About DJ Bone
Hometown
Detroit, MI, United States
Genre
Techno
DJ Bone is one of the Motor City's most creative turntablists. Often using three (or more) decks, he's known for extended blends as well as innovative cutting techniques, and he frequently breathes new life into well-worn classics like Jeff Mills' "The Bells." Although he considers himself a DJ first and foremost, he's also a highly accomplished producer, remaining "true to the roots of Detroit techno soul," as his 2008 single "No Sleep (True to da Roots)" states, while maintaining a distinct personality and a fearless sense of experimentation. Bone has been steadily releasing singles/EPs and mix CDs since the mid-'90s, mainly on his own Subject Detroit label -- he has repeatedly turned down offers from larger techno labels in order to maintain complete creative control. However, a few notable releases on other labels include 1999's Metroplex-issued EP Riding the Thin Line and 2000's Subject: Detroit, Vol. 2 mix on Eukatech. Bone has largely remained under the radar to all but the most devoted Detroit techno enthusiast, but he began to receive some long-overdue recognition during the 2010s, particularly for his full-lengths It's Good to Be Differ-Ent (2017) and A Piece of Beyond (2018).
Eric Dulan began attending club nights in Detroit during the early '90s, and began to DJ at home when he was 17. By the middle of the decade, he was regularly spinning at clubs, parties, and on the radio. In 1996, Laurent Garnier caught one of Bone's DJ sets, and invited him to play a set in Paris, which led to bookings throughout Europe, and then the world. Bone began releasing music in 1996, starting with the Electronic Birth EP on Molecular Recordings. His weekly residency at the Motor Lounge in Hamtramck, which began in 1997 and ran for three years, quickly attained legendary status. Following the Unleashed EP, issued on his own label in 1998, Bone's Riding the Thin Line EP was released by Juan Atkins' Metroplex in 1999. His first widely available mix CD, Subject: Detroit, Vol. 2, appeared on Eukatech the following year. Bone served as a board member for the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2002.
Up until 2004, his releases were sporadic, but he became highly prolific that year, issuing no less than six singles on Subject Detroit or sub-label Encounter. Double-CD mix Parts Unknown (Subject Detroit, Vol. 3) appeared in 2005, and Bone's debut full-length, Out of Knowhere, arrived in 2007, albeit as a limited CD-R. That same year, Bone contributed vocals to Deetron's single "Life Soundtrack." Bone maintained a consistent release schedule, with EPs regularly appearing on his own label as well as other such as Leftroom or Sect Records.
In 2015, Bone began releasing some of his more experimental tracks, credited to the pseudonym Differ-Ent, on Don't Be Afraid. A self-titled 12" was followed by "M.O.M.," a cathartic track dedicated to his mother, who had passed away. A triple-LP titled It's Good to Be Differ-Ent appeared in 2017, receiving a great deal of critical acclaim. In 2018, DJ Bone released another triple-LP, A Piece of Beyond, on Subject Detroit. ~ Paul Simpson
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