Just in time for summer, long-standing Brooklyn label Bastard Jazz Recordings is proud to bring you a little slice of sunshine from New York City's DJ Center.

“Center's Groove”, a natural fit on Bastard Jazz, was taken from DJ Center's critically acclaimed debut album, Everything in Time LP, and  was a standout favorite for the likes of the Huffingtonpost, Okayplayer.com, Bobbito, DJ Vadim and Nickodemus and received heavy rotation on KCRW in Los Angeles. The track itself is a beautiful midtempo piece of bossa-hop, complete soaring horns and easy tropical guitar vibes - perfect for getting those feet moving as the sun goes down over the BBQ grill. On the flip side, Bastard Jazz artist Captain Planet pulls “Center's Groove” towards the dancefloor even more with boomin' drums, samba whistles & cuicas, dirty synth bass, and funky Rhodes work that could have come straight from Bob James himself. 

THE ARTIST:

Music is therapy- rhythms ease the mind and transport one to places and spaces far beyond their immediate surroundings. At the turntables, DJ Center soul-travels, navigating audiences with a crate of musical goods from around the globe, while echoing a New York state of mind.

The Romanian-Born, New York-bred, tastemaker’s environment gave inspiration for an insatiable palate of Hip Hop & Jazz, Hard-Bop & Boom-Bap with a global outlook and immigrant roots. “I came out of New York City DJ culture, cutting my teeth on ‘90s Hip Hop, but my mentor was a Jazz musician. With that foundation, I never separated music (by genre). My influences were and still are wide open,” states Center, reflecting on his musical upbringings.

A Center set is synomonous with the finest of selections whether he is doing Music Supervision for Gucci, recording radio sessions for Giant Step, or keeping NYC parties on their feet until the wee hours. Always aiming to break new music and celebrate forgotten gems, Center’s sound has maintained his signature styling of soulful, feel-good music for audiences worldwide.