I also organized “Eufuria,” a dance party that was sponsored by the Bears of Central Florida during Disney Gay Days 2005.  My good friend DJ Danny G from Charlotte, NC split the time on the turntables and another good buddy John Podkulski from Tampa played down tempo and chill house in the party suite.  The response to the party caught me and everybody else involved by surprise, as more than 450 people came out for it!  We expected maybe half that many.  Below are some pictures from the party, provided courtesy of The Watermark, Florida’s Distinctive Gay & Lesbian Publication.

Some of you may actually know of me as DJ David Biehl.  I’ve been a dance/house DJ for over 13 years now and have been dabbling in remixing and original music production.  It’s been more of a hobby than a career, but I’ve been fortunate to get the opportunity to actually play in several clubs and bars, as well as a few special events.  If you’ve attended Bear Bust anytime from 2002 thru 2005, then you’d probably recognize me as the person primarily responsible for what several bear friends have lovingly referred to as “the loud racket that went on until the wee hours of the night.” 

My dance music roots stem back to the early 1990’s and the hot tribal and Latin beats of South Miami Beach.  My first dance club experience was the great Paragon Nightclub of South Beach.  I fell in love with the music and immediately began collecting dance music of all kinds and mixing, drawing first on the South Beach sound, and later incorporating the diverse underground sounds I heard in NYC clubs, such as Sound Factory, The Tunnel and Roxy to name a few.  I also spent a good bit of time on Fire Island and at the Pavilion night club and the musical energy there cannot be surpassed.

 

I moved from New York City to Orlando, FL in April of 2003.  In regards to the underground music scene, it was kind of like giving up Super Target for the local 7-11 convenience store.  So these days, I find most of my music via the internet through some great music resources, such as Beatport.com and SatelliteRecords.com to name just a few.

 

I’m not a regular club DJ in that I’ve never held a “residency” anywhere.  Not that I wouldn’t mind a permanent place to play if the right opportunity came along.  But until that day, I’m happy playing private parties and making the occasional guest appearance.  As far as my mixing and what “kind” of DJ I am, it may sound corny and cliché, but I always reflect back on something my mentor told me the first day I mixed from one record to another.  He said, “A good DJ always tells a story.”  Music is a reflection of life, and life has its ups and downs, good and bad, happy and sad.  In my humble opinion, the best DJ’s in the business understand that and realize that good music is timeless.  They draw on music from all the ages to tell their own personal story.  It’s not always about what’s the newest and most cutting edge.  On any given night, I’ll play many different styles, from deep trance and progressive music to disco and funky house.  But I admit I do have a special fondness for the darker, more haunting types of songs, those with the weirdly uplifting, yet edgy vocals.  If you’ve ever been to the Black Party in NYC, they you know exactly what I mean.  I’m there almost every year until the house lights go up.

 

For me, DJ’ing is about knowing your records, knowing all the little bells and tings and snaps of every song you play.  It’s not so much about having record collections that number in the thousands.  It’s about using the records you have and finding the perfect mix to tell your own personal story.

Next year, several friends and I are coordinating a new event for Disney Gay Days 2007 called “Tidal Wave” at Wet ’n Wild Orlando!  Details are being solidified now and updated information will be continually added to the web page, www.tidalwaveparty.com. 

 

It’s guaranteed to be a great time, as the park will be closed to the public and open to “Tidal Wave” ticket holders only!  For those interested, group hotel accommodations will be made available, both next door to Wet ’n Wild, as well as a “bear block” of rooms at a resort on Disney property. 

 

If you’d like to be added to the mailing list, click here and you will be kept apprised of all new developments via email.

In case you’d like to hear some of my mixes.  Go to www.live365.com and search for DJ David Biehl.  Or, click the link and follow the directions:  www.live365.com/profiles/dj_david_biehl.

If you’re interested in seeing my monthly Top 10 list, click here.

A lot of people have asked if I sell my CD’s.  Because the music contained on them is copyright protected, selling mixed CD productions are sort of a slippery slope.  So in an effort to avoid any complications, the proceeds I collect that are over and above the cost of shipping and supplies will go towards the Tidal Wave Party charity fund.  If you’re interested in buying any of my CD’s, click here to see what’s available and send me an email.