The Rhythm Rises with DJ Eddie Elias

Eddie Elias has solidified a place for himself as one of the club scenes most popular and sought after music makers. "What makes me stand out?" he asks, carefully reiterating the question before he answers: "I'm always changing." And it's true. Most of the DJs that inspired him marked their places in dance culture based on the signature sound that they brought into the fabled halls they made famous. Junior Vasquez was the Sound Factory, Peter Rauhofer ruled The Roxy. Where some of his idols relied on their fan base to keep the baseline pumping, Elias looked ahead carefully monitoring and mixing himself into the changing course of the musical current.

"Everything comes with time," Elias gratefully acknowledges. He's presently riding the wave of a very busy calendar, capitalizing on his recent main event appearance at the Blue Ball in Philadelphia, gearing to celebrate Presidents' Day Weekend at Boston's "Winter Party" at Rise on Saturday, and is presenting Verve @ Touch in New York City on Sunday. "I'm trying to lock every weekend in my calendar," he jokes, but truth be told for the DJ who has worked this hard at his craft, the time has come.

"I've certainly paid my dues," he humbly acknowledges, "I understand that there've been legendary DJ's before me...and those guys certainly also paid their dues." But with upcoming gigs solidifying his presence at the Winter Party Festival in Miami and events during New York's Black Party, Eddie Elias is becoming the hot DJ that everyone wants to follow. "I'm the new generation."

Dance Floor Days!

Eddie Elias found himself elevated to the emerging big room dance culture of the New York City club scene. "I used to be one of the dancers, y'know, dancing on the dance floor...and now when I pick my music for my sets, if I can see myself dancing to it - I know the crowd is going to dance, because I'm dancing too." He credits his innate ability to move through his music sets seamlessly on the natural rhythm he became dependent on as a dancer. "Not many DJs have that," he adds with a wink, elaborating, "not many DJs can dance."

Like many of us who worshipped weekly on the alter, following the DJ Pied Piper of the week Elias recalls one of the more decadent ages of nightlife, almost now lost to this new digital age. "I used to go and dance at Twilo," one of the many great spaces from back in the day that was able to draw all manner of club reveler simply on the brilliance of its mega-wattage sound system and the headlining DJ working the turntable. "I was introduced to Victor Calderone." Who was also at the time beginning to establish himself as a name among the circuit crowd. "Victor would DJ these great house parties on Fire Island," which were often attended by all the right people, celebrities and fashionistas the likes of Calvin Klein. "Victor really inspired me to DJ," Elias continues "and I started doing those same house parties."

There was certainly something to be said about being at the right place, right time for Elias. "It was at one of those parties I met Ric Sena." The masterful producer of Alegria, undoubtedly one of the greatest recurring dance parties in the nation has headlined Eddie Elias several times on the bill, guaranteeing Elias control over several thousand sweaty, die hard partygoers who now seek out Elias own brand of beat and tempo.

Keep It Coming...

"My whole spin on it," he says "is you should never hear the same set ever." With events often times scheduled almost back-to-back, Elias prides himself on his ability to keep the meter fresh and engaging. "It has to be a totally different experience where ever I play." And having established himself similarly along the same lines as his idols: "I'm old school, y'know. I listened to Junior and Victor." Elias closely inspects his audience to gauge the flow of the party. "You have to watch the crowds respond - if you're doing a good job, you can tell."

Which is why, the music impresario has perhaps gravitated and become a favorite among the gay circuit party scene. "I just prefer to play to the gay club scene," he says. "The energy in the room is unreal. The gay crowd really goes for the music and the DJ...it just can not compare!" And although he has claimed his stake as a headlining draw across the world, Elias had easily been established as a premiere after hours player, to which he is quick to amend: "I can do any room, any party," he says. " The only after hours I really do is my party at Verve."

The recurring event that Eddie Elias presents at Touch in Manhattan's midtown is rapidly becoming a must attend affair, which the DJ has made so popular by sharing the spotlight and featuring other new and and emerging mix talents. "I'm the type that's ready to help others." He also broadens his musical talents collaborating with remixer extraordinaire DJ Escape on the turntables and in the studio. "We just finished a new original track 'Keep It Coming' that will be released on Nervous Records," Elias excited shared, "and I've also got a track I just finished called 'Dance To This'." He promises it'll be one of those floor-droppers that will shake the foundation. "Basically if you can't dance to this...you got a problem."

With 2011 off to such a miraculous start for the DJ you would imagine that Elias is satisfied somewhat complacent and enjoys the music from where he is perched. With his career in full swing, he's never been more in demand and yet this is just the tip of the needle he's dropped on the record.

"The ball is rolling...finally." Elias sighs in relief, feeling that after having earned from the best he is now dedicated to inspire the new wave of the rising club nation. "I just want people to have fun." An example of that dedication to his audience was evidenced enough on a recent Labor Day weekend when Elias who was playing a set to a packed floor dropped an additional $1000 of his own to extend the party. "I just wanted to show how much I appreciated that everyone was having a good time - I wanted to give them that extra hour."

And yet through it all, Elias maintains that his success could never have come had he not remained gratified by the opportunities extended to him by those who came before him. "I'm still paying my dues," he says remaining humble, while thrilling us with every beat per minute.

NOTE: VENUE CHANGE Get ready for a Presidents' Day's invasion when Eddie Elias raises the roof at Rise Boston's "Winter Party Kickoff" Party Saturday, Feb. 19 and then spins at Verve @ Room Service NYC Sunday, Feb 20th beginning at 11am with guest DJ Chris "That Kid Chris" Staropoli.

For more on DJ Eddie Elias including upcoming club dates in a city near you and downloadable podcasts goto: www.djeddieelias.com