Honey Dijon had carved a distinct niche for herself in the world of underground electronic music, coming to be associated with exquisitely curated cross-genre sets and total dance-floor chaos wherever she plays – from Berghain to Space or Smart Bar. As a producer, her reputation for bringing this knowledge to her forward thinking creations is growing all the time.
Born and raised in Chicago – the home of house music – the city’s influence on Honey’s style is deeply ingrained. Like many in the scene, her love affair with music began upon hearing her parent’s soul and R&B records at home. Soon, it was clear to her that she needed to be the one dropping the needle on the record at her parent’s basement parties – at which point there was no turning back – club life beckoned.
Before long she was obsessively collecting tracks from hallowed stores like Imports Etc and Gramaphone in Chicago – developing the taste and style that would become her own. Through digging at these legendary stores, Honey met and formed a long lasting friendship with Derrick Carter, who became a mentor. It was he who introduced her to the underground of Chicago where she was exposed to the sounds of jacking house and Detroit techno. After relocating to New York City, Honey also met another music giant Danny Tenaglia, whose legendary sets at Twilo were also a major source of inspiration. “Danny heavily influenced my sound as a DJ’, says Honey. “The drama of his delivery and risk taking always informed me of how I wanted to present music. Of course, Derrick and Chicago house were also very influential in my development as an artist, so it’s this combination of Chicago and New York that has helped me develop my signature sound.”
This signature sound can be heard all over her much lauded mixes for various online platforms like Resident Advisor, yet it’s in the flesh where her power is really revealed. Her blending of the bump of Chicago with more classic New York sounds and various European influences (Honey splits her time between New York and Berlin), her sets are known for their strong programming, passion and integrity.
