Mr. V (Victor Font) is a House DJ, Producer, Vocalist, Remixer, Record Label owner and ex-lightening jock. With a unique and individual style he has forged his way in the House music world by continuing to develop and grow without being pigeon holed by one particular sound. Along with Alix Alvarez they started Sole Channel Music records to enable them to release music that they loved and have gone from strength to strength. Mr. V continues to release, produce and remix House music as well as being able to diversify on his other label Muzik 4 Tomorrow.
I interviewed Victor late 2020 and he kindly gave up his time by recording his answers to my questions whilst on a break with his wife!! The reason for the delay in this interview being published is because it was featured in the sold out Spring edition of the Faith Fanzine. This was Victors (and mine) first ever published printed article. (Thank you to the Faith team for this).
Background info – where did you grow up, what musical influences did you have around you growing up either at home/in your area, what music was playing in your house/area whilst you were growing up etc
I grew up in the Lower East Side, New York. My musical influences growing up ranged from Hip Hop to Soul, Mum was into Latin music but I wasn’t into that too much. 98.7 Kiss FM in New York was the radio station we listened to mostly in the house as they played everything from Michael Jackson to Patti Labelle to Stephanie Mills. Hip Hop was emerging just as I was growing up. I listened to everything from James Brown, Marvin Gaye to Biz Markie, Sugar Hill Gang etc. Hip Hop was my first love and Biz Markie’s – Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz was probably the first record I bought. Artists such as KRS-One, MC Shan – the whole golden era of Hip Hop.
Were you making beats? Was there a moment that made you want to get you into the music world? What job, if any, did you have/do before getting into music?
Around the age of 16/17 I used to sneak into clubs and that’s when I had the idea of getting into the business. I was interested in how things worked, how they sounded but never really thought of it as a job until later on. I wasn’t making beats at that point but I do remember as a kid at my Aunts house trying to blend 2 cassettes on her stereo tape deck.
Job wise – I used work in retail – at places like GAP, Structure, Le Chateau, odd jobs, summer youth and then worked for Masters At Work for about 4 or 5 years. I left MAW to go work for an Ad agency and learnt a lot working for them.
When did you first discover House music?
First discovered House music on the radio, again I think it was Kiss FM with a DJs John Robinson, Tony Humphries and also Darryl James who used to play all these mixes and I loved it. In a club environment it was in a club called The World in the Lower East Side. The music would be Hip Hop and then House. The way House sounded and the way people moved to it made me fall in love with it more and gravitated towards it the more I heard. It would be around 89/90 when I first heard House music being played but wasn’t until 92/93 that I properly got into it. An Aunt was a female security bouncer and she would slide me into clubs at that point and look after me.
What tunes were being played on Kiss when you first heard House music?
The tunes I were hearing on Kiss FM were things like Crystal Waters – So Happy, a lot of Ten City, Ce Ce Peniston, a lot of New Jersey House that Tony Humphries was playing. Obviously Pal Joey, Deee-Lite – a lot of Deee-Lite and a lot of Chicago House. The mixture was different though as I listened to 2 different DJs John Robinson and Darryl James and both were very different in there approach to House music and that was pretty big deal for me.
Which clubs were around in NY when you started going out?
The Garage, Save the Robots, Kilimanjaro, Red Zone, Limelight, The Tunnel and the Sound Factory. So many quality clubs to go too.
With so many amazing DJs/Producers from NY – Larry Levan, Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Todd Terry, Sanchez, Morales, Humphries – your influences/options must have been so good and varied?
Yes, definitely plus Frankie Knuckles too. New Yorkers were spoilt in the 80’s/90’s. All these guys were pushing the music and making such great music too. So many more too – Danny Krivit, Francois K, Timmy Regisford – all helped create that New York sound. The option were huge, so many plus many many more.
I’ve read that Louie Vega was a huge influence on your early career – what was that like working with one of the most respected and talented DJ/producers in the world? What’s the story behind this?
I first met Louie is 93/94 when I was doing the lights as a light J at the Sound Factory Bar. I was doing Thursday nights and he played on Wednesdays for his Underground Network night with Barbara Tucker. I worked the Thursday night but went to Louie’s night on the Wednesday as it was totally my sound. The guy who did the lights on a Wednesday was sick and asked me to do it, something I always wanted to do because of Louie. I got there super early to set everything up and make sure everything was perfect. I was so ready for the night and basically I showed Louie what I could do. I worked the lights perfectly to Louie’s tunes all night – on a breakdown I’d break down the lights, a climax – same, I’d change the lights to reflect the mood. It worked, he saw what I was doing, liked it, gave me his business card and wanted me to be his lighting guy. A guy called Ralph Boy got us connected to Louie we spoke and the rest is history.
