In these current times, the music industry changes so much. With the decline of radio-play relevance and major-label record sales, the rise of iTunes, iPods and file-sharing, live music has taken on a new importance, as truly the only way acts can be physically experienced by their fans. Not even the remotely visceral sensation of fighting with the plastic covering on your newly purchased CD applies anymore.

We've seen Chicago become a hotbed of summer musical festivals but with Lollapalooza still being a very much Texas-run event by the dual Charlies and lacking a Chicago face, and Intonation off for this year, we wonder how long it'll last.

Locally, things change as well. Record stores are closing. We've seen the fall of Pure. There are still some mainstay faces--Kanye's a force to be reckoned with, Metro turns 25, Michael Yerke is still talent buyer extraordinaire--but new, powerful forces emerge at the same time.

Here, we present our 2007 list of Chicago's most powerful people in music, our annual Music 45.

Music 45 was written by Tom Lynch and Dennis Polkow, with additional contributions by John Alex Colon, Jenn Danko, Daniel Mnookin and Duke Shin

1. Kanye West
Recording Artist/Producer
Only the top dog can get away with such behavior. Kanye freaked when he failed to claim top prize at the MTV Europe Music Awards last fall, prompting him to storm the stage and complain to the crowd; he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone with a crown of thorns; he told Playboy magazine that if the bible was written today, he'd be included in it; he told TV viewers (and a shocked Mike Myers) during a Katrina benefit that George W. Bush doesn't care about black people (although this was kind of cool). That's only a small taste of Kanye's gumption, but here are the other facts--he has two multi-platinum records in "The College Dropout" and "Late Registration" (which sold nearly a million copies in its first week), he's produced records for Lupe Fiasco, Common, John Legend and Twista, he's won six Grammy Awards, outshined everyone at last year's Lollapalooza as the headliner and practically has the keys to the city. Anything West puts his hands on becomes aural gold, and this year shouldn't be any different--his next record, reportedly titled "Graduation," is set to drop, and he's collaborating with "Borat" director Larry Charles for an HBO series based on his life.

2. Pete Wentz
Bassist and frontman of Fall Out Boy/Owner Decaydance Records
From a small suburban boy to major media mogul, Wentz has seen his stock rise considerably over the last few years. Consider his music work--after signing with Jay Z's Island Records, team FOB has had two multi-platinum records, the most recent this year's "Infinity on High," which debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. He also owns his own label, called Decaydance, an imprint of FOB's original label Fueled by Ramen, which has released records by Gym Class Heroes, Lifetime and Panic! At the Disco. Wentz also oversees Clandestine Industries, which distributes a clothing line and books (he has penned one himself, titled "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side") and he has a film company called Bartskull Films. And, yes, dude's dating Ashlee Simpson.

3. Joe Shanahan
Owner, Metro, Co-owner Double Door
Shanahan's venerable and now historic rock club Metro turns 25 this year--a true milestone considering the changes in the trends of the music industry over those same years. But, directly put--Metro is the city's best live music venue, and it has housed the talents of everyone from R.E.M. to Nirvana, from Bob Dylan to Radiohead, from Smashing Pumpkins to Guided by Voices (which played its final show there). "This era, this time in Metro history--it may be the old adage of if you wait long enough things seem to repeat themselves," Shanahan says. "It's really back to the strength of our original mission statement--[to be] involved with new, emerging independent artists." For the anniversary celebration, Metro is teaming with Hideout's annual block party, and come July 18, it's sponsoring a show at Pritzker Pavilion featuring The Decemberists playing along with the Grant Park Orchestra. "I've come up with this idea--I'm sort of the custodian of Metro, the guy who keeps the doors open," Shanahan says. "It means a lot to a lot of people. I think that now, I've been doing this half of my life, it seems to me that I have friends who have kids, and they're bringing their kids to their first concert at Metro--to be a part of something like that, it speaks volumes, it says something."

4. Scott Gelman
Vice-President, Live Nation-Chicago
When Clear Channel turned over to Live Nation, nothing much else changed, except that now the company's even stronger. Regularly promoting the biggest of the big acts that roll through Chicago--U2, Madonna, the like--at places like the United Center, Live Nation also oversees the pristine spot at Northerly Island, the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park and Alpine Valley up in Wisconsin, some of the top-grossing venues in the surrounding area.

