Joe C on the Roots of Electronic Music

September 20, 2006

-Adam Singer

Not many realize that North/Central Florida – specifically Gainesville and Orlando, played a large role in making electronic music in the US what it is today. Take Simons. This members-only electronic dance music nightclub in downtown Gainesville took some great risks in its hay-day, including being the first club in America to have Sasha grace its decks.

One of these early Gainesville legends: Joe C. This DJ–real name Joe Ciaramella–has been at the forefront of the progressive scene in Florida from the beginning. I sat down with Joe to learn more about his early days with Simons, the origin of ForwardThinkingMusic.com, and to get the real story on Florida’s electronic music roots.

Adam Singer: Simons was originally a private venue – how did you first hear about it?

Joe C: I moved to Gainesville in June of 1990, and hadn’t heard of Simons before. Until 1994-95 Simons was truly underground, and was a member’s only venue. I had moved into my new place, and it just so happened my neighbor was a member.

She got locked out of her house one night, and I saw her writing in a notebook. We got to talking and she invited me to Simons with her for my first visit – Simon had to see you there on a regular basis before an invite was given, and there were no signs and very little advertising besides word of mouth. The entry was down an alleyway, and it looked like a vacant building from outside.

What kind of music was being played at Simons in the beginning?

Back then, there was a diverse music selection – the nights played music ranging from hip-hop to hardcore to down-tempo to house to early progressive house over the hours of the evening. I really liked that because the other places were just playing all 80’s or all hip-hop. It was something truly unique and different.

How did you initially transition from being a member to a DJ at Simons?

I had met someone in a class whose brother owned a club, and let us mix on the super-loud sound system whenever we wanted during the day hours. The club had no air-conditioning, and we’d be up there sweating but getting to play all our records and really just jam out.

Eventually, I started playing house parties, which progressed to clubs, and was given the chance to cover someone’s set at Simons. The night went really well, and they asked me back a second time which led to a residency on a Tuesday night with Todd Baran. I was moved up to weekends in 1991, and have been a resident ever since, along with guys such as Bruce Wilcox and Boyd Westerman.

Your fondest memory of one of your residency nights at Simons?

Playing the Gemini party in 1996 with over 2000 people in attendance opening for Sasha & Digweed was one of my favorite nights – but it’s hard to pick just one, as every night had a different angle and a different approach. They were all unique and exciting in their own way – it was just so fresh back then.

Let’s shift gears a little bit – tell us a little about the idea behind ForwardThinkingMusic.com, and what you seek to accomplish with it…

Originally Forward Thinking Music was an idea had by Dave Preston and myself – we were trying to start an online resource of interviews, charts, DJ stats, etc. At the time we came up with the idea, I was not in school and was freelancing. Until recently it had been kind of dormant, but we redid the site, and now it has transitioned into a kind of archive for my Proton Radio show – “Rhythmaculture” on which I’ve been doing for the last four years.

The site, ForwardThinkingMusic.com, features all of our radio shows available for download with track-listings, a message board and a news area. It’s kind of a third arm to the Proton Show.

The name “Forward Thinking Music” describes music that takes chances, and does things differently from the norm. We came up with the idea in 1998, when progressive was peaking. Many people were playing the status quo, but we started to hear music doing really innovative things and wanted a platform to showcase that kind of stuff that wasn’t being played in the clubs. We really just wanted to have an outlet to hear new things.

I’ve heard sets of yours from down tempo to tech house to big room progressive – but what would you specifically describe your sound as?

It really depends on where and when I’m playing – I play everything from deep house all the way to techno. I play more tech-house than I do anything else nowadays, but my range runs spectrum of electronic music. Usually I work off the crowd/location. My radio show is in the morning, for example, so I don’t want to bang it out at that time. It’s tricky, and that’s one of the key elements that separates a good DJ from the rest.

Sometimes I hear opening sets with DJs playing banging music, who don’t quite understand how to build the energy. I usually try to keep things within proper boundaries and within how the crowd reacts. I’m part of the old school thought of getting there early and basing my sets off the person playing before me, keeping a proper flow throughout the night.

You have a unique perspective of having been in this for many years – what are your thoughts on how the US electronic music scene has progressed, and what do you see as its future?

