Maybe it’s because I’ve been on a funky House/Tech-House kick lately or maybe it’s because he just came to Boston where he played Splash Ultra Lounge, but I felt the world needed some more exposure to DJ/producer TJR (real name TJ Rozdilsky).
Click through to read more about him, to listen to some selected tracks, to download the Zip package, and to visit his websites!
A couple bios I found:
From The Untz: “Growing up in suburban Connecticut, TJR’s early years consisted of hockey, golf and plenty of suburban debauchery. Once an aspiring golf pro, TJR traded in his clubs for a set of turntables after attending his first rave in mid-’90s. He soon translated his love for mixing into producing it. Taking note from artists such as Terry Mullan, Armando, Mike Ink, Paul Birken and Ian Pooley, he landed on the Catalyst label before once again shifting his sound to the fidget/electro house scene. Original tracks on Wearhouse Music, Potty Mouth Music, Jack Union—along with remixes for labels such as InStereo Recordings, Eden Records and Promo—have positioned TJR amongst some of the scenes finest”
From Beatport: “TJR has built a formidable catalogue of remixes and original tracks since broadening out from his acid house and techno roots in 2008. He has consistently been cooking up big room bangers that have received support from Tiesto, Fatboy Slim, Chuckie, Benny Benassi, Dada Life, Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki, Chris Lake, Umek and many more. Originally from the little state of Connecticut, a move to Los Angeles in 2009 saw him embrace the benefits of America’shot spot for electronic dance music.”
My first exposure to TJR came with two very different tracks. First, his Tech-House song “Funky Vodka”, which is a sped-up version of the roots reggae classic “Funky Kingston” by Toots and the Maytals. This reached #1 on the Beatport top 10 list and hovered on the charts for quite some time this past Winter/Spring. I had no idea what all the hype was about until I heard it myself… and then I realized you couldn’t NOT be happy when listening to it. The other track was a collaboration between TJR, Nom de Strip, and Electro-House singer Sue Cho (songs with Revolvr, Lazy Rich, Acetronik and more) called “My Life”. This one is quite the opposite of “Funky Vodka” because it’s actually an Electro-House banger, supported by guys like Dada Life (featured in their podcast).
It’s safe to say that Rozdilsky spans the entire spectrum of House music, which is much broader than people realize. He even dabbles in some Trap music (see the Baauer song below) – which is all the rage right now. TJR has had his hands in the electronic music game for years and he will only continue to be a prevalent force behind the tunes that make you dance, seeing support by DJs who choose the finest House tunes to make you groove to. And don’t be surprised if you go to a TJR show and he throws on some Electro/Commercial dance music as he did at Boston’s Splash Ultra Lounge – the dude is so versatile!
Here are some hand-picked tunes that TJR was instrumental in producing (no pun intended). Some we’ve already posted and some are new to MMIBTY. And by no means is this a comprehensive list of all his tracks, but you’ll notice a nice blend of Electro and Tech-House. If you have suggestions of what other TJR tracks to check out, please let me and everyone else know!
TJR – Funky Vodka
TJR, Nom de Strip, and Sue Cho – My Life
TJR – One Love [Tech-House w/ Bob Marley samples]
LA Riots – The Drop (TJR Remix) [funky, silly House/Tech-House]
Chris Lake & Nightriders – NYC (TJR’s Moar Cowbell Remix) [exactly what the name implies]
Baauer – Harlem Shake (TJR House Fix) [House into Trap back into House again]
TJR ft. Whiskey Pete – Face Melt [again, exactly what the name implies. Electro-House banger]