The Beat Down

When a DJ is sometimes only as hot as his latest cut, it’s easy to overlook the legends who made dance music so huge. And more than any of ’em, Marshall Jefferson’s massive thumbprint is tattooed on every four-to-the-floor genre. Techno? He did that. Gospel vocals in a house track? He was the first before the idea turned stale. The Chicago DJ’s contributions to the international dance community stretch far and wide, beginning with his work on Phuture’s “Acid Trax” in 1987. His production on the single, which largely consisted of tweaking a Roland TB-303 drum machine into a technological marvel that pumped out a distinctive squelchy noise, practically birthed the acid house movement. Ever the innovator, Jefferson became bored with his beastly creation after only a year and took house in a new direction with “Open Your Eyes,” the 1988 classic that helped coin the term “deep house” for its emotive and organic feel. He returned from a hiatus in 1994 and has held dance floors in a veritable headlock ever since. Recent productions, including work with Ten City and Cee Cee Rogers, have incorporated more instrumentation and soulful vocals, further cementing his place among the house music elite. House fans may use terms like “godfather” and “legend” as often as bottles of water, but Marshall Jefferson has truly earned that distinction.