5. Michael Yerke
Talent buyer, House of Blues
When news came last summer that Live Nation purchased the House of Blues chain, shivers went down many, many spines. What did this mean for music? Would Live Nation continue down the road towards world domination? The smartest move they made was keeping Yerke, who cut his chops at the HOB for years, winning numerous promotion awards and turning the venue into a major spot to see live music in Chicago, where he's carved a niche with hip-hop, metal and emo-punk.

6. Arny Granat & Jerry Mickelson
Owners, Jam Productions
The largest independent concert promoter in the United States, Jam Productions promotes shows at venues like the Vic Theatre, Park West, Riviera Theatre, Auditorium Theatre, Aragon and Allstate Arena, and sometimes even smaller clubs, like Metro or Schubas. A thirty-year-old company originally started in a modest North Side apartment, Jam has had to fight the good fight against corporate Live Nation for some time now, but in Chicago, the homegrown talent get the love--Granat and Mickelson's company won Independent Promoter of the Year from Pollstar back in February.

7. Barry Dolins
Deputy Director, Mayor's Office of Special Events
Before Barry Dolins came to work for the Mayor's Office of Special Events under then-mayor Harold Washington in 1984, he had been presenting his own mini blues festivals as an instructor at Loyola University, learning how to garner National Endowment of the Arts funds for his vision of what a fest should be. Dolins used this expertise to begin coordinating the Chicago Blues Festival the following year, and has been programming the free, three-day early festival that always heralds the official start of summer in Chicago ever since. One of the hallmarks of Dolins' art is the careful way that he is able to balance legendary names of the field--this year, the fest is saluting Chicago's own "Queen of the Blues" Koko Taylor--with newcomers and offbeat acts from far and wide who keep Chicago's blues tradition alive.

8. Earl Jones
Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Clear Channel Radio Chicago
One of the country's leading radio companies, Clear Channel pulls in an estimated 110 million listeners each week. Jones overlooks a variety of Chicago stations, including WGCI-FM, WKSC-FM and WLIT-FM, as he's uniquely in charge of a good chunk of our airwaves.

9. Jeff McClusky
Owner, Jeff McClusky and Associates
With the consolidation of broadcast radio and the decline of major record labels, McClusky and his team of music promoters--who helped launch the likes of U2 and Madonna way back when--have taken more than a few hits over the last handful of years. "Radio isn't as important as the first mover of new music," he says. But he's quick to add: "But we're doing fine." JMA has become more involved with independents as a result, assisting in the exposure of acts such as Arcade Fire, Amy Winehouse and artists from Matador Records and Sub Pop. He looks at this time as the "beginning of the next chapter." McClusky says: "It's unbelievable to me that I'm fortunate enough to be 53, and in the business that I love, and that I wear what I want to wear [to work]. If there was a piece of paper that said I was gonna make more and more money each passing year, I missed it. Mine said, `You're gonna be in a business you love, you're gonna have great years, and you're gonna have difficult years, but it'll work out in the long run if you keep at it.'"

10. Steve Albini
Recording Artist/Engineer
The famous engineer has more street cred than just about anyone else for his involvement with Shellac and Big Black, the latter of which reformed--if for only a brief time--to perform at last year's Touch & Go Records anniversary party. He's best known for recording Nirvana's "In Utero" and the Pixies, but in truth, Albini and his crew at Electrical Audio lend services to all types, from the world's bigger bands to the local, unnoticed kids who've scraped together enough dough.

11. Tony Brummel
Owner, Victory Records
Despite recent legal trouble with band Hawthorne Heights, the biggest label in Chicago--and the number one independent rock label in the U.S. ("according to market share," says Brummel)--successfully thrives in the hardcore, emo-punk world. Victory has found success with releases by bands 1997, Atreyu, Aiden, Bayside, Spitalfield, Taking Back Sunday, Voodoo Glow Skulls and The Tossers, amongst many others.

12. Ryan Schreiber
Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Pitchforkmedia.com
Schreiber has turned his Web site into the online destination spot for music news, reviews and interviews. Love or hate the over-extended prose, his writers show extreme dedication to detail and analysis. On top of that, the Pitchfork Music Festival sees its second year this summer, with Cat Power, Stephen Malkmus, The New Pornographers and Sonic Youth all set to play.