Working for MAW was one of the most incredible experiences in my life. Without Louies constant push, encouragement and support I don’t think I’d be where I am today. Maybe I would but it would have taken me longer. His work ethic is incredible and that is something I hold dear to my heart. Louie is one of the best and I think people will learn why he’s up there as one of the best. Period. He’s a legend for sure.
What records were you hearing being broke at Louie’s night?
At his Underground Network night on a Wednesday I heard a lot of CJ Mackintosh stuff, early Mood II Swing, loads of Strictly Rhythm records especially stuff like Black Magic, Lil Louis and obviously all the MAW tracks at that time were being broken at his night. The majority of the MAW stuff was broken and played. Louie was playing everything under the sun – St Germain – his records were being destroyed by Louie at Underground Network at that time, also CJ Bolland, Armand Van Helden, DJ Sneaks early stuff, Roger Sanchez, Todd Terry – literally the legends of now being played at that time. I remember Kenny’s hit – Bucketheads – These sounds being played on acetate, it was such an explosive record man, the reaction was insane!
I’ve just read in your bio that Lord G is a good friend of yours. I remember seeing him play Hard Times in Leeds. He was one of the best guest DJs I heard at Hard Times. How important were them early days with Louie and Lord G in how you are progressed and ended up in the House scene for all this time? Were you playing out alongside Lord G?
Me and Lord G grew up in the same neighbourhood on the Lower East Side, buildings apart from each other. I would carry G’s records, I experienced the business side of the club scene and experienced a lot of the do’s and don’ts with G. G gave me opportunities but because I wasn’t a name at that time it didn’t really happen for me. We came through at the same time but he was ahead of me at that time with the Def Mix series with David Morales and Frankie Knuckles. We kind of separated when I started to work for MAW, our schedules were busy and different but when we met up the mutual respect was still there and the respect is still there today. I got to see through his eyes the scene and various experience’s and can’t thank him enough for that. We’ve never really played out that much together, we did the odd night but not for probably 20 years now. Like you say he’s a fantastic DJ and he’s definitely one of those DJ’s that is super talented but not heard enough.
How did the record label come about and was there a reason to start a record label especially so early in your career?
The label came about as I used to do a night called Sole Channel on a Saturday night in a small bar called 85a that was in New York. Me and Alix (Alvarez) played at it. I was gradually getting into production and Alix had a MPC2000. Like me he was working, learning and starting to produce. I was blown away that he could produce music from that one machine and it blew my mind. We just started producing so many songs, we were sending so many demos and wasn’t really being given the chances that we thought we deserved so we decided to speak to a distribution team. I forget the name now of the distributor but they got us a deal and we went from there. That was 2004 and the label is still going today. We wanted a label that represented our sound and the only way we could do that was to have our own label, we didn’t want to feel rushed as there’s time constraints to releasing music on certain labels or to be told you have to do it this way or sound like this. We wanted to do it our way and for people to enjoy our sound.
I’m guessing the first time I heard one of your productions would be Mr V – Deep (House Music). Was that one of your first releases or maybe first release that started to get you noticed?
My first release would have been The Drum on Vega Records and then it would have been Deep (House Music) on Ricanstruction. Louie wanted Deep but I’d given it to Frankie Feliciano who was going to put it out on Ricanstruction so I had to give to give Louie my latest demo which was Mr V – Jus Dance and the rest is history (laughs)
From that tune the follow up releases for me would be Somethin’ with jazz and Jus Dance – both fantastic tunes and tunes I still play. Both solid, timeless tunes – did you feel like you’d found your groove when releasing these?
I didn’t find my groove, I was just releasing records that I wanted to make, songs I wanted to hear and play but I wasn’t really hearing these types of records. That’s why I was making them tunes. With Somethin’ with Jazz – nobody was making Hip House anymore. Hip House was dead, nobody was rapping on House records anymore and I loved Hip House so I did it to just try bring it and thought Fuck It I’m going to try bring it back. It was here before me but I wanted to bring it back.
Is it possible to pick your own favourite productions or which ones you are the most proud of?
