During the birth of the Chicago House scene, two djs took center stage in influencing how the genre’s sound was to be shaped. Frankie Knuckles in the Warehouse (where house music got its name), was playing special personal edits of disco, uptempo R&B and gospel, with the TR 909 underneath of them for added dimension and uniqueness on the dancefloor. Ron Hardy was the other Chicago DJ, who’s personal blend of industrial, electro and disco catered to those who liked the more ‘mechanical’ of sounds. 

DJ Pierre and his group, Phuture, were followers of Ron Hardy and started to create music that would be played in his clubs. Being introduced to the Roland TR 303 bass machine, Pierre created an unorthodox way of rhythmically using the machine to make squelchy sounds that hadn’t been heard before on the dance floor, thus Acid House was born, becoming a global phenomenon. The Summer of Love ‘88 in UK, took the sound into the mainstream, helping to put Pierre and continue the legacy of Chicago’s house sound.

In this very personal interview, Pierre opens up about the process and personal observations around the popularity of his sound.