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Home arrow David Hollands Bio
David Hollands: NYCs Mindful Mack Daddy of Mood PDF Print E-mail
Image      Throughout David Hollands' career as a DJ and mood conductor, he's played in just about every venue known to man that could host a crowd and a set of turntables.  No matter what the setting, from tropical beaches to cavernous, pulsating Gotham nightclubs to intimate lounges and frolicking pleasure boats, Hollands does what he does best: move bodies and stimulate minds with eclectic, intuitive sets of potent, cutting-edge dance music.

 (Full Biography)
Image      He's earned a rightful reputation as a party-starter who connects with his audience on a fundamental level.  For Hollands, each set is a chance to open up new ears to the DJ culture he's been so heavily involved in fermenting.  He refuses to adopt the been-there, done-that mentality that leads to stagnation.
Image      That was one of the reasons why David Hollands recent project was so groundbreaking.  For 3 years, Hollands served as the musical director and resident DJ for De La Guarda's DJ Connection, helping the long-running Off-Broadway phenomenon expand its audience and evolve its performance by incorporating live DJs in to the show.  Running weekly throughout the summers and staging special performances during the rest of the year, De La Guarda's DJ Connection was the rare occurrence where two cultures (theater and nightclub) had the chance to mingle, exchange ideas and cross-pollinate new audiences. 
 Image     The project earned rave reviews from Time Out New York, URB Magazine and Billboard.  In addition, De La Guarda's DJ Connection was nominated for the "Best Event" award at the 2004 Dancestar USA Awards held at the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami.
 Image     De La Guarda is a high-flying acrobatic spectacle that features perfomers racing through the sky suspended by wires and harness flying around the theater.  Their physical energy is supplemented by heavy-duty sensory overload: steady streams of water, flashing lights, wind and a renowned original soundtrack. For De La Guarda DJ Connection, Hollands, alongside partner Elan Akerman of New York's Matter:/Form, worked with the Argentinian troupe that developed the original show to form a script that integrated live sets from guest DJs. The result is a seamless fusion of the energy and sounds from the guest DJ with the essential elements from the original
 Image     The De La Guarda DJ Connection soon became a sought-after entry on every DJ's resume. Top international DJs including Josh Wink, Derrick May, Ralph Lawson, Satoshi Tomiie, and John Acquaviva have joined the show, all hailing it as a unique experience that's more challenging than your typical nightclub performance.  The creative talents saw the event as chance to test their skills in truly unfamiliar territory while interacting with a live multi-disciplinary performance.
Image      David's work on De La Guarda represents the latest phase in a career marked by evolution and development. The Indiana native cut his teeth Djing at parties and clubs throughout the Midwest, amassing a huge record collection that spanned almost all of dance music's derivative genres and styles. Moving to New York City in 1995, Hollands immediately immersed himself in the Big Apple's club culture and quickly earned a loyal following and several regular residencies. He launched his own label Minimal Wage in 1997 and was named one of URB Magazine's Next 100 in 1998 .
Image      Now having completed DJ Connection's 3rd summer season, Hollands is also at the helm of several other regular parties in New York City.  Alongside his fellow resident Francis Harris, Hollands has been carrying the party into the wee hours of Sunday morning with his signature sets of textured, vibrant house music and contemporary club anthems. The events serve as a focal point for New York's undergeround dance industry, presenting international talent like the UK's Mr. C, Layo and Bushwacka! and Richie Hawtin.


     With recent "event projects" like Sugar Punk and Burning Man Decompression being held at the developing Brooklyn Sugar Venue, things are only getting more interesting.  Check the Calendar section for updated info on these and other events.
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     The Brooklyn Sugar events represent another aspect of what Hollands can do: put together a righteous party. For several years, David's intimate Sunday night sessions at SoHo's Novcento were the stuff of legend, a weekly gathering of music industry heads, nocturnal downtown denizens and diehards who couldn't bear to see another weekend come to a close. Hollands was right in the middle of the madness, hand-picking the guest DJs, crafting wide-ranging sets of funky house and techno classics, and overseeing and energizing the overall vibe of the party. It was a venue the size of an average living room, but the energy of those Sunday parties rivaled most mega-clubs.
Image      But that doesn't mean that he can't translate his talent to the big stages.  Hollands had several epic sets at New York's storied Twilo, warming up and shutting down for techno legends Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier and Jeff Mills on numerous occasions. Guest sets at New York's Avalon, Centro-fly, Arc, plus tours to Russia, Germany, England, Barcelona, Mexico have cemented Hollands position as one New York's most beloved ambassadors of sound.

     Whether it be collaborating on a Broadway show, hosting his own party, providing musical direction for corporate functions or throwing down behind the decks, Hollands brings his years of experience, refined taste and fundamental understanding of dance music's many nuances to everything he does, categorically defining him as one of the underground's true renaissance men.
 
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