Jerome Derradji

DJ, producer, compiler, and label operator Jerome Derradji started spinning records at the age of 15 and was, at first, inspired most by jazz and soul. During the tail-end of the '90s, house music caught his ears. In 2000, he moved from his native France to Chicago, Illinois and worked at record store Dr. Wax as an import buyer. Derradji established Still Music in 2004 as an outlet for the music he felt wasn't getting enough support. Within a few years, Still released singles and albums by producers from all over the planet, though the label had a special affinity for Detroiters with releases by the likes of Rick Wilhite, Delano Smith, and Paul Randolph. As Derradji's reach extended to reissuing obscure disco, funk, and house, executing his own re-edits, and supporting additional musicians, he set up Past Due and Stilove4music as sublabels. He also took on more ambitious projects, beginning with The American Boogie Down -- a two-disc package, released in 2008 on BBE, that featured his DJ mix of material he had reissued, along with a disc of unmixed selections. Extensive later compilations released on Still, including 122 BPM: The Birth of House Music, Kill Yourself Dancing: The Story of Sunset Records Inc., Bang the Box!: The (Lost) Story of AKA Dance Music, and The House That Jackmaster Hater Built, were deep dives into the rich dance music history of his adopted hometown. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi