KERRI MASON: BORN UNDER A DISCO BALL

Kerri Mason's love affair with electronic music started in the dance clubs of New York City. A dedicated clubber on the dancefloor back then, she now is a dedicated writer for one of the most respected music magazines in the world. Kerri has written for a number of dance music publications (including BPM, DJ Times and Mixer) in the past but now works for Billboard as their dance and electronic music reporter.

Where the action is, Kerri is buzzing around. Currently, she's judging the Mariah Carey remix contest for social networking site Indaba.

We talked with Kerri about clubs, the scene, Beatport and new developments in dance music. This time we're asking the questions. Is Kerri able to keep a critical edge after all these years?

You must have been born under a disco ball! When did the music bug bite you?
"I'm an only child raised by two second-generation Italian-Americans who grew up in Brooklyn, New York. There was a lot of Frank Sinatra, show tunes and opera in my house. My dad was an audiophile who built his own speakers and amps; my mom learned how to play piano by ear. Music was everything and everywhere. I came of age in the '90s and still love the music of those days. Nine Inch Nails, PJ Harvey and Tori Amos gave me the drama I was used to, but with a big dose of teenage angst."

"When I first discovered dance music, on Danny Tenaglia's dance floor in 1999, it was its similarity to industrial that first caught my ear."

You helped launch the Club World Awards. Tell us.
"The first idea was to create an event to match the trade magazine I edited - Club Systems International, which is now called Club World.

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