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Full Tilt
Remix 17 |
LATEST
HEADLINES for TJ the DJ dot com... In 1993, TJ entered Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with an undecided major. TJ took one semester to realize that the Art of Communication and all that comes with it would become his meal ticket to success later in life. Throughout his college career, TJ not only DJed to put himself through school, but had his own radio show on WRSK in Slippery Rock piggy-backed next to the Slippery Rock Sports show. TJ's last semester was to include an internship in some field of his major.
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TJ
Hess's career in DJing started at the end of 1989 during his sophomore
year in high school. TJ experimented with making mix-tapes from cuts
he would record from his favorite radio station B94 (WBZZ) in Pittsburgh.
TJ was always fascinated with radio. The music, the personalities, the
stars that were interviewed. Little did he know how personal B94 would
become to his life and career and the road to come.
TJ was lucky to be chosen to intern with his boyhood
favorite station, B94 in Pittsburgh. in 1997 TJ went literally from
passing out Mt. Dew one day at a B94 promotional event to producing
the night show for B94 personality, Bender in the Summer of 1997. This
launched TJ's personal career not only in Pittsburgh locally, but throughout
the tri-state area where B94 was heard in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland
and parts of West Virginia. TJ's favorite segment of the B94 programming
was, 'Mixed Reality'. This feature 
was heard every Friday from 9 till
1am and featured the hottest hits mixed beat-to-beat and back-to-back
by the night show DJ; Bender, or so TJ thought. 'Mixed Reality', actually
was a Hot Mix Radio Network program. Hot Mix Radio Network was located
in Scottsdale, Arizona and featured several flavors of mix show programming
for different radio format bases. Hot Mix Mainstream and Hot Mix Modern
were both featured in B94 in the mid to late 90's. TJ felt like he did
when he found out there was no Santa at Christmas when that first Friday
on the air with Bender showed up and he didn't bring his vinyl to the
station. I was shocked. Bender went on to tell me how this show evolved
and where it came from and I started to research the origins of The
Hot Mix Radio Network. 
TJ went on to play a role at several radio stations
in Pittsburgh from 1997 through 1999 including not only B94 (WBZZ),
but the Point 100.7 (WZPT) both CBS/Infinity/American Radio and whatever
else it was named back then, but also for present Clear Channel frequencies
96.1 The River which is now KISS FM. TJ continued to keep in touch with
the innovator of the Hot Mix Radio Network, Andrew Starr throughout
this time. On Valentines Day of 1999. The entire air staff of the River
was blown out for a format and station re-branding know as Mix which
lasted about a minute. TJ was asked to produce the morning show for
Bender and Jackie at B103 in Richmond, Virginia. but declined due to
a GUT feeling and nothing more. 
That choice paid off a month later when TJ was offered
the Operations Manager position for Hot Mix in Scottsdale, Arizona shortly
after. TJ moved to Arizona and took the position on August 23, 1999.
and spend almost 3 years in Scottsdale as OM for the company he loved
the most. Hot Mix was at present owned by Premiere Radio Network until
it was bought by Clear Channel in 2001. Clear Channel made several deep
changes to Premiere, one which cost the Hot Mix staff there jobs in
Feb 2001. The fallout from the demise of Hot Mix would lead to
several career opportunities ahead. 
TJ moved back to Pittsburgh in September of 2001, prior
to 9/11. TJ went to work for Infinity Broadcasting as a sales exec for
about 6 months while still DJing at Pittsburgh's largest venues and
bringing with him the knowledge he acquired during his stint in Arizona.
TJ was approached in early March 2002 about the formation of a new radio
network evolving in Denver, Colorado. The Zeo Radio Network was looking
for syndicated mix show industry veterans to help bring some credibility
to the new endeavor. TJ signed on as Affiliate Relations Director and
Mix Show specialty mixer and stayed in that position for nearly 2 years
growing the network to well over 300 domestic stations airing several
of the over a dozen mix show versions Zeo had to offer. During this
time TJ teamed up with B94 night show jock Adam Bomb and produced the
very first every party show heard on heritage B94, including several
custom made mix show segments by TJ. This was a first for Pittsburgh
and a long time dream of TJ's to produce, mix, air, and host his own
material with his roommate Adam Bomb no less. 
'The Saturday Night Shout Out Party' aired for nearly
16 months Saturday nights from 7 till midnight and broke several dance
tracks into the Pittsburgh radio market where previously there were
no outlets for this genre of music. The 'Shower Session' kicked off
the show with heart-pounding House Music and finished with the #1
Dance track that week. Other segments including the Top 8 @ 8 weekly
wrap-up complimented the show. 