13. Bruce Finkelman
Owner, Empty Bottle
Finkelman's aesthetically perfect rock club has branched out a bit in recent years, beginning to book concerts at other venues across the city, most recently the Lakeshore Theater and the Portage Theater. The authenticity of the Bottle as a down-and-dirty venue remains unrivaled--the sideways stage, the cheap booze, the roaring sound--and, next year, it celebrates its fifteenth anniversary. "We are looking forward to `Bottle 15,'" Finkelman says. "I can't believe it's been almost fifteen years already."

14. Buddy Guy
Recording Artist/Owner, Buddy Guy's Legends
The influential and legendary guitarist is now into his eighth decade, an icon in not only the blues world, but also in rock `n' roll, as evidenced by his induction into the Hall of Fame a couple years ago (he was introduced by Eric Clapton and B.B. King, no less). His annual month-long January residency at Legends still gets Chicagoans out of their houses and into the cold, selling out most nights.

15. Welz Kauffman
President & CEO, Ravinia Association
Welz Kauffman can claim not only to have overseen the most successful era of box-office sales in the North Shore summer festival's long history but he has done so while expanding rather than cutting back on what the festival is offering. Following up on his five-year "Sondheim at 75" series that has evolved into fully-staged musicals, the intimate "Martinis at the Martin" series that spotlights cabaret performers and attracting and maintaining a high-quality and high-profile music director in James Conlon who challenges and entertains while expanding the audience base, Kauffman's next innovation is the overhaul and expansion of Ravinia food-service pavilion to allow more patrons the opportunity to dine indoors while still being surrounded by the park's natural beauty.

16. Deborah R. Card
President, Orchestral Association/CEO, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
When Deborah R. Card replaced longtime Chicago Symphony CEO Henry Fogel after a period of steady decline that saw the orchestra able to fill fewer and fewer seats (having lost its recording contracts, radio broadcasts and facing general audience indifference) her first mission was to significantly enlarge the audience base by reaching out to the community with more audience-friendly programs and concert times. Along the way, she alienated music director Daniel Barenboim so much that he resigned, and Card has been in no hurry to replace him, which is not only saving the CSO a fortune but, for better or worse, is redefining the artistic model and balance of power in American symphony orchestras with management calling all of the shots.

17. Tim Edwards, Susanne Dawursk
Owners, Flower Booking
With Flower 15 in the books--which raised nearly $100,000 for local charities--the booking agency looks forward to Flower 20 in 2010. Bands Underoath, Isis, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Jimmy Eat World and many more all depend on Flower's services, and beginning late last year, Flower expanded outside of the United States, representing artists and booking tours in Central America, South America, Australia and East Asia. According to Dawursk, revenues have increased by twenty percent each year for the last nine years, with 2007 looking to be the biggest yet.

18. James W. Palermo
Artistic & General Director, Grant Park Music Festival
While the Chicago Symphony was losing its recording contracts, James W. Palermo was spearheading the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra's first-ever commercial recordings on the Chicago-based Cedille label. The nation's only remaining free summer classical music festival has been under Palermo's watchful eye for thirteen years now, a period of enormous growth that has seen the festival move to its new home at the magnificent Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park as well as expand its presence in the community at large. But the defining characteristic of Palermo's leadership remains his programming skills which continue to find the perfect balance between crowd-pleasers and new and challenging repertoire while maintaining a strong emphasis on classic and contemporary American music.

19. David "Boche" Viecelli
President, Billions Coroporation
Billions has found great success managing and booking bands with an "artist-first" mentality, holding clients such as Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens and Silversun Pickups, plus newer additions DeVotchka and Martha Wainwright. According to Boche, the last two years have seen the company "grow at an unprecedented rate," with employees now based in three states, and is "poised to expand again."

20. Tom Windish
President, Windish Agency
The former Billions employee went out on his own a few years ago, and he reports that "things are going great" as his agency has moved from one to six employees in the last three years. Windish's roster exceeds a hundred bands--including Peter Bjorn & John, Hot Chip, Seu Jorge and Jose Gonzalez--and, in addition to the U.S., he books shows in Mexico, Australia and South America.

