Delaware may not be so different than other cities in terms of what you can do at a party, the problem is that Delaware people aren't used to real DJ's working a room and real parties that have something entertaining to offer in terms of DJ/Music talents. Delaware has been known for its cover band scene for a while, but never for its DJ's, and its no wonder... The state is so small and the crowds are only tuning to a couple of radio stations that play the same constant line-up of pop music that its hard to break out from the trends that so easily take over.

Through a lot of work and exposure in Delaware I recently began finding pockets of people who see eye to eye with my take on nightlife and music in Delaware and so slowly I am trying to build a small brand around it, its the start of something different for this small state and it comes by way of a party called REMIX DISCO[tech] every Wednesday night at a small venue that cares about the concept as well.

TGRI: Regarding your style and influences, I listen to a lot of your mixes, and I'm always impressed at how your versatility and talent are at the same rather high level. Does that come from your background and desire to open yourself to so many musical styles, or a deep desire to work, grind and develop your skills?

DJ BIS: Thanks... Versatility has always been my "signature" since I started in 98. Coming from Costa Rica and having crazy friends who listened to everything was a huge help in getting going the way I did at such of young age... I never thought I would end up being a DJ later on though, yet when I did all those influences actually helped. I am a huge perfectionist also, so when I was introduced to DJ's in other cities who were doing amazing things in ways I had only dreamed of (think DJ AM/SpinBad/Fashen) I knew that I had to set the bar high in order to ever be noticed in my own way. My desire to work hard was amplified 10-fold when I heard what some of these DJ's where doing. Delaware had kept me blind to that for so long! Hitting the near-by cities was a huge help.

TGRI: You often talk a lot about "soul," or the lack thereof in most mainstream commercial music. Do you feel that as a DJ, a lot of your work is based around injecting soul into the music, or do you more just want to play music that takes people to a time and/or place where the soul was and/or still is?

DJ BIS: Its a bit of both for sure! As DJ's, the music we play represents who we are, or "our musical soul" let's call it. When a DJ gets to a point in his live work where he is able to create "a sound" in his sets which people can connect to, you are then infusing that room and the people in it with your soul. A room infected with "soul" moves and responds in incredible ways but it can be hard to find the cuts that make it do that, this is our job as DJ's, the constant selection, mixing and timing of music that will make the room's soul come alive. With time I come to realize that older music brought more soul to the dance floor because it communicated in deeper, more meaningful ways. But many songs today achieve the same too.

Additionally I feel that my interaction with the crowd and the process of soul-seeking for the evening is aided by positive stage presence and occasional use of the mic, of course. This is altogether an art in itself which I am just learning, but its important nevertheless if the DJ wants to inject that soul into the night.

TGRI: Do you feel that there are any artists or DJs out in the present era that have that soul of which you so often seek?

DJ BIS:Absolutely! Each genre has amazing artists who are very musical and present meaningful sounds with soul. I just wish that they would get more hype, and that people would be lead to them more often. As I've said in other interviews and what-not, people's ears are no longer being trained to listen for musical value in a song, instead music bigwigs have created other standards by which kids nowadays are attracted to music. I do hope this changes, and in fact I feel in some ways it already has started to change, I just hope it continues. Formal music education at a young age is an extremely important starting point IMO.

TGRI: Where can people come out and see you spin, and is there anything you'd like to advertise?

DJ BIS: People can find me at a variety of spots every week, from PA down to MD. The best way to keep up is to see the schedule on http://www.myspace.com/djb..is We try to keep it as current as possible. You can also hop on www.DJBIS.com I'd like to give a big thanks to my partner (Kristen), she is a huge part of what I do in my career and deserves much credit. Her long hours and creativity in helping me build a brand, and her patience while I am obsessively working with music make it possible for me to be the best I can be. She is not only a huge part of my career but also is an extremely talented musician and artist now doing her own thing as a make-up artist. Check her out: http://www.KristenLoberMak..eup.com In the future we may end up doing some music together, so we'll see!

About Marcus Dowling:

"I use sociology, crowd theory, pop psychology, and an encyclopedic knowledge of popular culture and music to create frank, arresting, pithy and/or entertaining reflections on recorded sound, trendng, but not limited to the house, club, urban and punk sounds. My direct contact is dowling(dot)marcus(dot)k@g..mail(dot)com!"