Before Gerrard Young became one of dance music's most versatile DJs, the Baltimore-born, New York-based turntablist made beats for Tupac Shakur. Young, then his high-school classmate, convinced the future rap legend to record verses a capella so that he could create the perfect beats to match Shakur's rhythmic flow. Decades later, this level of attention and care remains a signature trait of Young's multifaceted career as GE-OLOGY.

Behind the decks, Young's strategic timing and long, unravelling blends make up his epic marathon sets cherished for their range and unpredictability. A regular at institutions like ADE, Dekmantel and Rainbow Disco Club, he patiently builds tension before suddenly switching up tempos and moods. Unbothered about the pressures of peak hour, he prefers to start slow and play records almost in their entirety—even if it means dropping spiritual jazz to a frenzied Panorama Bar crowd. Just like his records—which he sometimes plays backwards—he knows turntables like the back of his hand. His masterful command of equipment, from the isolator to pitch control, allows him to create moments of high drama on the dance floor.

Entirely self-taught, Young operates within a vast sound palette and often finds unseen threads between psychedelic rock, dub and boogie, jumping from J Dilla to Stevie Wonder with a scholarly ease. While playing harder or faster, his selections never lose soul—a futuristic electro track, for example, might be suffused with a warm bassline or jubilant vocals from another turntable.

A lifetime of playing brass instruments (such as the trumpet, trombone and cornet) and chopping up samples for rap beats sharply trained Young's ear, enabling him to spot similarities across genres. "When I'm listening to records and blending them, I'm also hearing it from the ears of a musician— not just a DJ," he revealed during our interview at New York club public records, where he's a resident. "I can connect the rhythm section or the chord structure from a certain record to another one even if they're different. I look for the continuity between different songs."

This holistic, all-embracing approach also applies to Young's other creative pursuits. An in-demand visual artist and producer, he's designed album artwork for Mos Def (who he has a single with), made animations for Comedy Central and created paintings for an H&M campaign alongside the Barnstormers crew. He's produced for De La Soul, Black Star, Jem (a record that went Platinum) and Jill Scott, as well as releasing original productions on Theo Parrish's Sound Signature label.

It's really no wonder, then, that Young is known as "The Renaissance Man." His endless curiosity, dedication and experimentalism has allowed him to master the art of rebirth—from restoring analogue gear by hand to his evolving musical practice and signature life-affirming transitions. Over a glass of Hibiki whiskey at 11 AM, Young reflected on his colourful artistic journey with an excitement that betrayed his many years in the game.

Gerrard Young, aka GE-OLOGY, is one of electronic music's most resourceful DJs.

How has your background in hip-hop production influenced your dance music sets?

Producing hip-hop, especially at that time, we were using the art of sampling. We'd create our own melodies, chords and basslines, capture different parts of drums, chop them up and formulate our own sound. I was trying to find the most unique records so that my drums didn't sound like everybody else's. Today, everything comes prepackaged in sample packs. I hate that; I like to find my own stuff. At that time, I was looking for diverse and obscure records as production tools, not necessarily for DJ purposes. But there was a certain point where I said "let me go back into my collection of sounds and see if there's anything that I would actually play in a set." And when I started doing that, it was like a goldmine. When I first started buying those types of records, I had a different agenda at the time. But the moment I started asking "can this move a dance floor, can I tell a story with this?," everything changed from there.

Hip-hop was a big part of my life but it was just one of the things I was focused on. My first two vinyl releases were actually underground club and house music singles in 1993. My first vinyl hip-hop releases under the name GE-OLOGY didn't drop until 1998. My beat tapes and CDs started circulating, and various people would approach me about recording, so hip-hop took over most of my studio time. But I always felt connected to underground dance music, from the disco era, to early house and techno, and far beyond.

You went to high school with Tupac and made beats for him. What was that creative process like?

There were four of us in a rap group called Born Busy. Three of us attended the Baltimore School for the Arts at the time. I was the DJ and producer under the name DJ Plain Terror. Tupac's MC name back then was MC New York. Tupac and Darrin (who went by Ace Rocka) would write the lyrics before the beat was made. I told them, "if y'all want me to make a beat for this, let's record the song a capella first." That way, I could learn the lyrics and construct the music around what they were saying. By getting to understand what they were talking about, their timing, when the chorus and the hook came in, it helped me build a beat that fitted their lyrics. It's funny because that process was completely opposite from every experience I've had as a professional producer, but in some strange way back then, I guess it made sense at the time.

