Junior Sanchez: Being American Means Being Free

"America's a great place, it's a vast land, but as far as being American is concerned, what it means is the right to be free, having the right to do whatever you want, that's what being American is about."

As a patriot and firm supporter of America, the land of the free, house/ electro star Junior Sanchez is a firm believer in exercising his right to free speech, whether on George W ('he's an idiot') or the state of New York nightlife ('you don't see drag queens or punk rockers hanging out with gay people in clubs anymore'). He's also, however, less than impressed with America's modern way of life.

"I understand American culture but I'm probably the most anti-American culture type of person you'll find because we have no real culture," he complains.

"Take food, for example. People complain about there being no good food in England but at least you have your own stuff, dishes like black pudding. Here, what do we have- Hamburgers and hotdogs."

He's also a great admirer of the peculiarly British custom of trainspotting (collecting obscure information, such as airplane registration numbers or records- Brit Ed).

"What I love about England is that England is blacker than black people," he suggests.

"Even black people know it; you guys have soul; Britain is full of soul, you people don't just know the A Sides of records, you know the B sides; you've done more for soul music and black music than any other country in the world. The Brits take things, accept them, then say 'OK we're over it'. England is always ahead of the time."

As is Junior himself, certainly in terms of his latest Dirty Dirty House CD, which is out now in England almost a year after he delivered it for its American release. Featuring electro-disco-house tracks from the likes of Felix Da Housecat, Zoot Woman, Miss Kittin and DJ Dan, it's a fine collection of energy packed floor-filling dance music reflecting his own deep roots in New York club land. Aged 14, the very junior Junior started his professional DJ career spinning for Michael Alig's club kids at Disco 2000, later becoming one of the Mongaloidz, the house collective formed by Roger Sanchez and Armand Van Helden. Today, he's a close confidant and collaborator of Jacque Lu Cont/ Zoot Woman producer Stuart Price as well as rap/ electro diva Princess Superstar, and, as his background and passion suggests, remains gleefully and positively eclectic.

"The essence of dance music to me is this: if your body is actually doing the act of dancing to a form of dance music, then that's dance music- period," he insists.

"You could be listening to a Louis Vega record now, then one by Shannon and another by Nine Inch Nails and an extended mix of Ram Jam's Black Betty: it's all dance music, because you're dancing."


Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): The Best of Dirty Dirty House CD has just come out now here in the UK, why the delay-

Junior Sanchez: "It's actually over a year old, it came out here in the States in October 2003 and I've done another mix CD since then. It's a little out of date but people still dig (like) it and it's just coming out in England now for some reason, I don't know why."

Skrufff: Bands like Felix Da Housecat, Zoot Woman, Ladytron have all popped up with a definite new electro, disco sound in the last couple of years, sometimes labelled electroclash . . .

Junior Sanchez: "I don't really compete with the word electroclash, Stuart Price is one of my best friends, we've been friends since were 17, and the music he makes with Zoot Woman is the furthest thing from electroclash you can get. Stuart's a great writer, they're a great band and I don't see their music fitting into a niche at all. As far as electoclash goes, in terminology terms, there are lots of bands that fit into that cliche, but they are just that, they're acts- people who act. They go on stage and act like they're singing. All these bands like Electrocute, for example, they aren't even relevant, they're just a Tags

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