Probably the single most influential producer from Detroit's "second wave" of electronic music artists, Theo Parrish looms large over the world of house music, for many the most accomplished and respected musician of his generation.
Born in Washington D.C. in 1972 and raised in Chicago, Parrish was influenced by the rough and ready sound of early house producers like Ron Hardy and Mike Dunn. Learning to spin at the age of 13, he became engrossed in learning production and in 1994 received a Fine Arts degree in music. The same year, moved to Michigan where he became involved in Detroit's burgeoning electronic music scene.
From the start, Theo's releases showed a broader scope than even the most adventurous Detroit musicians, drawing from beyond house and techno into the full history of African American music. This knowledge of history was captured in his eclectic DJ sets, where he applied furious EQ effects to classic records ranging from Gill Scott Heron to minimal electronic.
On his own tracks, Parrish pursued an open-ended, determinedly experimental approach, taking unorthodox percussive approaches that bring to mind the mentality of free jazz and letting loops run for several minutes.
On his own tracks, Parrish pursued an open-ended, determinedly experimental approach, taking unorthodox percussive approaches that bring to mind the mentality of free jazz and letting loops run for several minutes. Although Carl Craig's remix of "Falling Up" would become his best-known track, his entire discography, much of it available only on vinyl, is well worth hearing for any electronic music devotee. On his "Ugly Edits" series of EPs, Theo revisited classic soul, funk and disco tracks through his uniquely skewed perspective.
"Love of the music should be the driving force of any producer, performer or DJ," he says. "Everything else stems from that core, that love. With that love, sampling can become a tribute; An expansion on ideas long forgotten, reconstruction, collage. Using the same understanding openly and respectfully can turn DJing into a spiritual participation. It can turn a few hours of selection into essential history; Necessary listening through movement."
