 Kenny
smiling - which he does alot! |
If
Kenny Carpenter had never happened it's a fair bet that disco and
house music, would still have been a really good idea that nobody
ever had.
Of
all the people instrumental in creating the current scene, he is
the one; agreed by peers and fans alike, to be the embodiment of
clubbing.
Kenny
started out in the 70's, but not as a DJ. His first job was as a
lighting technician, as he told Debbie Troops in this exclusive
interview.
Listen
to the interview - part 1
"I
was working in some of the biggest New York clubs and I liked my
job, doing the lighting, but then, when I stood and watched some
of these guys having a really great time I thought hey I can do
that." He could do 'that' so well that he soon became the main
man at legendary underground clubs like The Gallery 21, The Loft
and The Inferno.
Kenny
Carpenter - picture courtesy of Qaraj |
He
got his big break in the 80s when the hallowed halls of Studio 54
came calling and from then on it was sheer hedonism.
"They
were great times, the clubs were really fantastic, the people were
really amazing and there was alot of drugs...alot of drugs, but
it was the music.There was some really fabulous music around at
that time and I don't think that time can ever be recreated."
Kenny's
focus and passion was always the music and he admits to being disillusioned
about the current house scene.
Kenny
on the decks at Pascha |
"No-one
ever left a club singing the bass line and that's the truth.I like
music, melody, a great song and there's so little of that around
right now...when you think back to all the really great tracks of
the 80s and early 90s...there's no comparison now," he says,
"but
you have to be positive...I'm so busy and now that I've based myself
in Rome I'm taking some time out of New York to focus a little.
My studio work is real important at the moment but I still love
to DJ."
Kenny's
career has now spanned over twenty years. He still travels all over
the world and regularly features on radio and tv.He's busy producing
music for himself and other artists and working hard to bring the
house scene back to its roots. He's part of a progressive new house
music agency - Qaraj - created by Ministry founder Justin
Berkmann - (interview coming soon) - and he's still in
demand. Despite his reservations about the production quality of
the music he's playing, he's far from hanging up his playbox just
yet. "Oh no I want to keep going until I have to stop,"
(laughs) "and besides I think that you have to do something
about it if you don't like what's happening and not become part
of the problem...you have to become part of the solution."
Listen
to the interview - part 2
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What
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Exclusive
!! - Kenny Carpenter talks to clubbing
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Music takes to the net
