RS: How do you choose songs when you do mixed CDs?
Feelgood: I just pick the records that I like. The CD that's out now is not a mixed CD, its actually all my mixes more like an artist album. But for a mixed CD, I pick the records that I like and that I've been playing out. A lot of people pick their set so that the records blend together perfectly and that's boring. I put the records together as best I can, but neither record is dependent on the other as far as making it into the set.
RS: How do describe your sound? Obviously there's not just one word that can encompass it, but what do you describe your sound as at the moment?
Feelgood: I have to be honest with you, the way I'm playing right now is the exact same way I was playing twelve years ago. I don't follow any kind of sound, I don't go into the record store looking for certain kinds because I go from funky house to hard house or maybe even breakbeats. I like 80s sounding things and bootlegs. The way I play now is exactly the same way that I've always played, I haven't changed one bit. If anyone could say that they don't stick to one style, I'm definitely one of those people.
RS: Cool. We talked about Fever, let's talk about Shorties. Where did that idea come from?
Feelgood: I just always wanted to open a neighborhood club. I'd been to so many clubs over the years and there is no longevity. I always wanted a dive bar because I'm a dive bar fanatic, so I opened my own. It's a little bit nicer than a dive bar, but it has that dive bar feel. It's a martini bar and there's local DJs spinning seven days a week.
RS: Very cool. And so then after that you moved from DC to California?
Feelgood: Yes, I moved to California. I still have the bar. I have a manager running it and go home all the time. Now I live in Huntington Beach California, I live on the beach.
RS: That seems like a radical change.
Feelgood: Well, I've been playing in California for about eight years very, very frequently. It's not that radical because I spend a lot of time in Ocean City Maryland, which is only two and a half hours south of Baltimore. So I've spent a lot of time at the beach and living on the east coast and, so it really wasn't a big change to move out here for me. For someone who travels a lot and always on the road, it just seemed like a bigger move than the normal going away for the weekend.
RS: So you're gone for three years instead of three nights. Do you notice the crowds in California being different than what you've been used to in Massachusetts ?
Feelgood: No, I really don't. I think that the people tend to think that where they're from has the best crowd. I've had really good crowds everywhere and I've had really bad crowds everywhere.
RS: Describe for me one of the best crowds you've every played to, where was it and what was the vibe?
Feelgood: I've been playing in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and New Years and the people are in a really festive mood. New Orleans has probably been my favorite place for a long time.
RS: Your latest CD on Topaz is an artist CD. How do you approach production, is it from a DJ perspective?
Feelgood: From a DJ perspective?
RS: I mean, are you going in the studio trying to make tracks that you can play in the club?
Feelgood: Yes, I am. I always make tracks that I can play in a club. I mean I'll make tracks sometimes on the plane and I'll burn the CD right there and play it as soon as I get to the city. .
RS: What do you work with to make your records?
Feelgood: On the plane I use ProTools on a laptop with a portable audio card. At home I have a studio with a ProTools set up and hardware.
RS: Do you use a lot of outboard gear or are you mostly using soft synths inside the program?
Feelgood: Actually I'm using a lot of soft synths, but I still have some hardware that I'm never going to let go, like my Roland Juno 106. I have some compressors and filter modules that are outboard gear. I like being able to touch knobs and stuff and I think records have more of a sound if you add a little analogue to it.
RS: Do you feel as a DJ, to get to a certain level you have to do production in order to get the bigger gigs?
Feelgood: It didn't used to be that way but it's definitely that way now. I do think that it helps to have some records out now.
RS: And just a cheesy ass question, do you ever get called Dr Feelgood?
Feelgood: Yes, every once in a while.
RS: Well, is there anything you want to say to the people out there reading this?
Feelgood: Thanks for supporting me and go check the new album out and check out my web site www.djfeelgood.com.
Special thanks to John Trepp for arranging this interview.
