The Windy City produces a lot of great musical talent, especially in the underground electronic dance community. DJ and Producer Stunna from Chicago is one of those rising stars that is putting Chicago back on the map for talented Drum and Bass DJ's. His sweet and escapist jazzy D & B tracks take you to the another level.

It takes us back to when we were growing up in Chicago, going to underground raves, and listening to world-class drum and bass DJ's throw it down while we partied the night away... Chicago is not only the capital of house music, but a destination for one of the best drum n bass scenes after the UK. Stunna's intelligent jungle beats are a proof of this...

Tell us a little bit about yourself...

Born and raised in the Windy City of Chicago. Full-time musician - keyboardist, producer, and DJ. Played with many bands in the past and have toured the country a few times. Now mainly concentrating on DJing in and around the U.S. and Europe. Brought up on a healthy dose of House music, jazz, funk, dub, and jam bands. Basically, it's music 24/7/365 for me.

How would you describe your sound?

I think my Drum n Bass tracks have been influenced by bits and pieces of many different types of music. Coming from a live music and performance background, I try and integrate live playing in just about every tune I work on. Whether it be a simple hook or a major keyboard solo, there's always a bit of 'me' in each tune. Some guys rely solely upon sample-based references, and that's great - many can rock it. But I tend to write my music from scratch - mainly on a wide range of vintage keys and also soft synths.

Who are some of your favorite music artists and why?

First and foremost: Herbie Hancock, a true pioneer - and not just because he's from Chicago, haha. The man has gone through so many different styles through time, and with the greatest of ease. He's one of the first classically-trained jazz musicians to fully embrace the electronic age and incorporate synths and effects to create a whole new direction in music. After Herbie, I'd have to give a nod to studio scientists like King Tubby and the whole dub reggae movement that came out of Jamaica in the 60s and 70s. These guys gave a whole new outlook on how to use space between sounds to create a pulse and a vibe. One other artist I've been into for a very long time is Pat Metheny - wicked guitarist who writes some amazing emotional and thoughtful compositions.

Sounds like jazz is something that you truly love and are influenced by in your own music...Where do you get your inspiration from?

Mainly from the wide array of artists that I've had the pleasure to work within the past few years. The simple fact that D+B is a faster-paced, BPM-wise form of music it makes it an exciting and often unpredictable playground to work within. There's always a new tune being made. I get sent music from all corners of the globe and it's just a very exciting feeling to play the music out live and share with the rest of the world.

How would you describe the underground electronic dance scene in Chicago these days?

It's pretty healthy, I guess. Honestly, I don't really check out many nights or shows that aren't D+B-based these days - mainly I'm stuck in the lab workin on music. But when I do go out, I usually check out shows that my friends are throwing, and there's a nice little Dubstep scene popping up that's putting Chicago on the map now as a hub. Chicago will always be known as the home of House music, and that's great. I work a lot on House tracks as a source of income so I know there's indeed a market for more 'mainstream' forms of underground music. Honestly, I'd like to see all quality forms of EDM go 'above' ground and gain more visibility in the charts, on the radio, and in advertising and marketing, but realistically, I'm not sure if the U.S. will ever accept what we do in D+B as anything other than underground. In comparison to other U.S. cities that I've visited or played in, I think Chicago's still a great place for D+B.

I don't think a lot of people know that Chicago is not only a pioneering city for house music, but the drum and bass scene was really important to Chicago's underground rave movement... What about the Drum and Bass scene in general?

It's funny how every month or so I see another article or forum topic about how the music is 'dead.' Believe me, it's not. Although vinyl sales are down in comparison to say, 10 years ago, there's a huge market and fan base for the music now. So many new artists are popping up everywhere and although there may be a bit too many labels also creeping in that aren't too fussed about quality control, I think it's great that most labels with any bit of business savvy have now fully embraced the digital age with MP3s, etc. I've never been a vinyl purist so I can relate to all the music lovers around the world who may not have easy access to buy a limited-run piece of vinyl. One thing I have seen as a downside in the past few years is the lack of pure DJs getting booked at major events. Mainly, promoters are only going to book producers with tracks out and many times these guys can't really mix that great. But I guess as technology has progressed and it's become more affordable to purchase home studio gear, the logical thing for the pure DJ is to take up production, and ultimately take things to the next level.

Stepping away from music for a bit... How would you describe your sense of style when it comes to fashion?

Never even thought about it much to be perfectly honest! If it's clean in my closet, I'll usually wear it! But honestly, I'm a big T-Shirt head. I play out on the west coast a lot and regularly hit up stores in San Fran like UpperPlayground and True. Always on the lookout for a new Tee.

What are you obsessed with right now?

Mixing down this new track... Been on it for about 5 days and I can't really sleep until it's done.

That's passion! So, anything new on the horizon?

Always. I'm usually working on about 5-10 different projects at the same time - I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but I really get motivated knowing there's something that needs to be worked on. As far as 2008 goes, I'm involved with a number of solo and collab projects with friends of mine here in the U.S. as well as with producers from far away lands like Germany, Holland, Finland, UK, Brazil, and Japan.

That's great to hear...Thanks for chatting with us!

For more info on DJ and Producer Stunna from Chicago visit:

http://www.virb.com/stunnachi
http://www.myspace.com/stunnachi
http://www.musicv2.com/artist/stunnachi
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stunna/6246344626