Mick Hale
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Mick Hale is an American musician, songwriter, producer, remixer, DJ, and graphic artist. Credited on over three dozen commercial releases, his body of work spans over 30 years, from 1984 onwards.


DJ, writer, and graphic artist

Hale began his DJ career in the mid-1980s as a guest on the college radio stations
WPRB WPRB (103.3 MHz) is an FM radio station licensed to Princeton, New Jersey, and owned by Princeton Broadcasting Service, Inc. It broadcasts a freeform radio format, including shoegaze, slowcore, noise music, harsh noise wall, plunderphonics, ...
, Princeton and WRSU, New Brunswick. His focus ran from Motown/Stax
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
and Trojan dub
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
sounds to 1960s British psychedelic pop and various indie alternative of the day. Subsequently, he found himself invited to spin at clubs such as Maxwell's in Hoboken and other NYC-area Dives. By the early 1990s Hale's musical focus had grown to encompass
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
, electro,
tribal house Tribal house is a subgenre of house music combined with world music rhythms. It is broadly characterized by elements of indigenous musical percussions (typically conga drums or its synthesized derivative). History By the late 1980s, house w ...
,
new beat New beat is a Belgian electronic dance music genre that fuses elements of new wave, hi-NRG,Simon Reynolds: ''Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture.'' Routledge 1999, , p. 124. EBM and hip hop (e.g. scratching).Timor ...
,
jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...
, and
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
. From 1991 to 1998 Hale found himself employed 3-nites a week at
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
's The Roxy as the head resident DJ. Hale then moved on to residencies at both The Melody and Ground Zero in the late 1990s into the early 2000s. During this same period, Hale was invited to contribute a column to ''
Jersey Beat Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gove ...
'' magazine called "Danse Assembly" (reviewing electronic & alternative dance music.) "Danse Assembly" (aka "DAMn!") also eventually became the title of a fanzine he published until 2002, acting as both writer and editor/graphic designer. From there, he went on to design many CD covers for the Philadelphia-based record labels Metropolis and Pendragon, as well as designing for NJ's Tinman. Hale interviewed many electronic artists during this period and also contributed many dance music reviews to other fanzines such as ''Fusion'' and ''The Splatter Effect''. Private events and guest DJ gigs in the Tri-state area between 2002 and 2010 allowed Hale to keep his foot in the
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
field until 2010 when he finally landed a new residency with
Asbury Park Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a dec ...
's "Swell" niteclub. Many Asbury nite-club engagements followed, which eventually led to a 13-month residency beginning in 2012 at
Shep Pettibone Robert "Shep" Pettibone (born 10 July 1959) is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. Career Shep Pettibone surfaced after his work with Arthur Baker on Afrika Bambaataa & the Jazz ...
's "Paradise" nite-club. Hale continued doing occasional remix and film soundtrack work and also contributed articles to the local "arts weekly" publication the "TriCity News." Both NYC's Odyssey Magazine and The Beacon Lite's People's Choice Award named Hale "Best NJ DJ" in 2015; and an article in the
Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'', formerly known as the ''Shore Press'', ''Daily Press'', ''Asbury Park Daily Press'', and ''Asbury Park Evening Press'', is the third largest daily newspaper in the state of New Jersey. Established in 1879, it has been o ...
proclaimed Hale one (of just three,) "DJ's to catch in Asbury!" In June 2016, Hale was hired as a resident DJ at "The Asbury" the newest hotel in
Asbury Park Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a dec ...
, which was named by
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
"Best New Hotel, 2017." He currently spins
Tea Dance __NOTOC__ A tea dance, also called a ''thé dansant'' (French for "dancing tea"), was a dance held in the summer or autumn from 4 to 7 p.m. In the England , English countryside, a garden party sometimes preceded the dance.''Party-giving on E ...
monthly there as well as his weekly residency at Georgie's Bar's popular "Tempted Tuesday," which has been running 9 years now. He has also spun the Rainbow Mountain Resort (in the Poconos, PA) many times, as well as the
Circuit party A circuit party is a large dance event. It extends through the night and into the following day, almost always with a number of affiliated events in the days leading up to and following the main event. Proto-circuit parties in the late 1970s, t ...
events "SandBlast," "Ascension," "Bear Weekend" and with the "RSVP Cruise line."