21. William Mason
General Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera founder Carol Fox and high-profile visionary Ardis Krainik have been tough acts to follow, but Lyric Opera of Chicago general director William Mason has held his own at the helm of one of the most successful opera companies on the planet. Though Mason has been in charge for a decade now, he shepherded the company through one of the greatest crises that it has ever faced following the sudden drying up of funds in the tough arts-unfriendly economic climate following 9/11 by canceling company plans deemed too expensive and tightening Lyric's belt, while never allowing the artistic quality of what did end up presented on the stage to suffer as a result.

22. Arman Razavi
Owner, Music 101/General Manager, Ohm
In the truncated life span of lesser promoters, label heads, club owners and nightlife personalities, Arman Razavi has remained a staple in Chicago nightlife for what seems like an eternity. Way back when the defunct-yet-still-missed Mad Bar was showcasing local deck technicians and global house heroes alike, owner and operator Razavi incubated his idea to create a local entity that could blossom into an international business with careful forays into consulting, promotion and marketing. And since 1999, Razavi has been guiding his company, Music 101, whose greatest power might lie in its effective branding--bringing instant event recognition to parties like Boom Boom Room, DayRa, Always and new ventures as GM for the new Red Dog refit Ohm. Initially, programming leaned heavy on talented local house jocks, but with a recent twist to include such acclaimed and varied musical bookings as Ursula 1000, Dixon and Alexander Robotnick, Razavi appears poised to raise the profile of his company once more.

23. Corey Rusk
Owner, Touch & Go Records
Rusk's beloved T&G Records turned 25 last year with a marathon music festival (in conjunction with Hideout's block party) that topped Lollapalooza and Pitchfork as the best fest of the summer. This year the label sees releases by artists CocoRosie, Shellac, Pinback, Mekons, Shannon Wright and Enon, and has already handed over Ted Leo & The Pharmacists' great "Living with the Living."

24. Joe Bryl
Co-Owner/Musical Director, Sonotheque
Music-minded destinations seem to be an unfortunate endangered species in our fair city, with hotpots opening with a supposed emphasis on music, and then switching programming to the lowest common denominator of Trixie Top 40. Lucky for us, Ukrainian Village hotspot Sonotheque has steadily matured into perhaps the city's premier non-exclusionary club, with regular events from those rowdy rockers at Dark Wave Disco, avant-electronics from Ramp Chicago and Wake Up! and enfant terr-tablists Flosstradamus, to name a few. Thank you Joe Bryl--co-owner, film-festival curator, resident DJ and the man behind Sonotheque's diverse musical offerings. From broken-beat to hip-hop, Braziliance to James Brown tribute nights, few of Chicago's musical directors (if any) have the freedom and power to keep events interesting for us folks who still care about the music.

25. Jeff Mills
Owner and CEO, Axis Records/Co-owner, Gamma Player
For a guy who's already been admitted to electronic music's pantheon of techno heroes, Jeff Mills sure used to keep a low profile in his adopted hometown of Chicago. The former Detroit innovator started making his mark in the Motor City as a radio DJ, and with the formation of Underground Resistance (along with "Mad" Mike Banks), cemented himself into legend. Mills would later establish his record label Axis in New York before relocating to Chicago in 1993. Yet as a performer, Mills had given a cold shoulder to the City of Big Shoulders, eschewing hometown appearances for big paydays overseas. But this has all changed with the opening of Mills' new venture, Gamma Player--the Wicker Park clothing boutique opened alongside wife and business partner Yoko Uozumi. Maybe it's just another feather in Mills' cap, but we can only hope that amongst the high-fashion life, BMG distribution deals and art installations, Mills can work in more local performances like his recent date at Smart Bar.

26. Bettina Richards
Owner, Thrill Jockey Records
Thrill Jockey celebrates its fifteenth year as a label--celebration shows in Chicago and London (where its offices will celebrate a one-year anniversary) are being planned for late fall, according to Richards--and continues to release essential music from all over the board, including last year's phenomenal "Roots & Crowns," courtesy of Califone. Richards has also recently launched fina-music.com, a digital music store.

27. Jim DeRogatis
Rock critic, Chicago Sun-Times
DeRo continues to be one of the two major faces of Chicago rock criticism, as both the columnist for the Sun-Times and the co-host of radio show "Sound Opinions," now nationally syndicated. He's written several books in the past (including a biography of the Flaming Lips), and is currently working on a book tentatively titled "The Best Thirty Minutes of My Life: Everything I Know I Learned by Playing in Rock Bands." This fall, he releases another book, about "a Chicago artist who is a legend in a very different field," called "Sheperd Paine: The Life and Work of a Master Modeler and Military Historian."

