Dance Loud

Dance music is largely made with synths, but it doesn't have to be. Some of the best dance music, especially from the funk era, came about through the more traditional instrumentation of drums and guitars. Although the rise of different electronic music genres such as house and techno signal a departure from the use of classic instruments, Dance Loud prefers to combine elements of the old and the new.

Composed of Kristin Sanchez and Deseree Fawn Zimmerman, Dance Loud is a unique house music group. Its live performances incorporate synths and drums, a performance style, however, that wasn't the duo's original intention. The two first collaborated after being part of separate projects. Sanchez has been DJing since she was 18. Zimmerman began playing drums when she was 10. Once they came together, they realized their new project was a uniquely satisfying alternative to the typical construction of dance music in Chicago.

Despite the belief of many house and techno performers that contemporary dance music is foundering in the city that created it, that is not truly the case in Chicago. If you are interested in finding good music to dance to, reliable nightclubs like Smart Bar or Spy Bar and promoters such as Them Flavors and Paradigm Presents usually have some sort of event to attend. And in many of those settings, the performers simply rely on mixers, laptops or records to get the body moving.

Not Dance Loud. "We perform house music, but we wanted to do something a little bit different," Sanchez said. Because Zimmerman has a background in jazz drumming, the two initially opted for a jazz house aesthetic. "That's how we've made that competitive differentiation," Sanchez said.

The tandem's live performances are a joy to behold. Sanchez's beats build and build on the dance floor like any good house music set, then Zimmerman joins the production, adding layers of intricate drum rhythms that both complement and contrast with the synths. The result is all of the vivacity of a live concert, with the simple euphoria of a dance floor.

"It becomes dynamic because of the length of our sets and because we have too much of a love for everything," Zimmerman said.

The two also enjoy switching the styles of music they perform, invoking everything from free-form jazz to EDM. The latter doesn't always go over well with Dance Loud's older audiences, but Sanchez and Zimmerman have found that adapting to their settings, whether they be normal performance venues in Chicago or clubs on the West Coast (with patrons less familiar with dance music), to be the most beneficial aspect of playing live.

Netherfriends is building bridges, one neighborhood at a time
Netherfriends is building bridges, one neighborhood at a time
"With Kristin spinning on vinyl, we've had more and more people realize that, 'Wow, there are the more organic roots of house music,'" Zimmerman said.

Dance Loud is ready to embark on its biggest project yet. The duo is at work on "Don't Stop eMotion," a 12-episode stop-motion animation dramedy series detailing how Zimmerman and Sanchez met and have subsequently dealt with love, art and equality. The series is part of their upcoming three-part multimedia album that will also feature a comic book and music. Three episodes have been released, and they hope to complete the project in 2016. In the meantime, they'll continue to release and perform their special brand of music and keep on garnering fans in the process.

"We're a dance band, and if we can get people who are not familiar with the music up and dancing, than we know we've done something right," Sanchez said.

Britt Julious is a freelancer. - Chicago Tribune

Why I started performing with a DJ: By Deseree Fawn

Growing up, I started playing the drums in school at the age of 10. I performed in symphonic, concert, jazz, and marching band throughout college. The bands I performed with outside of school ranged between rock, gospel and metal. Upon attending art school in Chicago and majoring in music, I was introduced to the world of “house music”, now living in the city it was first created in. DJ Kristin, the love of my life and band mate of 8 years, was also a big influence on house music. My love for performing high tempo tracks, along with Kristin’s love for house, was perfect for the creation of our band name “Dance Loud”. We have now toured coast to coast and had the chance to spread the positivity of house music across the nation. The rest became history for us as a house music DJ and Drummer duo.

1. Comfort: Perform the way you practice! I practice barefoot therefore I perform barefoot.

2. Genre: Be a passionate performer! I enjoy high tempo dance music, metal, and jazz. Our sets consist of just that: high tempo house, with elements of swing and jazz, and metal using double bass kicks when suitable.

3. Monitors: You sound the way you hear! When your cymbals are ringing, you need a good monitor! I prefer an in-ear headphone in my left ear to hear the music and my right ear open to hear me (kind of like a DJ).

4. Stage: Be flexible! Every venue and club is uniquely different from one another. Be prepared for performing with a side-to-side set up, V formation, drums in front of the DJ, or even being on separate sides of the room. A lot of the times, a venue is set up for either a band or a DJ… rarely both.

5. Mixdowns: Do not clutter the mix! House music has long blends of 2 tracks being played as one and can easily sound messy with the extra layer of acoustic drums. Always keep in mind to complement the mix and not to clutter.

6. Accents: Know when the bass drops! House music and other forms of electronic music are not produced the same way that top 40 and other mainstream tracks are. Builds can be 12 measures long and breaks can be a half a measure. I prefer to mimic the builds and destroy the breaks!

7. Beats: Compliments make everyone feel good! House music has a strong focus on quarter notes yet pianos and horns can be used for rhythm vs melody. I enjoy performing syncopated “off-beats” often using polyrhythms and polymeters to create a energetically diverse sound and performance.

8. Crowd: Feel your Fans! Read the crowd the same way a DJ does. If they’re feeling it, go harder. If not, bring it down a notch. Play as if it’s the last show you’ll ever play!

9. Stamina: Sprint not jog! If your performing at 128 BPM’s for 2 hours straight.. Be physically prepared to perform for 3 hours straight and stay hydrated so you’ll always be able to end with a bang!

10. Hearing: Open up those ears! When you are waiting to perform and enjoying the opening bands, as a natural defense our ears close to prevent damage from extended amounts of high level sound. I like to step outside for 5 min prior to my set to let my ears open for clarity. You only sound as good as you can hear! - Tom Tom Magazine