In March of 2004 TJ brought to the directors of Zeo
Mix the idea of an internal REMIX division to help strengthen its own
brand of mix shows. TJ was given the green light to put together the
staff and resources to start the Select Mix REMIX division of Zeo Radio
Network. TJ brought on mix show veteran Marcus McBride from California
and DJ Ben McMillen from Southwestern Pennsylvania to produce a series
of remix releases that covered three formats of today's CHR radio.
TJ became the first ever disc jockey from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to
pioneer the founding of a professional Remix Label (Select Mix). As
executive producer and President of Select Mix, TJ also released the
first professional remix by a Pittsburgh DJ (Select Mix Essentials:
Volume 06). TJ the DJ became not only the first DJ entrepreneur from
Pittsburgh to found a Remix label but also the first from Pittsburgh
to release his own remix on his own label no less. Ironically, now
other DJs from Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and other parts of the East
Coast now contribute to the label TJ founded.
In the Summer of 2004, TJ the DJ is signed by Behringer International
(www.Behringer.com) as one of there prestigious POWER USERS. It
is TJ's very first international sponsorship. 
In February of 2005, TJ parts ways with Zeo Radio Network. TJ Hess and
Marcus McBride (Superadio, XM's BPM Channel Mixer) form a new partnership and renewed relationship with
the formation of a new remix label. FULL TILT REMIX LLC. (www.FullTiltRemix.com)
debuts in Las Vegas, Nevada during the Mobile Beat Expo in March
2006. As of March of 2007, Full Tilt Remix, with long time remixer,
Ben McMillen, have produced 10 (Full Tilt 10 is on the way!) issues of our flagship series along with
the instant classic Full Tilt Flashbacks: The Rock Edition Volume
01. The Rock Edition was so successful that it spend an entire 4
months in the Top 10 on the prestigious Source For Music website Top
50 list. This list is the industry version of the Billboard and was
very gratifying and humbling to say the least. The issue took
more than 5 months to complete and included the works of 5 DJ's form
all across the United States. Feedback was so overwhelming that
a second edition of the Rock Flashback's disc will go into production
in April of 2007.
TJ forges ahead a relationship with one of radio's most well know
shows, John Garabedian's, legendary weekend party show, OPEN HOUSE PARTY (www.OHP.com) signs on to
obtain exclusive use of FULL TILT REMIX for there mix segments in this
internationally syndicated program!
During the Major League All-Star Week in Pittsburgh July 7th thru July
11. TJ the DJ showcased his talents and skills for both MAXIM
and Major League Baseball as we welcomed the world of baseball to
Pittsburgh. TJ the DJ spun the MAXIM after-hours bash on July
10th from 11PM till 5 AM for the likes of ESPN's Chris Berman and
Meryll Hodge, New York Yankee's Derek Jeter and AROD. TJ the DJ
opened for MTV's DJ Skribble at the Town Tavern during the Official
Major League Baseball All-Star Game After-party at the Town Tavern in
Pittsburgh's Southside on Tuesday, July 11th. 
TJ the DJ in August of 2006
submitted mix show sample's to Sirius Satellite Radio. Format Manager
and On-Air personality Howard Marcus has green-lighted TJ the DJ to
produce his first mix set for The Beat 36 On Sirius. 
TJ the DJ currently holds a 5 year combined residency in Pittsburgh's
historic, South Side. 4 years at the Tiki Lounge on 20th Street & East Carson lead to a residency literally next door at the Town
Tavern where TJ currently resides each and every Friday night spinning cutting edge 'mashups', Full Tilt Remix work and the
hottest hit's from across the United States. TJ's schedule of events
and updates can be found on the corresponding pages right here at TJ
the DJ dot com.
TJ signed on to return to one of his old residencies in the
month of September 2007. TJ the DJ spins the ULTIMATE COLLEGE NIGHT
every Wednesday from 10 PM till 2 AM and on Saturday nights from 9:30
PM till 2 AM each week. More information about weekly events at Dejavu
willl be found on my MYSPACE page each weekend with up-to-date
bulletins by clicking on my
TJ
the DJ is B94's official mix show programmer, mixer and producer.
Listen as TJ the DJ spins from 5PM till 6PM on B94 along side B94 jock
KOBE and for STUDIO 94 which airs on Saturday Nites from 10 PM till 1
AM on B94 and on B94.com.