Laird

Origin: Grew up near Chicago, have lived in San Francisco since the '90s
Years Playing: 10 Years
Style: Psychedelic Space Funk, Funky House and Rockin' Breakbeat.
Affiliation: Golden Gate Recordings |Om Records | Get YER Freak on! | In Funk We Trust | Psychofunkodiscodelic

The track/DJ/party that made me want to be a DJ was:
When I was around eight years old I was visiting the Pompidou Center in Paris and a performance artist had suspended huge tree trunks from the ceiling and was drumming along the whole length of them. It was the first time I remember being moved by rhythm, and left such a lasting impression on me and that I gravited towards the power of the drum ever since. A number of years later I was living in Paris again and there was a late night television show which always started and ended with "Sex Machine" by James Brown ... that about says it all.

Influences:
Sex, sex, and more sex!

I got my first break:
My first day back in Paris in 1995 I was walking around the neighborhood, picked up a flyer that had the names of a couple of SF performers, Jeremy (who helped start BPM Records here) and Shaun Benson (SF singer). They were playing at a club called Queen on the Champs Elysees that night, where I went to see them and then met them at their hotel the next day. A Paris House music radio station had brought them to play and I was translating an interview between them.
When they found out I was a DJ, the people from the radio station asked me if I would like to play on-air the following week. They liked it so much that they requested I do a show for the next three months. That gave me the opportunity to meet other DJs, producers, and promoters from around the world, which led to a great year in Paris and I haven't stopped since.

Some DJs I like playing with are:
Stacey Pullen, Freq Nasty, Hybrid, Adam Freeland, Yeen, Adnan, Michele Bass, Ooah, Majitope, Smoove, Garth, Jeno, Ellen Ferrato, and so many more.

Favorite thing about the SF scene:
That woman from the Czech Republic

Least favorite thing about the SF scene:
I've got so much appreciation... no need to go there.

My favorite SF party is/was:
Everything from the early rave days: Wicked, the Full Moon parties, Boogie Buffett, Toontown (thank you Lawrence and all the rest), A Rave Called Sharon, Together, Pete Avila's Thursday party at DV8, Osmosis, and all the others that were so great and will stay with me for life. Current parties that kick ass in San Francisco are: Halloween night just about anywhere, the Space Cowboy's "Breakfast of Champions", Stompy/Sunset NY's Day, the Brass Tax 420 party, and of course Burning Man.

If I could put together MY dream music festival, the Entertainment would be:
James Brown, Morris Day and the Time (the greatest band in the world!), the Clash, Slayer, Too Short, Freq Nasty, and Michele Bass. Of course many more, but let's discuss that over a glass of wine in front of the fireplace.

If I couldn't play records I would probably be a professional:
A pimp. Oh wait, I already am.

I want to thank these people for helping me get this far:
All the ladies.

What you want people to know and we didn't ask:
Pimpin' ain't easy.

My motto is:
"Laird: 400 women can't be wrong"