Paul Johnson, the Chicago producer and DJ whose ferociously melodic style of house music yielded a series of classic singles and inspired producers in his hometown and beyond, died on Wednesday at age 50, his agent confirmed to Rolling Stone. While a cause of death was not specified, Johnson had …
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Mark Ronson first branded himself as a nostalgia alchemist with Amy Winehouse, updating mid-century R&B with a rare-groove-fanatic’s ear for detail. Where super-producers like Diplo might make serviceable magic with anyone, Ronson’s classicism generally requires the wearer to animate it. Winehouse was an ideal match. To a lesser extent, so …
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On October 30, 1993, Pete Tong oversaw the first episode of the Essential Mix on BBC’s Radio 1. Club music was ascendant in the U.K., and Tong devoted a late-night slot to it on national radio, playing an uninterrupted string of house — inspired by iconic New York City mix-shows …
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