Gothic Theatre

John Kelley

Whether or not you have kept up with John Kelley’sprogression as a DJ/producer through his participationin the Full Moon Gatherings or through his mixedreleases on Moonshine Music, one will notice anessential characteristic, it’s all about the FUNK!Kelley’s first involvement in the rave scene came inthe mid-1990’s with his legendary sets at the infamousFull Moon Gathering held in the remote deserts andlake beds outside of Los Angeles. After DJ Daniel(founding pioneer for the gatherings and Moontribecrew), heard a mix tape of John’s sets, then and therehe realized he had found a new DJ for the spiritualentity.Despite starting his career at a traditionally lateage of 23, Kelley has consistently remained at theforefront of the scene. In more than six years ofDJing, Kelley has created a powerful reputation forhimself as a funky originator. His name carries aninstant buzz of excitement and a guarantee of aprogressive, original sound. During his time spent asresident DJ at the Full Moon Gatherings, he saw thepopularity of these underground raves, grow immensely.Kelley refused to let the success and increasinglycommercial nature of these raves compromise hismusical integrity. Going his own way, he has made ithis mission to bring the vibe and energy of the desertscene to the rest of the nation.High Desert Soundsystem2, his fifth mix CD onMoonshine, provides further insight as to how Kelleyhas continued to break new ground and stay ahead ofthe game. Each of his mix CDs has marked a progressionin his style and in his latest collection, HDSS2showcases Kelly’s cutting-edge style by delivering afantastic combination of Progressive House andTech-House with a tribal vibe. By Blending tracks fromindustry notables like Timo Maas, Novy vs. Eniac andTrancesetters, Kelley creates a superb up-frontjourney into his own unique world.Kelley definitely knows the meaning of pleasing acrowd: “If you’re not working the crowd, you’re notdoing your job. To me, it’s all about programming andtaste of music.” He has also proven his sharpproduction skills with the mixing of tracks thatappear on all of his mix compilation CDs. The trackshave served as an accurate representation of hisfunk-flavored, tech-house sound. A unique style,rising in popularity and continuing to flourish. Funkit up!