Meet Fathom Dj | Dj, Producer, Artist and Music Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fathom Dj and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fathom, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
I made the decision to leave Atlanta, to return to Chicago. I wasn’t expecting that it would be this difficult to let go of. I started seeking answers in January, as an independently owned venue that I worked with failed to meet it’s expectations financially. 3 months later I was connected with a dream opportunity and thought it would be best as it is corporate. There were a few major hiccups unfortunately. I was looking for opportunities all the while and Chicago answered.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Studying life, art, spirit and music. I am transforming this information into musical experiences for restaurants, niche lounges and hotels. It is a challenge to expose the many underground, under referenced genres, songs and artists that exist beyond what’s forced into popularity. We have given the audience too much say, in our musical narrative. We have original music and most aren’t venturing as djs, singers and bands to address this content. Hospitality experiences aren’t supposed to be approached like mindless clubs. Dark, with blaring lights and loud music. Musical vibes have to factor in all ages and ethnicities. It’s challenging to work with owners  who won’t stay the course of being niche. They instead bail and go with what may fill seats quickly, but burn out fast. The entire experience of food, beverage and decor per venue have to vary, in my curating. I’d never come in blaring what’s popular and not take a more artful approach, especially in high end concepts. The narrative of creatives shouldn’t be bound to minimal expectations. This makes it difficult based in these environments being highly controlled or left to bluetooth / phones and random staff members personal likes. If you have amazing artists in the kitchen creating food art, innovative designing in spaces and well thought cocktail programs, why wouldn’t your musical environment be just as artful? My curating won’t exclude the many great ancestors from various eras. It won’t exclude analog sounds and the original creators of all music … Black Americans / Africans. It will speak to diversity but include the originals, unbound by genre and time. My vision for curating talent for these spaces is the same. There are amazing talents who want to be known for their tastes in music. They shouldn’t be in every club and bar, as we deserve amazing framing. Hospitality VENUES can be considered frames for a many types of art and artists. The goals, the challenges and the prayer is always from God spaces.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Thompson Hotel Buckhead Apartment 4B
Del Bar
Piedmont Park
Chatahooche Food Works
City Winery Atl
Sparkles Skating Rink
The Beltline
Urban Grind
Little Trouble
Ponce City Market

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Thandi Walton is a phenomenal libra. She is all things beverage, but is curating djs for Thompson Hotel. She gave me an opportunity and allowed me to hold space as I saw fit. It was the sign I wanted to spread out musically, in the Thompson Hotel in Buckhead. I had been somewhat hidden in Atlanta. Factoring the pandemic in and the lack of marketing and press to acknowledge my contributions in venues thus far, I had no real selling points outside of my own. You can think social media and inflating your own presence works. It doesn’t aid you if people in particular areas aren’t talking about you. My philosophy as it pertains to djing, doesn’t necessarily gel with what’s being overly served in this region (though I know it’s broadening). My curating is more geared in pairing food, beverage and interior design; with sounds I SEE fitting for hospitality driven venues. The crowd and their expectations (of predictable hip hop and rnb) are only 30% a factor, unless its well paying private event I’m commissioned for. This is a more artistic approach, over the deadlock most seem ok being locked into crowd pleasing.

Website: FathomDjEntitiesLLC.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/fathomdj

Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/fathomdj

Twitter: Twitter.com/fathomdj

Facebook: Facebook.com/fathomdjsoul

Youtube: YouTube.com/fathomdj

Other: Pinterest.com/fathomdj Twitch.tv/fathomdj Mixcloud.com/fathomdj

Image Credits
Angela_the_artist Angela Hill thecreativegent_ Joshua Galloway Fathom Dj MadD Pics Donald Wilson Unknown