Band history

Hale got his start as the guitarist/singer and songwriter/producer with
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
/
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
garage band
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
. From 1983 to 1987 he guided the band through a musical evolution from mod/punk to a more polished, energetic pop sound. In the process, Hale (who used the moniker "London" at the time,) contributed to 5 releases as
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
, and appeared on many compilations in the US and UK. After two American and one European tour with
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
in 1987, Mick and drummer (future Rolling Stone editor,)
Jim DeRogatis James Peter DeRogatis (born September 2, 1964) is an American music critic and co-host of ''Sound Opinions''. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as ''Rolling Stone'', '' Spin'', ''Guitar World'', ''Matter'' and '' Modern Drummer'' ...
were invited by the legendary 1970s British Art-punks
Wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
to have their
Wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
cover-band "The Ex-Lion Tamers" tour the US and Canada as the support-act. While the members of
Wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
were performing new "alternative dance" material from ''
The Ideal Copy ''The Ideal Copy'' is the fourth studio album by the English rock group Wire, released in April 1987 by Mute Records. It was the first full-length recording following the band's hiatus of 1980–1985 (The band had also recorded and released the ...
'' Mick and company would open the show by playing the entire classic ''
Pink Flag ''Pink Flag'' is the debut album by the British post-punk band Wire. It was released in November 1977 through Harvest Records. The album was critically acclaimed on release, and has since been highly influential; today it is regarded as a landmar ...
'' album, in order. In 1987 Mick and former
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
bandmate Bobby "Werner" Strete teamed with the psychedelic act
Lord John Lord John was a British men's fashion retailer, which opened its first store at 43 Carnaby Street, London, at the corner with Ganton Street, in 1963. The first Lord John boutique was opened by the brothers Warren, Harold and David Gold in Ca ...
's drummer and formed a new outfit known as
Crocodile Shop Crocodile Shop (later simply Croc Shop) is an electro- industrial aggrotech EBM band formed in Berlin, Germany in 1987 by Mick Hale and R. A. Werner from New Jersey. History Crocodile Shop was formed after Hale and Werner ended their previ ...
. Drawing on heavier and dark-pop influences such as
The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...
and
Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy was a Canadian electro-industrial band formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group was among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key (Kevin Crom ...
, this new band was a definite departure from the jangly, guitar-driven sound that Hale had produced earlier. Their first release is the hard to find EP entitled "Head," (which
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's
120 Minutes ''120 Minutes'' is a television program in the United States dedicated to the Alternative rock, alternative music genre, that originally aired on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then aired on MTV's associate channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003. After it ...
labeled "Sickly Psychedelic.") This original trio then worked closely with producer Dave Fielding of The Chameleons UK on their follow-up LP "Lullaby," released on a
Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
based label in 1988. As with
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
Hale also saw to it that
Crocodile Shop Crocodile Shop (later simply Croc Shop) is an electro- industrial aggrotech EBM band formed in Berlin, Germany in 1987 by Mick Hale and R. A. Werner from New Jersey. History Crocodile Shop was formed after Hale and Werner ended their previ ...
evolved as a musical unit with each new release. After a brief reunion with drummer Chris Collins, the group opted to use samples and
drum machines A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
for their subsequent work. Original member Bobby "Werner" Strete continued working with Hale thru many lineup changes until 1997, at which point they had combined forces with keyboardist/programmer v.Markus. By 2004 the group had toured all over the US, Canada & Germany and released some 15 CD's on American, German and Italian labels which explored styles ranging from electro-industrial to techno-electronica and synth-pop which still permeates the group's sound to this day (now known simply as Croc Shop). The 2004 release of Croc Shop's double CD retrospective "S.E.A. (Self-Extracting Archive)" coincided with a re-release by Pittsburgh's
Get Hip Records Get Hip Records is an independent Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Penn ...
of the
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
retrospective CD called "Past... Forward." Many of the original members of both bands reunited for a release party for these discs. The positive vibe among Hale, Strete and Collins coupled with the timeliness of the
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
CD re-release ultimately led to the reformation of that band for another 6-year run.
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
went on to perform in Nashville, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia, DC and all over their NYC/NJ home-base. In addition, the reunited
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
released a double CD in June 2007. Entitled "Now...and Again,", which contained 10 new tracks and 10 re-recordings of
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
classics from their 1980s vinyl catalogue. In 2010
Mod Fun Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from New Jersey. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid-1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene at the time. By mid-1986, they were ...
released another CD entitled "Futurepresent" with 15 new tracks.


Side projects and remixes

Hale's latest single "Just Tell Me/Take It Back" was issued to all digital platforms 7 December 2021, on the long-running San Francisco dance label Swishcraft (distributed by The Orchard/Sony Music.) In the mid 90's Hale began producing electronic 'solo' projects such as D!v!s!on No. 9 (with 2 critically acclaimed CDs of techno-house-dub,) proGREX.iv (a drum N bass, east-coast meets west-coast collaboration,) and "Hand Of God" (electro-goth,) all 3 with full-length CDs released on DC and New Brunswick based labels. Hale and Croc Shop cohort v.Markus also worked together on a drum 'N bass project "Genetik, " which never saw light of day; tho many of the duo's remixes of other EDM artists were released (credited to
Crocodile Shop Crocodile Shop (later simply Croc Shop) is an electro- industrial aggrotech EBM band formed in Berlin, Germany in 1987 by Mick Hale and R. A. Werner from New Jersey. History Crocodile Shop was formed after Hale and Werner ended their previ ...
.) To this day, Hale continues to remix other artists and has a
SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
page with many mixes available as free downloads. In March 2019, Hale recorded a 4-song EP of electronic/vocal/house music, which is the first to be released under his own name (titled "Hale Haus.") He composed and produced the material with all the vocals contributed by local
Asbury Park Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a dec ...
singer, Laraé. The EP is available on Apple iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, among other online outlets. As of August 2020 Hale has released 3 more
Dance Music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...
singles: a house cover of
Bobby Caldwell Robert Hunter Caldwell (August 15, 1951 – March 14, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter. He released several albums spanning R&B, soul, jazz, and adult contemporary. He is known for his soulful and versatile vocals. Caldwell release ...
's 70's Pop hit "What You Wont Do," and originals "A: Groovy Manifesto" and "Music On My Mind." Also released in early 2020 was a 9-song album "Maus Steckt Im Haus," recorded during the height of the Coronavirus "C19" lockdown.


References


External links


Official websiteAllMusic.comModfun.com
*
Crocshop.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hale, Mick American male songwriters Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) American DJs American record producers Musicians from New Jersey