DJ Icey

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  • Born: Florida
  • Years Active: 1990s, 2000s

Biography All Media Guide Wikipedia

DJ Icey's breakbeat funk helped jump-start the increasingly fertile dance scene in and around Orlando, FL, during the '90s. Born and raised in the Sunshine State, Icey first got into music via early-'80s synth pop, industrial, and hip-hop. The boom in club music during the late '80s hooked him as well, and when he began DJing early in the '90s, he usually played out acid house and funky breaks. He gained a residency at The Edge, one of Orlando's seminal clubs, and soon began playing farther afield thanks to the burgeoning U.S. dance underground. (The club later went under, though not before hosting the Chemical Brothers' first American appearance, an invite extended by Icey himself.) When British DJ and longtime A&R kingpin Pete Tong heard an early single produced for Icey's own Zone Records in 1996, he signed the big-beat precursor Galaxy Breaks to his ffrr label. Even while spinning in several cities per week, DJ Icey managed to produce a good dozen singles per year for Zone, usually out of his studio in Orlando. His first major mix set, 1997's The Funky Breaks, was followed one year later by his full-length production debut Generate. Following in the footsteps of notable DJs from Tong to Fatboy Slim, DJ Icey released a volume in the Essential Mix series in 2000. Three years later, DJ Icey returned with his slickest breakbeat effort to date. Different Day appeared on System in March 2003.

from Wikipedia:

DJ Icey, (born Eddie Pappa), is a DJ and electronic music producer, credited by Allmusic as having helped to "jump-start the increasingly fertile dance scene in and around Orlando, FL, during the '90s". E, the Incredibly Strange History of Ecstasy credits him as "the prime founder of the Funky Breaks and the Florida Breaks. 1999's Rave America indicates that "the preoccupation with backbeats" characteristic of the Orlando sound was developed by DJ Icey. Rolling Stone writes that DJ Icey was "one of the original Florida DJs responsible for kick-starting the American progressive house and trance scene".

Biography

Originally named DJ Icee, he had to change his name because a local Orlando ice cream manufacturing company by the same name threatened to sue him. was born in Florida. Known for marrying the diverse strands of Chicago Hip house and English break-beat house, he rose to prominence DJing for the now defunct Orlando club The Edge, a position he held from 1991 to 1996. In 1993, he created his own label, Zone, named in honor of the UK labels O-Zone and D-Zone. In 2000, CMJ New Music Monthly described him as "an expert in funky, sped-up hip-hop", and by 2001, Billboard was listing him along with Crystal Method, DJ Micro and Überzone as "perennial figure[s] in the burgeoning funky breaks underground scene."

DJ Icey released his own music under his name and City Wide Allstars, and also remixed music for Groove Armada, Paul Oakenfold and Kosheen.

Billboard charts

DJ Icey has had several albums chart for Billboard, with six charting singles. The Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales charts have included "City of Groove" (1998, #44), "Not a Test" (1998, #43), and "Dreams" (2003, #16). "This Is How My Drummer Drums" charted on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart (1998, #32), while the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart has included "A Little Louder" (2003, #16) and "And Go!" (2004, #16).

Select discography

The Funky Breaks (1997)Generate (1998)Continuous Play (1999)Essential Mix (2000)Mixed (2001)Essential Elements-Dj Icey The Breaks Element (2001)Different Day (2003) (#8 on the Top Electronic Albums chart, #41 Top Independent Albums)For the Love of the Beat (2004) (#15 Top Electronic Albums chart)Y4K (2006)Disco Rodeo (2007)Offshore Jedi (2008)Amplified (2009)What You Feel (2010)Flash The Message (2011)

Video from YouTube

  • thumbnail from DJ Icey - Black Chrome (Original Mix) DJ Icey - Black Chrome (Original Mix)
  • thumbnail from Get It - DJ Icey Get It - DJ Icey
  • thumbnail from DJ Icey - Low Down Good Girl DJ Icey - Low Down Good Girl
  • thumbnail from DJ Icey - Beats In The Street DJ Icey - Beats In The Street