Chicago, early 1980s. House music was being born. DJs were mixing up new wave, disco, funk, rock, early strains of techno, and what came to be called jacking house. A young Traxx was listening in. Twenty years later, he’s a critical favorite among fellow DJs, runs record label Nation of Jak, and plays what he calls Jakbeat. He’ll be at The Shelter’s Void night next Saturday, September 20.

SH: Chicago, 1980s?
T: It was electric. Nothing could compare yet things were being discovered... On the north side, there was Frankie Knuckles and the Warehouse. Near north was Ron Hardy at Den One and later The Music Box. On the west side was Lil Louis. Farley Jackmaster Funk held a residency at The Playground. In 1985, house music dominated the clubs of Chicago.

SH: That time stays with you because?
T: The intense energy that was applied, as it is a feeling, an emotion, a mental state of transcendental connection – a spiritual connection with the higher being through the physical vessel of the body. The 80s never completely lost their hold on fashion.

SH: Describe Jakbeat.
T: It’s not just a mess of drum beats and synths and it’s not just something that is created at random... It’s a state of mind and different level of musical consciousness. Jakbeat creates hypnotic patterns and melodies to push the envelope of comprehensible dance music. My label, Nation, is our OWN sound influenced from the early inception of dance music to produce an impressive slew of no-holds-barred, full on electronic/synth rhythm tracks. They resist the current trend for an over-calculated digital sound.

SH: What to expect from Void? Hard acid house? New wave?
T: Why judge me on these two specific genres? Seems like people are afraid to play “unsafe” music, anything that stirs up darker emotions, or challenges the listener, anything that might scare the girls out of the club. But I have no idea what I will play. It will come from within my inner soul.