Andre J. E. Sam-Sin (born January 19, 1966), known professionally as DJ SUN, is a Dutch-born American record producer and DJ. He is one of the most prolific musicians in Houston, having secured his position as the top-ranked DJ and as the owner/operator of the popular live music venu
The Flat
Early life
DJ Sun was born in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
, the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, his mother a native New Yorker, with roots in
Aruba
Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...
and
St. Maarten
Sint Maarten () is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean region of North America. With a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 on an area of , it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of ...
, and his father from
Suriname
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...
. As a child, Sun and his family settled in Suriname until his early teens, following which they relocated to Texas.
His exposure to diversity of culture in childhood became the foundation for his music, which as a mixed-race teenager in Texas became indelibly important for his sense of identity and creativity.
Sun attended the
University of Houston
The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...
.
Music career
DJ Sun's professional music career started at age 26, in
Houston, Texas
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, and became successful rather quickly, lending to him the designation of ''Houston Press'' DJ of The Year seven times. During this time, he also started a radio show in 1995, ''Soular Grooves'' on
KPFT
KPFT (90.1 FM) is a listener-sponsored community radio station in Houston, Texas, which began broadcasting March 1, 1970, as the fourth station in the Pacifica radio family. The station airs a variety of music, news, talk, and call-in programs ...
90.1 FM,
Pacifica Network. The music played on ''Soular Grooves'' has the aesthetics of soul and jazz, irrespective of bpm or tempo. ''Soular Grooves'' was initially known as an
acid jazz
Acid jazz (also known as club jazz, psychedelic jazz, or groove jazz) is a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul music, soul, and hip hop music, hip hop, as well as jazz and disco. Acid jazz originated in clubs in London during the 1 ...
show.
DJ Sun's style has been described by music writers like
Shea Serrano
Shea Serrano (born 1981) is an American author, journalist, humorist, and former teacher. He is best known for his work with the sports and pop culture websites, ''The Ringer (website), The Ringer'' and ''Grantland'', as well as his books, inclu ...
of ''
The Houston Press
The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017.
The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...
'' weekly as varied with a distinct signature for loungey, groove-oriented eclectic music shaped by his exposure to music while living abroad.
In 2007, DJ Sun became a music producer with the release of ''Monday Drive'' (Alternate Take Records), an EP reflective of his varied background, blending styles and nostalgic aesthetics into a down to midtempo paced EP.
DJ Sun released ''Para'', a 12” EP which included remixes from DJ Sabo (Sol Selectas),
J Boogie (OM) and Genre Jazz (Presto and Mhax Montes), released in November 2008.
On January 15, 2013, DJ Sun released "One Hundred", a 19-track album featuring guests Tim Ruiz (
La Mafia
La Mafia is an American five-time Grammy Award-winning musical group. It has its roots in the Northside neighborhood of Houston, Texas, and has charted a course as a Latin music band.
History
La Mafia was founded in 1980 in Houston, Texas. V ...
), Leah Alvarez, Jessica Zweback, Mark Sound, Meghan Hendley, and
Martin Perna Martin may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Europe
* Martin, Croatia, a village
* Martin, Slovakia, a city
* Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain
* Mart ...
. Soon after that, on October 10, 2013, DJ Sun was awarded the ''Best CD by a Local Musician'' in the annual Best Of Houston edition of ''The Houston Press''.
In 2016, DJ Sun released his album ''QINGXI'', a concept album culminating from an ancestral quest to China (funded by
Asia Society Center Texas). It has been received favorably by reviewers such as Phil from "Phil's Picks", who referred to it as "One Of 2016’s Most Original, Creative New EDM Offerings".
In April 2018,
Free Radicals
In chemistry, a radical, also known as a free radical, is an atom, molecule, or ion that has at least one unpaired electron, unpaired valence electron.
With some exceptions, these unpaired electrons make radicals highly chemical reaction, chemi ...
released remixes by DJ Sun on their album ''No State Solution'', a remastered and remixed collection of tracks from their past six albums.
On November 2, 2019, DJ Sun performed on stage as the opening act for
Khruangbin
Khruangbin ( ; , , ) is a musical trio from Houston, Texas, Houston, Texas. The band consists of Laura Lee (bassist), Laura Lee Ochoa (bass guitar and vocals), Mark Speer (guitar and vocals), and Donald "DJ" Johnson (drums, keyboards, and vocals ...
at White Oak Music Hall in Houston. Mark Speer, from Khruangbin, during the show described DJ Sun as "a Houston music legend, a mentor and one of his oldest friends."
On Saturday July 23, 2022, DJ Sun assembled a 14-piece orchestra featuring various Houston musicians including
Chris Dave
Chris "Daddy" Dave is a drummer, composer, and bandleader from Houston, Texas. He attended Howard University. He is a drummer in jazz, gospel, hip hop, noted for his extremely virtuosic sticking technique and ability to play with a high degree ...
on drums, and
Fat Tony (rapper)
Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu or Anthony Lawson Obi (born March 24, 1988), better known by his stage name Fat Tony, is a Nigerian-American rapper.
He has been recognized in '' URB''s "Next 1000", a list of emerging new artists a ...
and SAM/SIN (DJ Sun’s daughter and the ''Loveletter'' playwright) on vocals. The show marked the release of DJ Sun's 3rd album ''Loveletter''.
The concert was held at
Moores School of Music
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, ...
Opera House, on the campus of
The University of Houston, to a sold out venue.
On Saturday June 8, 2023, DJ Sun and Houston's Aperio Orchestra teamed up to perform Loveletter with a 25-piece orchestra conducted by Marlon Chen, with SAM/SIN returning as a featured vocalist. The event took place at
Miller Outdoor Theater in
Hermann Park
Hermann Park is a urban park in Houston, Texas, situated at the southern end of the Houston Museum District, Museum District. The park is located to the immediate north end of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Texas Medical Center and Brays Ba ...
, Houston.
Discography
*''Current Cuts Vol. 1'' (2007)
*“Sure” (7"-single format) - Soular Productions (2007)
*“Ten” - Label-less Scion CD 11 (Scion/The Rebel Organization) (2008)
*"Monday Drive EP" (Alt Take Records) (2008)
*"Para EP" (Alt Take Records) (2009)
*"One Hundred EP" (Soular Productions) (2010)
*''One Hundred'' (full album) (Soular Productions) (2013)
*''Qingxi'' (full album) (Soular Productions) (2016)
*"Screaming Remix"- Free Radicals and DJ Sun (2018)
*"Loveletter" (Soular Productions) (2022)
Awards
*1999-2005, 2009, 2013: Houston Press DJ of the Year
*2013: Best CD By A Local Musician- DJ Sun, ''One Hundred'' (Soular Productions, 2013)
*2014 Houston Press Hall of Fame
References
External links
*http://www.spinner.com/2010/03/15/dj-sun-interview-sxsw-2010/
*http://www.houstonpress.com/2009-02-19/music/dj-sun-para-ep/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun, DJ
American DJs
Club DJs
Musicians from Houston
Living people
Surinamese emigrants to the United States
1966 births
Electronic dance music DJs