About
Spesh is discotheque DJ
Spesh is an accomplished club DJ with more than 30 years behind the decks, and is co-owner and head of A&R for Loöq Records. He has also co-produced over 80 releases with JD Moyer as Jondi & Spesh, and with Jerry Bonham and Jondi as JSJ, with releases appearing on over a dozen groundbreaking labels including Bedrock, Global Underground, Renaissance, and Loöq. Spesh is also the co-founder and resident DJ of Qoöl, which in its 15 year run became one of San Francisco's most storied underground electronic music events.
Spesh, né Stephen Kay, began his career in dance music as a DJ in the late 1980's. This was a time before dance music had congealed into distinct genres; when a five-hour set for a DJ was the norm, not the exception. With an ear for choosing compelling music and an unparalleled ability to weave those tracks into euphoric journeys of sound, Spesh quickly rose in the San Francisco scene, eventually landing himself a high-profile residency at the legendary party, Release.
Shortly after the 1999 release of Jondi & Spesh's hugely popular progressive house anthem "We Are Connected", Spesh developed into an international talent, performing his deep yet enthralling DJ sets across Europe and North America. Back in his hometown of San Francisco, Spesh quietly simmered away playing in virtually every venue the city has to offer, receiving the highest accolades from his peers and from local and international press including Mixmag, DJ Mag, San Francisco Magazine, SF Weekly, and more.
Spesh can be counted on to bring something new and unexpected to every gig. His refusal to take the obvious route makes his many fans more passionate than usual. They expect more than fantastic dance music flawlessly mixed; they expect to be transported to another plane. Over 30 years of spinning music has given Spesh time to develop his talents to a nearly unconscious level. As Spesh himself says, "I'm doing my job when everybody in the room, including myself, has completely lost track of time."
These days Spesh limits his DJ bookings to less that half a dozen per year to allow more time for family and other passions projects. Each set is special and for him a shared experience of joy and gratitude.