Nathaniel Pierre Jones, AKA DJ Pierre, is an icon who needs little introduction. Hailing from one of the main historical crucibles for house music, the Windy City itself, Nathanial Pierre Jones stands atop almost three decades of electronic innovation, effortlessly spearheading new sounds whilst remaining a consistent stalwart of the scene. Having pioneered the acid house sound with the release of the seismically influential Acid Tracks in 1987, along with friends Spanky and Herb J as Phuture, Pierre has remained at the cutting edge of thinking man’s house music ever since.
We were lucky enough to catch up with him for a conversation encompassing everything from his influences and inspirations to what he listens to in his downtime. Ladies and gentleman: DJ Pierre:
Hi Dj Pierre. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
Thanks for reaching out man.
You’ve been at the forefront of house music for almost 30 years now. How do you stay motivated? What inspires you on a day-to-day basis?
I forget how long it’s been because time flew by so quickly. This life that chose me is my passion. It’s my gift and calling. So even when the industry seems tough and weird and even alien to me, I survive because this is what I was called to do. I love it. I’m inspired each day when I know I can get to the studio and make something that can transform someone’s life. I’m inspired when I know if I play a set from my core I can impact someone on the dancefloor to the point where they may quit drugs cold turkey or change their minds on taking their own life. Those are true stories for me. People have told me that I saved their lives. So for those reasons alone I feel a fresh new purpose each day. My wife and kids are my world. They inspire me. People who I work with at my label and events we do - they inspire me to work harder so I can help them get to where they are going.
What do you listen to when you are not in the mood for club tracks? What music do you listen to in your down time?
I listen to talk radio a lot. I listen to sports programs. Musically I listen to Gospel songs and really that’s about it. Maybe a little jazz and old school Motown and 70s joints here and there. Some old school reggae as well.
How did the Wild Pitch style first emerge – what was the musical ethos behind it? Why do you think it has been so popular, and remains so in demand?
Well I moved to NJ from Chicago when Jive records signed me to their label. I then moved on from there, working with Strictly Rhythm. I loved the energy NY had and I used to go out to these parties in Brooklyn people were calling the Wild Pitch parties; Greg Day was the only promoter combining Hip Hop, Reggae and House all in one building. So the energy was ridiculous.
From that I had an idea to do a mix that had a lot of separate parts - reflecting the different rooms and styles of the Wild Pitch parties. So I purposely layered the track really slowly and introduced a different sound or even style…layering..layering… until it reached a screaming peak. After the track was done I called it the Wild Pitch mix. I gave it Greg Day so he could ask his DJs to play it. After that I would use the same formula for tracks like “Generate Power” and other Wild Pitch tracks. The name grew on people and the next evolution was that they started emulating the style and it became international. Everyone wanted me to do a Wild Pitch mix. Terry Farley did ‘Roach Motel’, which was pretty big back in the day, and a few months ago the label Get Physical just commissioned a re-release and new mixes. My mix called ‘Wild Pitch-I think I Luv you’ was massive for people. To this day it’s still a big request.
What track do you think encapsulates the Wild Pitch style the best?
It has to be “Generate Power”. The only other tracks which I think compare are “Let the Music Take You High” and “Masterblaster”. Generate Power was stripped down. It starts with a voice. No beat. It starts from nothing. And from there it’s just layering. So I would say that is the best representation of WildPitch.
Having been a part of so many fantastic collaborations, who has been your favourite artist (or artists) to work with? Who would be a dream collaboration?
I don’t have a lot of collaborations as opposed to most guys who have been in the industry as long as I’ve been... mainly because I enjoy working on a project alone. My best collaboration would be with vocalists like Sabrynaah Pope who passed away, Barbara Tucker, Dawn Tallman. I enjoyed working with the Supernova guys on a project we did called “The BEAT” and also with “DOORLY” on a collab for Toolroom called “Gotta Get”. I would love to work with Will.i.am and Timberland on a joint. I think they are real creative and it would be interesting to see what we could come up with together.
What’s next for you? What are you working on at the moment?
My Album. Believe it or not I’ve never done one! I have a million singles and mix compilations, but not an original album. Stay tuned for it: it’s been 20 years in the making. The label I chose to go with is a boutique label out of LA called Halocyan, run by people who are on the same wave length as I am. They see the potential of this music and they care about the history of this music and my contribution to it. So it’s a perfect marriage and it allows me/us the opportunity to change music history. Again.
Thanks DJ Pierre!
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