Note: The 5 Magazine DJ Series was a monthly CD series released in a limited edition around the Chicago area, from March 2007 to November 2008, superseded by New Mix Monday. We featured mixes from legends such as Frankie Knuckles, Gene Hunt and Terry Hunter to the next generation of hard-working Chicago House Music heroes. While the CDs are no longer available, the mixes still are! Enjoy!
After several months of planning, 5 Magazine is pleased to announce the launch and first installment of our monthly featured House mix. 5 Magazine DJ Series #1, mixed by 5's own DJ Freddie Bain, will be available on our website at 5chicago.com/djseries, as well as in a limited quantity of promo CDs free throughout the city of Chicago and beyond.
Each month, 5 Magazine will feature the best House music mixed by up-and-coming as well as veteran DJs on the scene today, together with their thoughts here in House Beat on what makes a good mix and their philosophy in moving a dancefloor.
Freddie Bain was a natural selection to lead off the new series. Aside from being on staff at 5 since September 2005, Freddie has been a fixture on the House music scene from its genesis. With Orlando, Freddie was the man behind the tables at the opening of Boom Boom Room, celebrating its 16th anniversary this March 19th as the longest running House music residency in the world.
Freddie presently holds down the Friday night residency at Cocktail (3359 N. Halsted, 10pm-2am, no cover).
"It'd been awhile since I'd recorded a mix, and I think it came out really well," he told us. "I wanted to play some new stuff as well as songs that I'd picked up over the last few months.
"I do have a technique that I use when I record a mix. I usually start with somewhat mellow material, with a lot of vocals. In the middle, I start to pick it up with some harder stuff, a little more tracky. By the end of it, I like to finish with more of a Southside feeling -- more jacking Chicago tracks.
"I like the more energetic material, but it's about knowing your crowd and what crowds are like at certain venues, as well as the time of night. I could play mellow vocals at, say, Boom Boom Room at 1:30am, but that might not go over at Cocktail at 11pm. You have to be able to read a dancefloor, and that just comes from experience."
You can find out more about Freddie at myspace.com/freddiebain, and keep an eye peeled for the next installment in April.
