DJ CURTIS HARMON

interview by David Paul

Bomb: How did you become involved in DJing?

Curtis: I started djing back around 1976, a 10th grade high school 
student with aspirations to go to college and major in art & 
advertising. I did my first party for our high school basketball 
team because they were trying to raise money for new uniforms. My 
friend`s father was a local mobile dj and he had some extra Peavey 
equipment he said we could use (rent). His father ended up with the 
$40.00 we charged to do the event, but the dance was so successful 
the team not only got new uniforms, but sneakers and warm-ups. So we 
called ourselves "THE DYNAMICS", kinda like the dynamic duo. So 
every Friday night, some school organization wanted to have an after 
school dance. This all took place at Washington High School in 
Princess Anne, Maryland.

        In 1978, I started college at the University of 
Maryland-Eastern Shore to study commercial art. But my reputation as 
a dj had prededed me and soon I was doing all the fraternity, 
sorority and homecoming parties as well as any event in-between. I 
lasted 3 years in college before I made the move to Los Angeles.
Bomb: While in L.A. what did you do? What led to the gig at KDAY?
Curtis: In LA, I worked at various retail record stores, until I 
landed my first mastermix mix job at KJLH-FM. This really wasn`t my 
first time at a radio station. Years before while still in Maryland, 
I spent a lot of time hanging out with Chris Barry, who was running 
WJDY-AM in Salisbury, Maryland. He gave me my first opportunity to 
experience what the radio side of the music business was all about.

        I lasted at KJLH for almost 2 years - quite an 
accomplishment considering all the bullshit that surrounded the 
station at the time. I was contacted by KDAY to come over and handle 
their mastermix show, which at the time I believe was in a little 
disarray. Jack Patterson and Ed Kerby gave me my first opportunity 
to fully express my creative dj abilities and with that the "Curtis 
Harmon Quikmix" was born and lasted the last 2 years of KDAY`s life. 
Without a doubt, KDAY was the greatest experience in my entire life.


CURTIS HARMON

Bomb: What was the hip-hop scene like in L.A. when KDAY was on the 
air and what kind of effect did the station have on the market?

Curtis: When KDAY was in it`s prime, it was untouchable. At the same 
time, LA was consumed by the more uptempo techno-beats of Uncle 
Jamms Army, Egyptian Lover, Unknown DJ, The Soulsonic Force, 
Cybotron, Hashim and Orbit. It was a special flava that was strictly 
west coast. Soon KDAY changed all that when they introduced Run DMC, 
Whodini, Biz Markie, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, EPMD and the FRESH FEST 
TOURS.This introduction of the east and west coast flavas would go 
on to shape the LA hip hop scence as we know it today. The air 
personalities also made quite an impression on the communities, such 
as Russ Parr, Lisa Canning, JJ Johnson and Greg Mack. Each had their 
own personal flair for their time slot. "MAGIC"!

Bomb: How and when was the first time you went to Japan?

Curtis: While I was on KDAY, I was contacted by a 
group of japanese promoters who wanted a guest dj for one of their 
events in southern Japan. They got at me thru KDAY and in the summer 
of 1990, I visited Japan for the first time. I was contacted again 
by another company and in October 1990, I was off again to Japan, 
this time for three months. When I returned to LA, KDAY was in it`s 
final stages before it would officially close. After KDAY went off 
the air I was contacted by KJLH, so I returned there for what was to 
become a complete nightmare. After 6 months, I left. And in October 
1991, I officially moved to Tokyo.


CURTIS HARMON with (L) ROBERT "KOOL" BELL
with member (R) Bilal with ladies Simone
and Tonia from London at underground club
MISTERIO in TOKYO

Bomb: Who were the promoters that brought you to Japan and what were
those experiences like?

Curtis: The first time I came to Japan I was 
contacted by my friend Eddie, who works for JDC Records. Eddie and I 
go way back when I was the music buyer for Wherehouse Records on 
LaBrea and Rodeo in LA. He told me his friend needed a dj to do a 
gig in Japan. At the time I was working for KDAY and had never 
really thought about djing outside of America. Another dj, Terrence 
Toy, had gone to Japan many times to dj and he said it was the bomb. 
So I met with Eddie and his japanese connection, Mar Takeuchi. 
Takeuchi worked for Korean Airlines sales office in LA. So we worked 
out the particulars and the next thing I know, I`m in Japan! For 
about two weeks prior to leaving to Japan Takeuchi took me downtown 
to Little Tokyo to introduce me to the foods. That in itself was a 
helluva experience!
                The promotion company in Japan was called Nova 21 
Group. They owned a vast chain of discos all over Japan and Hawaii. 
The event started at 6 o` clock on a Saturday. The promoters came to 
my hotel around seven and informed me they had about 900 people 
waiting at the club and 80% were female. I was like "Goddamn, I died 
and went to dj heaven!" Later that night I djed at an after hours 
house club.
                I returned to LA with a whole new perspective, of 
couse, about everything. About 4 months later I was contacted by an 
enterprising young businesswoman by the name of Terri Schiavo. She 
had an entertainment placement company called Odessey International 
in Fontana. She put two dancers and myself together in a group and 
sent us to Japan, this time for a three month tour. The first time I 
went to Japan the trip was only for a week, but three months there 
really allowed me the opportunity to really experience the true 
culture of Japan. That trip really changed my life. 

Bomb: Why did you decide to move to and work in Japan?

Curtis: My first two times in Japan allowed me to 
see the growth potential for hip-hop. There was so many clubs and 
events based around hip-hop and black music, I was kind of blown 
away (and working alot).

Bomb: When you moved to Japan in October of 1991 
did you have a gig lined up before you left LA?

Curtis: When I arrived I had club dj gigs lined up, so my transition 
was smoooooth.

Bomb: How do the japanese hip-hop fans react to 
hip-hop at concerts? Are they into it?

Curtis: At most concerts or live events most fans 
are really quiet and shy and seem to be studying every facet of the 
dj or artist. This trend is rapidly changing however.

Bomb: Do dj's get props out there?

Curtis: Just like in LA, dj`s get mad props, because unlike the US, 
radio doesn`t cater to the underground scenes. So it`s up to the dj 
to be the voice of that culture. People like DJ Aladdin, Chilly 
Chill, Red Alert, Funkmaster Flex, Kid Capri, and Q-Bert have much 
respect among the japanese hip-hop community.

Bomb: Are there a lot of mix tapes, re-issues, and bootlegs out 
there?

Curtis: In most record and CD shops you can pretty 
much find whatever you`re looking for. There are quite a few bootleg 
CDs and records floating around as well as a lot of cassette tapes 
being sold from mix shows around the USA. Funkmaster Flex and Power 
106 seem to be the two most popular tapes. You can always find 
out-of-print LP`s re-released on CD.

Bomb: So what are you doing right now in Japan?

Curtis: I managed to land a job with a young record company, 
INTERLINK MUSIC, that desired to dive right into the heart of the 
black music market. "Perfect!" I became INTERLINK`s international 
A&R coordinator, handling licensing deals and signing artists to the 
company. Although I remain in this capacity, I constantly tour Japan 
as a dj, do guest appearances on radio mastermix shows and TV 
programs, organize hip-hop events and in June 1994, released my 
first CD (a compilation of American artists).