Your Monthly Fix of Personality, People, and Passion
If music is a universal language, than DJ Madrid is its global linguist.
Whether it was music, visual art, or design the Columbia College Chicago graduate always had an interest in the arts and actually majored in fashion illustration, which followed in line with what his parents wanted him to pursue as a career. The West Side native remembers his parents recognizing his talent in the visual arts and cultivating an environment that would cater to his creative skill, but DJing was always an interest of his.
"DJing was something I was interested in when I was younger but never took it seriously," said Madrid.
It wouldn't be until the late 90s that Madrid started experimenting more with DJing at one of his hosted loft parties. The DJ's guest list was as varied as the music he complied for his parties; doctors, entertainers, lawyers, and musicians all dancing to the backdrop of a DJ set that infused Latin, hip-hop, house, and funk. The response was good, the vibe was right, and the energy was awesome according to Madrid. So, he decided to just buy some equipment and give DJing a go.
"I use to hire DJs for my house parties, but I just decided why don't I buy some equipment? I did and the rest is history," he said.
Like any other artist, the DJ started experimenting with his new equipment, putting together different mixes, compiling songs, and spinning his on style into his finished tracks. At the time, the Virgin Records Store in Chicago was a major player that bolstered a multi-level megastore on Michigan Ave. and featured live DJ sets from the city's up-and-coming. The store heard one of Madrid's tracks and immediately hired the freshly self-taught DJ as its resident DJ. With a whole library of music at his disposal, Madrid's new gig broadened his tastes and choices in music.
"That gave me the biggest education in music that I could have never even dreamt of. I had the whole catalogue of music at my disposal eight hours a day. Even after whatever I thought I liked, and it was a lot, I just started experimenting, maybe I'll try this or that," recounted Madrid.
There are promotions and then there's Oprah Winfrey calling you. Introduced through one of the media powerhouse's friends, who was a client of Madrid's, Oprah commissioned Madrid to DJ at her "Trip of a Lifetime" tour, which included stops at Barcelona, Rome, Athens, and Malta as well as DJing the closing party for her daytime talk show. In particular, one memorable moment for the DJ was when he found himself spinning a live set for Oprah and her friends in a decadent palace in Istanbul, Turkey. "Gold was just everywhere," remembers Madrid. Honored and impressed with the opportunity, Madrid approached the coveted client with the same passion and artistic direction as he did with other clients.
"I love my job. So, to me, Oprah is a client. What do you need? How do you want it? I got you. I was hired based upon my ability to actually read a crowd. This is something I would like to say to every up-and-coming DJ. Don't ever make your head bigger than what it is; you're being paid a lot of money to spin other people's music. Where your talent comes in is your ability to pick and choose what to play at the appropriate moments, be a tastemaker," said Madrid.
"I like to keep it moving," continues Madrid. He kept it moving with other major clients such as Louis Vuitton, the Pritzker family, Ashton Martin, Maserati, Vogue, and a host of others. "If you love what you do, you'll be where you need to be," says Madrid. And surely Madrid is where he needs to be with residencies at Pump Room and Alliance Francaise de Chicago – one that taps into the artist's French influence and love of Paris.
"I love the atmosphere. I love the way people interact. There are people of every race and ethnicity just getting along and living life. Tina Turner once said that Paris feels lighter. I don't care what side of the fence you're on, when you go there something has been lifted and you can just breathe," he added.
Fellow DJs that catches Madrid's ear include: A-Trac, Derrick Carter, Diplo, and Stephane Pompougnac from Paris. One album that he just cannot live without is Michael Jackson's 1979 Off The Wall album. "If I was on an island, that's one album I could never get tired of," says Madrid. When Madrid isn't spinning, he enjoys chilling out by his pool or enjoying champagne at any one the places he actually DJs at, Pump Room, Jellyfish, Untitled, or Nellcote. "You go where the fun is and you don't let the fun stop from happening," said Madrid.
Beyond the parties, beyond the jet set lifestyle, and beyond the heavy weight clients, for Madrid, music has a deeper intention of connecting people while eliciting their good feelings. Simply put, "I play music that makes people feel cool," says the artist, a mantra that is reflective of his brand as well. Madrid goes on to say, "I see how music has this ability to make or break people's attitudes, they're good feelings or bad feelings. So, I try to craft that as much as possible."
Clients and gigs that would even take the best well connected to garner, DJ Madrid has established in a seemingly short time span. He has taken his network of private clients, residencies, and travels abroad and has developed a brand that engages, that matters, and above all gets partygoers on the dance floor. Of course Madrid's self-starting attitude matched with his raw talent landed him with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and fashion bible Vogue. But what Madrid teaches the industry is that DJing is not merely about spinning popular music but it's about studying a room and filtering that through music. It's his keen ability to read a room is what keeps Madrid with an impressive rolodex that even competes with Ari Gold's, as well as the artist's open, French-influenced philosophy of social fluidity. So, in an age where anyone with an Apple computer and an iTunes account thinks they can DJ, Madrid brings DJing to a science, one that observes a crowd's movements, responses, and preferences.
"I didn't expect any of this to happen. I just followed my passion. I love what I do and I let that kind of take me where it continues to take me," Madrid concluded.
