Blue Six

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

 

When you think of Naked Music you’ll most likely think of Blue Six. They were the sound of the label and continued to create great music until 2014, long after the label had dropped off the house music radar (such a shame). Blue 6 (as they were then - a number not the word) kicked off their journey on Wave Music, a label owned by Francois K with Sweeter Love in 1998 before starting the Naked Music journey… and the rest is history.

 

Blue Six aka Jay Denes, aka Lovetronic and Summerland was the co-founder of Naked Music and one of the most influential men of the era. Blue Six introduced me to a host of incredible vocalists, including Lisa Shaw and Aya.

 

Denes was born in Newark, NJ. After moving to N.Y.C., the newcomer failed to get seriously involved in the local music scene until hip-hop producer Bob Power hooked him up with Dave Boonshoff. Jay Denes began working on his own freestyle project soon after naming himself Blue Six.

 

The Blue Six sound fused house, jazz and soul into beautifully crafted deep house with tracks like Sweeter Love, Music And Wine and Pure being tracks that have stood the test of time and weren’t about club plays, ask Denes explained “I never cared about club labels. Almost none of the music inspiring me is from that world. If anything, the early Blue Six stuff is more inspired by Quincy Jones and a variety of jazz and funky records. Not really any house.”

 

Under his own name Jay released tracks on several other labels; Plastic City and Tronic Soundz amongst them. Lovetronic and Summerland each only had one release, both on Naked Music.

 

Denes said of himself “I don’t DJ. Never did. Boy I lost out on some easy money…over the years I’ve been forced to learn a lot of things. I write music and lyrics, poetry, and essays on occasion. I’m a producer, engineer…” and he’s not wrong. His tracks and lyrics were like poetry of the day and this music made them resonate with the global audience.

 

When asked about his production approach, his answer was “I never record anything remotely. Everyone is always in the room (or booth) with me. I’m extremely hands-on and particular about things. I will edit meticulously, but I always know what I have before I start that part of the process.” - I love the fact it’s all real, with so much  from library’s and sample packs these days it’s testament to how much the time was about the soul of a tune.

 

2014 saw an album and new Naked Music surface. ‘Signs & Wonders’ featured three of Naked Music's most loved vocalists, jazz legend Cathrine Russell, Aya and Tabitha Fair.

 

The review of it reads… “effortlessly straddling soul, dance and funk with modern atmospherics. Blue Six is back with another sonic gem, filled with the lush grooves, and smart, introspective writing that made them famous. With a nod to the 80's and a giant step forward, the new Signs and Wonders is sure to please die-hard fans of the Naked Music sound as well as new listeners looking for something sophisticated.”