http://www.megamindmagazine.com An International Clubbing and DJ Culture Magazine. Megamind Magazine Copyright 2002-2011 Megamind Magazine info@megamindmagazine.com (Megamind Magazine) megamind@megamindmagazine.com (Megamind Magazine) Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:07:05 +0100 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:07:05 +0100 60 en-us An International Clubbing and DJ Culture Magazine. http://www.megamindmagazine.com/megamind_rss.png 64 64 http://www.megamindmagazine.com

Since her induction into the world of Electronic Dance Music (EDM), one radiant voice has continued to break the mould with a host of vital collaborations and her own sensational solo outing, not to mention a chart-topping single recorded and released by renowned Disney star Hannah Montana on her TV show's multi-platinum-selling Billboard #1 soundtrack. Now, as the only female vocalist currently signed to legendary trance imprint Anjunabeats following the success of her breakout single ‘Let Go’, Aruna (Aruna Abrams) is definitely enjoying attention as the industry’s new leading lady.

It all started back in 2007 after lending her talents to the Thrillseeker’s acclaimed hit ‘Waiting Here For You’, the essential offering that made the young vocalist's name amongst her EDM peers. Courtesy of a tremendous push from the British trance legend, the first sting had been made and producers across the globe were desperate to have Aruna marry her unique vocals to their own work. What followed was a spat of collaborations with a host of EDM’s most exciting production outfits, including such diverse acts as Filo & Peri, Cosmic Gate, ATB, Ronski Speed, Roger Shah and Myon & Shane 54, proving that Aruna’s unique voice had indeed become the talk of the industry.

With a wealth of collaborations behind her, Aruna’s true time to shine came in late 2010 with her ubiquitous vocal anthem ‘Let Go’, an emotional account of lost love, acceptance and surrender that romanced the industry to tears of joy. The track was initially released in July on Anjunabeats Volume 8 and immediately became the #2 most popular download on iTunes from the compilation during its first two weeks of release, hammered by nearly every Top 10 trance DJ and cracking the iTunes Dance Top 200 singles chart at #150.

Keeping a keen eye on the future and with no signs of slowing down, Aruna discusses what's next for her: “2011 has been a really busy year! It seems there will be quite a surge of new Aruna releases over the next several months, including a new single with Ferry Corsten, a new Velvetine single and a new solo release which will be the follow-up to "Let Go". Also, early this year I started DJ'ing. I picked it up incredibly quickly and I absolutely love it! I've already done a good handful of international dates as a DJ and a few months ago launched my own podcast called The Hot List which has been phenomenally received so far. It's all very exciting stuff and I can't wait to see where it takes me next."

Website: Aruna]]> music entertainment Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:38:00 +0100

DJ Wong was born and raised in 7 mile, Detroit, Michigan. She was influenced by musically at a young age by R&B, Hip Hop, and Soul, which were prolific in Detroit. She has had an ear for music since the day she was born. After moving to Los Angeles as a young teenager she started attending underground parties and became obsessed with the trance scene.

Ever since then, she has had a burning desire to get behind the decks. While pursuing a Real Estate Finance degree at University of Los Angeles, DJ Wong began working behind the scenes at events at the back lots of Universal studios, Paramount studios, events like the MTV Awards, BET Awards, Private Estates and boat parties. She worked behind the scenes with the DJ’s which has inspired her even more to pursue dj-ing and producing music on her own terms.

She has been practising and learning her skills and is now ready to rock the dance floor herself, with her style of music, a sense of trance, with cooling sensation music that has not yet been heard, music that will move people for generations to come. She has been in Los Angeles for over twenty years and watched the music industry change; She is currently working with some prominent music producers in the scene.

She is currently in the studio and expected to release her own solo album, “Cooling” by December 2011. It will contain both remixes and original tracks. She hopes to be touring the world supporting her album after its release. She hopes that crowd’s can’t go wrong, with DJ Wong.

Website: DJ Wong]]> music entertainment Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:37:00 +0100

Frank Martiniq is an international DJ, producer and sound design pioneer. His unique vision of electronic dance music, combined with his talent, dynamism and experimental projects have acted as a springboard, propelling him to the forefront of house and techno global club scenes.

It all started in 1991, Germany, Frank Martiniq devoted his life to analogue instruments and electronic music. It’s got to be said that any DJ who turns up to play with 30 kilos of vinyl in tow is serious and Frank Martiniq wouldn’t ever consider packing any less. His no-nonsense DJ sets encompass everything from Chicago house to dub techno and venture through prime Detroit cuts.

This massive spectrum of sound is needed to build his ideal four hour DJ set which begins at the opening slot and builds elegantly right through to a massive 4/4 prime time. And if you ever get the chance to see one of his ultra rare live sets, drop everything and go, he cracks out the most alien analogue machines you will ever see but only for the most exciting parties. These dance floor shaking sensibilities have seen him take to the Technics of the biggest clubs in Bejing, Berlin, London and Detroit.

In the studio Frank creates with both with hardware and software. He’s canny about his production methods and he has a reason to be, since his first release in 1995 he’s been on to an unmistakeably good thing. This is the man whose 12” “Adriano” on Boxer Recordings sold out in just two days, and who went on to release a dozen 12” and three double LP albums on the imprint. This huge body of work built up production skills that are, to put it lightly, enviable. So much so, that the legendary Native Instruments recruited him as a sound designer for Reaktor 4, Reaktor 5, Massive and Maschine.

Frank Martiniq has always been a reference point in international electronic music whether based in Kiel or Cologne, but 2009 saw him make the logical move to Berlin. He relocated to the capital and was commissioned to work on a prestigious, experimental sound design project for the Max-Planck Institute. Frank was challenged to create sounds that envisioned 20 years from now and he single handedly designed soundscapes from the sizzling of synapses to the droning of digitalisation. The futuristic project entitled “The Science Express” toured through 60 towns to international critical acclaim. As for his own future, Frank is constantly reconfiguring his sound, getting ever more creative: releasing his deep techno direction on Stroboscopic Artefacts, playing shows internationally and is busy in the studio working on visionary sounds for his fifth studio album.

