EMP Music Playlists & Podcasts

Podcast

EPM Music · EPM.185 - Marshall Jefferson

interview

EPM.185 comes from Marshall Jefferson. Marshall is one of house music’s most important founding fathers. A key player in the Chicago house scene from the start, releases like ‘Open Our Eyes’, ‘7 Ways to Jack’ and the immortal ‘Move Your Body’ have had an undeniable impact on the development of house music as we know it today. He has recorded solo and collaborative material under various names such as Virgo, Jungle Wonz, Truth and On the House – many of which have elevated house music to a new level. We are totally honoured to have Marshall deliver a prime house party mix that brings a mixture of classic cuts and lesser-known gems with releases from Mr. Fingers, Hanna, Alex Finkin, DJ Disciple, Sebb Junior, Grant Nelson and Joe Smooth’s roof raising anthem. A total joy from beginning to end!

Sometimes known as the God Father of house music, Grammy Nominated Jefferson was originally a record producer in the Universal Recording Studios in Chicago, where he met the owner of Trax Records, Larry Sherman. Jefferson’s 1986 single for Trax, “Move Your Body”, the first house song to use piano, was a popular and influential song in the genre. During the late-1980s heyday of house music, he recorded solo and collaborative material under various names such as Virgo, Jungle Wonz, Truth, and On the House. Jefferson’s deep house productions include songs by CeCe Rogers and Sterling Void, and Ten City’s first two albums. In March 1987, the British music magazine NME reported that Jefferson and Frankie Knuckles were in the UK for the first house-music tour. “Move Your Body” appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on house-music radio station SF-UR. This song also appeared in Michael Winterbottom’s film 24 Hour Party People and in the 1991 documentary film Paris Is Burning. Jefferson took a break from music in 1990, then returned to DJing in 1993. He moved to Billericay in Essex where he had a five-year residency with the Tribal Gathering and Big Love events. Jefferson now lives in between Manchester, England and New York City and released a remixed version of “Move Your Body” (credited to Marshall Jefferson x Solardo, with the latter being a Mancunian production duo made up of Mark Richards & James Eliot) in 2019. In 2021, he teamed up again with Byron Stingily to release “Be Free”, the first single in 25 years to be credited to Stingily’s house music group Ten City.

Jefferson’s releases like ‘Open Our Eyes’, ‘7 Ways to Jack’ and the immortal ‘Move Your Body’ had an undeniable impact on the development of house music as we know it today. Jefferson’s releases on the iconic TRAX Records helped establish the label as one of Chicago’s best, and he has continued to put out some of the most widely-acclaimed music in house music history. Over the years, Marshall has had a hand in house music’s evolution, spearheading the acid house movement with his work on the seminal ‘Acid Trax’ with DJ Pierre in 1987. He also turned his hand to deep house, most notably on ‘Open Our Eyes’, released in 1988 on Big Beat, which connected emotionally and physically with listeners. As well as growing the genre in his hometown, Marshall Jefferson was integral to house music’s growth worldwide. The DJ headline the first House Music Tour of Europe in 1987. After a brief hiatus in the early 1990s, Marshall began his legendary five-year residency with the Tribal Gathering and Big Love Events in London, during which time he released his 1997 studio album ‘Day Of The Onion’, which is considered one of the best house full-lengths of all time.

Today, Jefferson continues to release original productions and extended mixes including remixes for Katy Perry, Galantis, Pet Shop Boys, and Oliver Heldens, alongside his standout DJ shows around the globe. House music truly wouldn’t be the same without him.

EPM.185 is also available on Soundcloud, Mixcloud and Apple Music.

EPM Podcast 185 – Track list

1. Mr Fingers - Can You Feel It

2. Marshall Jefferson, Solardo - Move Your Body (Extended Mix)

3. Hanna - Sometimes (N.W.N. Remix)

4. Alex Finkin, DJ Disciple - House Music Is…

5. Sebb Junior - Get Down

6. Rony Breaker, Chinua Hawk - Solid Ground

7. Max Kion - Revival (Extended Mix)

8. Yuichi Inoue - A Night In The Room (Saison Extended Remix)

9. DJ Gomi (Feat Antonio Hart) - F.A.K. (Main Mix)

10. Grant Nelson - Resist