This is a part of Boston they probably never told you about.

To us, DJ Bruno is the very definition of what house music truly is. We remember his early days at Biscuithead Records, spinning all over Boston, across Massachusetts, down at Winter Music Conference in Miami, and countless other venues. Seeing him behind the decks at The Loft was always a moment to take in — the way he blended vinyl, read the crowd, and kept the energy alive all night long was something special.

We never once heard a record skip during his sets — and that’s not an exaggeration. Some might remember those classic Biscuithead mixtapes he put out. One day, we’d love to ask him — were those done live or pre-recorded on a four-track? Either way, they were flawless.

We believe DJ Bruno came out of Mattapan Square, Boston. And as the saying goes, it’s not where you’re from, it’s where you take it — and let’s be honest, there weren’t exactly house music clubs popping in that area back then.

Quick story: around ’91 or ’92, there was an abandoned house off Blue Hill Ave where we threw a raw, all-DJ house party. No furniture — just a flat piece of wood holding the turntables. That night it was DJ Armand Van Helden, DJ Bruno, DJ Madsol Desar, and a reggae DJ named Rod (or something close to that). The crazy part? The landlord had never cut the electricity, so we were able to keep throwing these underground parties — giving the neighborhood kids a real taste of something new.

When it came to vinyl, Boston Beat was the go-to before Bruno opened his own record shop. Even if you just dropped in to hang, he’d slide you a flyer for whatever party he was spinning at that week or month.

Big up to the legendary DJ Bruno — a true pillar in the scene. And much respect to everyone, we’ll be highlighting here too. Photo credits by BHMD.