'Welcome To The House That Porter Built'

All aboard for the Porterhouse express! Get ready for a ride with one of the most exciting US artists to be making the rounds on the global dancefloor.

Steve Porter is set to release his first-ever mix compilation 'PORTERHOUSE’ with 26 tracks melded together on 1xCD in his signature genre-defying, pulsating, energetic Porterhouse style. The album merges his DJing and production style with 9 of his own original tracks, further blurring the distinction between DJ and producer into one compelling artist to watch.

The album’s music draws upon Steve’s close network of talent that comprises a new Porterhouse Regime from the Boston area. These are fresh and exciting young producers whose studio production skills have been honed out of the music media spotlight, and while they might not be the biggest names in the industry (yet), the tracks they produce are played by world class DJs from every continent.

In 2005 Steve Porter toured extensively across the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe, eventually settling back in NYC to compile 'PORTERHOUSE’ and a separate studio session with Lee Burridge during his NYC residency for Lee’s impending ‘365’ album. Steve will now embark on a relentless, non-stop North American, UK & European tour before returning for his annual Porterhouse party at Winter Music Conference 2006.

Chatting recently with Steve, I first wondered why he had chosen now to be the perfect time to release his first-ever mix compilation? "I've been DJing just as long as I've been a producer, and I've put out quite a few DJ mixes over the years but all of them were promotional mixes. I've had offers to do mix albums for various labels but they didn't quite fit my artistic direction. It was a longer road I took, but ultimately a more comfortable road and I think the Porterhouse mix is an excellent representation of the vision I wanted to share."

Your album title suggests a possible love for a big juicy Steak ... true or false?! "I'm most certainly a meat eater, I can't deny it. A porterhouse steak every once in a while never hurts, haha."

It's been said that you're "... definitely one to watch", so what exactly will you be doing that everybody will be watching?! "Maybe it's the way I prepare and present dance music as I really try to package it differently. I re-edit every track that I play down to a particular size, and that's what creates my flow as a DJ. I also always play a healthy sum of my own music in my sets as well, which makes the experience more unique and personal I'd like to think. And maybe I've got a long way to go and grow, it's fun watching people evolve."

Tell us more about how your DJing passion was kick-started back in those youthful days spent in Western Massachusetts? "I fell in love with dance music almost instantly, I'd say around 1989 when Technotronic was first making it's mark. It's a hard one to explain but I just loved the rhythm of it and the concept that its specifically there for people to dance to. I was sort of in my own boat though because most popular music was dominated by hip hop and rock, so I pretty much just kept to myself until around 1995 when I decided to join the DJ club in my high-school. The club was comprised of a group of kids who would decide what would be played at school dances. DJing was the perfect medium for me to express what I was into musically, I would play everybody's requests and occasionally sneak in music that I was feeling as well. The deeper I got into the trade of DJing, the more I learned it could be an art-form. It's a fine line when you cross it, the line from playing what other people want you to play, to when people want to hear what you play."

Out of the 26 melded tracks on this new album which one truly stands out to be your go-to favorite when recommending it to first time listeners ... and why? "I think the most significant track in the mix for me is "Funk Theory". It's one of the crucial summits of the mix, if you can for a second look at the entire mix as a mountain range. It has an edgy, funk-fantasy appeal, which most definitely bridges the funkier first half and predominantly more epic second. But it's a big mountain range, and I recommend climbing it all to appreciate it."

Was there a musical ideology of any kind behind the creation of Porterhouse? "The Porterhouse ideology is essentially a "no borders" approach to dance music and I tried to reflect that on the album. I've always had a diverse crew of friends, all who have different identities musically, and I was proud to include their music on the album. To me, more variety is more interesting and I think the result is a really funky mix of colors. I always try to keep true to the Porterhouse ideology for my own tracks as well."

What's next for you on the recording front? "I'm doing a remix of a Pete Tong & Chris Cox record called "Deep End,” and right after that starting a remix for Global Underground, so the remix train is chugging along right now. It's where I want to be right now because of the break I had from remixing in order to finish the album and my hectic tour schedule last summer."

What '80s (and possibly cheesy!) song would you love to cover today if asked ... and why?! "It would be "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung, it's already loaded into my computer!! I think it has potential to be incredibly cheesy, nostalgic, and fun to play at the end of the night. I am not afraid, haha."

Lastly, I like Penguins ... do you?! "Penguins rock, by far the best dressed bird around. Gotta love how they're stuck between evolutionary gears, a bird that can't fly."

Interviewed by Russell A. Trunk

www.DJStevePorter.com

www.PorterHouse-Online.com

www.FadeRecords.com

If you would like to win an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Steve's brand new CD, just answer this easy question: What was the name of Porter's debut artist album in 2005?