This was originally supposed to be a story about music and
music alone. But it soon became apparent
that the undisputable theme was love and relationships.
Casual encounters and
good first dates. I first met Dee
Jay Alicia a few days shy of exactly one year ago. I was enjoying a first date with my now
boyfriend, also a DJ (Jackie Moon) at the Time Out Lounge, on the South Side of
Chicago. It was Soulfisticated’s weekly
House music night, a Tuesday to be exact.
As we talked over drinks, this woman entered. She seemed to know everyone. It was Alicia. She greeted us with a 100 Watt smile. If you have ever seen Alicia out, you have
experienced this smile. I remember thinking;
this woman is different from others. As a woman it is not uncommon to initially
encounter not so friendly women. We can
be hard on one another. Sizing up our
“opponent” with a chilled demeanor, women can be a bit tough towards other
women. This was not the case with Alicia. She was warm and inviting. My date raved about her and how quickly she
had embraced him. This has been my
experience with Alicia. She is a good
woman.
Meeting Mickey Calvin is another story, in that I cannot
remember meeting him at all. It was after
Alicia, I can say for a fact, but that’s about it. He is one of those people you just know. The details are sketchy as to when we were
initially introduced. What I can say is
the name Mickey Calvin is synonymous with the word Energy. When I have seen Mickey at a party, he is
dancing. He is the type of guy who wears
sunglasses inside. Yet, it never seems
obnoxious with him. If he is DJing, he
is moving more. Watching Mickey Calvin
spin, there is no doubt that he enjoys it.
Music moves him.
Add a little
friendship and compatibility. It is
the humanity of both Dee Jay Alicia and Mickey Calvin that drives this
story. It is that same humanity that
makes them fan favorites. Friendship and
respect for each other’s ability is what brought them together. Love of “the music” is what fueled their
latest venture- MAC Productions. I sat
down with the two of them in Alicia’s home, the Sunday before Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day and the historical second term inauguration of President
Obama. It was a lazy day for me and
admittedly I wanted to spend my evening on the couch vegging out, watching
Netflix. I woke up early and sent Alicia
an instant message via Facebook confirming our interview. She replied several hours later (waking from
a long night after a gig that went well into the morning). Regretfully, she would have to postpone. She was doing an internet radio show that
afternoon and asked if I wanted to meet her there. I didn’t.
I wanted to reschedule and just when it seemed she was falling prey to
my evil plan, I got her next message.
She was on the phone with Mickey; he said let’s go ahead and do it
today. Be at her house at 6pm. Damn.
That is what makes their partnership golden. Where Alicia may want to take the laid back
approach, skillfully handling you with her easygoing charm, not trying to
ruffle feathers, Mickey likes to, in his words, “kick in the door.” MAC Productions came to be in August of
2012. Although less than a year old, the
duo has cranked out 16 new edits, and currently working on the final touches of
three more. They credit Albeton Live, a
software program for creating, producing and performing music, for the creation
of MAC Productions. At first the
partnership was a bit challenging, until they discovered the balance between
the skill set of each. With an MBA under
her belt, Alicia brings business savvy and marketing to the table. Mickey- has a managerial style that keeps the
two focused, history and a knack for networking. With a combined 40 plus years of working in this
industry; both bring experience.
What makes this pair special is that they absolutely admire
each other. Mickey enjoys hearing Alicia
play. “Other DJs don’t take chances and
opportunity, Alicia does.” He says part
of the winning formula is they share the same focus. But this does not exempt them from
disagreements. “We have debates, she
calls them arguments,” says Mickey. The
“magic” happens as a result of their mutual respect for each other. That respect was obvious during this
interview. Each takes their turn
talking, neither eager to step on the other’s toes. There is an underlying agreement that shadows
the room. Alicia adds, “he appreciates
what I do musically, my DJ style.” Of
Mickey’s DJing, Alicia says, “it’s almost like he’s singing to you. I like more raw beats, Afro beats, he’s more
melodic.” That is their simple recipe
for editing: Alicia starts with a heavy
beat, and then hands it over to Mickey for the finishing effects. They usually work separately; trust being the
key. “My partner has drive. If I pass the track off, she does her thing
and it will be complete. I work well
with someone with the same drive as mine,” says Mickey of this process. “[We both bring] 110%”. Alicia has tried other partners in the past,
but always felt they wanted to “bottle my lightening. Mickey focuses my energy where it’s most
effective.” She feels her personality
“gels well” with Mickey’s and takes comfort in the fact that he does not take
offense to “my suggestions”.
