DJ-producer Danny Daze is an international player now, zigzagging around the global party circuit and throwing down at all the hotspots from Los Angeles to Ibiza to Melbourne.
But for Danny, it all started in Miami -- the place he still calls home. Back in March, he reminisced with Crossfade about the early days: "I really got influenced by the b-boy scene in Miami -- Hot Wheels, Thunder Wheels. Then little by little got into the rave scene -- specifically the Full Moon parties which were held at Malibu Castle Park."
And because Danny's been DJing since he was 13, you'd be hard-pressed to find a greater authority on classic homegrown Miami dance music among DJs of his generation. So ahead of his gig at Treehouse on Saturday alongside Kate Simko, LINK and Miami Rebels, we caught up with Danny to find out which five local jams influenced him the most over the years.
1. Crazy Legs' "Happy And You Know It"
"This video is pretty much what I did at Hot Wheels every Friday."
2. DJ Laz's "Red Alert"
"One of the biggest bass tunes in history! Used to listen to DJ Laz's 5 O'Clock Traffic Jam on Power 96 every day after school."
3. Phoenecia's "Odd Job" (Get Fresh Version By Soul Oddity)
"This is where I started to get into electro, glitch and IDM."
4. Oscar G & Ralph Falcon's "Darkbeat"
"Although they were around as Murk way before this, this song turned the tables for me, as I was really only into Detroit techno and acid house 10-12 years ago. I hated vocals in house music, but caught myself chanting this thing in school constantly."
5. Dynamix II's "Just Give The DJ A Break"
"In my opinion, the freshest Miami bass record ever."
Danny Daze. With Kate Simko, plus Ms. Mada and Thunderpony. Presented by LINK and Miami Rebels. Saturday, December 22. Treehouse, 323 23rd St., Miami Beach. The party starts at 11 p.m. and tickets cost $15 plus fees via residentadvisor.net. Call 305-614-4478 or visit treehousemiami.com.
