Tony Ollivierra

Photo by Darryl Robinson

Detroit native Tony Ollivierra started as a DJ playing hip hop and club music in the mid 1980's and has continued to blossom as an artist ever since. His commitment to dance music culture is proven by his track record. "I bought my fist pair of turntables when I was 15" quotes Tony. "They were plastic with no pitch control". While impossible for most, this proved a valuable training ground for a seasoned DJ to be. It was during these times that Tony got his first taste of DJ experience playing at parties and cabarets for friends and family in and around Detroit. It was also right about this time that Tony visualized his dream of becoming a producer and bought his first drum machines, a used yamaha RX21.

From 1989 to 1993 Tony attended Eastern Michigan University, where he received a bachelors degree in psychology. At this time he also began his studies as a club DJ. One night, Tony and long time friend Kraig Tertzag (since known as Moodring on Planet E) gave a mix tape to the Nectarine Ballroom in Ann Arbor; once a residence of the world renowned DJ/producer Jeff Mills. The two were offered monday nights in the clubs tiny, newly remodeled basement level. In a few short weeks, with their own limited promotion efforts; the empty venue was jam packed with dancing, happy locals. Word about the venue spread and soon clubbers were commuting all the way from Detroit to enjoy the vibe. Derrick May could be spotted in the crowd as well as clothing designer Maurice Malone. These events took place in 1991, when electronic dance music in Detroit began to develop a much larger following due to the spawn of stateside rave culture. After a year long hosting of the monday night venue in Ann Arbor, Tony and Kraig were offered two weekly nights at the remodeled Shelter in Detroit where they continued to expand musical horizons while making the crowd move.

Expansion is a big part of Tony's musical agenda. He has worked the hip hop crowd at St. Andrews/The Shelter for nearly a decade, while still maintaining a presence in the underground loft house scene. His DJ sets range from upbeat disco/jazz/latin influenced house, to old school funk & hip hop. He has produced several releases as DJ Slym Fas for Terrence Parker's Intangible records. and has had projects released on German label, Studio K-7. His recording projects, which he produces out of his own studio in Detroit's West Village, vary in theme as do his DJ sets. They comfortably tippy-toe and even blur the lines between straightforward contemporary dance/house music, and less accesible genres like world music, fusion, and space rock. The hybrids resulting provoke quite a compelling dance experience.

This brings us to the present. Some things never change, Tony still insists on recording with a drum machine, only now it is an industry standard Akai MPC 3000 sampling workstation. Carl Craig recently signed Tony Ollivierra and added him to the Planet E label roster. There he finds a comfortable home with good friend and label mate Matt Chicoine a.k.a Recloose. The first single Bok Choy, b/w Oasis will be released this fall.

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