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Junior Vasquez
Biography
One of the most celebrated DJs and remixers of his time, house music innovator Junior Vasquez was also the co-founder of the legendary Sound Factory dance club. Born Donald Mattern in Philadephia, Pennsylvania circa 1946, he first entered a career in fashion illustration and design, but later decided upon life as a DJ; while working as a clerk at a New York record store, he made the acquaintance of notables like producer Shep Pettibone, and slowly began to build a reputation on the strength of his appearances at small clubs and house parties. As the 1980s progressed, Vasquez became one of the hottest figures on the club circuit, honing a trademark fusion of bass-heavy house beats with a seemingly endless supply of obscure samples, innovative remix techniques and quirky signatures (such as his penchant for spinning records backwards, or at the incorrect speed); he swiftly rose through the DJing ranks, and by 1989 enjoyed such notoriety that he co-founded the Sound Factory in Manhattan's Chelsea district.

During the six years of its existence, the Sound Factory was among New York's hottest night spots; catering to an ethnically diverse, primarily gay crowd, the club launched Vasquez to superstardom, and he became a tastemaker of such renown that new dance records were frequently debuted and monitored during his marathon Saturday night sessions.