Website: Frank Martiniq]]> music entertainment Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:47:18 +0100

Bryan Kearney, a DJ of almost ten years experience has established himself firmly on the international dance scene. The talented technician’s cutting edge sets contain the very best in upfront club driven music with the emphasis always on energy and the unexpected. A DJ that likes to take risks, do things differently, and loves to surprise clubbers across the globe with exclusive edits.

His production career started by him teaming up with John O’Callaghan for the track ‘Restricted Motion’. This was instantly signed to Discover Records by label boss John Askew. The formidable duo’s instant studio connection culminated in further tracks including ‘The Temple’, ‘Pendulum’ and the seminal ‘Exactly’ which became one of the biggest tracks of 2006.

In 2008 his tech workout of J.O.C’s ‘Rotterdam’ was a huge success on Sander Van Doorn’s self entitled Doorn Records. This was followed up by Bryan’s tech house monster ‘The Walrus’ on Full Tilt Recordings, a track that received support right across the dance music board. Bryan’s biggest track of the year was one very close to his heart. ‘You Will Never Be Forgotten’, released on Discover Records was a poignant tribute to his good friend Barry Connell who unfortunately passed away in April of that year.

2009 saw Kearney take his productions to the next level with projects ranging from trance and techno to tech house and electro, under a variety of different guises. He achieved notable success on Trackitdown.net where two of his tracks remained at number one in their respective genre’s for a combined total of twelve weeks.

2010 proved to be Bryan’s most productive year to date with a massive increase in original productions right across the dance music spectrum and also the development of his KEARNAGE brand. He had releases on labels such as Armada, Subculture, Fraction, Unearthed, Discover Dark, Prehab and more. This year also saw the launch of his very own label KEARNAGE Recordings with releases such as The Next Chapter, I’ve Had My Fun and the monumental Mexican Rave. This year also saw Bryan enter the Top 200 of the DJ Mag poll where he came 194th in the world. He also finished 44th in the Tranceaddict.com poll for 2010.

2011 has seen the continuation of his ascent up the dance music ladder with performances right across the globe and in particular his residency at UK superclub Passion at The Emporium. His releases Ridiculous and Backbreaker both topped the charts on Trackitdown.net and made heavy waves in the Beatport Trance Top 100. He was requested by Egyptian trance sensations Aly & Fila to remix their forthcoming remixed album package as well as for Digital Society Recordings amongst others. He has provided the official anthem for Eurofest Mexico in the shape of Stealth Bomber and his first ever track, the mesmerizing Ong Namo will be rele on Aly & Fila’s Future Sound Of Egypt label. The future’s bright. The future’s Kearney.

Bryan’s Ultimate Moment:
“I’ve been lucky enough to have had some incredible experiences but the number one moment for me so far is playing at Sunrise in Poland in 2008, a absolutely incredible experience that I still find hard to believe that it actually happened. I played Suburban Train as my second last track and it was the most incredible moment of my life”.]]> music entertainment Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0100

Based in New York, Miss Honey's recent gigs for such clients as Visionare, Hermes, Chloe, The CFDA Awards, Loewe, Narciso Rodriguez and other global taste-makers are making her one of the most sought after DJ's for top fashion calendar events. Other headlining appearances include Berlin's Love Parade, Ministry of Sound, Respect is Burning in Paris, and the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami.

Although she spins a distinct Chicago sound with inflections of the deep New York underground, Miss Honey prides herself on a style that is all her own. In fact, Honey is one of the few DJ's in recent years to defy pigeon-holing. She draws from a wide repertoire of musical styles; from old school Chicago house, disco, tech-house, tribal, funk, soul, and r&b. As a gifted and experienced DJ, Honey knows how to manipulate any crowd. Whether she is easing them into a trancey vibe with the dark sounds of techno, or lifting them up with pumping house, she knows how to rock a party!

A native of the Windy City, Honey was first inspired by the legendary house sounds of such DJ pioneers as Ron Hardy, Derrick Carter, Mark Farina, and Frankie Knuckles. When she moved to New York, Honey became great friends with even more influential DJ's, including the amazing Danny Tenaglia, who finally urged her to get behind the decks. Seducing club-goers with her unique sound all over the world, she is becoming a must-see DJ in many cities.

Website: Honey Dijon]]> music entertainment Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:18:06 +0100

WhoMadeWho may lack a question mark after their name but their music will certainly have you asking after them. The Copenhagen, Denmark trio is difficult to pin down but their music sounds as effortless as it is stylistically and sonically adventurous. WhoMadeWho are on a mission to eschew convention.

The band formed in 2003, with falsetto voiced bassist Tomas Høffding coming from the Scandinavian rock underground, singer songwriter/guitarist Jeppe Kjellberg from the avantgarde jazz scene (with beard to match), and drummer Tomas Barfod – who also records as Tomboy – a rising star of electronic music. They released several 12-inches on lGerman disco label Gomma Records, culminating in their eponymous debut album in 2005, which won them a devoted audience who evangelized about their new favorite band, making it the sleeper hit of the year.

While touring the globe the band started work on their second album. “The Plot” was released three years later, were it got great reviews across the board, culminating with the “Keep Me in My Plane” video that won a bunch of awards around the globe and was nominated for even more. Because of the lengthy recording process with “The Plot”, the band matured sonically, making it a bit more pop, still with the distinct rock- and electro sound.

As a live band WhoMadeWho are an unforgettable, incendiary experience having played alongside genre bending contemporaries Daft Punk, Soulwax, Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem as well as having their 1st album song “Space For Rent” covered by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age after seeing them rattling bones in their skeleton garb stage out fit. Or as Brooklyn Vegan sums it up after having the band play their pre-SXSW show case in NYC:

”(...) they were weird and awesome and won the initially-perplexed crowd over quickly. If you're going to SXSW, they're definitely a "don't miss" band.”

Always using a foundation of beats and bass lines, the songs are then written on top, alongside the unusual additions of oboe, castanets, electro-synth or vocal harmonizing that pushes their music into the extraordinary. NME once asked ”God knows what would happen if they got serious?”

