ONE of the biggest names in house music will drop into Newcastle this weekend to play a bumper set at King Street Hotel. Junior Sanchez will bring his brand of ``dirty, dirty house'' to the hotel on Friday night in what is sure to go down as one of the venue's biggest shows this year.
In the increasingly flamboyant world of house, Sanchez stands out as one of the scene's few distinctive personalities.
Born in Brazil, Sanchez moved to America with his family and settled in New Jersey where he soon became wrapped up in the city's vibrant music scene.
``I have never listened to just one type of music,'' Sanchez said.
``Between moving and having five older brothers and a sister with diverse tastes from ABBA to freestyle to disco to industrial new wave, I learned to appreciate all kinds of music early on. I began to see how they all worked together.'' When asked to list some of his favourites artists, Sanchez's response ``Radiohead, Bon Jovi and Dave Clarke'' proves his taste remain incredibly diverse.
At age 15, Sanchez picked up a residency playing at Club USA in Times Square.
It was there he came into contact with like-minded musicians and DJs, and began making his own music.
Around this time, Sanchez came in contact with an up-and-coming producer named Armand Van Helden and forged a friendship that remains strong today.
``Believe it or not, the first record I ever made got sampled by Armand,'' Sanchez said.
``We sampled each other before we knew each other! Now he's like my big brother.'' Together they formed the Mongoloids, a collective of house producers-DJs committed to creating imaginative music and sustaining strong friendships within the industry.
Doors open at 10pm on Friday and entry costs $10 at the door. Sanchez will be supported by Newcastle DJs Tanch and Patsan.
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