The Chicago house icon was asked to contribute a mix to Spotify as part of a brand new DJ initiative.
DJ Spen has recorded a new mix, The Eye of The Storm, which is hosted on Spotify’s new mix platform. DJ mixes have been added to Spotify’s streaming platform, which is now allowing DJs to upload and monetise full-length mixes. The mixes will first be available in eight countries: the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. Along with DJ Spen, Noisia, AmyElle, Adam Beyer, Shingo Nakamara, and MOTi are among the first artists to contribute to the new format. The move follows Apple’s recent announcement that its Music Streaming service will pay both content providers, DJs, and the artists featured in their mixes.
Check out DJ Spen’s Spotify mix.
Dubbed a “classic house legend” by DJ Mag, DJ Spen kicked off his career in the ’80s working as a radio DJ while making hip-hop productions with the group The Numarx: a trio that would go on to record the enduring classic “Girl You Know It’s True”, later made famous after being covered by Milli Vanilli. The years that followed saw Spen move away from the hip-hop scene, embracing the classic Chicago house sound that would become his trademark, after joining forces with famed production collective The Basement Boys. Recording under the alias Jasper Street Co., Spencer issued his first 12″ through Basement Boys Records in 1995, the high-voltage gospel house track “A Feeling”. This was the first in a massively successful series of releases for the label that brought Spen both commercial and critical success, leading to worldwide recognition as a pioneer of house music. His latest record is out now on Quantize Recordings.