusion, we need a release.
RTDJ does Disco Dance Party. Best way to release is to dance. I went out and listened . My ears were brought to attention one Sunday evening. OCD Automatic made me and my ancestors pay attention. It was lovely. He paid homage to the past, while bringing it to the future. Well ,what goes well with a OCD Automatic . A vibrant Kid Color. Hello. Kid Color played RTDJ in 09. I guess you could say he is a veteran. These two together plus me should bring quite the dance party. We will make it Electric ! With that said let us not forget....
RTDJ is taking a call to action. Haiti is on my mind. Guns or Gauze ? great question .now go research it. open your eyes. open your ears. see. listen. I will be making donations of clothing, water, non perishables,formula, etc. I will personally be taking these donations to the Haitian Consulate ,they will know best where to send it.
I am happy to have a new home. RTDJ is like a tree.We won't break because we flow with it. See ya Tuesday 2-2-10 at Butterfly social club . Much Love and Respect Yazi

Hi Haters. I love it when you make that face.

2010-01-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

I am back. After a much needed rest. I still haven't hopped on a plane yet ..... that time is coming. I have some most excellent news. Respect The DJ is BACK !!!! yay! I missed you guys. The djs. The Dancers. The whole lot. We have a new home. Butterfly Social Club. The housewarming party is on February 2,2010. Tuesday nights are back. I feel very good about BSC. I will have more info in the coming week. I am A OK. Life is Good. You are A OK. Much Love and Respect Yazi

2010-01-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

LAST NIGHT...

This night was created to help create the musical background for your Saturday night. Last night,I saw so and so. Oooh did you see what so and so did? Last night I fell in love with... Last night, I lost. Last Night I almost. Last Night so much happen so we need to get together tonight to recap. Please know one thing whatever happens at Rodan ( 1530 N Milwaukee) stays at Rodan. Yazi The Dj, FRIQUE,Jevon Jackson your musical conductors for the evening. No Cover. Just a lovely evening with lovely people.