DJ Heather

Occupation:
DJ, label owner, vocalist, producer

Official Website:
http://www.ilovedjheather.com

Background:

Widely regarded as one of the premier selectors in the nation, DJ Heather demonstrates her skills and sharp deck acumen throughout her hometown of Chicago and the world with verve and undeniable talent. Heather fuses disco, classic house and techno by producers who understand the forward curve of the electronic music scene. She commands the crowd’s attention and keeps their feet moving. “I’ve always felt the Chicago sound isn’t as much about what records you play as it is about how you play them. I use techniques such as tweaking the EQ, layering records and sound effects to bring a uniqueness or signature sound to the mix.”

Heather toured with fellow Chicagoan Mark Farina in support of three of his Mushroom Jazz CDs in 1998, released San Francisco Sessions for Om Records in 1999 and released her own officially licensed mix Tangerine for the Chicago-based Afterhours label in 2000. She has traveled the world from Paris to South Africa—where in 2002 she was the first African-American woman ever to DJ there. The UK’s Jockey Slut magazine touted her as a star on the rise in their February 2002 issue. The next month she won the first ever DanceStar award for Breakthrough DJ.

In 2003, Heather took on mixing duties for Dancefloor Principles, which lead to her first trip to Japan, fulfilling a childhood dream. Named after her favorite soy yogurt, Heather’s label Blackcherry Recordings made its debut with the buzz-worthy single “Picture of You” featuring Heather along with D.C.’s own EastCoastBoogiemen.