You're part of a very select group of club artists who come from a hip-hop background, alongside people like DJ Spinna and Kenny Dope. What's the connecting tissue between all of you?

The ability to have an open mind, and to be able to see the broad spectrum of music. To see how different sounds connect together and being able to interpret that, then formulating our own expression out of it, in whichever direction we choose to go. We don't feel limited. We're all around the same age, we've seen hip-hop develop, we saw the disco era, house music and Detroit techno come about. And as music lovers, we were sponges, just soaking it all in.

These diverse influences are reflected in your DJing. One of your distinctive skills is cross-genre mixing. The first time I saw you in action was actually in this room—you went from gospel to acid. How do you mix in completely different genres?

I'll sometimes do long blends and sometimes I'll cut a record out abruptly but at the right moment. It all depends on the song or what part of the song I want to highlight. With some records, I'll only play a certain part of the song. I have this one record that I always mix in really late in the song, but there's enough left to play that it builds up into something crazy. People always think it's some special edit, because they may not often hear that part of the record, but it's just the original 12-inch that I'm bringing in from a different point.

It's all mathematics, rhythms, frequencies and timing. You have to have awareness of when to come in, where to change and where to connect records together. This comes partly from my instinctive sense of rhythm and partly from being a childhood musician, learning to play instruments at a young age in school. I started with the cornet and trumpet, played trombone when my trumpet got stolen at school, but eventually went back to trumpet after my parents bought me my own. So when I'm listening to records and blending them, I'm also hearing it from the ears of a musician–not just a DJ. I can connect the rhythm section or the chord structure from a certain record to another one even if they're different. I look for the continuity between different songs, it helps me build a journey that taps into the depths of the crowd's emotional and spiritual experience on the dance floor.

Me and [Chicago artist] Rahaan were playing a party together in France recently and he noticed I played an old-school funk disco record with lyrics about a woman working in nightlife before mixing in another record that was also speaking about that same topic, but in a different genre. The second one was more rock-oriented, but both worked well together. I brought in that second record during the chorus, and rode out the full chorus before I moved fully into the second song. It all happened so naturally, I didn't consciously think about the lyrical connection until Rahaan mentioned it. At the time, I was more focused on connecting the records vibration-wise, frequency-wise, rhythmically-wise. And even though those records are classified as two different genres, there are multiple ways that those songs connect together.

"I was self-taught when I first started DJing and producing music, so no one was there telling me 'you can't do this and that' back then."

You're very capable at bold, fast transitions, especially with 7-inches. But for the most part, you seem to really take your time blending. I always feel like I get to know the songs you play very well.

I can get in and out fast if I need to, but I choose not to do that much because I like the records to breathe. It really bothers me when I hear DJs cut out of a track right before the break, or before the most important part of the song. As a general standard, I never like to tell another DJ what to do but there are a few exceptions. I remember hearing a guy my age abruptly cut off and quickly mix out of a classic record way too soon, right before that pinnacle point, which is arguably the best part. I had to tell him, "yo, you can't cut the record out like that right there, especially not that record." I've heard younger DJs do this as well, especially those who aren't deeply familiar with the music they're playing.

Whatever the case, it's tragic to witness so many important aspects of the culture disappear. As much as I value the importance of creative freedom, there are still some unwritten rules to consider. Being an artist myself, I always try to be respectful of how I play and present other people's music. But the world today is oversaturated with too many people who aren't serious about the craft and who seem to want the focus directed towards them instead of towards the music. I never want the focus to be on me. I just want people to get lost in the music.

You're clearly an advocate of letting records play out, something David Mancuso always emphasised at his Loft parties. But our society is plagued by short attention spans. How do you keep crowds engaged?

It's a challenge, but if you keep things interesting and the quality consistent, then people are more likely to stay engaged in the experience with you. I always want to engage the crowd, but I also need to engage myself as well. I'm constantly in search of that honest synergy and connection between the dance floor and myself. But it's also important to challenge the crowd, to keep them guessing and wondering what you’re going to play next. Of course, I'll give them some tracks that bang hard but I'll also give them something they may not be ready for. Throughout that musical conversation, you're building trust with the dance floor. Getting the crowd to learn to be patient remains a process that requires both patience and confidence from the DJ as well. It's not always an easy task, nor will everyone understand what you're building towards, and that's ok.

