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The golden era of house music came and went with the early-’80s-to-early-’90s heyday of pioneering legends such as Frankie Knuckles, Steve Hurley, and Larry Heard. But with his grasp on the soulful essence and rhythms of classic house, there’s no denying that DJ-producer Dennis Ferrer is carrying the torch into the 21st Century.
Raised in New Jersey and schooled by veteran homeboys Little Louie Vega and Kerri Chandler, Ferrer first earned notice in the early ’00s with hits such as “Sandcastles” and “Son of Raw.” These tracks forged his signature style: a throwback to the raw, jacking sounds of classic Chicago and Detroit techno with a clear contemporary edge.
Fast-forward to the new decade, and Ferrer is bigger than ever, having garnered Beatport’s Best Deep House Artist award in 2009, not to mention a Grammy nomination for his “Objektivity Mix” of Dido’s “Don’t Believe in Love.” BBC Radio 1 tastemaker Pete Tong even called Ferrer’s summer smash “Hey Hey” “a return to the finest virtues of house music.” It’s in support of his new banger on the prestigious Strictly Rhythm label that Ferrer will stop by Mansion this Saturday.
