The audacious big shot of Detroit house music comes back to Japan

Kenny Dixon Jr. is an icon in the annals of US dance music for so many reasons. With his face stamped on the releases on his seminal KDJ and Mahogani Music labels and his unmistakable croak adorning so many of his classic tracks, the man known as Moody has created a mythical public persona while keeping his true self subtly shielded from view. What comes through clearest is his sound – a dusty love letter to black American music from soul and jazz through disco and funk right up to the technological advancements of his peers in the Motor City. What makes Moodymann tracks so special is the free-spirited way he works, cutting samples in and out without regard for genre conventions, boldly switching themes and unafraid to get a little weird, but always bound together by a deep rooted sense of groove and heart.
The same goes for his DJ sets, where he’s just as comfortable selecting classics as he is getting heads-down into the mix, toasting on the mic when he feels like it or hiding behind a veil if he’s not in the mood to be seen. Quite what you’ll get on the night is a mystery to be solved in the moment, but there will never be a party like a Moodymann party.

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