Tedd Patterson
As a DJ, producer and remixer, Tedd Patterson has established himself as a leading talent on the international dance music scene. He has become renowned for a signature sound that incorporates an intoxicating blend of contemporary and classic dance music styles. Thousands of fans worldwide have been seduced by his wickedly innovative sets that combine driving percussive beats and deep techno textures with throbbing progressive house, soaring Afro-Latin grooves and the occasional classic reflecting a diverse array of influences. rom his legendary sets for Italy’s Angels of Love to his eagerly anticipated sets at the WMC’s seminal Magic Sessions (along with house music veterans Louie Vega and Tony Humphries), Tedd has earned a reputation for delivering unpredictable, adventurous, and wildly infectious rhythms on the dance floor. Whether headlining with Frankie Knuckles, Danny Tenaglia, or Tom Stephan or manning the decks alongside Steve Lawler or Chus and Ceballos, Tedd consistently crafts intense and varied grooves that have made him a favorite in dance clubs around the world.
Tedd’s love affair with music began when he was a child growing up in Savannah, Georgia. As a teenager in the late ’70’s, he discovered disco and the emerging club culture. He was infatuated with the pulsating rhythms and how they transfixed and liberated the dancers. However, it was the role of the DJ that inspired him most. The idea of orchestrating that kind of magic through the records you selected and played was awe-inspiring. Tedd immediately began crafting his own eclectic style of mixing grooves with peak-hour intensity.
During the early ’80’s he moved to Atlanta and began experimenting with alternative and left-field styles of dance music. He played at several notorious underground haunts frequented by friends / soon-to-be famous club personalities Larry T., Lady Bunny and RuPaul. In 1985, he was granted the coveted (and much-deserved) position as a Billboard reporting DJ, validating his hard work and growing success. But when he discovered the burgeoning “house music” sounds emanating from New York and Chicago, his career took off. Tedd launched a weekly residency dedicated to house music at Atlanta’s legendary club Colorbox and he quickly found himself playing to capacity crowds. His parties not only attracted the city’s most dedicated music lovers, soon industry execs from up and down the east coast were in attendance.
In the early 90’s the groundbreaking dance label Emotive Records lured Tedd to New York to head their A and R division, where he used his expert ear to identify new talent and emerging trends. After signing some of the labels top artists and masterminding the label’s Future Sound Of New York project, he rapidly established himself as a leader in the next generation of house music DJs, following in the footsteps of legends like David Morales, Tony Humphries, Todd Terry, Frankie Knuckles and Junior Vasquez. A series of guest DJ spots followed and Tedd was soon was honing his skills behind the decks with steady gigs at trendy New York hotspots like Club USA, Save The Robots, Crowbar and Sugar Babies.
Soon Tedd found himself heading up the A and R and promotions department for the newly established Liquid Groove imprint. Under his guidance, the label catapulted into the international spotlight. The global success of these labels helped to create a turning point in house music, as well as, in Tedd’s career. Tedd established relationships with an amalgam of influential club DJs, radio jocks and venues across the globe. It was only a matter of time before the fledgling New York DJ was offered regular spots at some of the most prominent clubs in Europe including London’s Ministry Of Sound and Pacha in Ibiza.
My sets have always been about fusion, Tedd explains. I’m not an old school soul, classics or gospel house DJ, I’m adventurous, and my musical repertoire is very diverse. I like the soul that exists in a variety of musical forms. What appeals to me most is the fusion and contrast, that’s most obvious in how I program my sets. I’m not afraid to take a chance and that has become my signature”and that works for me.
When he’s not playing gigs in North America, Europe or Asia, Tedd works
his magic in the studio. His first production, “Welcome to the Magic Session” (Strictly Rhythm) was an instant underground classic. His follow-up productions including “Roots” (Black Vinyl), “Magnifique” (Fluential), “Big Room Drama” (a collaboration with Pete Heller released on the Junior imprint) and, most recently, “In Stereo” (produced with Iberican heavyweights Chus and Ceballos on the Stereo Records label) have received praise on both sides of the Atlantic. As a budding remixer, Tedd has delivered “crate essential” reconstructions for Lydia Rhodes’ “Dreams” (Bristol Music / Strictly Rhythm), DJ Spen “The Beat Goes On” (Black Vinyl), Black Science Orchestra’s classic “Where Were You” (Junior) and, most recently, E-Man’s “Slangin'” (Jellybean Recordings).
Whether on vinyl or in person, Tedd Patterson’s sound continues to raise the bar for dance music worldwide. In 2003 he launched his own record label, Vibal, and a residency at New York’s premier venue Cielo under the same name. Tedd continues to bring house into the 21st century with all the flavor and intensity of its varied past.
