Blasthavers

Features

Feature stories, profiles and interviews with leading House Music DJs, producers and vocalists from more than 20 years of 5 Magazine.

A Gift For You From Josh Milan and Friends

Josh Milan’s talents are unparalleled. He’s a songbird whose voice can inspire people to tears, and he’s garnered more songwriting and production hits than one could possibly imagine. His label Honeycomb Music is his...

In Residence with Country Club Disco, Detroit

The rebirth of Detroit and the metro area is a shock but not a surprise. Decades after the city was given up for dead, small pockets of creativity and resistance have thrived, grown large...

Brawther: The Underground Is Alive

Years before I knew him, I heard about him - this guy from France who made these incredibly sensual and deep records that each found their way as the "secret weapon" in the bag...

David Morales Remembers Frankie Knuckles

Top and Cover Photo: Gavin Mills IT WAS EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO that hundreds of people were packed inside SmartBar in anticipation of Frankie Knuckles' big birthday celebration. On the bill alongside the birthday boy...

Kstarke Records & The House That Jackmaster Hater Built

FIRST, OPEN A RECORD STORE. Open it a few months before Tower becomes the first of the major record chains to liquidate, and preferably at a time when the industry in general is lying...

Psycho-Bitch is the Original Diva Powerhouse of Chicago

When you hear stories of Chicago's golden days of House Music whether it be in the late '80s through the late '90s, you learn to appreciate the multifaceted talent behind the big names. These...

Hot Since 82

Daley Padley, better known as Hot Since 82, recently graced the decks of Chicago's SpyBar launching his North and Latin American tour. The Leeds-based artist has been keeping busy both with his Knee Deep...

Mark Farina: How I Play

5 Magazine welcomes Mark Farina back to Chicago this December 27 at SmartBar (Facebook page/tix here). To warm up the room, Mark agreed to sit for our How I Play series, in which we talk...

Kevin Irving, Legendary House Music Vocalist, Has Died

Another of the seminal artists that powered Chicago's early House Music scene has passed away. 5 Magazine has confirmed that legendary House Music vocalist Kevin Irving - whose voice was heard on tracks including "Children...

Recloose is Back in the USA

(Photo © 2014 Mike Weston - www.thearea.co.nz) After thirteen years abroad, Matthew "Recloose" Chicoine is coming home. Since 2001, Recloose has been living in New Zealand, limiting international gigs to brief tours a couple of times...

Get Snazzy: Meet UK Producer Stevie B.

I've noticed that those who have an amazing ear for music - especially those championing that '90s-tinged garage sound - tend to be the modest ones with little or no publicity hype. Kool...

Women Who DJ and the Men Terrified of Them

We'll call her "DJ Emily", because that's not her name and she really doesn't deserve to be slandered again like she was slandered that day. About ten years ago, I was talking with a friend...

In Residence with Uhuru Afrika, Boston

5 Magazine's residency spotlight features Adam Gibbons and Uhuru Afrika, the incredibly unique Boston club night deeply rooted in the music of Africa and the Diaspora.   "When someone walks in the door, I want them...

Gant-Man: Born Into This

When Gant-Man says that music is his life, it's more than a cliche. Once the world's "youngest professional DJ", he's since become a cornerstone of the ghetto house and juke scene, breaking the sounds...
video

Listening Room: RaShaan Houston on Be With You (2014)

There's a story behind every track. Or at least the good ones. Listening Room is our (somewhat neglected of late) music feature devoted to discovering new music and learning the story behind the tracks...
video

Listening Room: Marcel Vogel on Doin It (Intimate Friends)

There's a story behind every track. Or at least the good ones. Listening Room is our (somewhat neglected of late) music feature devoted to discovering new music and learning the story behind the tracks...

In Residence with Housepitality, San Francisco

The poet Allen Ginsberg called them the "classic stations of the earth" - the points on a map where people seemed to gather, quite spontaneously, to celebrate life and create a scene. We're calling...
Pittsburgh Track Authority

Pittsburgh Track Authority: The 5 Magazine Interview

Meet Preslav Lefterov, Thomas Cox and Adam Ratana, collectively Pittsburgh Track Authority. And remember their names, because these three guys from Pittsburgh will restore your faith in the American dance music scene.   So how did...
Terry Hunter

One of Us: Terry Hunter and the Making of a Chicago Legend

"I want people to feel like they saw something special when I'm gone." Chicago House Music producer Terry Hunter is one of the most prolific musical figures this city has ever seen. This is...
Treasure Fingers

Treasure Fingers: The 5 Magazine Interview

It would be fair to say Treasure Fingers has been at the forefront of the Nu Disco scene since its infancy. What you may not know is that he's also one-third of Evol Intent...

MUST READ!