I remember the first time I played at Panorama Bar, I started off my set with a Pharoah Sanders record that Sunday afternoon, surrounded by a crowded room of half-naked people on the dance floor and folks tucked away having sex in some corner compartment. It was crazy! No one was expecting to hear a jazz record in such a techno-driven space, but it worked. People were losing it! It was dark inside and some of those folks had already been partying there the entire weekend without leaving. Then suddenly at one point, they opened and closed the blackout blinds a few times consecutively, flashing daylight on and off over the dance floor quickly, and the crowd went nuts! It was magical.

I don't plan my sets. It's all spontaneous every time. I'll always take risks, it's just my personality. I was self-taught when I first started DJing and producing music, so no one was there telling me "you can't do this and that" back then.

You seem to know your records really well. When you buy new wax, do you take the time to study the music before playing it out?

I think it's better if we do, but on some rare occasions, I may play something that I just received at the party. But it's especially important to learn and know those records with live musicianship that are unquantised. Those types of records aren't going to stay at one set BPM, their tempos are shifting constantly. You need to sense and respond to that shifting, especially when it comes to mixing in and out of other records. I'm very detailed, so thankfully I can hear really minute changes in tempo. I really don't know why I can do this, but it probably dates back to when I first started DJing, as an 11-year-old.

Are there any techniques you like to deploy to lift the energy in a room?

Depending on the moment or the song, playing with the isolator can really ignite the people. It can emphasise certain parts of the record, focus on certain frequencies, lower the volume on certain elements and add to the performance of the music in a way that can transport the song and the crowd to a different place

High BPMs were all the rage in the years immediately following the pandemic, but now, I notice more mid-tempo sets in the 110 to 130 BPM range. How do you think about tempo when building a club or festival set?

I organise my records a lot of the time using tempo, so my bag will generally start low to high—just so I can have a better sense of where to find things. I like sets that build up, eventually bend and stretch out and go somewhere else. If I'm playing the entire night, I may start off just playing jazz records, full songs in its entirety until it fades out, as I fade in the next one. It's more of a selector style of playing, at least up to a certain point, until I'm ready to start mixing and blending records together.

Being detail-oriented, I care a lot about how the entire night progresses. I'd rather start from point zero and build up the excitement, keeping the tempos and energy shifting, rather than keeping the tempo and mood all the same throughout the entire night. To me, that would be boring. That's why the opening set, to me, is one of the most important ones because it sets the tone for the entire night.

Does that mean you would never start out on the higher end of the spectrum?

No, probably not. But I have this one Brazilian record that I play early on. It starts out jazzy, slow and mellow, and then at some point, it just double times and speeds up before slowing back down again. Those kinds of unexpected accelerations can be fun early on, but for the most part, building a set is like sex. It's better to build up the excitement with foreplay before getting all crazy.

How do you organise your vinyl? Do you write BPMs on the sleeves?

I don't write on the actual records or sleeves like the old-school way. I use 3M flag labels that are removable, and won’t damage or degrade the value of the record.

Growing up, Young taught himself to repair analogue gear, leading him to experiment with the turntable techniques that define his sets today.

How many records do you normally travel with? You were just in Europe and Japan for over two months.

Usually three bags, depending on the length of the tour. I usually carry my Rich Medina 7-inch bag, and two other bags that hold the remaining 12-inches and LPs. But between buying records and being gifted records while touring, it becomes tricky shifting the weight around and repacking everything to fit for travel.

What's your ideal setup? I know you're a fan of rotary mixers.

I want a stabilised, isolated environment with equipment set up at the right height. No vibration, no feedback, and preferably not on stage. Turntables should be close to the mixer, not on the outside. And I don't want just any rotary mixer or isolator, it has to be one of the specified ones on my rider.

Of course, I can play on fader mixers too but rotaries are my favorite and were the first commercially available DJ mixers anyway. I'm more of a blend guy. When I first started teaching myself to DJ, I spent a lot of time perfecting my blends. Of course, I learned to cut and scratch too back then, but blending records has always been my thing.

How many turntables do you like to have?