Absolutely – Jus Dance and Somethin’ wit Jazz. I created Jus Dance from scratch. I did everything apart from the Rhodes solo which was done by Ben Khon who’s a Jazz pianist and then Alix Alvarez mixed it. Similar with Somethin’ wit Jazz, everything apart from the Horn solo which again was Ben was all from scratch and by me. Very proud of them 2.
I’m actually proud of most of my stuff. I try not to be down on it and I love to put music out there and see what happens. If its a hit – cool and if it’s not then I put it out of my mind and move on. It’s like a painting. I love to paint and put art out there.
A tune that I love from that period is a tune that you featured on Halo – Change. Was it around this time that you really started to produce/remix and DJ a lot more and when did you first play overseas?
Yes, I believe Change was released in 2005. My first trip overseas was in Edinburgh for Craig Smith (6th Borough Project) at a club, I think, called Pulse or Plush in around 2005/6 and I still think I have the flyer somewhere.
One thing I’ve noticed from yourself and the label over the years is that it’s not strictly ’soulful house’ in the way that certain DJs/producers and labels tend to stick, sometimes, rigidly to. Was this a conscious effort to not be stereotyped or pigeon holed as a ’soulful house’ DJ or is it just in your make up to play/produce the music you love rather than what is expected?
I have 2 labels – Sole Channel and Muzik 4 Tomorrow. Sole Channel more or less sticks to Soulful House and my other label is an anything goes – Soulful, Techy, R’n’B, Hip Hop – anything. This can allow me to do these things for each label and I can separate myself. They give me that room to release music I love.
Proudest moment(s) during your career?
One of my proudest moments was when I released my album and had the release party at Virgin Music Store in Union Square, NY. I think that was the proudest moment that I’ve felt. Shooting the music video for The Bump was pretty cool and going to the South African Music Conference in 2006. Special moments. Working for MAW and going to my first Winter Music Conference in 94 but working for Louie and Kenny is a super proud moment as it’s got me to where I am today.
You have a very unique spoken word/rap style. Do you think that sets you apart and also open to various genres because of this?
YES. YES. YES. I love to be different, I don’t think we should all be the same. Clearly you can tell the difference between myself and say a Roland Clark vocal. I love the word play. I love to challenge myself vocally when making songs or raps. I listen to todays Hip Hop, not too much of it but I do try update my style, I don’t want to be stale and the evolution of Hip Hop is ever growing and I need to grow with it but what I want to, most importantly, is to give you vocal wise is something very unique and different to anyone else in the market. And yes it does keep me open to various genres.
How do you see the scene at the moment – both pre Covid and throughout the pandemic?
Pre Covid – I’d say it was OK, the scene was OK. A lot of new talent but I think a lot of people were getting a lot of accolades for doing very little. That was probably my only gripe. I was seeing people getting a lot things for not doing too much work. They were headlining gigs after just one big record, they were getting all this on the back of one big record.
During Covid – I’ve seen a lot of DJs that were doing really well go silent! I’ve seen leaders not really doing much. I’ve seen division and hatred reveal themselves in people that I didn’t think had that. I’ve also seen great leadership, I’ve heard great music and I’ve also seen the rise of certain bedroom DJs who can really play and are gaining an audience while some of veterans and people who are/were popular sit back and do nothing. People are using this time in a great way and taking advantage of what’s happening and there are those that are going radio silent and not using this time at all when people really need to hear from them. It feels a little odd and strange.
The financial support hasn’t happened in the UK for certain self employed DJ/producers – what is it like in the US with financial support for artists?
First of all so far I’ve only received 1 stimulus cheque payment. In the US, it’s coming late!! It’s not coming sufficiently and it isn’t well thought out but it wasn’t prepared for as we all know. I like the fact that they are extending it and that we do have something in play going forward but it’s not going to survive that long. Put it like this. If you were struggling before Covid then chances are you’re not going to survive throughout it and maybe you should get a part time job until things start to recover to help support you and make ends meet.
Is it possible for you to pick your top 5 House tunes?
NO!! Lol. (Spends a minute or 2 thinking and constantly changing his mind) Aah man there’s too many, it changes, different songs mean different things, different places and different meanings. It’s tough!
The new track on Sole Channel – Wrightvibes – you talk about being free, music saving your life, having no rules – has music kept you going throughout this pandemic? I think the things you talk about throughout this track resonates with people at this moment in time.
