“The most common reaction is, ‘Finally!’” says Henrichsen of the response to Masterbeat. “People have been waiting for something like this for a long time.”

The wait is over, and Henrichsen is spreading the word in a big way. He’s already hatching plans for a series of international events and circuit parties that will promote the site to its biggest fans: the clubbers. Jumbo projections will even announce the song and artist playing, so you actually know who the hell you’re dancing to, and partiers will receive promotional flyers for comp downloads.

“Bringing music to people has always been my passion,” says Henrichsen.

And for Masterbeat, a grateful club crowd spanks him very, very much. 

Brett Henrichsen on…

… the potential of Masterbeat to restore dance music’s commercial viability.

“It’s not that it [dance music] isn’t popular, it just hasn’t been brought above ground. It’s still a very underground genre. But it’s becoming more and more popular in hip hop remixes. We’re finding that all the mainstream crowds want those dance mixes. iTunes doesn’t focus prominently on them… there’s Beatport, but they specialize in the industry. I think Masterbeat has huge potential to bring underground dance music above ground but it keep it cool at the same time.”

 

… the song that inspired him to start Masterbeat

“I remember the Kim English song ‘Every Day.’ The DJ who finished one mix of it got it leaked to a couple of friends. Believe it or not, 14 DJs wound up getting that mix emailed to them. I played it one night in Miami, and it came that Billboard started reporting it the very next week. All of a sudden, they had a #1 hit song on their hands and they didn’t even have it mastered yet! So of course, everybody started [illegally] downloading it. With Masterbeat, we want labels to get into the mentality that when you’re promoting a song you need to have a place for it to be available for sale that very day. The day of playing something and building anticipation is gone.”

 

… the WORST trend in dance music.

“Clubs closing!  We’re losing all our great dance clubs across the country.  Condos are being built next to our beloved clubs and down they go.  Over the years we’ve lost Universe [San Francisco], Probe [LA], Salvation/Twilo [Miami] and most recently Avalon [Boston] and Roxy [New York].  It’s sad – we need to get our clubs back.  Dance music and the club scene is thriving everywhere but in the U.S.”

… the way to this hottie’s heart.

“Have a great smile, personality, a love for music, and have a bit of an edge!”

.. the best part of the DJ life.

“Bringing music to people.  That has always been my passion and is why I started Masterbeat in the first place 10 years ago.  I started it because I couldn’t find the music I was looking for.  DJing became the next extension of that.  And now with our website, we have the ultimate tool to get an amazing amount of the music people are looking for to them the moment it is released.  And the best part of all of it is that it doesn’t seem like work – it’s fun.”

 

Buy it Now:

DJ Brett Henrichsen shares his shopping list of 5 songs you must have, this very moment.

(1) Leona Lewis “Bleeding Love” – While you’re busy pining for Henrichsen’s hot bod, set the mood with this club anthem. “I can’t stop listening to this song,” says the object of your aural desire.

(2) Janet Jackson “Feedback” – A diva returns… or does she? “Janet’s back,” assures Henrichsen. “Find the Rosabel Hyper mix.”

(3) Tony Moran  “The Event 2008” – Moran reinvented his last compilation with a special 2008 version. Made exclusively for Masterbeat.

(4) Twisted Dee “Drop that Beat” – “Are you ready to dance?” asks the song’s shout-along rejoinder. Brett says: Hell, yeah. “It’s tearing up the dancefloor,” he adds.

(5) Erin Hamilton “The Flame 2008” – “I can’t leave this one out!” says Henrichsen.