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.