That time is now! The skeletons are back in the closet. Alongside their extensive touring across Europe and Australia, WhoMadeWho have been working on a third and fourth album at the same time. April 18 WhoMadeWho will release the mini-album “Knee Deep” that will reveal a darker side together with their own take on party music as rumors have it that the Fall full-length album release will be a collection of organic electronically pop-songs.

Outlandish getups aside, WhoMadeWho get serious on their new material. As always it will be full of playfulness and pumped rhythms that will put the room on fire and get the party started.

WhoMadeWho individually evangelize about 60’s psychedelia, 70’s stoner rock, 80’s mutant disco, 90’s electronica and this have resulted in their warped sound of now. They are so much more than a danceable rock band. They are the spark to a firework display of ideas. And they’re just about to light the blue touch paper for the third time. Don’t stand back! As Seattle paper “The Stranger” wrote after nominating WhoMadeWho’s 2010 South by Southwest performance as the best show of the festival: WhoMadeWho is not only “the rockingest dance band or danciest rock band but both the danciest dance band and the rockingest rock band.”

Website : WhoMadeWho]]> music entertainment Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:34:00 +0200

For more than 15 years, Jennifer Cardini has been working the European electronic dance music circuit. Her early influences came from Detroit, Chicago, and Cologne, which led her to play primarily house music in the late 1990s at clubs in France; but time and experience allowed her style to develop into the more experimental techno sets she's known for today.

After her move to Paris in 1998, Cardini ultimately became one of the first of a generation of French DJ’s to play the stripped-down Berlin sound that would eventually settle into a distinctive movement in electronic music – ‘minimal’ even before that genre term became popular. In Paris, she quickly became a resident at two of the most influential venues at the time - Le Pulp, which turned into the underground hot spot for avant-garde music, and Rex Club, which continues to be the site of her ground breaking “Correspondant” parties. It has been at these shows that her skill and passion for music became fully realized, and where she earned her reputation as an icon in electronic music culture.

Over the course of her career, Cardini has continued to work hard and constantly improve, landing her regular appearances at elite venues like Fabric in London, Womb in Tokyo, and Tresor and Panorama Bar in Berlin. Cardini also reached a major milestone in 2008, becoming the first female French artist to sign with Kompakt, with the release of her compilation, Feeling Strange.

In addition to her DJ work, Cardini's productions have also been successfully on target, right from her first acid house 12-inch on Pumpking Records in 1996, all the way through her latest EP on Crosstown Rebels. These carefully crafted tracks have been slowly released over the years, but they have landed solidly on techno powerhouse labels like Mobilee and Kill the DJ. Most recently, Cardini has been spending more time continuing her production efforts, focusing on her current solo projects. She is also starting her own label, Correspondant, as an outlet for her musical vision.

Website: Jennifer Cardini]]> music entertainment Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:58:00 +0200

Joris Voorn is a record producer and DJ from Rotterdam, Netherlands. Raised in a musical family, music naturally became an intrinsic part of Voorn's life from an early age. Electronic music first caught his attention in the mid- 90ʼs, and he started DJʼing in 1997. After developing a more focused interest in house and techno, Joris invested in the versatile MC-303 Groovebox and began to experiment with synth sounds and drumloops.

By the end of 2000 Joris began building a small studio to produce his own music, which led to his first release called ʻmuted trax pt.1ʼ on Keynote. His first EP was massive success, filling the record boxes of Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier, DJ Rush and Technasia. In 2003 ʻLost memories Pt.1ʼ was released on Technasiaʼs SINO label and was followed by ʻLost memories Pt.2ʼ containing the anthem ʻIncidentʼ which was heard on dancefloors around the world.

After the success of ʻIncidentʼ, Voorn released his debut cd album called ʻFuture Historyʼ on the Sino label. Encompassing 3 years of ideas and inspiration, the cd contains 20 diverse tracks, a seamless soundscape that represents his arrival as one of the most relevant techno producers of this time.

In the summer of 2005 Joris Voornʼs new personal outlet called ʻgreenʼ saw the light of day. ʻA dedicated mindʼ was released as the first EP, which garnered success globally. He also completed his debut DJ mix CD for the Fuse club in Belgium. After Dave Clarke, DJ Hell and Technasia, Fuse presented Joris Voorn to mix part 4 of their international residentʼs dj mix albums. The mix contained over 40 tracks of timeless techno music mixed with the help of Ableton Live for its endless mixing and editing possibilities.

In 2006 the sophomore release under Voornʼs Green label, named ʻMPX_309ʼ, was a crossover techno work that was played out by techno, minimal, house and trance DJs. During the same year Voorn created his second album, released worldwide in June 2007. This new piece of work called ʻFrom a deep placeʼ featured many different styles of electronic music, ranging from atmospheric interludes to broken beats, house and deep soulful techno.

The focus point of the ʻFrom a deep placeʼ CD has been the listener rather than the dancer and was received enthusiastically by the electronic music community. Some of the works were edited to more dj friendly tracks for the vinyl release of the album. During the summer of 2007 Joris has been touring with his new live performance in support of his album release.

More recently, Joris has been focusing on collaborative efforts producing remixes for respected and diverse artists such as Robert Babicz, Nic Fanciulli, Slam, Steve Angello, Sebo K and Jerome Sydenham. The ʻDark Flower Magnolia Mixʼ for Robert Babicz turned out to be another summer anthem in electronic dance music, and was a favourite of DJʼs like Sven Vath, Dubfire, Pete Tong and John Digweed among many others.

In 2008, following the success of his resident advisor podcast, Joris was invited to produce episode 14 of the Balance DJ mix CD series from Australia. Following in the footsteps of James Holden and Lee Burridge, Joris constructed a layered and seamless mix of electronic dance music on a double CD. An epic mix in the very best sense of the word, Balance 014 achieves the rare feat of combining variety and consistency, making it perfect for trainspotters and dancers alike. The tracks change quickly and quietly, but the groove stays. An accompanying world tour will follow where Joris will bring the essence of this studio project to the stage, using all different elements of the mix into a full range club experience.

