DJ Garth

DJ Garth is a pioneering House music DJ who is largely credited with both defining and capturing the sound of San Francisco House music in the 1990s. As a recording artist, his productions are recognized on club anthems such as "Twenty Minutes of Disco Glory". He co-founded the Wicked Sound System and established a series of legendary underground parties which were important in putting San Francisco on the club/rave map.

Born and raised in England, Garth moved to San Francisco in 1990 and became a key player in the city's exploding dance scene. He organized the monthly Full Moon events that led to increased underground interest in rave culture, and in 1991, he led the Wicked Sound System venture with friends and fellow DJs Jenö, Thomas Bullock and Markie. By 1994 the crew imported a custom Tony Andrews-designed Turbosound system, teaming up with a 1947 Greyhound bus which allowed the Wicked act to tour the States.

This annual tour along with early appearances at Burning Man & Reggae on the River Festivals gave Garth the credibility to produce his own music and start a record label. Wicked Records' first (and most successful) release was DJ Garth's 1996 collaboration with E.T.I., "20 Minutes of Disco Glory," which remains a popular House track. It was featured in the soundtrack for the movie Groove.

In 1998, Garth founded his own label Grayhound Recordings, named after the Wicked tour bus. Grayhound became the home label for his own projects including singles with Markie and as Rocket with Eric James. The label went on to release 53 singles from celebrated California recording artists including DJ Garth & E.T.I., Rocket, Defenders of the Faith, Wicked, Mirror Boys, DJ Harvey, Nectar, Stranger, Rasoul, EBE & Michoacan.

1998 proved to be a milestone year, with the release of Thrive's popular mix CD U.S. Underground, Vol. 1. 2000 saw the release of The Cisco System, a Garth mix CD showcasing the work of Grayhound artists. This was the first of three Grayhound mixes, the others being Revolutions in Sound & Unleash the Hound. In 2001, Om released San Francisco Sessions Vol. 3, showcasing his blend of House and Dub. In 2003, UK label NRK released Garth's Nitelife Vol 7.

Garth remains in demand as a remixer. He has remixed A Tribe Called Quest, Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell along with Faithless, Yabby You, The Units, The Glimmers, DadaMunchamonkey, Adam Freeland and many others.

in 2004 Wicked disbanded after thirteen years. Garth again teamed up with longtime partner Jeno for their Back2Back parties in San Francisco.

In 2007 he launched Golden Goose re-edits with James Glass to release their own King & Hound edits. The purpose of the label lies in reviving lost Disco and Rock tracks.

2011 saw the Wicked crew reform. Garth spearheaded a 15 city tour of major cities in USA and Japan in celebration of Wicked's Twenty Years of Disco Glory.

He maintains a full schedule as a touring DJ playing all vinyl sets in USA, Japan, Australia, Fiji, UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Belgium, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico & Canada. Although usually performing solo, in 2010 he toured extensively in Japan & Australia with DJ Harvey.

External links

• Grayhound Recordings
• Grayhound Audio Samples
• Garth 2010 Online Interview & Mix
• Garth 2010 Online Australia Interview & Mix
• Wicked 2011 Article SF Bay Guardian
• Garth 2008 Online Interview & Mix
• Garth MySpace Profile

References

1.^"Lunar Magazine: Dj Garth". http://www.lunarmagazine.com/features/garth.php. Retrieved 2006-12-07. 

2.^"Grayhound Artists". Artist Biographies. http://www.grayhound.net/artists.php. Retrieved 2006-12-07. 

3.^"Still Wicked after All These Years". http://www.djtimes.com/original/djmag/mar01/samplings_2.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-07.