Velcro City Records

Artist Spotlight – DJ Hero
Category: Music

super DJ HERO:

Saturday, November 01, 2008

by Crystal Morales

Most of us would never think to believe a superhero exists in reality, much less in the music industry — and yet, one does… in the music industry, that is. John Mundt (aka DJ Hero) can be equated to Superman in a variety of ways. Let’s begin with the most obvious similarity, a dual personality..

On the one hand, we have John Mundt — a man who maintained average, ordinary day jobs, who spent a great deal of time in the small town of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and who was genuinely inspired to pursue Djing when, once, in Detroit, he looked up toward a DJ’s booth and viewed one, DJ Elite, flipping a vinyl record in contemplation.

And, on the other hand, we have DJ Hero, whose travels across the continent — from the American east coast to the west — provided him opportunities to work with some of the greats of his time, including Carl Cox, DJ Dan, Paul Oakenfold, DJ Micro, DJ Icey, Huda Hudia and Bad Boy Bill, just to name a few.

Now, you might be asking, “So, what’s your point? What makes John a superhero?”

Mundt’s affiliation with prominent individuals, though lending to an interpretation of success, isn’t what’s responsible for his superhero status. No, it’s his lack of an ego in the wake of having such connections that gives him that status. Here is a man who has done illustrious things, but will unassumingly deny his own grandeur —much like Superman.

John Mundt’s likeness to Superman has been cemented and trademarked in his logo, a red and yellow triangle containing — instead of the easily recognizable “S”— the letters “D” and “J.”

When asked how this logo came about in all his modesty, he laughed and replied, “It was a hand-drawing, a side bit of humor or nostalgia.” Nevertheless, it now carries increasing significance as a trademark that serves to constantly remind Hero of the importance of humility. John comments on the subject of humility, saying, “Success is easy to get caught-up in and doesn’t really push us forward. In fact, I feel it sets us back. We often let our egos and pride get the best of us. Of which, I believe I am sometimes guilty.” Although, I’m here to tell you, John is most definitely not guilty of the accusations he places on himself.

The truth is, you may have never heard of John Mundt or DJ Hero, but he has been around —unpretentiously slipping right under your nose — since 1995!

Back in the day, John worked for an NBC affiliate for several years as chief editor in addition to doing music beds for various businesses, such as The Gap. At the same time, Kaleidoscope Music, a label which Mundt is, to this day, honorably connected with, landed a contract through the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) to have its music used on TV shows such as MTV’s Punk’d, The Ali G Show, TNT, Cartoon Network and one of the Pokémon movies. Kaleidoscope Music even penetrated the video game world with releases, such as Huda Hudia’s “System Overload” which appeared on SSX Trickie, a snowboarding game.

So, in hoping to well-advise other aspiring Djs and producers, John mentions that, “That time was really fruitful. It seemed to offer an alternative source for publicity other than the rave or nightclub scene.” John — continuing to deflect any sort of spotlight on himself — also mentioned that Huda Hudia was the master-mind behind the majority of what was going on back then. But, it must be said that, together with Huda Hudia, DJ Hero created a few ffiFlorida hits, Electro jams and some very memorable singles.

So, Mundt has done several original pieces for radio, network spots, commercials and internet ads. Not only did he do audio engineering, but video editing and voice work. He even lent his voice to national ads promoting DJ Scribble—all the while, never forcing his own name on anyone. Even being the implementer of his own label, Solitude Records, he still remains humble in that the very name of the label attests to his rather quiet nature, his pure and simple devotion to the love and production of music, instead of the fame that can be associated with it.

When John was asked how it was he attained his level of expertise, he came back with, “If I had to choose three producers who were my top sources of inspiration and knowledge it would be Huda Hudia, Ferry Corsten, and Guyver” — again, always shedding light on someone other than himself.

In upholding his down-to-earth attitude, John Mundt preaches what he practices. When asked what advice he would give newbie Djs and producers, he answered, “The best advice I can give is to take your time, go at a comfortable pace. If you feel you’re not doing it right, never hesitate to ask someone. The insignificance you might feel, the harsh critiques you may receive, and the never ending frustration you’ll most likely face will only make you do it better than the next guy . Be honest with yourself and your goals.”

So what is Hero up to nowadays? Well, after continuous travel across the vastness of North America, John is settling down, choosing Denver, Colorado to be his permanent home! He maintains Solitude Records, remains an integral part of Kaleidoscope Music and, this year, signed-on with Velcro City Records as an artist and engineer. His music is available on beatport.com, kalmusic.com and digitalrecordstores.com.

I actually caught Hero spinning at The Church not too long ago, and hope to see plenty more of him. What distinguishes him, musically, is that he does not confine himself to any one genre or style of dance music, a very rare characteristic.

Lastly, John Mundt is reaching out to you. Yes, you—the hopeful Djs and producers. He extends a warm invitation, saying, “Should you need some advice, hop on Myspace.com/DjheroJohn and drop me a message because I’d love to play a part in your successes.” What a super man!

MySpace.com/DjheroJohn