Music is like a remedy, it’s therapeutic, it can give you some form meditation and even times like this while doing this interview it’s quiet, it’s my time out, its a time to reconnect. I tend to write about a lot of what I see and then apply my feelings to it and try to mesh that with the nightlife. People go out for escapism – they want to see people, they want to hear things and escape situations they currently have going. The things I talk about are expressive about what’s happening right now. It’s important to talk about different things and not the same thing all the time. People may find relevance and feelings which relate with what is being said. We are all in this thing together.
Music has totally kept me going. I’d slowed down recently as I’m waiting for a controller but when it arrives I’m planning on playing at least 2 hours a day. Its therapeutic. I’ll be playing and streaming all kinds of music and hopefully that will keep other people going too.
I was listening to Lenny Fontana talking to Seamus Haji on his True House Stories interview and they were talking about streaming, how production is going for them during lockdown and also looking to the future. How have you adapted to work during this pandemic, have you looked at how things going forward could look regarding both production and DJing and do you think working remotely with artists could be very much part of the future?
I think I was prepared for this. My tour dates slowed down around the time my daughter was born so around 5/6 years ago. They never really picked up or were vigorous and I was ok with that. I was getting gigs but not constantly travelling at weekends so I was home a lot which was great in the fact that if I’m at home I can write more, produce more, explore more musical and it’s paid off. I’ve been researching how to produce better, be a better mix engineer, a better master engineer, understanding plugs in etc and just being experimental with music. I’d already adapted before this pandemic.
Going forward – production and DJing – we’ve no choice in that, this is going to be the future. We are going to have to work remotely, even when we get a vaccine people are going to be very wary and careful with regards to travel. Masks and protection is going to now be part of my future, I’ll be wearing a mask on a flight etc. This changes everything. On my rider everything changes – I want everything to be super careful. Like things properly wiped down plus other hygiene issues. It’s part of the future.
Working remotely with an artist definitely works too and its going to be a big thing. I think you do your best work at home, a place that you’re comfortable in, a vocalist doesn’t have that pressure in a studio and they can be themselves whilst at home if they have the capability to do so. The future looks bright if people can adapt to this way of working.
With regards to streaming I think I’ll slow down once the pandemic is over but I’ll still do it. I love streaming. I should have been doing this a long time ago.
What do you look for when someone sends you demo’s for your label(s)?
Good sound quality, originality, no samples, good vocal, good arrangement and content.
Is there anybody that you would still like to work with?
I’m happy to work with whoever and which ever genre. I still work with various people, I don’t really have a preference. I’ve been talking with Sean McCabe about doing something and I’ve never worked with Dennis Ferrer and hope one day we’ll hook up. I’m open man, I’ll work with anyone. As long as the musics good and I can lay down something on top then it’s all good.
In the digital world, 000’s of tracks are now released daily/weekly and there’s so much music to get through to find the decent tracks never mind the hidden gems – do you think its easier or more difficult these days to get noticed or get recognised due to the amount of tracks being released?
YES, it’s definitely more difficult to get noticed these days due to the number of releases. Not only that but the shelf life of tracks is less due to the amount released too. Great but tricky question because it depends on which genre or group you are aiming at in terms of which fans or type of House music you are going for. You need to target your audience, chose which platform you go for.
It’s tricky but if you can get your music played by some of bigger named DJs, which I know is tough, that definitely helps. Alternatively, find a label that your music relates to – Defected/Toolroom etc failing that go down the chain. Keep at it, keep promoting yourself but don’t over do it but make sure you’re putting out quality House music but success doesn’t come over night.
If you had any advice for DJs or producers wanting to make a career in the scene what would that be?
Observe the industry right now, see what is or isn’t working, knowing your House music history is super key, ensure it’s quality every time and stay original plus the things I spoke about above. Staying original and unique is key for me and don’t be like the competition.
Do you have an opinion on DJs playing in places like Italy and other places in Europe that have now been closed down due to the rise in infection rates possibly due to the events?
No, not really. I think people know what’s going on, they know what they are doing and if they don’t then they’re irresponsible. I think there’s a time and place for being festive and partying and clearly this isn’t one of them. People should take this very seriously because if we don’t there won’t be many places that we can be festive at. Part of fixing it is part of making it safe and following the guidelines.
Victor is still streaming on his Twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/dj_mrv, his Sole Channel page is https://www.solechannelmusic.com/, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/djmrv/?hl=en
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