Andre Harris did a number of mixes for 5 Magazine before his sudden and shocking death in 2014. Coming as it did in the wake of the deaths of Frankie Knuckles and DJ Rashad (we found out about it while on the way to the city of Chicago’s public tribute to Frankie), it was never clear if the people had a chance to process it or what a tremendous loss it was to the scene.
We’ve been unearthing and re-uploading a number of our old mixes lately, and came across this New Mix Monday set from 2011 which was, I believe, the last that Andre mixed for us. As we come up on some sad anniversaries this Spring and mark the loss of Frankie, Rashad and Andre all within a few months time, it makes sense to post this one up again in tribute to what he always seemed to love above all else.
One of my favorite Andre Harris memories was a night at Boom Boom Room, Chicago’s legendary and long-running Monday night event. Most of the residents were hung up by bad weather in Miami for the Winter Music Conference, and so Andre stepped in to play ahead of a deep and soulful house guest headliner from New York. Andre played probably the most phenomenal set I head at BBR to that point. His energy was off the meter. It was electrifying. And without really meaning to (I’m pretty sure of it), he ruined the debut for the special guest from New York, who brought a sophisticated but low-energy vibe to what was at the time Chicago’s pre-eminent underground party night.
This isn’t the set from that night, which probably only exists in people’s memories now. But it’s pretty good one. RIP Andre.
