Eric De Man - Beatfreax Podcast 33 - Jan 2008

Biography of Eric De Man

There are a lot of people in this world who call themselves Dj,s nowadays, says German house-legend Westbam upon asking him what sets DJ Eric de Man apart from most of his 'associates'. But to be a music lover is one thing. To be a DJ, a real DJ, is something different. It is about how to work music, the whole programming, how to hit the right records at the right time. And all these elements make Eric de Man more than just a DJ. In my opinion he's a DJ's DJ.Who can argue with that? Not the thousands of punters who over the years were in the lucky position (aka smack in the middle of the dance-floor) to see, hear and feel this giant of a DJ/Producer. And not the house-connaisseurs who know that any Eric de Man-night is an unforgettable night. Most electronic dance-DJ's want to feel the sensation of dropping a track that they can cal their own. So they become producers as well. Not Eric de Man. When he was 14 years old he got himself a drum kit and started to kick some serious ass. Influenced by funk and hip-hop he became a drummer. Melodie was king in Eric's musical book, but rhythm was emperor. After digesting electronical music (Kraftwerk, LFO) his musical preference as a musician changed to electronic dance music. Attracted to the Chicago house-sound he started to produce tracks, first as a member of Gyrate, later on his own, as Astrophunk.And then he started to DJ. First at underground warehouse parties in Arnhem, his hometown, but his career as a real DJ began around '93 when almost instantly he became the premier DJ for the Club Risk parties in Amsterdam. From that moment on he worked himself to the top of the Dutch and international underground. Not with his elbows, but with his hands and his brains, of which a great percentage is reserved for a huge musical catalogue, ranging from funk to punk and from house to jazz.Calling Eric de Man a techno DJ therefore is like calling New York a city of native Americans. His style is a melting pot of all things danceable. There is only one rule: the dance floor has to be locked on to his pumpin' sound and people have to forget any notion of time and place. It is therefore that Eric is, to quote Westbam, a DJ's DJ. He has played with board-members of the international DJ-elite: Derrick May, Kenny Larkin, Mike Dunn, Kevin Saunderson, Billy Nasty, Claude Young, Mr. C, Dj Rush and Westbam of course. DJ's like to be inspired. And Eric's energetic and highly musical sets are a great inspiration for the inmates of the DJ-Booth. Next to his residencies at the Winkel van Sinkel in Utrecht and Club More in Amsterdam (where his 5 hour solo-sets are the talk of the town) he recently started producing again. Last year he and Quazar's Gert van Veen made a monster of a track under the alias Man Made Music. 'I Am Somebody' was handpicked by Jamie Anderson who released it on his own Artform imprint and gave it a personal rework for the B-side. Carl Cox hammered the track for weeks and gave it a two thumbs up in his Muzik column. Lately a 7-inch hit the shops, called 'Saturday Night' on which Eric and co-producer Jeppe Laverman as Last Century Boys get vocal support from US house-legend Colonel Abrams. Word on the streets and in the clubs say that 'Saturday Night' can be the song everyone is waiting for. Both tracks are worlds apart. But that's what Eric de Man is all about. Don't try to pinpoint him. It can be a lifelong task...