Here’s the start of
something special. Mickey started
collecting music sometime around 1983 or 1984, but did not go pro until
1990. He has always played House music,
but would dabble with different genres for certain gigs and people. His dad bought him his first set of turntables,
but the DJing was something he was just good at, it was not planned. It was while working for Loop Records from 1991
to about 1994 that he met and began working closely with LiL John, his mentor,
and Freddie Bain. Both John and Bain spun
at Red Dog; Mickey joined them a couple of years later. Red Dog allowed him to hone his DJing and networking skills.
Alicia’s DJing career began with the Chicago Steppers
community, 17 years ago. She found the
same intensity she sees with Househeads.
The only difference being where that intensity is focused. For steppers, there were impassioned dance
contests. The House community is simply
intense with the music. You have seen
them, eyes closed, carried away by the sound- hypnotic head nod and body bounce
that seems to be uncontrollable. For
Alicia, feeding that insatiable craving of the music lovers can be “a lot of
pressure”. Mickey agrees, the “pressure
comes from focusing on your crowd.”
Alicia chimes in, “trying to satisfy them”. Mickey goes on to explain the challenge a DJ
faces when trying to introduce new music to a crowd that could include everyone
from other DJs, seasoned Househeads and newbies who just came out to hear some
of their favorite party anthems and have a drink and a good time. “Some people”, he says, “haven’t heard ‘Hey Hey’ (Dennis Ferrer’s 2010 hit
single) but about two times. You have to
respect that.”
Enter the Licorice
Lounge. Alicia, with pride in her
voice, introduces MAC Productions’ newest venture: building a weekly party on Thursdays at the
Licorice Lounge. An unassuming, quaint
little (emphasis on little) space, the Licorice has become a hotspot for those
on the verge of wrapping up their 9 to 5 work week with heavy-thumping, soul
inspiring music. The atmosphere is
comparable to the 1980s hit show Cheers. In the short span of two visits, you will
become familiar with just about everyone in this South Side lounge. For fans who are followers of the music or
even the unbreakable fans of Alicia and Mickey, Thursdays at the Licorice are
like weekly family and friend reunions.
The pair likes it this way.
Mickey feels it’s important to “make ourselves attainable.” The family atmosphere is maintained because
both make a point to greet patrons at the door.
You can expect to sit next to either at the bar, or be pulled to the
makeshift dance floor at any given time.
The focus is not on money, rather everyone (themselves included) having
a good time. A fun night is a successful
night. Mickey’s philosophy is: “[if you] give a good product; you’re going
to get paid”. Luckily for the Licorice
Lounge owner, they have. I remember the
first time I walked in the Licorice Lounge door for Tasty House Thursdays. I could count the people on one hand- that’s
including the bartender and DJ. In just
a few short months, it has become the place to be every Thursday night- and it’s
still growing. Just last week, I had to
post up against a wall because seating at the
bar and elsewhere were all taken.
MAC Productions, like a heat seeking missile, is quietly
building an unshakable following. It is
a steady uphill climb, riddled with many traps.
The first and most critical is what some would call the finicky tastes
of the House community, in particular the Chicago House community. They have an unbridled need to dance, and
they will not settle for just anyone giving themselves the title of DJ.
You have to earn it. Furthermore,
the House community is indeed a community.
Mickey jokingly compares them to Jehovah’s Witnesses, “you can be banned
and blackballed.” Within this network of
fans and DJs alike are cliques, elders and even a mayor. There are breakups and makeups, like with any
family. Major events like the annual
Chosen Few picnic brings everyone together.
Alicia likens it to “Christmas dinner”.
Under the “elders” everyone is on their best behavior.
The second and perhaps most obvious challenge is presented
when Alicia enters the room. Being a
woman DJ, even in 2013, still poses a problem.
“[It’s] the best of both worlds.