Two turntables are all I really need but when I'm playing here in the Sound Room at public records, I'm quite spoiled. I have four turntables to work with, which is fun! Sometimes, I'll have an a capella rolling on one turntable and some type of sound effect on another turntable, while I'm playing and blending records on the main two turntables, all at the same time.

You're very rooted in the New York style of DJing, playing wide and deep. Is that a style you adopted when you moved to the city?

I moved to New York in the '80s so the early experiences I had here definitely had an effect on me. But even prior to me moving here, I was already exposed to different styles of DJing. I was one of those kids always recording radio mix shows on cassette tapes. So anytime my family and I travelled, I brought blank tapes with me to record the mix shows of various DJs in the cities we visited. At a certain point, I started exchanging the cassette recordings I had with friends from different cities, so I accumulated a nice stash. That's why my DJing style definitely has the New York City influence, but also Chicago, Baltimore, Philly and Detroit as well. When I first moved to New York, I noticed that they weren't widely playing a lot of the stuff that I had been listening to for years in Baltimore. A lot of those early Chicago house and Detroit techno records that I bought in Baltimore when they first came out, weren't getting a lot of love or attention in the city yet.

I also grew up in a musical household, I was always surrounded by music. My dad was especially known for his extensive vinyl and eight-track tape collection, but pretty much everyone in the household had records. I got my first record at the age of five. Little did I know then that this would expand into a lifetime of collecting vinyl. My grandmother would take me to record stores every week and buy records for me. My dad, my uncle and even my neighbours all gave me records. From early on, everyone saw that I had a passion for music.

I read that you used to fix broken turntables as a kid.

In the beginning, I really didn't have much to work with equipment-wise but whatever I got my hands on, I would find a way to use it to the fullest. We didn't have all the bells and whistles that everyone has easy access to today. We had to learn how to problem solve in order to get the most out of it. My first turntables didn't have pitch control, so I had to learn to speed up and slow down the tempo with my fingers as smoothly as possible. A major part of my growth came from learning to overcome and defy obstacles. People were throwing broken stuff away that I would salvage and find ways to restore it. Over time, I started accumulating pieces that I had brought back to life and I always found ways to use them all. For me, it's always been about how far I can push the equipment.

Back when I had the Casio SK1 and SK5 keyboards, I had to figure out ways to work around its internal storage space limitations. The sample time on those keyboards was so short, I had to speed up the records triple-time to capture the sample, then pitch it all down. I was trying all kinds of crazy shit.

Pause button tapes were also popular back then. I developed my own way to do pause-tapes, and would do these crazy blends, edits, playing records backwards and all kinds of experimental stuff. I was pushing the envelope, and just having fun. Looking back at it all now, I can clearly see how a lot of my technical abilities first started to develop from those days.

"Being detail-oriented, I care a lot about how the entire night progresses. I'd rather start from point zero and build up the excitement, keeping the tempos and energy shifting."

You're going to be demonstrating one of Ron Hardy's signature moves for us, which involves playing a record backwards with the needle facing upwards. How do you pick what records to play in this manner?

I just play what I think will sound good. There are various ways to do it, using a spool is just one of them. I have a secret little weapon of my own, and my own special way that I do it but it's not something that I do all the time. Ronnie was known for playing the music backwards, but it's been debatable if he actually played the records backwards using the turntable, or if he mixed them backwards using the reel-to-reel, or both. I never had the experience of hearing him play live, but I've listened to many recordings. So anytime that I've played the records backwards live at a party, it's always been in honour of Ron Hardy. His creativity and fearlessness as a DJ continues to resonate with me, and he remains one of my all-time favourites.

What advice would you give to younger DJs wanting to build on their craft?

Study the history and thoroughly educate yourself about the art form and the culture, it runs deep. Learn about sound, and the original fathers of sound design in club and music spaces. Also, learn as much music as you possibly can, and keep on learning, never stop! Always stay open-minded, and don't get caught up in genres and categorisations. Continue to stay creative, take risks, and don't ever be afraid to be yourself. Build your confidence, and learn to tell your story musically through your own unique life experiences. And never run before you crawl. Don't be afraid to fall or fail. Every experience is a teachable moment, so always get back up and keep trying. If this is truly your passion, the universe will guide you.

"Continue to stay creative, take risks, and don't ever be afraid to be yourself. Build your confidence and learn to tell your story musically through your own unique life experiences."