Profiles of some of the best 60s / Mod DJs in North America - Part III - The Chicago Chapter

 

Now that I have my suits pressed, my dancing shoes polished and packed, my passport ready, my record box sorted out and with just a few days before the start of the festivities at MODchicago 10: The Underground Symposium, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce to you, as part of our Best Mod DJs in North America series, a special post on the homegrown Chicago gang.

One thread seems to unite them all, aside from the vibrant city where they reside, is that they are passionate about music, especially when it comes to their love of late 60s and early 70s psychedelic music. This is what I love about MODchicago. You’ll get every music permutation of the Mod spectrum and the Paisley Underground is well represented. Something I’m not necessarily well versed on, so it’s always third eye-opening.

- Your name / DJ name: Steve Krakow, DJ Plastic Crimewave

- City: Chicago

- How would you describe your musical style? I spin anything that is good on 45.

- What is your “go to” track? The one you will likely never get tired of spinning?

General Crook - What Time It Is

- Regardless of price, name THE record that is missing from your collection?

Stack Waddy- Bugger Off!

- Where can we see you spin on a regular basis? Tell us about the night or an event you would like to promote.

I have regular nights at the Whistler and Rodan in town. In July I'll be DJ-ing a bunch in London.

- Is vinyl the only acceptable format for playing your style of music?

Yup, but I'll listen to anything.

- Your name / DJ name: Moe Madness

- City: Chicago

- How would you describe your musical style? 

Freak Rock elements with a touch of Bubblegum.

- What is your "go to" track? The one you will likely never get tired of spinning?

It constantly changes but recently I've been playing Jigsaw - One Way Street quite often.

- Regardless of price, name THE record that is missing from your collection?

I'd love to get my hands on a copy of J.C. Heavy - Is This Really Me or Suzi Jane Hokom - Need All The Help I Can Get.

- Where can we see you spin on a regular basis? Tell us about the night or an event you would like to promote.

Alchemical Splendor at Late Bar every first Friday of the month. Randomly at Lokal and other local bars in Chicago.

- Is vinyl the only acceptable format for playing your style of music?

Yes.

- What is your favorite place to buy records?

Out of print LP's I go to Permanent Records. For 45's and OG LP's,  eBay is the worlds greatest record store! 

- Your name / DJ name:

"PsychedAlex" My early gigs I started out as "Psychedelic Alex" but my friend Martin Nunez suggested "Psychedelics" play on words and the name has stuck ever since.

- City: Chicago born and raised

- How would you describe your musical style?

On the DJ floor I'm a huge fan of UK and Euro Psychedelia and Freakbeat with a fair share of US garage. Along with that, at home, I've grown to love Acid Folk and evenings are usually filled with flutes and fragile lyrics.

- What is your “go to” track? The one you will likely never get tired of spinning? 

A non LP 45 by US Psych band The Yellow Payges, just a perfect trippy psychedelic dancer. I definitely played it my first ever DJ gig and also at my first apperance at MODchicago!

- Regardless of price, name THE record that is missing from your collection? 

I've been pretty lucky to have scored quite a few of my "holy grail" 45's. Of course there is NO such thing as enough! One that will probably always elude me is the ridiculously named The Walham Green East Wapping Carpet Cleaning and Boggit Exterminating Association track Mr Green.

- Where can we see you spin on a regular basis? Tell us about the night or an event you would like to promote.

Along with fellow music brothers Moe Madness and Sir Eric Colin, we DJ the first Friday of the month at Late Bar for Alchemical Splendor. We spin quality jams till 4 am and the dance floor is always happening at some point of the night!

- Is vinyl the only acceptable format for playing your style of music?

Half of what I spin has not even made it officially onto CD, even if so I'll always spin vinyl.

- What is your favorite place to buy records?

eBay, Musicstack and various other online sources. Reckless Records in Chicago has turned up some amazing in-store finds.