Derek Russo, who lives in Denver, is a fixture in the Colorado dance music scene. Russo, who was raised in Washington, D.C. on house music and hip hop, began his musical journey in junior high and high school, playing guitar in several bands. His early influences included his sister’s Prince and Led Zeppelin records, as well as his father’s Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, and surf rock records from the 1960s. He became immersed in the worlds of improvised rock music and jazz in the late 1990s.
The electronic music scene didn’t fully engulf him until he was in his early 20s, which led him to purchase a set of turntables in 2002. He was purchasing records from now-closed D.C. stores like DJ Hut and Yoshitoshi while immersing himself in a range of musical genres. His early years of clubbing and record hunting were influenced by downtempo nights at Eighteenth St. Lounge, renowned Sunday nights at Red with Sam “The Man” Burns, and the eccentric party Lemur Lounge. Before moving to Denver in 2013 brought things back to the present, he developed his skills during weekly residencies at Boulder’s Hapa and Trilogy in 2004.
Derek Russo siblings: Who are Derek Russo siblings?
He has a sister, whose name is unknown.