Having established himself as a leading producer and DJ, Joris will be embarking on a new project called ʻA green nightʼ. Inspired by his surroundings, which is never limited to the dancefloor, Joris and his team will be creating a night in several festivals and clubs, exploring the possibilities of combining music and visual arts. This year the project will be developed, tested and finetuned in selected clubs.

As a DJ and live performer Joris Voorn has joined an elite group of international DJʼs whose musical talent has acquired global appeal. He has performed across Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Austsralia, Russia, Brazil, Colombia, Israel, Detroit, Chicago and New York.

Website: Joris Voorn]]> music entertainment Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:26:00 +0200

Tiefschwarz was formed in 1996 by two brothers - Ali and Basti Schwarz - who have been successful DJs for over a decade. Peter Hoff, who runs the Benztown studios in Stuttgart, completes the Tiefschwarz production team. Ali and Basti came up with the name for their project after a DJ gig. Tiefschwarz, which is German for 'deep black', is a mixture of their last name, Schwarz, and their love for deep house.

In 1990 Ali opened the "on-u" club in Stuttgart, which became a pioneer of the German club scene. Three years later came the "red dog" club, which quickly became known throughout the world as a top address for deep house. Here, resident DJs Ali and Basti played alongside the likes of DJ greats such as Tony Humphries, Master At Work, Frankie Feliciano, Mike Dunn, Mousse T, Matthew Herbert, Lary Heard, Chris Coco, Matthias Heilbronn and many others.

Besides their work as resident DJs, Ali and Basti have been travelling together throughout Europe and overseas since 1995. They've played at countless major events and the most popular clubs in both Germany and Switzerland (Zürich, Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basle, etc.) as well as in major foreign cities, such as Miami (W.M.C.), New York, Washington, Melbourne, Sydney, Prague, Sarajevo, Amsterdam, Brussels, Antwerp, Rimini, Stockholm, London, Leeds, Sheffield, Ibiza, etc.

After six years of DJing and promoting, the two brothers began producing their own tracks. They co-founded the "continuemusics" label in 1996, on which their first single, "24 seven," with remixes by Boris Dlugosh and Michi Lange, was released along with four other tracks.

In 1998, Tiefschwarz signed a record deal with edel/benztown records. This proved to be a turning point in their career. Their first release, "music," featuring Joy Denalane of the hip-hop formation Freundeskreis, was not only a hit in Germany (9 weeks at No. 1 on the MTV Germany Dance Charts and No. 1 on Germany's Club Charts), but proved to be very successful in the UK as well. "music" was licensed to the famous "wave music" label in N.Y.C. run by François Kevokian and was remixed by Matthias Heilbronn.

Tiefschwarz have remixed around 30 tracks for artists such as Ultra Naté, Byron Stingily, Jam & Spoon, Jennifer Paige, Randy Crawford, Master At Work, Earth Wind and Fire, Shakatak, Mousse T., AWA band, Whirlpool prod., Sabrina Johnson and Sharon Philips.

The name Tiefschwarz stands high alongside other legendary German acts such as Boris Dlugosch, Mousse T., Knee Deep, Ian Pooley, Dixon, Jazzanova, Rainer Trüby, Ata and Vincenzo. As DJs, Tiefschwarz have gained a great reputation on the international house scene.

Their debut album, "ral 9005", is a skilled and smooth voyage through their daringly diverse cosmos of musical experience. As varied as their influences may be, Tiefschwarz never fail to integrate their own, undeniably unique sound. "ral 9005" covers the spectrum -- from the playful excursions into Nu Jazz (mars, fusion I, fusion II) and the soul-filled deep house and garage tracks (there is, you, never, city-sounds, music) to 80s beats (springtime), down beat electro (follow me), soundtrack-style pop (bye bye baby) and kicking club music (no more trouble, acid soul, sky diving). This is all polished off by an intricate and powerful production.]]> music entertainment Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:38:29 +0200

Dubbed an “elegant dark lord of the dance floor” by XLR8R Magazine, Alland Byallo is a DJ, producer, label owner, graphic designer and event organizer – a tour de force within the club and underground music scenes.

Born in Los Angeles, Alland began his musical journey at a young age. Trying his hand at piano and trumpet as a young boy and influenced by the experimental electronic sounds of the early 90s, Alland grew captivated with the world of dance music, began experimenting with basic production and eventually bought his first pair of turntables. While working at WAX Records, LA’s now defunct authority on dance music, Alland’s tastes matured, and a move to San Francisco in 2003 saw Alland’s star rise quickly; while in SF, Alland honed his talents DJ-ing at respected venues stateside and overseas, started his own an underground dance music label named Nightlight Music and launched one of California’s most inspired techno-focused nightclub events, the monthly [KONTROL].

Gaining global attention producing gems for definitive record labels like Poker Flat, Liebe*Detail, Dirt Crew and Missive, by the time Alland garnered four stars from influential web-based dance music magazine Resident Advisor for his original full-length album release, Brick By Brick (2009), Alland’s devotion to the techno-house sound was plain to see and his fate as one of dance music’s major talents was reasonably sealed.

At the same time, Alland’s ongoing DJ residency at San Francisco’s legendary [KONTROL] party found him sharing the stage with a roster of talent that reads like a who’s who in underground house and techno, leading to a solid demand for Alland at dance music gatherings around the globe – often as a headliner at renowned events and venues like Berlin’s Panoramabar, Waterate, Cookies and Tresor, Munich’s Harry Klein, Brazil’s D-Edge, Tokyo’s La Fabrique, and Detroit’s annual DEMF Movement Festival among many others.

More recently, a move to Berlin has Alland expanding his horizons and focusing not only on DJing and producing but he has since gained a residency at the city’s most well known underground music radio station, TwenFM. His bi-weekly show, The Secret Button, hosts such guests as Sammy Dee, Jin Choi, Trickski, Chopstick, Jeremy P. Caulfield, Pan-Pot and many more. Endlessly inspired by his new home, Byallo continues to work hard and forge ahead with steady musical output, adding a greater organic touch to his productions – more vocals, more experimentation, and dare it be said, a little more techno soul.

