Quentin Harris

Quentin Harris

Quentin Harris is a Detroit-born DJ, producer and remixer associated with house, deep house, soulful house, vocal house and deephouse. Born in 1970, he grows up in Detroit and draws early inspiration from the city’s musical environment, including Motown, Prince, P-Funk and early techno. He later moves from Detroit to New York City.

Early musical background

Harris comes from a musical family: his mother is a vocalist and his father plays trumpet. His grandmother introduces him to the piano at the age of five. He takes formal piano and trumpet lessons at 12, visits a local recording studio at 13, and soon begins session work with an uncle. By 14 he is performing live with his aunts’ blues band.

Session work, hip hop and New York

In the early 1990s, Harris works in the studio as a session musician with Aretha Franklin. Around the same time, he becomes involved in hip hop culture and contributes regularly as a trumpeter to Maurice Malone’s open mic sessions at The Hip Hop Shop on 7 Mile from 1993 to 1994. There he performs alongside emerging Detroit artists including Eminem, Slum Village, Royce 59 and Proof. He also produces for the New York hip hop group The Masterminds and tours with them.

House music and club culture

House music develops in parallel with his hip hop work. He builds his record collection at Record Time under DJ and store manager Mike Huckaby, and Ken Collier’s sets at Heaven help deepen his interest in dance music. Trips to New York bring him into contact with clubs and venues including Sound Factory, Sound Factory Bar, Be Yourself, Body & Soul and the original Shelter. He moves to New York City full time around 1998 and works at Satellite Records in 2001, where he meets Ben Johnson, later his partner in Unrestricted Access.

Remixing and production

Harris’s career as a major-label remixer begins with a remix of Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever.” He becomes known as a remixer of R&B hits, working alongside Darryl James. His remix of Mariah Carey’s “Don’t Forget About Us” reaches number one on the Billboard Dance Chart, and his remix of Floetry’s “Superstar” reaches number ten. He also creates house versions of tracks such as India.Arie’s “Ready for Love” and Donnie’s “Cloud 9.”

As a producer and DJ, he works across styles without confining himself to one format. His releases and remixes include vocal house, techy vocal tracks, straight tech house and afro-house-tinged electronic and tribal cuts. Named tracks and projects associated with him include Solu Music’s “It Ain’t Love,” Bryon Stingily’s “Hate Won’t Change Me,” Jill Scott’s “Not Like Crazy,” Quentin Harris’ “Let’s Be Young,” and Femi Kuti’s “Traitors of Africa.”

Recognition and influence

Harris’s records are played by a wide range of DJs, including Danny Tenaglia, David Morales, Hex Hector, Carl Craig, Frankie Knuckles, Pete Tong, Roger Sanchez, Deep Dish, Derrick Carter, Affliction DJ, Francois K, Joe Claussell and Danny Krivit. His work is closely associated with Club Shelter in New York, where each of his records begins life.