PRGRM is a trio of Detroit DJs whose main goal is to expose people to new music and show them a great time at their monthly parties. Categorizing their act as “not EDM,” Will Munaco, Matt Abdo, Bradley Burczl spent 2013 honing their skills and building their residency at the Grasshopper in Ferndale.
What is PRGRM and how did it start?
Matt: It started when Brad and I were in graduate school. We were disillusioned by what was happening in bars and we figured if we don’t like the scene then let’s make our own. We got jobs here and there and slowly scraped together money to buy equipment. With Will, he came up to us at the club and said, “I want to learn how to DJ.” The difference between him and everyone else who asked was that he actually called me up on Monday and said: “Teach me how to DJ.” He’d come over and we taught him under real-life conditions. Now, we’re going into our fifth year of parties.
PRGRM was just a word that we took the vowels out because that was what everyone was doing at the time. People who come to our shows feel like they’re a part of PRGRM. We’ve always tried to not have the focus on the DJ booth but rather out on the crowd. I think people are more apt to come out if they feel like they’re a part of something. It’s not about inflating our own egos. It’s about making sure everyone has a good time.
How would you explain a PRGRM party at the Grasshopper to someone who has never heard of you?
Will: You’re going to come out and you’re going to have fun. You’re going to meet some great, new people who are open-minded and very loving. It’s intimate because it’s not a big room and it’s underground.
Brad: We are the antithesis of BlackFinn and Fifth Avenue [in Royal Oak]. You’re not going to find a lot of Affliction T-shirts or hear Miley Cyrus. As far as the music goes, there’s a good natural progression in the rhythms. At an EDM show, the music makes you real excited for 30 seconds and drops then the DJ builds the crowd back up for 45 seconds and drops again. It’s very predictable. Our shows have a very organic feeling.
Matt: People ask me if they’ll hear songs that they know and I say the goal is that you hear no songs that you know. We want to show you something new in a setting with unconventional, free thinking people.
Different DJs have different ways to prepare for shows. What do you guys do?
Will: DJ practice. We get together, drink some wine and play. We’ll each put together a catalog of 100-150 tracks, mix it in key and practice beat matching and training our ears.
Matt: At shows, most DJs play off of a list. We on the other hand, have a system where what we’re doing depends on what the crowd is doing, what the person before us played and how we want to feel. I usually have an idea of what the first song I’m going to play is but other than that, I have no idea where the night is going to go.
Why did you choose to establish a residency at the Grasshopper?
Matt: The Grasshopper has really supported us and encouraged us to cultivate what we’re doing. To some extent, our growth has paralleled theirs. They’ve exploded over the past year and really captured a niche market of people who don’t want to go to the big clubs or festivals. We started going there when it was this hole-in-the-wall place and now they’re in the national conversation for clubs that offer house music. It’s pretty awesome to be able to be associated with them and we hope the relationship continues for a long time.
A lot of DJs with residencies play at their respective clubs at least once a week. What made you decide to play only once a month at the Grasshopper?
Matt: DJs lose their objectivity. They think that their friends and fans want to do what they’re doing every night. I realize that people have obligations. They maybe don’t want to listen to house music every night and if they do then they may not want to listen to PRGRM every night.
Will: We’re also not about taking fans away from other acts in Detroit. We try to support other local talent. You see a lot of DJs and they’re too busy doing their own thing to be a fan in Detroit. This way we can go out and see other people and still once a month have a huge party.
What’s your biggest concern as artists in Detroit?
Will: My concern is that people don’t want to go and listen to new music because in Detroit the best nights of your life are going to be in the city, listening to new bands and musicians. It scares me because people are sitting behind their computers and they don’t get the same quality as when they’re at a show.
Brad: Or when they’re sitting behind the stigmas of their parents or their grandparents as those people talk about the glory days of Detroit and how bad things are. It’s like have you even gone down to the city recently? I think the older generations and media stigmatize Detroit to such an extreme point that it discourages people from going out.
Matt: My biggest concern is staying true to myself. In Detroit, people can instantly sense when you’re feeding them bullshit. People may not like exactly what you’re doing but they’ll like that you’re doing what you love and that’s what we strive to do.
A couple of other DJs went through PRGRM over the years. What makes this group of three work?
Matt: I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on who we are and why this group dynamic works for us. Will is without a doubt the most musically inclined person that I know. You put an instrument in front of him and his ability to create music is unprecedented. My contribution has been very technical. I can learn computer software very quickly. I’m good with numbers and organization as well as planning and execution. Bradley has the best ear out of anyone that I know. He’s fantastic with the levels and if you hear him talk you can hear his passion and fervor for the city of Detroit. He’s the heart and soul of the three of us and the PRGRM parties.
What’s your long-term vision?
Matt: We’ve informally talked about what we want to try for 2014. I think this year you’re going to see us build our residency at the Grasshopper every month. We’re going to try to branch out and hopefully get some good mixes on the radio. We would also like to play the classic house venues in Detroit.
Will: I think our long-term goal is to break into that group of respected Detroit DJs and continue enjoying what we’re doing.
PRGRM will play at the Grasshopper on New Year’s Eve,as well as Jan. 31 and Feb. 28.