28. James Amato
Music Director, Smart Bar
The past twenty-five years have seen Smart Bar establish itself as not only a Chicago clubbing institution, but a globally respected nightlife mecca as well. Thus it was understandable that clubbers expressed concern at the prospect of a new talent buyer late last year. However, James Amato has taken the reigns and kept a good thing going without skipping a beat. The Chicago-via-Milwaukee DJ and promoter continues the Smart Bar ethic that combines cutting-edge dance music with the very best in house, techno and beyond. Chicago's nightlife can breathe a collective sigh of relief--its most treasured club is without a doubt in good hands.

29. Greg Kot
Rock critic, Chicago Tribune
The brain in the two-headed monster that hosts "Sound Opinions," Kot's work at the Trib has earned him considerable cred, not to mention the opportunity to write "Learning How to Die," the must-read for Wilco fans. In 2008, he's set to publish a new book, titled "Ripped: Indie-rock and the Wired Generation."

30. Brian Deck
Producer/Engineer
A member of the dearly missed Red Red Meat, Deck has since recorded and produced records for Califone, Iron & Wine, The Shins, Chin Up Chin Up and Modest Mouse. Through his work with Engine Studios, Deck's become a go-to guy for both up-and-coming indie artists and well-established rock bands (at press time, he was out in California working on the new Counting Crows album). Up next? Local band Probably Vampires, which Deck is "psyched to get home to."

31. Kathryn Frazier
Owner, Biz3 Publicity
Frazier's pub machine has competed with the NYC-world and won against the odds, spearheading publicity for several major acts, like Lady Sovereign. Biz3 is also dedicated to drawing attention to lesser-known artists, such as Patrick Wolf, Bonde Do Role and locals Pelican. Next year, according to Frazier, sees Biz3 moving forward in the cinema world as well. "I'm so excited and honored and privileged to have it come to where it is now that I still can't believe it sometimes," she says.

32. John Humphrey, Jep Thornton
Owners, Engine Studios
Engine's definitely become a national stop for recording artists, not just a haven for local bands (though it's housed plenty of them, as well). Having recorded artists such as Iron & Wine, Grandaddy and Fruit Bats, and with upcoming work with Alkaline Trio and Bill Dolan, Engine is just revving up.

33. Matt Rucins
Talent Buyer, Schubas
Rucins says that 2006 was Schubas best year on record, the venue's seventeenth--"I'm pretty happy with that when you consider how many more clubs are doing shows now than when I started booking in late-2000," he says. The room, which features some of the best sound in the city, is always open to a variety of genres, from indie-rock to folk to all kinds, and the upstairs DJ series "continues to gain steam." Also the Monday-night "Practice Space" residency program, which features local bands, shows Schubas' dedication to the Chicago music scene. On top of that, Rucins manages The M's and consults Catfish Haven.

34. Jesse Woghin, James Kenler
Owners, Flameshovel Records
Kenler and Woghin have, in the last two years, made Flameshovel Chicago's most exciting new(er) label, with releases by bands Chin Up Chin Up, Maritime, Russian Circles, Bound Stems, The Narrator (which Woghin is a member of) and Make Believe.

35. Derron Swan
President, House Call Entertainment, Inc.
Swan's operation oversees booking for various venues, including the Beat Kitchen, Subterranean and Logan Square Auditorium. Furthermore, Swan books the Wicker Park Summerfest, and is now booking part of the Belmont Art & Music Festival, which will feature Heartless Bastards and The Wrens.

36. Dan Koretzky, Dan Osborn
Owners, Drag City
The label that originally launched Pavement has since had a boost in recent times, offering new records from Bill Callahan, The Fucking Champs and critical-darling Joanna Newsom. Now past the fifteen-year mark, Drag City has essentially become a Chicago institution for left-of-center rock.

37. Brian Peterson
Owner, MP Productions
MP--which booked the Fireside Bowl and the Bottom Lounge, in their heydays--has expanded to multiple venues over the last few years, including The Note, South Union Arts, Otto's in DeKalb and Logan Square's Ronny's (not to mention Triple Rock Social Club in Minnesota, which MP has booked for years). MP is also set to book shows at the upcoming Reggie's Live and the new Bottom Lounge space--which will be right off Union Park--both of which are set to open this year (no specific dates yet).