You may be chosen because you’re a female”, she says. But in more cases than not, she still feels
she has to prove herself, “every time”. When I ask who it is she has to prove herself
to the most: male DJs, partygoers or
female DJs, she nearly cuts me off, replying, “all of them”. She admits to having an “intense desire” to silence
the naysayers. Regardless of her skills
and finesse, “it’s [still] a boys club, [you can be] ten times as good.”
Finally, there is the issue of vinyl verses CDs verses Serato
(digital DJing software). Alicia, who
has been using Serato for two years and admits that it will “spoil you”,
recalls a time in the not-so-distant past where a normal gig required her
lugging up to nine crates of vinyl just to perform. But she clarifies, “I’m not dependent on
it.” Mickey adds, “people see me as a
‘new cat’, [but] you can tell the difference when I play.” He goes on to muse, “I’ve developed a
craft.” A “club DJ”, he loves remixing
the record while playing live, “on the fly”.
They lived happily
ever after. Alicia makes a point not
to focus on the negative. “They talked
about Jesus.” Instead, she focuses on doing “what makes me
happy.” With all of the hard work that
is involved, I asked, what do you enjoy
most? Alicia quickly answers, “all of it, physically; it’s everything.” Mickey, delving deeper, replies, “I enjoy the
way I execute. The way I play.” Both agree there is a definite love of the
music, the fans and the instant unmistakable reaction they receive from the
crowd. Innocently, I follow-up with, Is it a power trip? To which Alicia makes it clear, “DJs are
servants. What power do you have if no
one is there to hear you?” Momentarily
in their own world, they start comparing stories and discuss Alicia “black[ing]
out, like the Matrix”. Mickey confesses
he does not like being bothered when he plays, “I try to zone [out]”.
With their new MAC Productions editing business, they admit
it’s hard to listen to music in the same way as before. The only difference now is, anything they
don’t like, they just change it. One
thing that has not changed is their understanding of business and its importance
in the music industry. “Business is
business”, says Alicia. “You can have a
passion in the basement- it’s all personality.
I just play records. Our
personality is an asset to what we do.” There
is an obvious abundant amount of love that goes into what they do. Mickey and
Alicia equally acknowledge their fans and followers, who in most cases tip a
fine line into friendship, as one of their main motivation. Alicia’s Muffins
go as far as to bring food and gifts such as boots and perfume, to leaving encouraging
messages on any number of her Facebook pages.
It is hard to give up when “other people believe in you,” says Mickey.
The work is hard, they both admit, “I have a breakdown every
day,” says Alicia. But doesn’t every
love story have its ups and downs? The
future for MAC Productions looks bright.
This year they hope to find their edits frequently included on
Traxsource and other sites featuring downloadable underground House and
Electronic music. Further down the line
Alicia hopes to focus less on DJing and more on production. Mickey, casually and very confident,
confides, “I would love to win a Grammy.”
To which Alicia replies, “Mickey thinks big. I’m more [of] if it happens, it
happens.” At the rate their going, why
wouldn’t it?
Five Questions for
Mickey Calvin and Alicia
1. What’s something few people know/understand
about making a great edit?
Dee Jay
Alicia: Quantization. Both
start laughing.
Mickey
Calvin: A song has a beginning, middle
and end.
2. I
consider myself a novice to the house world.
What five songs will teach me everything I need to know about the
music/culture?
A: You have to go in eras.
-Jingo- “I’ll House You”
-Donna Summer- “I Feel Love”
-Lil’ Louis- “’Video Crash”
M: You have to have the steps. House is the synthetic version of disco.
-Phyllis Hyman- “You Know How to
Love Me”
-Chaka Khan- “I’m Every Woman”
3.
What House song did you first fall in love with?
A: “I Feel Love”- Donna Summer
M: “Bad Luck”- Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
and 2nd “You Know How to Love Me”- Phyllis Hyman
4.
You’re stranded on an island, you have all of your DJ equipment, but
you’re unable to play yourself. Which DJ
do you want to be on that island with you to play instead?
M: My mentor, LiL John.
A: Mike Dunn
5.
Do dating and DJing mix well?
A: No.
M: Simultaneously,
shakes head no.
A: Scheduling issues; I live at night.
M: I work and DJ.
