By Kelle Marie
If you have lived in Dallas more than a few years, you know that the nightlife scene thrives in cycles. From the earlier events at Dallas Music Complex, SOA, and Sal's Warehouse to current hotspots Zubar, Minc, Lizard Lounge and Seven, it takes new supporters and fresh vision to keep us dancing. Every genre goes through a lull at some point only to be revived by new venues, new promoters or a new generation of hometown dj's. Currently, for deep house music, one of our city's greatest contributors is DJ Offbeat and TheFutureHistoryofHouse.
Jeff aka DJ Offbeat was born in Detroit and later transplanted here from Sao Paolo, Brazil. He started making his mark on the local scene right around 2004 when Dallas was experiencing a temporary, yet real lack of enthusiasm for deep house. Along came Jose from Fresco Gear (LA) and he really started reviving the local scene, bringing in larger scale house dj's that many didn't want to risk the investment for. Around the same time, Offbeat was bringing in a different breed of artists slightly under the radar. They weren't the type to pack a large venue (in Dallas that is) or even break the bank, but his selections were and still are pure quality. We're not talking your average four-to-the floor type of dance music. In both his dj sets and at his events you can hear a wide range of music from afrobeat and nujazz to deep and soulful east-coast house. Jeff is the type of promoter and dj that could really teach this city something and over the last few years it has become known in the deep house arena that his picks both musically and promotionally wise are right on point. Don't know who the headliner is? Don't know who Offbeat is? Don't worry just show up.
How long have you been dj'ing and how did you get such a diverse taste in house music?
I bought my first decks (same 1200s I still have) about 8 or 9 years ago. I started Djing because I had too many records to not be sharing them with people. So I've always played a really wide range of music all in the same set. I pretty much backed my way into house, I never set out to be a house DJ. It came through playing downtempo, reggae, dub, soul, funk, underground hip hop, and loads of jazz. I always thought of it all as jazz because it always had that improvisation, even though it encompassed a lot of styles people wouldn't classify as jazz. The tempo kept increasing until one day I realized that I was pretty much playing house.
How did you come up with the dj name Offbeat?
My friend Manuel gave me that name when I first started DJing. He was always telling me that I wasn't a real DJ because he had never heard a DJ play all the crazy stuff I would play. He said I was from left field and I played the most offbeat records he'd ever heard. I laughed and jokingly billed myself as DJ Offbeat for my next gig. The name just stuck after that.
What brought you here from Brazil?
When I lived in Brazil in the late 70s, the country was under control of a military dictatorship. My mom hated it and urged my father to move us back to the US (I was born in Detroit). I think that experience in my youth shaped a lot of who I am today. There are the obvious musical and cultural influences. But seeing heavily armed tanks roll down your street on a daily basis is bound to create an innate and deep-seeded sense of freedom.
What artists have you brought through Dallas and can you give us insight on what's to come?
FutureHistoryOfHouse has hosted jojoflores, Osunlade, Julius the Mad Thinker, Bobby & Steve, Eddie Matos, Antonio Ocasio, Zoetic, Alix Alvarez, Julius Papp, Sir Piers, Big Bang so far. We have Mr V, Franck Roger, Frankie Feliciano, Carlos Mena, Jaymz Nylon, Lars Behrenroth, and a few other nice treats lined up for the coming months.
What do you think of Dallas compared to other cities you've lived?
That's a tough one with NYC, Detroit, and Sao Paolo in my blood. Dallas is very unique. Dallas has so much potential, I'm just not sure if it will ever be fully realized. I feel that far too often individuals are more concerned with their own image or what they have to gain from a situation rather than focusing on the bigger picture. It's unfortunate because the whole scene suffers.
There is so much talent and so many people with big ideas in this city, I really believe that we could be on a level with any city in the world if we could all work together and make it what it should be. Stop talking about it and DO IT!!