38. Nan Warshaw & Rob Miller
Owners, Bloodshot Records
Bloodshot continues to be the Chicago authority on indie-folk, bluegrass and country, currently handling strong releases from Graham Parker, Detroit Cobras, The Silos and Jon Rauhouse. The future holds a new record from Gore Gore Girls and a Waco Brothers live album, and Nan DJs country-night at Delilah's the first Wednesday of every month.

39. BassByThePound
DJ/Promotional Crew
Mention Chicago drum `n' bass and BassBythePound (BBP) quickly comes to mind. The four-man promotional juggernaut holds a virtual monopoly on the genre's exploitation, and with ownership of the Small Bar venues and the newly upgraded Lava, the sky is the limit. In Chicago, power is consistent support and a healthy bar ring. BBP secured both, most notably with "The Seminar," the long-running weekly event many consider the foundation of Chicago's D `n' B community.

40. Brian Dickie
General Director, Chicago Opera Theater
Although Chicago Opera Theater has always been the most innovative opera company in town, Brian Dickie has overseen the development of the company's artistic expansion to the point where audiences have come to expect cutting-edge opera of the highest quality. In his first season here, Dickie brought conductor Jane Glover and director Diane Paulus to town for Monteverdi's "Orfeo," the first of what would become a thrilling Monteverdi cycle for the company and which would also expand into a Mozart-DaPonte cycle, climaxing next season with "The Marriage of Figaro." And who could forget the company's breathtaking production of Philip Glass' "Akhenaten," timed to coincide with an Amarna art exhibit at the Art Institute, and last year's "Nixon in China"? Composer John Adams was so impressed that he is coming in next season to conduct his next opera himself.

41. Phil Kosch & Nate Arling
Talent buyers, Double Door
Wicker Park's live music mainstay--which hosted that super-secret Rolling Stones show some years back--books bands from all over the musical spectrum, from metal to indie-pop, classic rock to blues. Recent shows--such as last summer's Lollapalooza after-party with Sonic Youth--prove that DD can bring even the big bands to its smaller stage.

42. Bryan Jones
Owner, Control Recordings
With a production roster that includes the jack-tastic tricks of Joey Youngman, The Sound Republic, Santiago & Bushido and Sound Navigators, Control Recordings has helped craft a new (bangin') niche on Chicago's underground house scene. Helping create the fresh sub-genre dubbed "new-school house," label owner Bryan Jones has helmed a crusade that has bellied into the clubs on the right and left coasts. And while the classic sounds of Chicago house may always define a part of its history, it's the chunky, funky bass lines that are writing a new chapter in music--and getting dance floors off somewhere in the city every night of the week.

43. Tim & Katie Tuten
Co-owners, Hideout
Along with the Hinschliff twins, the Tutens operate one of the city's best bars with a grassroots mindset, dedicated the bands and artists first and the everything else much later. The result is a quintessential Chicago stop for live music, one that has recently harbored high-profile gigs like Touch & Go's anniversary bash last year, and is set to host the upcoming Metro birthday celebration at the end of summer.

44. James Bau Graves
Executive Director, Old Town School of Folk Music
The brand-new director of the largest independent community arts school, Graves got his start as the co-founder of the Center for Cultural Exchange in Portland, Maine. The artist and ethnomusicologist, along with production director Alisa Baum and concert director Colleen Miller, look to continue in the venue's tradition of booking a wide variety of genres, from folk to country to indie rock to blues.

45. Aaron Weinbaum
Owner, Dae Recordings/Dae Deep
If his curly hair and glasses doesn't grab your attention, his track selection certainly will. Deep, funky and slightly spacey, DJ Aaron (Weinbaum) has kept local ears tuned into the next-best-things in underground house since the early nineties. In 2004, the Philly-bred artist took the notion one step further and launched Dae Recordings, a deep house label showcasing premiere house talent including Miles Maeda, Joey Youngman and DJ Mes, to name a few. Lucky for us, Aaron has since relocated to Chicago, where he recently unveiled his sub label, Dae Deep. Thanks in part to Aaron's promotional persistence, Dae has established a national network of underground house talent, with label employees in New York City, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Let the ethereal funk shine on.

(2007-05-01)

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