Armand Van Helden

Armand van Helden originates from Cambridge, MA, USA, near Boston. His early life involved moving to various countries with his military father, but by 1983, at 13, he resided in Cambridge and, being a hip-hop enthusiast, had already acquired his first drum machine. Most sources indicate he got turntables at 18, and after completing college, he left his legal reviewing job to manage promotions and perform as one of the resident DJs at the renowned Loft.

In interviews, he mentioned not liking house music initially; it was only after attending a very underground house club night and experiencing the music in its true setting that he developed a passion for it. His earliest production work involved uncredited remixes for a “For Professional DJ’s Only” label, along with some under various aliases, like the Mole People, a name inspired by the novel about people living beneath the streets of New York City.

His first significant hit under his own name was Witch Doktor, soon followed by Funk Phenomena, both still popular today; this was shortly after Todd Terry and the Jungle Brothers infused hip-hop polyrhythms into house, leading to the modern sound we recognize today. van Helden enhanced the genre by adding a “ninja-like” mid-high secondary rhythm and melody, creating a richer, fuller hip-house sound. Although not necessarily his best remix, van Helden gained worldwide fame in 1995 with Professional Widow (initially by Tori Amos and for which he earned about $10,000); this track is acknowledged to have initiated the garage/speed garage genres in the latter half of the '90s.

van Helden continues to be a prominent DJ, performing what he terms “Armand van Helden Concerts,” which feature some of his favorite tracks and his major hits from over the years. He states he plays 5-12 gigs annually (depending on which interview you refer to) while most DJs of his stature perform over 200 a year.