Overview
Long before the Bronx-native producer Dennis Ferrer was Dennis Ferrer, he was “Morph,” a techno producer putting out records in the mid-90s. During this time, he was also finding success through Afro and gospel house releases on his Sfere label which he co-founded with his buddy Kerry Chandler. Fast forward a few years, and Dennis Ferrer was abruptly sprung back into the house music scene right when the world most needed him. He came back stronger and more popular than ever before.
Ferrer has a pretty hefty roster of hits he has put out over the years, many of which have become house anthems. The producer has been performing at shows and festivals around the world for nearly the last two decades.
In an interview with THE FUNKTION HOUSE, Ferrer reveals that his interest in music really sparked in the early 80s when his next door neighbor had inherited some turntables. His neighbor started bringing in records and Ferrer would come over and try to learn and battle him on the decks. “You weren’t just a hip hop DJ, you played everything, you know, you played from Chicago house to hip hop to slow jams,” said Dennis of the block parties in New York.
Ferrer shares how he’s been all around the genre sphere over the years weaving in and out of playing certain genres - from hip hop to techy back to hip hop to house. When asked which hit of his took his career to the next level, Dennis responds with “Everybody likes to point to ‘Hey Hey’ but ‘Hey Hey’ was the commercial success and that I shied away from... It was an underground soulful house record when it first came out, it just started speeding out… I licensed it to Defected and Defected took it and ran with it, now it’s not a bad thing – It’s one of my biggest records if not the biggest record, I can’t lie, but it doesn’t define who I am.” (interview with THE FUNKTION HOUSE)
Ferrer is not just a producer, but a true artist. He says one of the most valuable lessons he learned from his friend Kerry Chandler is if you’re going to do something, do it right (interview with THE FUNKTION HOUSE). With this in mind, he has practically perfected the craft of jumping genre to genre and maintaining the integrity of his artistry along the way.
