Name, Location, What You Do: Duane Harriott, Brooklyn, NY, Husband, Father, DJ, Producer, Sound Designer, Radio Show Host, Beat Digger, Love Maker.

Influences: NYC, My Family, Friends, Art, Music, God.Favorite Records at the Moment: Most commonly asked Question and also the most difficult to answer. As of today..Old stuff: Aalon-Cream City LP, Enchantment-Faith is the Key LP, Herb Geller-Rhyme & Reason, Mendez Trio-S/T (Featuring the incredible keys of my father-in-law Memo Mendez Guiu. New Stuff: Farao-Pure-O LP, Josef Leimberg-Astral Progressions, Auntie Flo-Radio Highlife

Best Digging Story: The most significant dig of my life occurred in April of ’96. I had just moved to New York the week before to start a job at CMJ, booking for there Music Marathon festival, which was bigger than SXSW at that time. I was 21, fresh out of college and I went up to the Upper West Side on a Saturday to visit one of my College friends. I got off the 1 Train at 72nd Street and immediately saw a lil sidewalk vendor selling 2nd hand vinyl. I had already started collecting records, so I stooped to see what the guy had and I found a mint copy of Donald Byrd-“Places & Spaces”, Oral Caress-“Charlie’s Angels on 12″ and Question Mark Asylum’s-“Hey Lookaway” on 12″ with the Erick Sermon remix and paid $4.00 a piece for all three. All records I was searching for and couldn’t find in my home and Collegetown of Lincoln, NE. I was beyond excited!
After I had lunch with my college friend, I caught a crowded bus downtown and sitting directly across from me were three cute Puerto Rican girls, one of them kept giving me a huge gap-toothed, dimpled smile each time our eyes met. We started chatting and they invited me to a block party they were going to on Ave. B that there cousin was deejaying. I followed them to the party I hung out with them in the LES til 4, made out with the gap toothed girl, went home with my records and never saw them again. That dig was significant because it gave me the bug to keep diggin’ for records. The kinetic energy of the spontaneous hang of the night, made me fall in love with New York and immediately recognize that it was my home.

Favorite Mix and Why. Any Genre, Any DJ. There was a Frankie Knuckles mix I recorded off of Hot 97 circa ’91 when I was visiting that summer that taught me everything I needed to know about how to properly mix House Music. Cut Chemist & DJ Shadow’s Brain Freeze mix for obvious reasons. DJ Premier’s-Crooklyn Cutz. Vol 3, Jeff Mills-Live at the Liquid Room.

LP, 12”, or 7” format? I love them all but because I’m such a huge Disco and HIp Hop Fanatic, I gotta go with 12″, but 7’s are a close second.

Junk Food You Can’t Live Without: Not a big Junk Food Junkie, but I have a soft spot for the Welch’s Fruit Snacks. My wife recently made me some bday cupcakes with Fruit Snack toppings that may have been the best dessert I ever had in my life!!

Most Memorable Gig Played: I played Elton John’s 60th Birthday party at St’ Patrick’s cathedral, so I doubt I’ll ever forget that. Playing an all nighter at Rubulad with David Holmes, Andy Votel and Jazzman Gerald was a pretty incredible night. Playing the Mister Sunday parties on a semi-regular basis is always such a highlight as well. Just being able to travel and earn a living doing what I love makes every gig memorable because I feel so blessed to be able to do it.

Record That Never Leaves Your Record Box: I’m almost always guaranteed to have some sort of Prince, Rick James or Quincy Jones related production in my bag at all time, no matter the party theme!

Shout Outs, Last Remarks, and Gig Info: Big Shout outs to my Devin Dare Production Partner and fellow digger Sean Marquand, My father Oscar Harriott who first gave me the bug to Dig for records, my loving and supporting wife Marisa and my future beat digger Alton (my son), my family at WFMU.
Follow me on IG at duaniac77 and check out my show the Duane Train every Wednesday on WFMU (wfmu.org) if you wanna see what I’m up to. Love & Light!!!

Dig Deeper!