
By Gary Jordan
DJ Patrick Ryan Diva Hunter
Patrick Ryan is a busy man these days. Spinning at a local club in Palm
Springs, as well as other projects in the works, getting a chance to
go one-on-one with the popular DJ is a treat.
I was able to chat with him over the phone, waking him up in the process
(I forgot about the time difference between California and Ohio, where
I’m spending quality time with my family). Not to mention it’s
the guy’s day off, but he took the call anyway, because that’s
just the type of work ethic Patrick possesses.
Patrick, where are you from and
what’s your
earliest music memory?
I am originally from the Twin Cities, Minneapolis. My earliest music-related
memory would have to be listening to the Eagles on 8-track in my family’s
station wagon on a summer road trip. The first record I ever bought
was the 45 of “The Rubberband Man” by The Spinners. From
then on, I spent all the money I earned mowing grass in the summer
and shoveling snow in the winter on records.
Did your parents encourage your
music?
They didn’t encourage nor did they discourage it. I got my first
mixer and two turntables when I was 16 years old. I would come home from
school and practice mixing every day. My father wasn’t a fan of
the dance music that was blaring so loudly from my room every day. In
his words it was all just “boom, boom, boom.”
Wow, so he was a big fan of Paul
Lekakis back then? [Grin] So when did you leave Minnesota?
I left Minnesota in 1995 for Los Angeles. My best friend Steve had moved
out to Los Angeles in 1992 just before the riots. I had made several
trips to California and knew it was where I wanted to live eventually.
After a nasty breakup with his partner in 1995, Steve called me and told
me to “get my ass out here.” The timing was perfect, and
I packed up my life in Minneapolis into a 24-foot moving truck and headed
out to Los Angeles.
What brought you to the desert?
A couple friends of mine own a gay resort here. They had been asking
me for close to a year to come out and help them run it. I decided
that I would make the move and give it a year, and if I didn’t
like it, I would pack up and move back to Los Angeles. That was in
November 2006, and I am still here.
Tell me how you got the gig at Hunters? Do you like working there
and to how much of a degree do you get to choose what you play?
It was shortly after I moved out here. I still hadn’t moved all
of my things, including all of my DJ equipment, out here and I wanted
to make a demo CD to pass around to the clubs in town in hopes of getting
a part-time gig spinning. A very good friend of mine knew the owner of
Hunters and got me in there on a Thursday afternoon to use their equipment
to make a couple demo CDs. As soon as I finished the CDs I went into
the office to thank Jennifer Seymour for letting me in the club to use
her equipment and she offered me a job on the spot. I absolutely LOVE
working at Hunters. All of the staff is like family there. I play what
the crowd wants to hear. You have to gage your crowd in order to know
what to play.
Help me understand this whole “left coast/right coast sound” thing.
why do you DJs make me feel like I have to choose one over the other?
I think that the left coast, right coast thing was more pronounced back
in the mid and late ’90s. Today everything has sort of melded together
and the music has crossed those lines. Back in the mid to late ’90s,
the sound in West Hollywood was very pretty female vocals. In New York,
it was more underground dub-like tracks.
Is it my imagination or have
DJs almost become god-like? Everybody (but me, of course) knows who’s
spinning at what circuit party. How did that happen?
There are several DJs out there who have become wildly popular. A good
portion of these DJs are also producing remixes. It’s happened
because those DJs know how to take you on a journey through the music
they spin. It’s a fine art to say the least. I think it will most
definitely continue, because the people who frequent the larger circuit
parties know that “their” DJs will take them on their journey.
Here are two examples: Manny Lehman made it to where he is by spinning
records—he’s now become a remixer. Tony Moran has been a
music producer and remixer first and now is wildly popular as a DJ. It
really takes a special person to do both.
Let’s be honest, how much
of a part do drugs really play in the music/circuit scene?
It’s been my experience that a large portion of the people attending
circuit parties are indeed using “party favors.” It’s
always been said that ecstasy enhances your mood and also the musical
experience. Crystal meth kind of took over in the late ’90s and
early 2000s. It altered the party experience and, in my opinion, not
in a good way. The last few parties I have attended, I didn’t notice
the prevalence of crystal that I used to notice. In fact, I met several
people that were not partaking in the “party favors” at all.
And they were all having a great time as well.
For someone who’s never been to a circuit party, can you tell
them in laymen’s terms what the experience is like?
A circuit party is like a celebration of life. You are allowed to let
go of your inhibitions for those few hours and let the music take control.
Many of these parties are held at large venues and there is no expense
spared on decoration, sound and lighting. It’s all very fascinating.
The sheer enormity of these events will leave the person who has never
experienced the circuit party in awe.
What trends do you see happening in music?
I have noticed that there are a lot more vocals coming back into the
circuit scene. The tribal that has been so popular for so many years
on the circuit is starting to take a back seat. Of course, at 5 o’clock
in the morning, you’re still bound to hear an extended tribal
set. But the vocals are definitely making a comeback.
You must have been inspired by
someone who’s
gone before you, care to share with us who you get off listening to
spin?
Ralphi Rosario is one of the godfathers of house music. He has been a
huge inspiration to me. He has been around for years. And he still continues
to produce remixes that are hot!
How do you define your sound
or style, if you will.
I enjoy everything from deep house, pop dance, tribal and, of course,
the diva vocals. My style leans more toward the piano-driven, female
vocal tracks. I have always been a huge fan of the divas! One of the
DJs I most like to hear spin is Manny Lehman. Manny consistently plays
the good music that absolutely keeps me on the dance floor. He has
become the top circuit DJ for knowing what makes the boys dance!
Here’s a question I’m sure we both got a lot from our parents. “Boy,
where do you see yourself in five years?”
Well, I still see myself DJing whether it’s in a club or at parties.
I am also starting to learn how to produce remixes myself. I would hope
that in five years I would be able to attend a party and hear my own
remix being played and be able to see the smiling faces of all the people
dancing to something I have produced.
For more information about Patrick Ryan visit
his My Space page at profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=116519491. |