"Not
limiting myself to any one age group or genre of music is what sets me apart as
a DJ. Keeping up with DJ Technology is what keeps my Technique polished."
He started mixing music at the age of thirteen, performing locally in his
home town of Yonkers N.Y. In 1983 at the age of just 16, he landed his first
club gig at Wheels Roller Rink also in Yonkers. After playing at many smaller
clubs, he landed a job in New Rochelle NY at a club called "Streets" This was
significant because Streets had 4 competitors in the immediate area, clubs that
were a little bigger and a little more well known. Vinnie, already a DJ for 4
years, wanted to learn more not only about playing music, but creating it so he
learned about editing on the Reel-to-Reel, digital drum machines, and samplers.
It was 1987. He brought this new style, and equipment to "Streets" and within a
few months Streets became the most popular club in the area. This was directly
related to Vin's new style of DJing. Using a all this equipment, Vin was able to
create new songs live at the club, play his own special remixes of songs, or
make vocal medleys using accapellas and beats on the 3 Technics 1200 Turntables.
At the age of seventeen he credited his first two mixes for WBLS radio in
NYC. He continued performing at many clubs in Manhattan and the New York area,
and in 1989 started working at “The Loft” Recording Studios as a Remixer /
Producer / Engineer. In the same year he made a Remix Medley Record called “Bits
and Pieces 89” – which got air-time on NY radio. In 1990 his remixes of “Feel
the nasty Groove / Take you Higher” by Fojo reached #5 on the Underground Chart
in Billboard Magazine.
It was at “The Loft” that producers Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers (Rihanna,
Britney Spears, N-Sync, Backstreet Boys) contacted him to do a remix of
their new song “I Wanna Make Love to You” for the group “Rythem Syndicate.” He
took this song, which was a Ballad to a huge Techno hit in Europe. Also in that
year Vinnie composed, mixed, and engineered his own track called “Techno
Confusions” under the name of "Planet V". This record reached #1 domestically
and #7 on the world charts as reported by the then national “U.S. Rave
Magazine."
1995 brought on a
change in his music career. He created the alias “DJ Vincent Vanguard” and under
this alias he continued his work with Techno and Progressive House in the NYC
Club Scene performing at some of NY’s biggest clubs including Tunnel, Roxy and
Limelight.
While
Vincent Vanguard was gaining huge popularity in the club scene, DJ Vinnie
Campisi was getting back to his roots of Classic Disco, Funk, Early 80’s Dance
Music, and Freestyle – pioneering the widely popular “Play Everything” format,
in NYC Lounges.
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He Reached a point in 2005 where he had
to separate his music styles, and Vincent Vanguard came out of the public eye
and into the Corporate and Special Event Industry, while
DJ Vinnie Campisi became
an unstoppable force in the NYC club scene.
**Vincent Vanguard no longer does nightclub appearances, he presently works the
Special Event and Corporate Event Industry.
Always on the edge of Dj technology,
Vinnie found that by using a computer and a few different State-of-the-Art programs,
he was able to perform much better for his audience then he could using just two
or three turntables, In-fact he was Contracted by PCDJ - one of the industries
premiere DJ Software companies - to be one of their DEMO DJ's.
In January of 2007, DJ Vinnie Campisi was signed to XM Radio as a resident DJ of
Channel 83 – Chrome. This is a Classic Funk/Dance Channel. He was chosen not
only for his mixing ability, but it was his technique as a NYC DJ that
really grabbed “XM’s” attention. He brought to XM Radio's Chrome his knowledge
of Classic Dance Music backed by a career which spans 27 years - all mixed by a
NYC DJ. His mixing style is classic of dj’s in the late 70’s while his
technique is all NYC nightclub.
In Nov of 2008, Vinnie's newest production "The Wicked Drummer" Tech House
Remix, by Dennis Cialella, was "pressed" and he has 2 more tracks awaiting their
pressing date.
Always evolving both in technique and music selections has kept Vinnie as one of
NYC's most versatile DJ's. You can find him at some of NYC's coolest Clubs and
Lounges 3 to 4 nights a week, and you'll even find him in the summer in Central Park DJing for 2000 people
while they Dance and Rollerskate to Classic 80's music, Funk and Deep House.
In April 2010, Vinnie decided to add another level of interest to his shows,
VIDEO. At every appearance Vinnie mixes music videos. Adding this visual aspect
changes everything. It was a big undertaking, adding new software and finding
music videos from all genres and eras, but its done and Vinnie amassed a huge
collection of music videos from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today's pop and dance
music. Vinnie always keeps it fresh and exciting, "anyone can play just
music, now I have you eyes too."
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