Website: Alland Byallo]]> music entertainment Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:28:00 +0200

International man of music Alexi Delano has been heating up dance floors for the better part of 15 years. His soulful and exquisitely deep blend of techno and house has been featured on the likes of Earthtones, Wave music, Poker Flat, Svek, Turbo Recordings, F-com, Plastic City, Harthouse, Super Bra, Blank Ltd, Raw Elements, Court Square recordings and of course his own labels Test 542, Corner Shots, Random Dynamics and now AD limited.

With a production style that sits neatly between house and techno. He has collaborated with some of the biggest names on the scene, including Jesper Dahlbäck, Cari Lekebusch, John Selway, Xpansul, Vincenzo Ragone, Adam Beyer, Jori Hulkkonen, Darshan Jesrani, Lucas Rodenbusch and Casey Hogan.

Born in Chile and raised in Sweden, Delano took to the turn tables in the early ‚80s, playing a combination of hip hop, funk, and soul. At a mere 15 years of age he had his own radio show, based in a suburb of Stockholm. At 17 he became the resident Dj at one of Stockholm’s first after hours club where he played continues 9-10 hour sets and then head on to school in time for the days first class.

Delano discovered electronic music on a trip to Spain in the late 80s at a time when acid house ruled the airwaves. Upon his return to Stockholm, he wasted no time in teaming up with his old friend and the city‘s premier producer, Cari Lekebusch, with whom he co-produced his first single on the Stockholm-based Loop imprint.

His debut release was well-received by the underground dance community, spurring him on to produce further recordings for Loop and for its sister label Plump House.

In the mid ‚90s Delano relocated to New York where he spent his time developing new monikers like ADNY for his deeper house music and G.O.L. and GIOVANI for the techier. He also found the time to start two new labels, Corner Shots and Test 542 which went on to become two of the most respected deep house labels of the circuit. Delano and Mr. Cari Lekebusch also got together in New York City to produce a string of techno EP’s on labels such as Missile, Hybrid, Primevil, Primemate and Jericho including a full length album for the Swedish Grammy nominated house label SVEK.

After releasing successful full-length projects for Svek, Earthtones with Jesper Dahlbäck and Plastic City as LEIVA, Delano was approached (year 2000) by Tiga with his Montreal-based Turbo Recordings imprint to produce an artist album. The result “Selections 97-2000“ is an incredibly rich collection of both percussive and jazz inspired vocal house music that stimulates the mind as much as it moves the body. In 2006 Mr. Delano collaborated with the talented Spanish producer Xpansul in Madrid to create two EP’s that have left a footprint on the minimal techno scene. The first EP, named “INTELLIGENCE REFRAMED,” came out on Richie Hawtin’s Plus 8 label and the second, “SWIMMING IN A FISH BOWL,” on Adam Beyer’s TrueSoul recordings. He also wrote and produced his second solo album, “STORIES OF AN ALIEN BROTHER,” for the classic German label Harthouse. In addition, he started his new record label AD Ltd where he released a string of neo-acid house tracks produced by him or old/new friends.

A couple months into 2007 and Alexi Delano shows no signs of slowing down. He has already co-produced a new album “CHRONICLE OF THE URBAN DWELLERS” (Harthouse Mannheim) with his old friend Jesper Dahlback under their aka ADJD. Xpansul and A.Delano continue to work on new musical frontiers and have a series of remixes and EP’s coming out on labels such us LEFTROOM and IMMIGRANT IND. He is also currently awaiting his new EP on Steve Bug’s AUDIOMATIQUE label (What is Control) and New York producer ADULTNAPPER’s new label, RANSOM NOTE (UnderMySkin). It‘s all in a days work for Mr. Delano though. He‘s a man who seems to be made of music.

Website: Alexi Delano]]> music entertainment Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:55:00 +0200

“I get restless when I can’t work on my own melodies. It’s such a good outlet for my emotions”. There you have it in a nutshell. Dutch Estroe lives for her music. It’s electronic, it’s beat driven and it’s full of emotions.

Together with techno hotties like Anja Schneider, Mistress Barbara and Monika Kruse, Dutch. Estroe belongs to an elite club of female DJ’s that made it to the top. Born in Zutphen as Esther Roozendaal, raised near Amsterdam and currently living in Rotterdam, she has been dj-ing since 1998.

Whether it’s behind the turntables in the famous Fuse in Brussels, the Watergate in Berlin or an underground club in Rumania, Estroe knows how to tune in and drop the right beats. She likes to play versatile, techno infused sets with room for deep undercurrents as well as pure dancefloor work. Her style is warm, subtle but at the same time very energetic.

Things really took off when Estroe started producing her own tracks back in 2003. In hindsight it was an unconscious response to the skull breaking beats of those days. "I missed the soul in much techno back then and felt the need to make something myself." She learned everything there was to know about hard- and software. Her spacious Rotterdam apartment fills with laughter when Estroe thinks back of those days. “For months I tried every piece of music software I could get my hands on. Till I finally got it right. It was important for me that I could produce tracks myself, without the help of an established producer.” Nowadays Estroe even gives workshops on Ableton.

In her first productions Estroe went back to the early days of Detroit techno. Back when people like Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin and the British group The Black Dog found the soul in their machines. With her sophisticated, warm and elegant style she soon appeared on the radar of dj's like Laurent Garnier, Ripperton and John Digweed. The latter was blown away by Estroe's minimalist masterpiece Driven and promptly asked her for a remix on his Bedrock label. Another strong supporter is techno don Dave Clarke who has booked her for his White Noise parties on more than one occasion.

On Estroe's delicate productions it’s not about maximum compression, distorted hi-hats or full on bassdrums. No, it’s about atmosphere. “I try to target people’s emotional spot, being it comfort, peace or excitement”, she says about her music’s primary aim. But make no mistake, singles like Waiting For The Rollercoaster (Eevonext), The Futuroscope EP (Snejl) are clearly ment for adventurous dancefloors worldwide. In 2009 she releases her debut album Elemental Assets (Connaisseur) which features Miss Kittin on vocals. Recently Estroe has been rediscovering the darker sides of techno in her DJ-sets, something which will no doubt translate in her future productions.