Whether it was music, visual art, or design the Columbia College Chicago graduate always had an interest in the arts and actually majored in fashion illustration, which followed in line with what his parents wanted him to pursue as a career. The West Side native remembers his parents recognizing his talent in the visual arts and cultivating an environment that would cater to his creative skill, but DJing was always an interest of his.
"DJing was something I was interested in when I was younger but never took it seriously," said Madrid.
It wouldn't be until the late 90s that Madrid started experimenting more with DJing at one of his hosted loft parties. The DJ's guest list was as varied as the music he complied for his parties; doctors, entertainers, lawyers, and musicians all dancing to the backdrop of a DJ set that infused Latin, hip-hop, house, and funk. The response was good, the vibe was right, and the energy was awesome according to Madrid. So, he decided to just buy some equipment and give DJing a go.
"I use to hire DJs for my house parties, but I just decided why don't I buy some equipment? I did and the rest is history," he said.
Like any other artist, the DJ started experimenting with his new equipment, putting together different mixes, compiling songs, and spinning his on style into his finished tracks. At the time, the Virgin Records Store in Chicago was a major player that bolstered a multi-level megastore on Michigan Ave. and featured live DJ sets from the city's up-and-coming. The store heard one of Madrid's tracks and immediately hired the freshly self-taught DJ as its resident DJ. With a whole library of music at his disposal, Madrid's new gig broadened his tastes and choices in music.
"That gave me the biggest education in music that I could have never even dreamt of. I had the whole catalogue of music at my disposal eight hours a day. Even after whatever I thought I liked, and it was a lot, I just started experimenting, maybe I'll try this or that," recounted Madrid.
There are promotions and then there's Oprah Winfrey calling you. Introduced through one of the media powerhouse's friends, who was a client of Madrid's, Oprah commissioned Madrid to DJ at her "Trip of a Lifetime" tour, which included stops at Barcelona, Rome, Athens, and Malta as well as DJing the closing party for her daytime talk show. In particular, one memorable moment for the DJ was when he found himself spinning a live set for Oprah and her friends in a decadent palace in Istanbul, Turkey. "Gold was just everywhere," remembers Madrid. Honored and impressed with the opportunity, Madrid approached the coveted client with the same passion and artistic direction as he did with other clients.
"I love my job. So, to me, Oprah is a client. What do you need? How do you want it? I got you. I was hired based upon my ability to actually read a crowd. This is something I would like to say to every up-and-coming DJ. Don't ever make your head bigger than what it is; you're being paid a lot of money to spin other people's music. Where your talent comes in is your ability to pick and choose what to play at the appropriate moments, be a tastemaker," said Madrid.
"I like to keep it moving," continues Madrid. He kept it moving with other major clients such as Louis Vuitton, the Pritzker family, Ashton Martin, Maserati, Vogue, and a host of others. "If you love what you do, you'll be where you need to be," says Madrid. And surely Madrid is where he needs to be with residencies at Pump Room and Alliance Francaise de Chicago – one that taps into the artist's French influence and love of Paris.
"I love the atmosphere. I love the way people interact. There are people of every race and ethnicity just getting along and living life. Tina Turner once said that Paris feels lighter. I don't care what side of the fence you're on, when you go there something has been lifted and you can just breathe," he added.
Fellow DJs that catches Madrid's ear include: A-Trac, Derrick Carter, Diplo, and Stephane Pompougnac from Paris. One album that he just cannot live without is Michael Jackson's 1979 Off The Wall album. "If I was on an island, that's one album I could never get tired of," says Madrid. When Madrid isn't spinning, he enjoys chilling out by his pool or enjoying champagne at any one the places he actually DJs at, Pump Room, Jellyfish, Untitled, or Nellcote. "You go where the fun is and you don't let the fun stop from happening," said Madrid.
Beyond the parties, beyond the jet set lifestyle, and beyond the heavy weight clients, for Madrid, music has a deeper intention of connecting people while eliciting their good feelings. Simply put, "I play music that makes people feel cool," says the artist, a mantra that is reflective of his brand as well. Madrid goes on to say, "I see how music has this ability to make or break people's attitudes, they're good feelings or bad feelings. So, I try to craft that as much as possible."
Clients and gigs that would even take the best well connected to garner, DJ Madrid has established in a seemingly short time span. He has taken his network of private clients, residencies, and travels abroad and has developed a brand that engages, that matters, and above all gets partygoers on the dance floor. Of course Madrid's self-starting attitude matched with his raw talent landed him with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and fashion bible Vogue. But what Madrid teaches the industry is that DJing is not merely about spinning popular music but it's about studying a room and filtering that through music. It's his keen ability to read a room is what keeps Madrid with an impressive rolodex that even competes with Ari Gold's, as well as the artist's open, French-influenced philosophy of social fluidity. So, in an age where anyone with an Apple computer and an iTunes account thinks they can DJ, Madrid brings DJing to a science, one that observes a crowd's movements, responses, and preferences.
"I didn't expect any of this to happen. I just followed my passion. I love what I do and I let that kind of take me where it continues to take me," Madrid concluded.
