DJ Ron Slomowicz: You got your start DJing with Skribble; how did the two of you meet up?
DJ Escape: We met at a club I did in Bayside, Queens called the Underground. I was doing teen nights at the time and he was the guest DJ. From there we also did the 18-and-over nights in the same club and we became good friends.
RS: Was that more on the hip-hop tip?
Escape: Yes, we played all hip-hop and reggae back then.
RS: How did you make the transition to the house scene?
Escape: After working with Skribble in the city on Thanksgiving eve of '96 I think, we went to go hear Junior Vasquez at the Palladium and I was amazed. From then on I knew I wanted to play dance music.
RS: So a night with Junior changed your life?
Escape: Yes, I was amazed by the energy in the room and the love for the music that everyone had.
RS: How do you react to his Zombie following?
Escape: I think it is great there are a lot of people that love him and follow him and love his music.
RS: How were you able to make the transition in your DJ gigs from hip hop to house?
Escape: I just stopped doing the hip-hop and reggae gigs and concentrated on buying dance music and practicing at home, making tapes and just going out and meeting people. What really put me on the map was a residency I landed at Liquid in Miami which was the hot spot down there then. I played there once a month on Saturday and Sunday.
RS: What New York clubs were you playing at?
Escape: I played at Life, Cheetah, Roxy, Tunnel, and Limelight. I played lots of NY night spots, most were guest spots.
RS: How did you make the transition from club DJ to circuit DJ?
Escape: The gay crowd was more receptive to my music and the gay clubs and parties were the ones calling to book me.
RS: How does a straight guy know what to play for gay men?
Escape: Well, pretty much all I go out to is gay clubs whether I am working or not so I am very in tune with what's popular and what's going on. I also have a lot of gay friends.
RS: How has dance music changed since you started DJ'ing?
Escape: It got faster when trance hit hard then now has gotten slower and more housey. Now, it's even getting a bit more funky.
RS: What is your favorite venue to spin at?
Escape: Stereo (Montreal), Crobar (Miami), and Avalon (Boston).
