brotha2Brotha

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Miss Honey

While we’re talking music … let me introduce you to one of my favorite DJs. Its not one of the names with a huge following in New York, like Junior Vasquez, Peter Rauhofer or Danny Tenaglia. She’s actually a "gender illusionist" from Chicago’s South Side, who moved to the Big Apple and now has a huge international following.

Miss Honey Dijon.

I discovered Honey about six or seven years ago. I was still in Chicago, and my good friend Robert had purchased one of her tapes at Gramaphone. I fell in love instantly. The sound is retro, yet new. Honey spins lots of bass and garage beats, deep tracks. Its very eclectic: old school Chicago house, disco, tech-house, tribal, funk, soul and r&b. Yet, she always plays new and fresh sounds. Think, St. Germain with a twist.

To hear Honey live, I had to wait until I moved to the big city. I think it was at The Cock in the East Village on a Thursday night. I'm not an East Village type, especially a regular at The Cock or The Hole, among the venues where Honey played. But I went there anyway, introduced myself , and told her that her music had given me many, many hours of enjoyment.

After that, I followed her around New York. Thursdays at the Cock, Tuesday nights at G, the occasional Friday night she opened for Danny Tenaglia at the old Vinyl. (Speaking of Danny T, I’m still living for Elements. Seven or eight years later, that cymbal and percussion buildup is still offdachain.) She’d always comp me, we’d talk in the DJ booth, and I’d feel so fierce, chatting with her and meeting other New York nightlife celebs. I think one of the first times I went to Splash SBNY was when she spinned.

Like all good DJs, she’s moved on. Occassionally, Honey still does a set at G. But, nowadays, I just hear her tapes or CDs. But, nowadays, I just hear her tapes or CDs. She’s strictly international now, spinning at Miami’s Winter Music Conference, or playing for clubs in London, Paris, Buenos Aires, Cologne, Amsterdam, Sydney or Ibiza. I’m glad I have my memories (and my tapes and CDs). I guess it’s time to save up some coins and get my passport renewed.