ABOUT VERNON

House and techno have been an obsession for Vernon since his musically formative teenage years in the 1980s. Growing up immersed in hip-hop, industrial, early house, Detroit techno and the bleepy Warp records sound — all of this shaped his ear long before he ever stepped behind a pair of turntables.

A major turning point came in 1992, during a trip to New York City. Vernon visited the legendary Club Shelter and heard Timmy Regisford play. The warmth, the emotional depth, and the spiritual energy of deep house in that room hit him in a way he can still feel today. On that same trip, he picked up Kerri Chandler's "Atmosphere EP." That record — and that night at Shelter — brought his love of deep house fully into focus and made him want to become a DJ more than ever before.

Back home, Vernon became even more immersed in the local underground, and that community became everything. The music, the dancers, the culture — it felt like where he belonged. And the more he learned, the more he understood how deeply this music is rooted in Black and gay communities. That history means a lot to him. He has always approached this music with respect, humility, and a sense of responsibility — not as someone borrowing from a culture, but as someone contributing to a lineage that has given him so much.

More recently, trips to Detroit's Movement Festival and its surrounding parties — as well as time spent in Chicago at the Chosen Few Picnic and other events — have deepened that sense of connection even further. Being in those cities, hanging out with original hosts, originators, and techno pioneers from the early days, and hearing DJs who were truly foundational to the music... it's been extremely inspiring.

From 1999–2006, Vernon held a residency at Vancouver's Lotus Sound Lounge called Deepen, which he started and later shared with his musical brothers Jay Tripwire and Tyler Stadius. They brought in incredible artists from around the world — many who are still touring today. Deepen wasn't just a weekly; it was an era in the city's underground story.

In the studio, his sound is shaped by the same influences that formed him as a DJ — deep, soulful rhythms, warm pads, jacking drums, and the swing of classic Chicago and New York house. He's drawn to music that feels human and emotional, with a sense of tension, release, and atmosphere.

As a DJ, Vernon is drawn to the full spectrum of this culture — from stripped-down techno to jacking acid to deep, soulful house. No matter where the set goes, everything he plays has a connection back to Jack and the foundational spirit of this music. His approach is warm, intentional, groove-focused, emotional, and human.