I’ve seen it completely ramp up and completely ramp down. In the very beginning it was much more reserved than it is now. For awhile, we kind of tried to keep it a secret. Towards the mid-90’s, things got so big and so out of control you were seeing massive numbers at events – and you reached a glass ceiling which broke.

The EDM scene goes up and down, and trends change so quickly – and unfortunately this music is based upon many trends, and what is in style. It’s been in an upward motion as of late, and I see fewer events just trying to make a lot of money and a return to bringing in good talent. Now people are realizing if you knock a few dollars off the cover charge you’ll balance things out, and bring in the right crowds and numbers

Events with 30 DJs plus aren’t really getting it right. When I first started going out – it was all about 1-2 DJ’s a night, you wouldn’t have to pack it with as many DJ’s as you can to profit. It takes awhile for a DJ to get into the groove and start playing accordingly – an hour isn’t long enough to truly play a great set. It should be about taking people on a journey – the escape they are looking for when they pay to come to a nightclub, not being bombarded with so many acts in the same night.

You’ve been in the electronic music scene a long time – what advice could you offer new DJs?

Do something different, something that can get people to recognize you…it’s easier said than done in today’s market. Everybody’s a DJ, so you need to do something that really sets yourself apart from the rest in a unique and positive way. That’s the most important thing.

What are your thoughts on this whole “electro house” trend we seem to be stuck in?

I think most of the electro house is being played just because everyone else is playing it. Electro house is really started to go or has begun to go the way of progressive house – where everything started to get formulaic – where it’s all becoming very cookie-cutter.

It was cool when it first came out, but once everyone started to do the same exact thing it lost its fun and novelty, the innovation is gone.

Who are some producers that excite you right now?

There’s this whole new era of producers out there that are doing some very exciting stuff. I really like the work Habersham has been doing – all his stuff is just out of this world. I’m also very much a fan of the new Terry Lee Brown Jr. new works.

Sven Vath and Claude Von Stroke have been catching my ears – along with Oliver Lieb – who’s been really consistent since the beginning.

In terms of labels, free-range records based in England, is definitely worth checking out.

Message boards/web-forums have become a staple of electronic music culture – what are your thoughts on them?

It’s all a technologically integrated movement…they’re hand in hand. As with anything there’s good and bad aspects to messageboards – the good being you can reach a lot of people for very little money and like-minded people can discuss things. You can also see things you couldn’t see in other cities – because it’s so widespread. You get this big cross section of a lot of different cliques.

It’s easy to be inconsiderate on the internet, however, because it’s not one on one interaction. People act a lot tougher than they are on message-boards because it’s so anonymous. If they were in a room with you the same words wouldn’t be said.

Music festivals and Florida are pretty synonymous – can you tell us your thoughts on how they’ve progressed over the years?

I played the second Zen Fest in 1996 – they gave me the hour and a half set right before Rabbit in the Moon on the main stage in front of 5-6 thousand people, and I was only halfway into my DJ career. It was scrutinized heavily by the media, but it was a very good thing because it started introducing these large festivals to the South Florida area.

In 1996 to 1998 there were some great festivals – in 1998 at the Coconut Grove center I played in front of 15-20,000 people, about the length 2 football fields from front to back, between Josh wink and the Chemical brothers – that was an unbelievable experience.

Things like Ultra, Bang and Earthdance have picked up where Zen left off and should have headed – which is more large scale things. They were on track but the management didn’t agree with each other so it sort of disbanded. Things were on an upward slope until the anti-rave laws went into effect.

Big events typically have a formula they follow now – a set number of DJs, and dollars – it isn’t really about educating people to new music, it’s a corporate sponsored, logos everywhere and as many djs and as many stages charging the most money they possibly can

They obviously run a successful business, kudos to them – but it pains me that it has become more of a business than a hobby/art. They have made it professional. They measure success by financial gain – but I don’t think its helping further the EDM scene. At least bang seems to be making an effort to bring in somewhat different acts than the typical outdoor festival. I do have positive hopes for the future electronic music scene, and am looking forward to another renaissance.

For more Joe C, visit forwardthinkingmusic.com, or tune in to his Proton Radio show which occurs on the second Wednesday of each month on www.protonradio.com from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. eastern time.

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