Ladies and gentlemen, you are going to want to pull out your pens and pads now. This is a journey into sound... And who better to lead the way than DJ Dan? Not only is DJ Dan respected by his peers but he continues to create new music at high levels that many wish they could attain one day. From a young age, the Washington native has been hungry to find rare gems to add to his library and incorporate into his sets as well as use as inspiration for his own original tracks. It was this passion that led him to headlining international music festivals, making everybody's Top DJ list, and the start of a successful record label, InStereo Recordings. We had an in depth conversation with DJ Dan about his role in the history of House music, his pro-sampling stance, and possibly creating a TV show for DJs to meet up and cook together.

Let's take it back to your childhood in Washington. What was the music like when you were growing up?

I had 8 brothers and sisters growing up. They were all into Rock and Metal. I didn't have anybody to relate to in terms of stuff I was into. I would go record shopping at the equivalent of a Walmart called C-Mart. I'd find the record section and go by visual or if I knew there was something on the radio that I liked in the Funk or Disco genre. My parents were cool with it because my other brothers and sisters were so crazy. It kept me in my room listening to records. In high school, I started to go to dance clubs and ask the DJs what the tracks were. A lot of the times the music in Olympia was limited so I'd have to go to Seattle which was an hour away. I'd hunt for records and a lot of the times I'd order them. I'd go to Rainy Day in Tacoma, which is where Donald Glaude worked. That was the first time someone would pull me a bunch of music and I'd listen to it before I bought it.

"I made myself learn how to mix in a very military style."

What was it like hearing House music for the first time?

There was a DJ named Dr. Rob. He would scratch and do double copies of stuff. I tried to buy two turntables and mix and didn't realize I needed pitch control. I was like, "Why can't I mix?!" I remember a friend of mine, his parents got him every toy he wanted, so he had the turntables I wanted. I'd go over there and practice for days. I made myself learn how to mix in a very military style. Like, "Within three seconds, I have to get the track in the neighborhood and in seven seconds, I have to nail exactly where the mix is, and in 10 seconds, I have to bring the mix in." I learned how to speed mix. That helped me when I moved to L.A. in the Techno scene. I used to play records for 45 seconds a piece.

Your sound has changed over the years. From Industrial to Funk and a whole slew in between, do you have a favorite sound?

I think what I'm most proud of is during the Funky Techno Tribe era. I was one of the first DJs to really clash sounds. I would play a Disco record with a breakbeat record and a Jazz record at the wrong speed with a breakbeat over it. It was a psychedelic thing. The Bay Area has a history of Funk and Disco and deep Hip-Hop roots. The first big record I worked on with Jim Hopkins, "Loose Caboose," it was a sound I was really pushing. It was acid-y, break-y, and it started a trend. It wasn't solely me but it was a sound I was championing. That's when I started to tour a lot.

Where did you get that idea to clash those styles?

I met Ron Decore and then I was booked every single weekend with Ron. I did the Rave/Techno scene for several years. Then I got sick of it. The whole L.A. riots happened. It became really dark in the Rave scene. I started playing in San Francisco more and everyone was playing House with some breaks records. I thought, "How can I put a twist on this?"

That's when I hooked up with my friend, Hector, and introduced him to Kevin. He used to throw raves and together we re-invented the sound. We gradually came up with it--Funk meets House meets Techno. I'd play the B-side of a Techno record at -6. It was very hunt based. It wasn't records I could find at a record store. There were times where I'd call a friend in Dallas and be like, "I know you have this one record. I need it for Funky Techno Tribe on Saturday. If you FedEx it to me, I'll FedEx it to you on Monday." It was important to have a certain sound and tracks that no one had, and maybe they'd never hear it again. And there was no way of playing it or recording it digitally.

What you did reminds me a lot of Hip-Hop, where you take a lot of old songs and remix them to create something new.

That's exactly it. Did you see that TED interview with Mark Ronson? I thought he did it so eloquently and for people to say sampling is stealing is such bullshit. We sample because we really are paying homage and we're using it as inspiration. There's no difference when you make a beat on an 808 because those beats were entered in that box somehow. As long as you do something creative with it, it's a beautiful thing. One DJ said my music is great but I sample too much. That's my problem? That is not a problem. I hunt for shit to sample to shock people like, "Where did you find that?"

