On July 1st 2004, Therapy, one of the longest-running Deep House nights in Montreal celebrated it's 5th anniversary as part of the 1st edition of the Funk 'n Soul Festival, manned by DJ Jojoflores and Bic Flores. Lots of people showed up at the Jello Bar for that momentous night (one of the best parties this city has seen in years), which featured Glenn Underground as guest on the wheels of steel, and none other than Colonel Abrams performing some new songs and old classics, all live. While we were busy enjoying the vibe, we managed to catch up with lots of people and ask them a few questions. In our second interview of this series, we feature none other than NY/NJ's finest, Kerri Chandler, who had showed up to enjoy the night.

D/V: You're a DJ, a producer, and you're also a record collector. What would be your most prized record that you own?

Kerri Chandler: You want to really hear this? This is real funny. Her record (chuckling & pointing to Bougie Soliterre sitting with us) is actually my favourite record. Bougie Soliterre......"Everyday"........on Flipside Records. Everydaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!

D/V: Talk to me about your children.

KC: The babies? They're good! I have an eight and a one year old. That's about it. Kerri and Max.

D/V: Kerri for a boy or a girl?

KC: A girl. My daughter Kerri!!!

D/V: Born in Jersey as well?

KC: Yes, in Jersey. East Orange. Eaaaaaast Oooooo-ranggggge!!!!!

D/V: Are there any artists that you have not worked with, that you'd like to collaborate with?

KC: Funny enough, Colonel (Abrams) is a very old and very dear friend of mine anyway, but we're gonna collaborate now that I'm looking at him. (laughs) (Colonel Abrams was also in the house sitting with us).

D/V: I've been waiting for that collaboration.......!!! Talk to me about Michael Watford.

KC: Ohhhhhhhhh, same thing man. He's family. Michael's amazing, a beautiful person, and he's family too! And he hangs out with my dad too.

D/V: Elaborate on "6:23". What does that represent?

KC: (laughing) That means my equipment is messing up!!!!! Honest to God. It's a bad day every year. This year my equipment keeps messing up.

D/V: June 23rd, right?

KC: Very, very, very much so. It's like this year.......my computer.........someone spilled beer on it. One of my favourite samplers, the S-50, just died on me. My 909 died on me. I gotta send all this stuff in.

D/V: On June 22nd, at 11:59 pm....are you paranoid as hell?

KC: (Kerri stares at me with a serious look in his eyes)I don't want to leave the house!

D/V: Talk to me about your relationship to God?

KC: I have only Him to answer to. That's all it is. And I feel very blessed, in that He's given me what I love to do.

D/V: What were you doing on 9/11 when it happened?

KC: (his mood changes quickly) Ooooohhh, that was terrible. Looking out my window, at it!!!!!!!!! It was horrible. Like watching it burning and falling, and people jumping out of the windows. It was terrible. I don't want to ever see something like that again.

D/V: You witnessed that!!!!?????

KC: Yeah, and I didn't want to see it. That's something in a lifetime that you just don't feel that you ever want to see. It was horrible. I mean seriously, I thought it was some type of joke when I saw it on TV. So, I went around the corner where I have a skyline view of Manhattan, and that's the only time that I wish I never had that view. I went down to the bottom of the hill. You can literally go down from where I live, and walk down to a docking area for boats. And, I actually saw things collapsing, and debris coming across the water. People were hugging and crying at the same time....it was just horrible and such a tragedy, and I hope that nothing like that is ever repeated again.

D/V: I know that you released "Peace in the Middle East"(Sfere) with Miri Ben Ari soon after, but how did 9/11 affect your music? I mean did it change the way you looked at your mixing board and what not? How did it influence Kerri Chandler's music?

KC: Truthfully, I've always been conscious of what the world is like. It's like way before that (9/11), I did "Where's the Love"(Madhouse Records). I've always been conscious of my surroundings and what I feel. Even to this day, I'm doing serious themes like "Street Musiq" (Large Records), because I feel my surroundings, and what I'm looking at is not what it should be. It's horrible some of these things that happen. I always feel like if I can make atleast a little bit of a difference, or just make someone think, it would just make that much difference. And I understand myself, so if I can just give a little bit of myself, even just with music, it makes it that much better for me. I hope that I can just make someone heal a little bit.

D/V: Tell me, what are you doing in the studio nowadays? Bettina's (Bougie Soliterre) been telling me that you have some new stuff cooking in the kitchen, so-to-speak. Tell your fans what's happening.

KC: There's been a few things that I've been working on recently. I'm getting a few things from Lusafrica, and I'm working on an album there with those guys. I'm working on them particularly, and some other artist named Laura. They sent all the masters over, and I'm gonna do alot of things, a more wordly style, bringing things into the house element. Another thing that I'm working on now is an R&B label that I'm gonna start called Digital Soul. So that's in a couple of months, andI'm working on the details of that. More stuff with Dennis (Ferrer) of course. Dennis has an album coming out so I'm helping him work on that. Of course the Madhouse album, where I got everyone's input , and I'm just trying to ensure that everyone's around. Tons of other things, too. I just remixed my first record, "Get It Off", and DJ Deep (from France) just did some mixes too.

D/V: What's your favourite Kerri Chandler-produced record?

KC: It's probably "Get It Off".

D/V: Most everybody knows that Dennis Ferrer was originally a techno-aficianado, and of course now he exudes house music. How did your relationship with Dennis come about?

KC: Me & Dennis are pretty much best friends. It's like I'm the godafther to his children!! Dennis is like my brother more than anything. We lived together for years. We literally lived like four blocks from each other. We're really really close, you know. It's pretty much me, him and Jerome (Sydenham). And that's just like my family, my heart, my brothers. We always keep in touch and make sure that we are always on our game.

D/V: You're travelled everywhere. Talk to me about your best experience abroad as a DJ.

KC: My best experience as a DJ?.....Wow! That's really hard to say. I've had so many places that gave me so much love. But, I would have to say the first time I went to Japan on my birthday. That's gotta be one of the most exciting experiences that I've ever had at Club Yellow, which is one of my all-time favourite clubs. It was such a blessing. Also, Cork, Ireland has always been so amazing to me.

D/V: Tell me about your worst experience as a DJ.

KC: My worst experience would have to be leaving and going home. I've never really had any terrible experiences. But generally-speaking, just watching the way things have changed maybe. That's probably my worst experience over-all. Just watching how people just don't feel music the way they should. Just hearing mind-numbing, one-bar loops of things. That's probably my worst experience OVER-ALL as a DJ, versus just a party.

D/V: What's your favourite dish?

KC: Oh God...my favourite cuisine!!??!!?? (pauses and thinks for a bit). You know, to this day, i've gotta say that it's gotta be italian food. I'm a sucker for italian food.

D/V: Favourite actor/actress?

KC: That's a real real tough one!! (repeats four times!!!!) that Darth Vader guy...what's his name...? Earl....???? Any other time I can come off with his name, but...arrrghhhh.... James Earl Jones!

D/V: Do you have any shout outs?

KC: Of course Bettina's always one!!!!! Just the entire crew in Canada. Everyone here is beautiful. I just played in Toronto yesterday and it was amazing. And now i'm here and can't wait for Saturday (where he was going to do a guest spot at the Soulmeka party at Salon Daome).


Related Links:

King Street Sounds Records



Interview by Michael Terzian sinister@deepvibes.org
Intro by Yannick B yannick@deepvibes.org

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