The Leeds-born house DJ Dave Seaman is by now a worldwide household name in electronic music, with countless mix albums and original releases, a record label (Audio Therapy), and a constant international touring schedule calibrated with military precision. But in the mid- to late '90s, he was still relatively unknown on these shores, until he hit Miami. In fact, he arguably owes a great deal of his U.S. breakthrough to his residency at the Bliss party at Groove Jet, where DJ/promoter Jonathan Cowan originally invited him to play.
And while Cowan and friends helped introduce Seaman to the States, Seaman introduced the States to the burgeoning sounds of progressive house. "A lot of what was going on in town when I first came was based on that R&B-based house music like Little Louie Vega and Masters at Work," he told New Times last year. "But in the UK, it wasn't like that. In the '80s and '90s, there was this big Italian thing going on with dance music, and then our house music became very much electronic-based."
That sound would later take over South Beach, and then the dance music world, before its mainstream popularity eventually waned. Since then, Seaman has embraced a broader style. "I get labeled by the press as a progressive house DJ, but I play records that Danny Tenaglia would play, or even Richie Hawtin or Sven Vath. It's everything from deep house to techno in a set," he said.
Now that Cowan helps run his family's Shelborne Beach Resort, including its slick, smartly curated club Shine, Seaman has become a more frequently spotted face in town. This Saturday, he takes the decks with Dennis Ferrer, a soulful house technician from Union City, New Jersey.
