Moodymann
Kenny Dixon Jr. runs KDJ and Mahogani Music from Detroit, refuses the major labels and builds house records out of soul and disco.
- Detroit producer and DJ Kenny Dixon Jr., born in Los Angeles and raised in Detroit.
- Runs his own labels, KDJ Records (since 1994) and Mahogani Music.
- Debut album Silentintroduction on Planet E in 1997; DJ-Kicks mix in 2016.
Moodymann makes house music the Detroit way: on his own labels, on his own terms and with soul and disco records close at hand. Kenny Dixon Jr. has been releasing records since 1994 and still refuses to work with the major labels.
Detroit, by choice
Dixon was born in Los Angeles. His mother took him back to Detroit when he was about three weeks old, and the city has been his base ever since. In 1994 he launched KDJ Records with the EP Moody Trax. His second label, Mahogani Music, releases other artists as well as his own work. He refuses to work with the majors and has said he wants his label to help his neighbourhood.
The early records
The first releases set the template. “The Day We Lost the Soul” (1995) was a tribute to Marvin Gaye. “I Can’t Kick This Feelin When It Hits” (1997) is built on Chic’s “I Want Your Love”. His debut album, Silentintroduction, came out in 1997 on Planet E Communications, the label of fellow Detroit producer Carl Craig.
A run of albums followed: Mahogany Brown (1998), Forevernevermore (2000), Silence in the Secret Garden (2003) and Black Mahogani (2004), whose title track later featured in the 2018 documentary Soul Skate. A Moodymann Collection came out in 2006. Critic Philip Sherburne summed up the constant in his music: beats that remain “rooted in disco’s bump and swirl”.
Later albums and the DJ-Kicks mix
A self-titled album arrived in 2014, followed by Sinner (2019) and Taken Away (2020). In between, on 19 February 2016, Studio !K7 released DJ-Kicks: Moodymann, a 30-track mix that runs from Yaw and Cody ChesNutt to his own edits of Jai Paul, Daniel Bortz and Les Sins, and also takes in Flying Lotus, Little Dragon and Kings of Tomorrow. It reached No. 9 on the UK dance albums chart and No. 8 on Billboard’s dance albums chart, and Rolling Stone ranked it No. 2 among the electronic albums of 2016.
Remixes, productions and side roles
Dixon is a member of the Detroit group 3 Chairs. He has remixed José James, Junior Boys and Dua Lipa, and produced records for Norma Jean Bell, Andrés and Rick Wilhite. In 2020 and 2021 he appeared as a fictionalised version of himself in GTA Online and made a mix for the game.
In the mix
His records keep their soul and disco sources close to the surface, which makes them natural late-night picks. They sit well next to the Detroit deep house of Patrice Scott, who also chose to release his music on his own label, and Alton Miller.
FAQ
What is Moodymann’s real name?
Kenny Dixon Jr. He was born in Los Angeles, taken back to Detroit as a baby and is still based there.
Which labels does Moodymann run?
KDJ Records, launched in 1994 with the Moody Trax EP, and Mahogani Music, which also releases other artists.
What was Moodymann’s first album?
Silentintroduction, released in 1997 on Planet E Communications.
Did Moodymann mix a DJ-Kicks?
Yes. DJ-Kicks: Moodymann came out on Studio !K7 in February 2016 and reached No. 9 on the UK dance albums chart.
