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Faust & Shortee
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Faust & Shortee
Faust and Shortee's career has been a series of firsts. Each of their debut albums set musical benchmarks - Faust's "Man or Myth" was the first solo turntablist album, and Shortee's "The Dreamer" was the first solo album by a female DJ/producer. Joining forces with the world-famous DJ Craze, they concocted the 'Fathomless EP', releasing the first ever all-turntable/scratching drum & bass tracks. Even before they broke new ground with their releases, both were blazing trails in clubs spinning hard house, techno & hip-hop shows bringing their uncanny chemistry and raw musical talent to dance floors all over the world. In 1997 Shorteebecame the first & only female 'Fever/Buzz Battle Of The DJs' champion, winning the US's largest Techno, House, Drum & Bass DJ/mixing competition once held at Nation (Buzz) in Washington, DC.
These days, Faust and Shortee continue to break new ground in Hardhouse, Techno, Hip Hop & Drum & bass realms, leaving throngs of satisfied crowds in their wake and expanding the perceptions of DJ music in the process. Both were featured in the critically acclaimed documentary 'Scratch' as notable innovators alongside Jazzy Jay, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Z-Trip, GrandWizzard Theodore, Q-Bert, Mixmaster Mike, the Beat Junkies and more. In 2001, they became the first married turntablist tandem, making their two-into-one approach not just a musical philosophy, but also a true way of life. When they combine their efforts, they bring out the best in each other. Witness their latest albums, Digital Soul and Satisfaction Guaranteed, both produced by the pair working together. Hard, funky drums, soulful basslines,and meticulously composed instrumentation abound, helping these albums bridge the gap between mood music and pure dancefloor pyrotechnics. Their tracks havebeen used in breakdance videos such as Redbull's "Lords of the Floor 2001" & have aired worldwide on networks such as NBC, CNN & ESPN with features like the X-Games, Tony Hawk's Skate Park Tour, Hip-Hop Nation, Headline News & the esteemed World Cup 2002.
Faust & Shortee have still managed to drop numerous mix CDs including the "Dream Theory" series (Hard House & Techno) & the "Hip Hip Mega Mix" series, eachwith 2 installments. Their newest mix CD entitled "Methods of Motion" brings the energy to keep the main floor jumpin prime time with hard stompin' house, progressive house-rockers, and intense percussive techno fused with smooth scratches though effects all on 4-turntables.
In between headlining their own shows, the duo has been billed with such luminaries as KRS-One, Method Man, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scott Henry, Dj Irene, X-ecutioners, Dieselboy, Crystal Method, Frankie Bones, Dilated Peoples, Prince Paul, Tino Corp., Cut Chemist, Skratch Piklz, Sasha, BT, Paul Oakenfold, andcountless others. Expanding their musical horizons, the duo have joined forces with jungle phenom Danny the Wildchild to create a whole new monster of rhythm: three world-class DJs; six turntables; the best in hip-hop, breaks, and drum n' bass; plenty of scratching; and a show that has left dance-happy b-kids nationwide begging for more.
Back in the studio, Faust and Shortee created neck-snapping remixes for the critically acclaimed breakbeat gurus Tino Corp. (Jack Dangers & Ben Stokes of MeatBeat Manifesto) and have been doing work with poet Christopher Longoria & MC Supastition. Faust, ranked number 5 out the top 13 turntablists in the world by Spin magazine, has cranked out remixes for unavailable hip-hop instrumentals & up-and-coming artists like Supastition. Shortee, herself recognized as one of Urb's Next 100 Artists in 2001, recently released a much-needed DJ instructional video/DVD, "Shortee's DJ 101" in which she walks fledgling DJs through all the basics, fromsetting up the equipment to mixing and scratching skills to what to expect as a travelling DJ. Faust & Shortee are also sponsored by respected entities such as Rane, Stanton, Shure, Tribal Gear, Triple 5 Soul, 594 Apparel, Femme Arsenel (Ecko) and more. Still, this dynamic duo isn't about to rest on its laurels. With impending collaborations with their extended family, the highly touted Future Primitive Sound collective based in San Francisco, and plenty more tricks up the sleeve to please fans of hip-hop, hard house, techno, drum n' bass, and breakbeats alike, Faust and Shortee look to keep innovating, keep elevating, and, most of all, keep the people dancing.