With her ability to mould sounds into beautiful shapes, Estroe has become an in demand remixer in recent years. Some of her best work was done for others, like Tim Wolff, Art Bleek and Rocco Caine, who's Fathorn 50 made it to M.A.N.D.Y.'s Body Language-compilation. “It’s as much a compliment as it is a frustration”, she smiles. “Apparently I’m pretty good in picking the right ingredients from a track I like.”

Together with Stefan ‘Terrace’ Robbers Estroe runs a label. An institute almost. EevoNext is one of the oldest dance labels in the Netherlands, spanning over twenty years of Dutch techno. EevoNext releases classics from the Dutch techno vaults but also breaks new talent. That’s where Estroe comes in. “I like to scout and coach new talent”, she admits. “I’ve been in this business long enough to know the pitfalls.”

Exactly the reason why she's involved in the Dutch Audio Platform, a clever way for small labels to share knowledge and resources. Estroe: “The dance scene is rejuvenating at an incredible speed. Much knowledge is lost and reinvented along the way, which is a real shame if you ask me.”

Another promising project is Estafête, a ‘girls only DJ-team’ consisting of Monica Electronica, Lin and Estroe. “No I’m not a fanatic feminist but I do miss the femininity in the dj-world sometimes”, she states. “It’s not only more fun with two other women behind the mixer, it’s also very inspiring. With Estafête we constantly challenge each other, which translates in better dj-sets.”

With a filled agenda and an inbox full of remix requests, changes are high you’ll be dancing to an Estroe tune this weekend. Asked if she has any regrets she gave up her day job years ago, she fiercely shakes her head. “This is what I always wanted: to make good music and to play it out."

Website: Estroe]]> music entertainment Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:39:00 +0200

Keen on music since his early childhood, Tristan Garner grew up under the influence of the French and English electronic scene. After several years of classic music studies, Tristan discovers the potential of new electronic music software in 2000 and starts composing.

In 2006 he signs his first 12inch on Antoine Clamarans label Poole-eMusic with “Stomp that shit”, “The Game” and “Smash” 3 dancefloor bombs already supported by many djs and producers.

The second 12inch is a collaboration with musical partners Distorted and Greg Dorian called TGD “N Sex” released not too long after that. The 3rd “Orientalism” released on Pool e Musics Tumbata imprint in the opening of 2007.

Remixes for different fellow artists follow: Anoine Clamaran “Give some love”, Lady Stazia “My heart is drums”, Mischa Daniels “Are you dreaming” amongst others.

2007 is Tristans kick off year when he produced “Give Love” featuring Akil Wingate and remixed by Arias and Jerome Isma-ae, which gets worldwide attention. By 2008 “Give Love” is signed to labels all over the world.

2008 is the year of “Freedom”, follow up to “Give love” and signature to Tommy Boy in the USA.

During the summer, Tristan produces “Caribe”, playlisted by world known djs like Erick Morillo, David Guetta and many more. In Ibiza “Caribe” is everywhere.

When Tristan is not producing music & remixes (surprising projects to come) he is touring and djing…this man is on fire!

Website: Tristan Garner]]> music entertainment Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:29:00 +0200

From tearing up dance floors under the Mediterranean sun of the White Isle, to filling out stadiums in South Africa, partying it up in the Nordic seas on a huge ocean liner, to nostalgic nights at some of the UK’s most prestigious clubs; Miss Lashes has seen more of the party than most!

When not headlining at one of Europe’s top festivals such as Global Gathering, Creamfields and Dance Valley; or playing to her adoring fans at some of the UK’s biggest domestic nights such as Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Inside Out and Planet Love ; Lisa’s musical adventure regularly sees her packing her suitcase and touring her style to another corner of the globe.

Huge popularity of the sell-out Lashed in Ibiza parties, led to instant worldwide demand for Lisa and her Lashed brand with marathonesque tours of the parties to China, Canada, United States of America, Netherlands, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan ensuing!

It wasn’t long before Lisa was officially recognised amongst the top ten DJs in the world and achieved the illustrious title of ‘The World’s Number One Female DJ’.

Away from the sparkling career behind the decks, Lisa has also enjoyed huge successes with her Euphoria albums. With sales well over 250,000 they were quickly established as the biggest selling hard dance compilations in the world - resulting in the nickname, ‘The Queen of Hard House!’

Since the golden days of hard house, Lisa Lashes has diversified her sound by slowing the BPMs and incorporating uplifting trance into her sets, which now sees her playing as a global headliner on the international scene alongside such stars as Sander van Doorn, Marco V and Ferry Corsten.

This more mature and diverse sound is represented by her hugely successful ‘Lashed Podcast’ and whilst still only in infancy, has already picked up over 50,000 subscribers! This sound has been incorporated into the relaunch of her Lashed events in 2010 with concise music progressing and a much more diverse line up of guests - ranging from Irish superstar John O Callaghan to Germany’s Scot Project and Dutch producer Sied Van Riel to Radio One’s Kutski!

Never one to sit back, Lisa has been hard at work in the studio pushing this new sound through with several releases already in the pipeline for 2010 on labels such as Musical Madness & Discover Dark, as well as her own record label – Lashed Music; which continues to go from strength to strength. Lisa’s music has picked up plays from a huge range of DJs around the world: a regular on Radio One via Judge Jules & Kutski, along with many tracks that were quickly snapped up to albums worldwide; including Ministry of Sound, Q-Dance, Tunnel & D-Trance.

Let the party continue...

Website: Lisa Lashes]]> music entertainment Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:52:36 +0200 How do you measure a DJ's popularity? By club bookings, remix credits, solo releases, and mix CDs? By branding, sponsorship and endorsements? Through glamour quota and celebrity status? Or by radio, television and movie appearances?

By any of these criteria, Carl Cox could claim he's got the love. Ultimately, though, it's the paying public that makes or breaks – and more importantly, maintains - a DJ's popularity. And in that case Carl Cox absolutely has got the love. Time and again, when music magazines print their end of year polls, it's Carl Cox who tops them. Across the globe, when club crowds are asked who they most want to have spin, it's Coxy they request. Promoters who need an arena to go off at three in the afternoon, or a club to stay full at five in the morning, know that Carl's their man. He may not be a household name, but in the scene itself, he's a living legend, as big as they come. Quite simply, Carl Cox is the People's DJ.

