Blaine Soileau brings old-school philosophy to modern DJ techniques
HE GOT THE BEAT | Dallas’ Blaine Soileau has perfected his DJ style after years of practice, but spinning still challenges and interests him. (Arnold Wayne Jones/Dallas Voice)
RICH LOPEZ | Staff Writer
lopez@dallasvoice.com
Blaine Soileau wouldn’t say that his DJing is about his image. The beefy arms, scruffy good looks and shirtless spinning, however, don’t hurt one bit when he’s at the turntable. If being a muscle daddy gets him a few fans… well, there are worse fates.
Soileau has been a staple in the Dallas DJ scene for years, but don’t mistake his image for his talent. He’s been mixing music since well before he had hair on his pecs.
“I started [DJing] in high school, which was 1979,” he says. “I feel like I’ve gotten where I’m at not because of any image. I just knew how to market myself.”
Soileau (pronounced “swallow”) knows the P.R. game well, owing to a stint in Los Angeles when he pursued an acting career. Having to get his name out as much as possible was the game then and it continues to be now. It’s just a different arena.
He’s fared much better on the DJ path than acting. Soileau has built himself into a marquee name even outside Texas. With bookings in D.C., L.A, Phoenix, Fire Island and more, he’s not only put his name into a national spotlight, he’s also bringing something back to Dallas each time with some specific hope and with his regular gig at the Dallas Eagle.
“The gay scene here is finally graduating to what’s going on now,” he says. “I never really had good things to say about Dallas’ music scene because of my travels. The music I would experience in other cities was always livelier and happening.”
He’s changed his mind now that he senses Dallas audiences aren’t “stuck in the ’80s and ’90s” anymore. It’s taking a while, but the sounds of Los Angeles, New York and even Eastern Europe are making way here. And Soileau sees audiences responding.
“For a while, all of us [DJs] here had to spoon-feed the crowd, but I think it’s moving into a good direction,” he says. “The stuff I’m playing at the Eagle, and the other DJs, we have a much more progressive sound.”
He brings that sound to Release, the club night he hosts at the Eagle twice a month. As Soileau infuses a cosmopolitan, modern sound to his party, he’s still a purist about technique. He’s embraced digital music over vinyl, but in a time when people can call themselves a DJ and program their mixes to autopilot, Soileau still brings some of his old skills to the proverbial turntable.
“There is definitely so much more you can do with digital music, but I don’t agree with the programs some are using,” he says. “I’m so thankful I learned how to beat-mix. I can manipulate a song just as I would a piece of vinyl and line up the beats old school. Programs that sync songs for you, that’s not DJing.”
Sometimes Soileau sounds like he misses the club environs of years before. He enjoyed playing the anthems of disco divas like Kristine W and Deborah Cox, but he finds that sound isn’t happening right now. His focus was on house music with vocals, but trends now lead to more instrumental tracks. But an unlikely tool now works in his favor.
“The good thing is that radio has become more dance oriented,” he says. “There are no remixes needed so when people go out to clubs, they wanna hear stuff on the radio. That gets them on the floor dancing. When it gets packed, then I can give them what I want but maintain the energy of it.”
Soileau doesn’t worry about setting himself apart from other DJs; he just wants a flawless night. So if that means playing music from the radio in order to have a happy dance floor, he’s on board with that.
“If I have to bite the bullet and play Britney, am I selling out? No,” he says. “My goal is to make people have a good time. I’ve never thought about being different from other DJs.”
Which perhaps makes him different after all.
But we still like it when he takes his shirt off.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 19, 2011.
This guy can Rock a dance floor.
“The gay scene here is finally graduating to what’s going on now,” he says. “I never really had good things to say about Dallas’ music scene because of my travels. The music I would experience in other cities was always livelier and happening.”
He definitely was in the wrong bars and in the wrong part of town. While he was lamenting his lack of interest in new music the gay crowd that thrived on it was dancing in clubs and parties outside of Oaklawn. They weren’t hanging out at Caven clubs, the Round-Up, Brick, Eagle, Woody’s or any other gay bar in or near Oaklawn.
They were reading media other than the Voice. The gay crowd that looked far beyond gay anthems found new music in mixed clubs in Deep Ellum, Downtown, Oak Cliff, near Fair Park and elsewhere.
After they found clubs and parties outside Oaklawn with new music they didn’t go back to Oaklawn.
This article insults readers and makes the writer, and this website, look clueless about the subject.
Blaine is awesome and really knows how to please the dance crowd. Dallas is fortunate to have a DJ of his stature and skills residing here. It’s well worth it to catch him at the big parties going on about town—he will get you moving and set you free!
I agree with DJ’s comment.. Blaine has been clearing the dance floor at Eagle since he started to “Release” some of us use software ONLY for the convenience of having our entire music collection with us easily (without using any sync features) Eagle has gone with cheaper well liquors and raised their prices to make up for their losses.. If this guy is a headliner then I’m glad I’m a nobody..
This article as sorely lacking facts and knowledge!
all this coming from a guy that played 80’s on new years eve
My friend Blaine has worked tirelessly to get where he is today.
He has accomplished both progressive and mainstream musical genres seamlessly and has earned his place in the DJ world on his own merits.No one can take that from him.
What has been taken out of context is his opinions about specific issues we DJs have experienced on time or another as DJs in the Dallas market.
I speak from experience when I say playing the circuit is much different in other major cities compared to the majority of the Dallas “Oak Lawn” club goers. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, everyone experiences music in there own way. That’s what so great about it.
Blaine is one of the best DJs Dallas has to offer and an even better friend if given the opportunity to get to know him.
You Go Boy!
Troy Sands
cool article based on the perspective of a dj who has toured the world, remixed records, held residencies in several US cities, and has been part of DJing for a while. Best part of the music scene in general is that you write your own ticket. Props to Blaine for writing his. Anyone who wants a piece of the action in any aspect of djing, or club music? then go get yours.
There are bitter haters in Dallas? let me put on my surprised face. We live in a city where a cover charge of $7 is considered outrageous.