Vibal | DAVID HARNESS & Tedd Patterson

David Harness is one of the most popular DJ/producers in the San Francisco Bay Area club scene. He has been described as 'a man who lives, breathes and emanates everything that is beautiful about deep house music and classic garage.' David is considered a 'rising star' within the dance community. As a military brat, David Harness traveled the world extensively during his childhood. 'Regardless of which country I was in, I always heard American music, namely R&B. This little bit of familiarity really helped me feel secure in a lot of different places.' With influences varying from Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Quincy Jones, the Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder, Parliament Funkadelic, the Isley Brothers and First Choice, it is easy to see why funk and soul have always been strong elements in his sound. In 1990, David began DJ'ing at the After Dark in his hometown of Monterey, California. As his popularity grew past the boundaries of Monterey, he was invited to establish a residency at Tilt and the Sound Factory in San Francisco. In 1994, David opened and DJ'ed at the hip and popular club Lift at Club Dv8 in San Francisco. His success as a club DJ led to a DJ spot on commercial radio. In 1994, David joined the popular radio show Your Mama's House on the San Francisco Bay Area's number one radio station KMEL FM. Your Mama's House was the only 'true' house mix show on any major radio station in Northern California. As part of the Your Mama's House crew, David played a key role in exposing the masses to House Music in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1995 David kicked off a seven year residency at San Francisco 's legendary Club Universe — San Francisco's hottest Saturday night party. At Club Universe, David had the opportunity to play with many New York's legendary DJs like Frankie Knuckles, Tony Humphries, Little Louie Vega, Tedd Patterson, Dave Morales, Danny Teneglia, London's Ricky Morrison, Los Angeles' Marques Wyatt, San Francisco's Miguel Migs, Mark Farina and Kaskade — just to name a few. His growing popularity accelerated David's natural progression into production. In 1996, David was selected to spearhead the studio production for a national marketing campaign for the McDonald's Deluxe Burger. Also in 1996, David begin his ongoing residency at The End Up Sunday T-Dance — San Francisco's longest running dance party. In 1998, he released a CD for Universe Sounds and Twisted America, 'Welcome to the Universe'. This innovative CD, recorded live from Club Universe, reflects San Francisco's unique 'sound' and introduced the world to David Harness. Recognizing his talent, Twisted America quickly signed him to produce his first single, 'Get It Together', for a Twisted America compilation entitled 'A Little Bit of the Old, A Lot of the New'. David also started his ongoing residency at Fag Fridays in San Francisco in 1998 where he is still rockin' the floor. In 1999, David started Taboo in San Francisco's Mission District. Taboo started out of David's love of House music and his desire to provide a showcase for Bay Area talent as well as internationally known DJs. This ongoing party attracts a loyal crowd of househeads from around the San Francisco Bay Area and the globe to the weekly blending of spirit and soul. In September 2000, David launched DHJ Productions and has established himself as a respected producer and remixer. To date, David has worked on projects featuring artists such as Mary J. Blige, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Simply Red, Alicia Keys, Floetry, Donnie McClurkin, India Arie, *NSYNC and Donnell Jones. A collaborative effort with DJ/producers Chris Lum of Abitare Music, Jay J of Moulton Studios, and Charles Spencer of LoveSlap has resulted in several independent releases. David has appeared in articles and interviews in Billboard Magazine, Paper Magazine, Surface, XLR8R, Streetsounds, Sweater, HX, Next, URB, DJ Mag and the SF Bay Guardian. David Harness' passion, talent and creativity has definitely created a new page in the history of house music.


When Tedd Patterson steps to the decks, there's a shift of energy in the room. In a club scene now flooded with McDJs, Patterson has a presence that sets him apart. Instead of staying under the umbrella of only a couple of dance music genres, Patterson creatively moves things along by introducing the unexpected to the mix. This is his art form of fusion which has solidified Patterson's reputation as a master craftsman of adventurous, relentless, and wildly dynamic sets. With a honed eclectic sound and purposeful experimentation, Patterson's preference for the genuine, varied side of music is truly a refreshing experience.

What makes Patterson's sound his own is the alchemy of an off-beat perspective, an insatiable desire to explore various musical textures, and his refusal to be confined into any particular style. This ability to challenge himself and experiment with forward-thinking, energetic sets is rooted in the traditions of the 1970s disco he grew up with in Georgia. When Patterson landed in Atlanta he began rocking the club scene playing all styles of dance music. He played at several notorious underground haunts frequented by friends/soon-to-be famous club personalities Larry T., Lady Bunny, and RuPaul--to name a few. In 1985, he was granted the coveted (and much-deserved) position as a Billboard reporting DJ (a position held until 1991), validating his hard work and growing success. But when he discovered the burgeoning house music sounds emanating from New York and Chicago, his career took off. Patterson launched a weekly residency dedicated to house music at Atlanta's now-famous club Colorbox and he quickly found himself playing to packed crowds.

In the early 90¹s the groundbreaking dance label Emotive Records lured Patterson to New York to work their Promotions division, where he used his expert ear to identify new talent and emerging trends. The first artist he got under contract was DJ Pierre (Phuture Scope), who would release the dance-floor burners "Plastic" and "What is House Music" on the label. A series of guest DJ spots followed and Patterson quickly established himself as a New York DJ, earning his place in the booth at crucial New York hotspots like Club USA, Limelite, Save The Robots, Crowbar, and Sugar Babies.

Soon Patterson was fulfilling similar promotions / artist development roles for the newly established Liquid Groove imprint, and with the experience of these two labels under his belt, Patterson was in touch with a range of influential club DJs, radio jocks, and venues around the world. It was only a matter of time before Patterson was offered regular spots at some of the most prominent clubs around the world including London's Ministry Of Sound, Pacha in Ibiza, and Ageha in Tokyo.

This notoriety made Patterson, with his acclaimed edifying and soul-satisfying sets, a pivotal player in the now legendary Miami Winter Music Conference's *Magic Sessions* parties, and he eventually began releasing music of his own. He hasn't stopped since, and never has he shaken the ethics of those halcyon days of the current club scene: bring integrity, individuality, and a forward-thinking approach to the music you play and the style you play it with. These traits make Patterson a rare talent, as there aren't many DJs diverse enough to play for Victor Calderone at his *Evolve* party, while also being Danny Tenaglia's guest DJ at a *Be Yourself* night, and then spin at Danny Krivit's *718 Sessions.*    

Today, Tedd Patterson is a reflection of this experience and exposure, combined with a daring confidence to take chances and inject the unexpected. Years and scores of releases later, Patterson continues to craft intensely varied grooves and pack dancefloors--as evidenced by his eight-year running, monthly Saturday night *Vibal* residency at New York's premiere hotspot Cielo. And, looking to capture the sweeping musical range of these Cielo nights, Patterson's own record label, Vibal Records, is remerging in 2011, complete with a podcast (Vibal Cast) to keep the world in the loop. 

With Tedd Patterson in the DJ booth, it's best to prepare for the unpredictable. Any given set might start with some deep, heavy house, somehow make it's way to more hard-edged techno, and when the crowd has been coaxed to their breaking point, a mess of sweat and dancing, Patterson then takes them beyond their expectations, pushing past the conventional with his truly unique and eclectic style. Whether at a club in New York City, Naples, Italy, or Tokyo, Japan, this is what Patterson brings: knowledge of how to work a crowd, over and over, yet being able to make each night its own.