On Saturday February 21, Long Island’s premiere nightclub The Emporium hosted Winter Con. New York’s hit mixer DJ Theo trekked thru the snow and ice in this eternal winter of 2015, Saturday to Patchogue, Long Island.
Theo didn’t just show up to the party – he spun an epic 6 hour set on this night.
Truth be told, I had heard of DJ Theo, but never really listend. It was always my opinion that any remixer who still had the “DJ” moniker in front of his name isn’t worth his salt. For instance, Benny Benassi, Robbie Rivera and Oscar G don’t need the DJ tag; we know what they are. Well guess what: I was wrong! Theo (who is known by just his first name amongst the club set) was a pleasant surprise.
Theo is a Long Island based DJ that spins under the Nervous Records label. Theo played his “classics” set, which was much different than like these European DJs that produce EDM beats. He wasn’t one of the Miami based guys that focus on slick transitions and capitalize on Latin rhythms: Theo spins actual house beats! Beautifully heavy, deep, hard-hitting house music. Theo is the mastermind behind the mix series Nervous Nitelife: Summer Clubbing Volumes 1-4.
New York’s club scene has always been a little different than the rest of the world. The soul of NYC house music first beat at infamous venues Sound Factory, Tunnel, Exit and Twilo. New York created its own stars. Artists Jonathan Peters, Junior Vasquez and Roger Sanchez have shaped our musical background. In short: New York, by and large, has always supported heavy hitting, high quality beats. DJ Theo has positioned himself as the next one up.
Outside, the mercury dipped into the 20s with snow and ice falling, but inside The Emporium, a packed house was revved up to a frenzy. Theo started throwing double and triple bass lines over some of the sexiest vocals I’ve ever heard. Long sets, like Theo’s six-hour one, are astonishing. It gives both the crowd and DJ a chance to warm up – in more ways than one. Such a production also forces the DJ to go deeper into his “crate” and try new things, like different set ups and drops.
Club nights are special. It’s a reason to dress up. It’s a reason to pack out the car and head to Patchogue. It’s a reason to dance all night to artists like Theo.
Theo has carved himself nicely into a niche where house music artists are needed. The future is big for this New York DJ. I personally want to hear more original music. He needs a banger much like Benassi needed “Cinema”, Rivera needed “Girlfriend” or Oscar G needed “Set you Free”. I want to see Theo at Nikki Beach, Miami, I want to hear him opening Space Ibiza and headline E Zoo. Theo has the talent.
