Jimbo James
Building and maintaining any kind of scene is a taxing and boundless puzzle. The amount of continuous ambition it entails causes many to falter with the ebb and flow of trendy music. Coming out unscathed is impossible. Dan Lunsford accepts the challenge and dedicates his soul to the work.
Creating his domain in Phoenix, Arizona, Dan spends his time mapping out his Circuit events and opening up for nearly every big name DJ that comes through town; including: Sasha, Maceo Plex, Blond:ish, Pete Tong, Eats Everything, Fur Coat, Dusky, and James Zabiela.
Dan Lunsford is the perfect fit for our Hometown Heroes series, and we’re pleased to host his 60 minute set — it’s a good one.
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Connect with Dan Lunsford:
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Interview with Dan Lunsford:
Most musicians are born into it – was that the case for you?
The music gene was definitely passed on to me from my Dad. Growing up we would listen to his vinyl for hours at a time. He brought me up on guys like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Smokey Robinson, & Stevie Wonder. He has some really soulful bones in his body and I definitely inherited that from him. I think listening to all the Motown records he played for me growing up has influenced my music taste and the sound that I play tremendously. He actually told me recently that he always wanted to be a DJ.
Tell us how you got into house music? Do you recall a specific moment when you decided to take on DJing?
I was hooked the first time I was introduced to house music. Not only the music, but the vibe and atmosphere are just as intoxicating to me. I was a fan of the music for many years before I actually started DJ’ing. I always wanted to DJ, at some point I just decided to do it. I can’t imagine how different my life would be without it.
Tell us about RBDeep & Circuit. What events are on the horizon?
Circuit was started by myself, Juhuen, and Michelle Sparks as an outlet to spread the music that we all love. There are only a handful of venues that are willing to push this music and we just decided to take it in our own hands and throw our own events. Every few months or so we throw a party called The Circuit Project. We try to make it an all around experience, while the music is the foundation, we try to provide a visually stimulating experience also. We have built a great team and everyone is on the same page. The Circuit Project has definitely built a reputation for being one of the top underground events in the city.
RBDeep is run by our good friend and owner of Relentless Beats, Thomas Turner. Thomas is at the forefront of electronic music in Arizona and we are very lucky to have a guy like him leading the way. He has done an amazing job building the scene here in Phoenix. He also has a big hand in the progress of Circuit. We have had artists like Maceo Plex, Lee Foss, Fur Coat, Sasha, Blond:ish, and many more roll through in the last few years. With Circuit and RBDeep providing top notch events on a regular basis, the future is bright for house music scene in Arizona.
Describe the scene in Phoenix in three words.
Underrated, Emerging, Alive
What projects do you have in the works?
We are in the beginning stages of planning Circuit Project 5. This party just keeps getting better and better and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store. My main focus right now is to continue being a part of growing the scene here in Phoenix. We have built a solid foundation over the last few years and you can really see it with every show we put together. We have had some of the biggest names in the biz roll through over the last few years and its only getting better. We are one of the largest cities in America, and I really want us to be a destination that underground artists look forward to playing. We are definitely moving in the right direction.
What’s your go-to jam to fill the floor?
I am in love with this track right now — Metronomy – I’m Aquarius (Edu Imbernon Remix)
Tell us about your mix.
With this mix I wanted to bring a deep soulful vibe. I prefer to play deep stuff in the 115 to 120 bpm range. I am also a huge fan of vocals, I think vocals, when done right, can make a track and even an entire set more memorable. I’ve included tracks from some of my favorite producers including Seb Zito, Frank & Tony, East End Dubs, and Nicolas Jaar, just to name a few.
Drink of choice…
Jack Daniels will be the death of me.
Cheers!
– jams