When you do create original music now, what's your ratio of original production to sampling?

Lately, a lot of the stuff I've been doing, most of the drums are original with no samples. I'm getting a cleaner sound. I haven't really been sampling Disco loops so much. Occasionally, I'll sample a freestyle breakbeat record. I usually like to sample vocal records. Vocals are hard because if you find a really good vocal, you know you're fixated on that one. I've been playing out the basslines and the beat. If I grabbed a beat from a record, I'll rip it apart and reconstruct it.

Do you have a favorite artist to sample? I know that you sampled Black Sheep on "Engine No. 9."

With that one, what a lot of people don't realize is that took almost a month to get that riff sound like it does and get the bassline exact. There was so much EQ-ing, adjusting, and replaying. When it landed, it had to hit exactly right. I don't think I worked on anything that long. That's what I love about Daft Punk--the simplicity but nobody really knows how long something can take.

As far as sampling artists, Public Enemy has always been my go to. For vocal hooks, it's James Brown.

"You'd go from 90 BPM to 140 in the same night and back, smoothly."

I read that you suggest all DJs to DJ at a Top 40 club. What did you learn while you DJ'd at a Top 40 club to say something like that?

The night I was playing got so successful that it was broadcast live on a radio station. That meant you walked in and you had to be uber confident and you knew that you weren't going to fuck up. That made me practice a lot. On Friday night, I'd do my Top 40/Hip-Hop club then on Saturday, I would do the raves and Techno parties. So I learned how to speed mix at Techno parties. At the Top 40 clubs, you had to watch the dancefloor so carefully. If you felt any way that you were losing the crowd, you had to flip it quickly. You'd go from 90 BPM to 140 in the same night and back, smoothly. It taught me how to mix styles together and transition. The last thing you want to do is overlap vocals or clash beats. So you think of options and have to make the right choice. I started with 300 people and when I ended it was about 1,500 people.

Is there anything left to do on your bucket list?

It's weird but there is. I've always really wanted to get into film scoring. I don't know exactly what the process is. And the other thing is putting a band together like Jamiroquai. It'd be so awesome.

You're a big fan of cooking and music. Have you ever considered doing a party or TV show that combines the two?

You know, I haven't. Not until now (laughs). That's a really great idea. I think that would be genius. Wouldn't it be cool to find other DJs who like to cook and have them come on and cook their favorite thing? That'd be cool to see another side of an artist. Basically what I do here, I'll invite some friends over and cook with them. We'll bring over new music and play new tracks in the background while we cook.

Last, but not least, if you could give a younger you advice, what would it be?

Probably to embrace the experiences on the road more. I remember during my busiest times like traveling to countries everyday, I would get in and fly right out. If I was to do it differently, I would take some time and get to the countries earlier and stay longer. I don't travel outside the country as much now. I used to have a lot of anxiety before I would play and I was so focused on getting in, playing well, and only DJing. And the fact that it was a busy schedule. One time, I left Ibiza and I had to get to the airport with literally no time to spare and be in Scotland in a matter of hours.

Last Call

1. What is your favorite movie of all time?The first Anchorman

2. As a young DJ, who was the one DJ you looked up to?Randy Schlager

3. As a DJ, what's your biggest pet peeve?When people ask me to play a set that sounded like me 10 years ago. I change and we all evolve. I want to sound like I sound now.

4. What is your current DJ set up at home?I have two CDJ 2000's and my Pioneer 900 mixer. I practice on my CDJs or Traktor on my computer through my headphones. I like to keep it simple. I use Ableton and Maschine Studio to produce.

5. What's your favorite record of all time?Chic "Le Freak." That record pretty much has everything I love about music.

Keep up with DJ Dan on his website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. For everything InStereo Recordings related, check out its Facebook page.

Bryan Hahn could handle DJing at a Top 40 club. Maybe. He's on Twitter: @notupstate.