A musical ambassador since he was in short trousers, a professional DJ since his early teens, a veteran of acid house and a champion of techno, Carl Cox emits a love of his work that is dangerously infectious. Check him when he's behind the turntables and you can't mistake his ecstatic visage, dripping with sweat as his head bobs up and down to the beat, his hands pumping the air whenever they're not manipulating the turntables, his body swaying back and forth, frequently taking to the mike to share word on the latest underground tune he's about to break massive. You name it, Carl's been there and done it, but he's never lost sight of the point of it: playing music, breaking tunes, spreading love, celebrating life.

Now, having extricated himself from his own thriving but overly time-consuming business empire, Carl is finally set to concentrate on his solo career. The new mix CD 'Global,' a typically high-octane burst of twisted melodies, driving backbeats, funky bass lines and future-skool breaks, finds him on a major American label for the first time. Mixed live off vinyl like his all his albums, and featuring three of his own cuts alongside fifteen other tracks caught between cult status and commercial appeal, 'Global' should finally see Carl Cox reach the same level of acclaim in the USA as he already enjoys elsewhere.

Born in Manchester not yet 40 years ago, Carl and two sisters were raised in the suburbs of south London. Carl's parents had immigrated from Barbados, and brought their Caribbean party spirit with them - especially for the annual harvest festival of 'crop-over.' While mum cooked and made the punch, dad lined up music on a turntable that could drop discs on top of each other. But when the records ran out, it was young Carl who'd be by the player, checking which b-sides would work, searching other tunes to keep the parents going.

"It just hit me," says Carl of his early engagement with destiny. "Instantly, I became 'Cox's boy,' who put on good music wherever my mum and dad went for a party. People would say to them 'Don't forget to bring Carl.' I would go record shopping with my dad. And then I would hear something - a new James Brown record I thought was brilliant and I knew they would dance to - and get him to buy it."

Carl's enthusiasm for black dance music was boosted in the mid-70s when London was granted an independent radio station, Capital, with an American soul DJ, Greg Edwards. "The first time he played 'Running Away' by Roy Ayers, I was completely in heaven," recalls Carl. "I didn't need any women in my life, not my family, not anything. I was like 'This is it. If they make more records like this, I will be so happy.' And they did! The Blackbyrds, Norman Connors. . ." On Fridays, Carl would go to a store in nearby Croydon "and just buy buy buy. All my friends thought I was nuts, because McDonalds had just come out, and they would all go out and buy double cheeseburgers, and I'd go off and get myself a record. They'd have come back and eaten it and gone 'wicked' and I'd come back and say, 'This record by Brass Construction is unbelievable!'"

Competition from American cheeseburgers notwithstanding, by 1976 soul music was everywhere, and Carl and friends, still in school uniform, would board the bus into central London for late afternoon sessions at the 100 Club and Crackers. In 1977, aged 15, Carl got a set of turntables and began working as a mobile DJ. Disco captivated him. "I liked how it was orchestrated in such a way that a record could take you somewhere," he enthuses, citing Sylvester's 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' because "it had a 4/4 beat, it had energy, it had breakdowns, and it had a diva singing his heart out - or her's!"

The early 80s saw Cox playing the same music as other young London DJs - rare groove (obscure funk), New York hip-hop, and electro. He was perfectly placed to hear Chicago house music in its earliest forms, and when the epic 'Acid Trax' by Phuture (a.k.a. DJ Pierre) came out in early '87, "I was just 'This is it.' I would do my parties, and I'd play old rare groove and hip hop and soul and I would say 'Right you've got to hear this, Phuture,' and people would just stop. 'What the hell are you doing?' I was just like, 'You've got to check this out, the 303s, the 909s...' I just had to go there. It's funny because all the people who thought I had freaked out then are the people who are making the music now."

As a founder of the sound, Carl rode the exploding British rave scene. He played the opening night of Danny Rampling's legendary Shoom, co-promoted The Project with Paul Oakenfold, held a residency at the Zap Club in Brighton and at the Sunrise rave in 1988, hooked up a third turntable for his dawn-breaking set, got 15,000 kids back on their feet, and established a personal rep for three-deck wizardry.

The next step was to make music, and Carl's 1991 debut single for Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto label, 'I Want You,' gave him a top 30 hit and a Top of the Pops appearance. Two more singles also made the charts. But Carl was a reluctant pop star and as the masses moved onto fluffy house and trance, and the hardcore created jungle, Cox retreated into the club world that had nurtured him and instead embraced the underground sounds of techno and hard house.

"Techno drives home somewhere," he says of his core music. "It takes you to an element of surprise, not knowing where you're going. It's scary but wonderful at the same time." A 1995 mix CD, 'F.A.C.T.', became a techno benchmark, selling over 250,000 copies. His own 1996 EP 'Two Paintings and a Drum' again broke the British top 30. With then-wife Rachel running the business side, Carl set up Ultimate Music Management, which counted Josh Wink and Laurent Garnier among 27 clients. There was the Ultimatum record label, for which Cox recorded his third top 30 UK single 'Sensual Sophis-ti-cat.' And inevitably there was a weekly London techno club, Ultimate B.A.S.E., for which Carl was resident.

Carl also started coming to America, thanks to a deal with Moonshine, which saw the Stateside release of 1997's 'F.A.C.T. 2' (recorded live in L.A.); 1998's 'The Sound Of Ultimate B.A.S.E.'; Carl's second studio album 'Phuture 2000' ('At The End of the Cliché,' his debut, was only released in the UK); and that same year's 'Mixed Live', recorded at the Crobar in Chicago.

There was also a cameo appearance in the rave movie 'Human Traffic,' and a 'F.A.C.T. 3' for Australian audiences. Carl famously brought in the Millennium in Sydney, then traversed the International Date Line to do it again in Hawaii. His most treasured performances, though, have been for the Berlin Love Parade, which he played four years in a row, often the only British DJ at this trance-European techno-fest. "I can't think of anything that comes close to when you actually stand there and you see a million and a half people waiting for you to play the best records possible to give them the best possible time," he says.

