Ron Trent

Biography

A perennial and innovative presence in soulful music and the arts, Ron Trent originally wanted to be an architect. Much as the purpose of good architecture is to improve the quality of life for those around it, Trent has built his career as an architect of house music, carrying that same ethos to the dancefloor.

 

Early Foundations

Taking cues from his father, who ran a record pool in the late 1970s, Trent began diligently collecting and studying records as a teenager. This early passion led to his first release, the ecstatic and driving “Altered States”, produced at just 14 years old — a record that remains a landmark in the history of electronic music.

Guided by the influential house and R&B production team Hula & Fingers, Trent honed his craft as both a producer and musician, integrating his background in percussion with developing keyboard skills. In the early 1990s, he co-founded Prescription Records, a label whose soulful house sound, marked by organic electronics and emotive grooves, would become a defining influence in modern deep house.

 

 

New York Years & Giant Step Era

After relocating to New York, Trent became a fixture at the city’s most respected venues, playing for Body & Soul at Shelter and hosting events at Vinyl and Shine. His Giant Step residency at Shine fused neo-soul, jazz-funk, and global influences into a forward-thinking dance formula that helped define an era of New York nightlife.

Trent’s collaboration with Giant Step Records yielded a series of acclaimed productions and DJ residencies, including his celebrated weekly residency at Shine beginning in 2000. His in-house productions for the Giant Step/Sony label featured artists such as Amel Larrieux, Jody Watley, Anastacia, Donnie, Carl Hancock Rux, and Lina, solidifying his reputation as a visionary producer with an expansive ear.

His subsequent DJ compilations include: “Giant Step Sessions” (Giant Step), “Music Reflections” (R2 BBE), “Afro Blues” (King Street), “Deep & Sexy 2” (Wave Music), and “Abstract Afro Journey” (King Street).

 

 

Labels & Production Legacy

Beyond Prescription, Trent established Electric Blue Recordings and Future Vision Records, expanding his creative reach into experimental and cross-genre projects. These imprints became platforms for his signature production style — deep, spiritual, and rhythmically rich — while hosting collaborations with artists from across the world.

His acclaimed remixes include reinterpretations of “Honey” by Erykah Badu and “Spring Summer Feeling” by Jill Scott, both celebrated for transforming mainstream soul into textured, atmospheric soundscapes.

Trent also founded Music and Power, furthering his mission to create and preserve meaningful, independent music.

 

 

Cultural Advocacy & SODA

A continual champion of Chicago, his hometown, Trent founded SODA in 2016 — “to perpetuate and preserve the legacy of underground music through cultural and educational events for future generations ahead.”

SODA was instrumental in the creation of the Silver Room Block Party and the Move Your Body House Music Festival, both serving as vital platforms for emerging and established artists. His co-curation of Move Your Body – The Evolution of House Music at the Chicago Cultural Centre in 2015 further underscored his role as a cultural historian and community builder.

 

 

Recent Projects 

In 2022, under his new moniker WARM, Trent released What Do The Stars Say To You, a downtempo masterpiece that brought together artists integral to his musical DNA — Jean-Luc Ponty, Ivan Conti & Alex Malheiros (of Azymuth), Gigi Masin, and Khruangbin. The album reflected Trent’s ongoing exploration of cosmic, spiritual, and cinematic soundscapes, reaffirming his position as a spiritual force in global music.

Following this, Trent joined longtime collaborator Joaquin “Joe” Claussell to launch Sacred Medicine, a label devoted to deeply immersive, healing-oriented music that blends Afro-Latin rhythms, cosmic jazz, ambient textures, and percussive dancefloor energy.

 

 

Current Chapter – “Lift Off” and Beyond

Nearly 35 years after his groundbreaking Afterlife EP, Ron Trent continues to evolve as one of the most visionary artists in electronic music.

After five years focused primarily on the U.S., Trent is set to make his long-awaited return to global touring in 2025. To mark this next chapter, he has partnered with Rush Hour for the release of Lift Off, an album showcasing music recorded over the past decade.

Lift Off ventures into new sonic territory, blending expansive instrumentals, inspired collaborations, and vocal-driven compositions. Guided by his desire to “let the imagination speak for itself,” the album encapsulates the breadth of influences that have defined his journey — reaffirming Ron Trent’s legacy as a pioneer of deep, soulful, and boundary-pushing music.

A bold step forward from the contemplative tones of What Do The Stars Say To You, Trent most recently brought his signature touch to a collaboration with Soul II Soul, reimagining their classic “A Dream’s a Dream” with a timeless yet forward-looking remix that bridges eras of soulful innovation. The remix earned Trent a Grammy Award nomination for Best Remixed Recording, recognizing his continued impact as a visionary producer whose work transcends generations and genres. This nomination further cements his role as a key architect in the evolution of modern soul, house, and electronic music.

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