DJ M

DJ M

DJ M is the alias of Manuel Andres Troncoso, a San Francisco-based DJ and event organiser with roots in the New York and Bay Area underground dance music scenes. He teaches himself to mix vinyl in 1998 on his college radio show at WOBC 91.5 FM in Ohio. Over the next two years, his tastes move towards drum and bass, which becomes his main genre.

Early career and collectives

After returning to New York, he joins the Beatpusher Collective in New York City and begins playing bars and clubs around Manhattan. In 2000 he relocates to San Francisco and forms Freebeats Collective, later known as Subductive/Freebeats Corp, with three close friends. The collective supports its members in DJing, production and promotion, grows to six members and launches a website featuring interviews, record reviews, online audio and other original dance music content.

Venues, nights and production work

In January 2002, DJ M co-founds The Tenderloft, an underground warehouse venue in San Francisco with room for about 300 people. The venue hosts two to four events a month in its first two years, including all-night parties, gallery openings and film screenings. He takes on bookings and operations, coordinating promoters, DJs, VJs, security, lighting designers, decorators and other staff, and oversees many events from start to finish.

In 2003 he launches Faultline Productions, named after the Saturday bi-monthly underground warehouse series at The Tenderloft that he co-produces from November 2002 to December 2003 with Agent Sunshine and later DJ Fife. Through Faultline, he produces one-off events at San Francisco venues including Ruby Skye, DNA Lounge, Studio Z and Blue Cube. These events feature drum and bass artists such as LTJ Bukem, Photek, Blame, Paradox, Equinox, Chris Inperspective, Pieter K, Orion, Clever, Juju and EHL, and combine music with visual art, lighting design and live video performance.

He also runs SOMA Sessions, a monthly drum and bass club night at AsiaSF for nine months in 2004 with Sound:boy, booking artists including Marcus Intalex, Bailey, Nookie, DJ Flight, Rohan, Chris Inperspective, Clever, ASC, Skynet and Psidream alongside Bay Area DJs.

Residencies and radio

DJ M supports the Bay Area scene from 2000 through a series of residencies: Incognita at Sitio on Thursdays, Signal at An Sibin on Fridays, Still Doin’ It at Anu on Saturdays, Freebeats at Cellar on Sundays and Halflife at An Sibin on Mondays. He also plays regularly at local nights including Eklektic, Phuturo, Compression, Bottom Heavy, Analog, Hemisphere, Signal, Halflife, Crush, Incognita, Killasubz and Clandestine, as well as at warehouse parties, outdoor renegades and radio shows. His performances take him to London, New York City, Seattle and San Diego.

He co-hosts Future Breaks FM on KUSF 90.3FM every Saturday with dj PUSH. The programme features guest DJs live in the mix each week, and he also holds a residency at Still Doin’ It on the first Saturday of every month at Anu Bar in San Francisco.

Style

DJ M’s sets draw on a broad range of drum and bass, including drumfunk, techstep, dubwise and atmospheric production. His entry into the scene starts on college radio and develops into a long-standing role as a DJ, promoter and organiser in San Francisco.