RS: What are your biggest records at the clubs you spin?
DJ Escape's Top 10 Nov. 4
1. Jaydee- Plastic Dreams- (Lee Cabrera Mix)
2. Sandy Rivera- Dreams
3. Vic & Chicola- The Music's Got Me
4. Dania- Little Bit Of Love- (Escape vs. Guido Mix)
5. Annie Lennox- 1000 Beautiful Things (Peter Rauhofer Mix)
6. Monica- Get It Off- (TKC Mix)
7. Kevin Aviance- Give It Up- (Friburn & Urik Mix)
8. DJ JRNY feat. Ceevox- Wired- (DJ Escape Mix)
9. Kujay Dada- Young Hearts
10. Beyonce- Naughty Girl- (Victor Calderone Mix)
RS: How did you make the move from DJing to production / remixing?
Escape: I would go out and hear Junior Vasquez at Twilo every week and I wanted to make records to hear in that room that everyone would react to. I also wanted to make records to play in my own DJ sets. So at first I worked in Razor and Guido's studio when they were not working and I also worked with Johnny Vicious and Eddie Baez. I eventually got my own studio and I also did some engineering work for Junior Vasquez.
RS: Who are your favorite remixers / producers?
Escape: There are so many but people who are doing great work right now are Lee Cabrera, Scumfrog, and Gabriel & Dresden.
RS: How did you become involved with Strictly Rhythm?
Escape: Michael McDavid, who was the A & R, asked me to work with him part time bringing him all the hot records to hear and from then on it turned into a full-time job.
RS: How do you choose tracks for your mixed CD compilations?
Escape: It's a combination of popular songs in the clubs and on the radio and new songs that I think will be popular in the clubs.
RS: How are your compilations different - say on SPG than the ones on Groovilicious?
Escape: My Groovilicious CDs were more commercial driven with mainstream songs, except for my Ultimate Underground Volumel 2 CD which was more club driven. My SPG CD Circuit Party Vol. 8 was more an indication of how I play in the club.
RS: How is the new label Just 2-Xist different than Groovilicious?
Escape: It is a label which I started from home with my then-roommate Guido whom I no longer talk to and who will no longer be releasing records on my J2X label.
RS: Is it related to the underwear label?
Escape: No
RS: What projects are coming next - remix and CD wise?
Escape: I will be doing another PartyTime CD- PartyTime 2004. Remixing - I remixed a new Ceevox song called "Wired" and also just collaborated with Gomi remixing a new record he did with Amanda Lepore and Kevin Aviance called "Up in This House".
RS: Where do you see dance music going in the future?
Escape: Hopefully, the business will get better and there will be more people making dance music. Hopefully it will become bigger and better. Only time will tell though.