Success comes at a cost, however. His marriage collapsed ("the most hardcore thing you ever have to go through") and though he spent two years trying to maintain his empire, the constant international travel, lack of sleep, and bad eating habits ultimately overwhelmed him. "My body said to me, 'Here, have a kidney stone, have a stomach infection, and also, get gout while you're at it!'"

He was forced to slow down. The Ultimatum label and management company were disbanded. ("I now have one person managing me.") The club night continues as B.A.S.E., with Cox an occasional guest. Carl, who sensibly moved close to Gatwick airport along the way, now focuses on his performances and recordings, with America increasingly in the picture. He enlivened the day time crowds on last summer's 'Moby-headlined Area: One' tour, but prefers to play six hour night time sets "so I can really show you why I'm here." And whenever he's at home, he's working in his studio there with engineer Neil McLellan (of Prodigy acclaim) on his third studio album, which he promises "will be as important as the new Chemical Brothers or Basement Jaxx" or any other DJ turned producer "already on the train of making albums."

Some of Carl's newer productions are showcased on 'Global.' There's 'It's The Machines,' a classic minimal techno cut co-credited to his long-standing friend Josh Wink. There's ' ,' featuring Neneh Cherry on vocals. And there's 'Ain't That Funky Now,' with its Brothers Johnson vocal sample, a Cox classic from his youth. Other song titles in the mix demonstrate Carl's love of music for the sake of music, 'House Soul,' 'Drums For Better Daze' and 'Horny Hustle' being but three examples.

Unlike many a mix compilation, 'Global' showcases the underground. For while Carl Cox has the fame and the fortune of a superstar DJ, - and absolutely has got the love - the People's DJ understands that when it comes to clubbing and dancing, the whole is far more than the sum of its parts. "Even if I'm just playing records, I'm into the moment of playing," he says, "and with that, if I'm dancing, and I'm enjoying this moment, then I'm sure you guys can too, without the record having to be the focal point of why we're here. That's why I find it a lot easier to push new music on people - because I believe in what I'm playing, full stop. And everyone can feel that, and go with it, and then they can walk away with the experience of Carl Cox."

Website : Carl Cox]]> music entertainment Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:51:28 +0200

Joyce Mercedes passed her Athenaeum-diploma and ­­began a study Economics in Amsterdam. Next to her study in the 90's she started working as a dancer for leading organizations like Pantera and X-tension. Joyce performed in a sparkling dance show in the most famous clubs in the world. Her passion for music lies as well in her dancing as in her singing. In 1997-1999 Joyce Mercedes was part of "Centerfold", a song group.

In 1998 they performed in a sold out Amsterdam Arena during the pause of the classic football game Ajax-PSV. "Centerfold" also added lustre to the 15th year anniversary of Playboy. Joyce ­­Mercedes also works regularly as a model, featuring in campaigns for Heineken, Campari, Gap-Star, Playboy, MAXIM and FHM magazines and has done various video clips, commercials and guest rolls in movies.

In 1999 Joyce Mercedes started DJ’ing. Culminating in the residency DJ spot at the well known Amsterdam “Supperclub" and the 2 year "Space World Tour" to crown it all off. At this moment Joyce Mercedes has performed in more than 48 countries in almost every famous foreign club in Europe, North America, South-America as well as in the Far East. Shared stages with names such as John Digweed, Sasha, Paul van Dyk, and Derrick May. Her sound is best described as Tech house containing elements of techno, minimal, electro, funk, soul and progressive all with an uplifting deep powerful drive.

She received her Audio Engineering Degree in 2004 at the School of Audio Engineering (SAE) in Amsterdam, and studied further on the more specialized course in Electronic Music Production. She has now started with producing her own music. End 2007 she launched her own label QOC and released varies underground dance music on it. She released two DJ mix compilations ‘Best female DJ’s of the world” (Clubstar 2007) and her latest called Pure (QOC 2009). She is working with Axxell Brodie on her vocal album . Next to this she is busy with her dance albums which consist of varies co-works with other big international DJ/Producers. Harry Lemon, Jerome Isma-ae, Ahment Sendil just to name a few.

Axel Brodie aka Gerry Owens, known for his work with U2 / Sinead O’Conner / David Bowie / Nine inch Nails. Produced the first single named ‘Give it up’ and will be released as the debut single September 2011. The video clip of ‘Give it up’ has been shot with co star Dutch actor Tygo Gernandt. Remixes are made by Christian Cambas, Mike Morales and Michiel van Bokhorst.

Website: Joyce Mercedes]]> music entertainment Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:55:00 +0200

Spring 2006: A team of DJs is celebrating its tenth anniversary and can look back on a decade in which one high was topped by the next. First they conquered Stuttgart, their home base, followed by the rest of Germany and then Ibiza. They have travelled from Russia to Latin America and back again. They have produced club hits, remixes and have established a dance network that makes tens of thousands of people happy, with its events, radio shows and record labels, be it on air, in clubs and on recordings. Ten years of full action – all for the love of house music.

The success of the Tune Brothers (also known as Markus Hägele and Matthias Kraus) is based on a joint appreciation of house music and the proper party vibe. The two have developed a system, which appears to run with the precision of a Swiss clockwork, weekend after weekend after weekend, but lives from the intention of two music lovers who play one forward pass after the other, back-2-back style. Every new 12” follows on from its precursor. The Tune Brothers take their audience along on a trip around the globe of house music and create a set from vocal to electro, from deep to tech or from uplifting to Latin, that sounds as if it were from a single cast. The transitions between the styles flow naturally, maximum pleasure guaranteed.

Back in the early 1990s, the Tune Brothers set out on separate DJ careers. In 1996, they joined up as a DJ team in the context of what was then the largest series of events held in Stuttgart. Within virtually no time they became local hype and played at the city’s largest parties, next to DJ stars such as Roger Sanchez, Mousse T., David Morales, Erick “More” Morillo, Tom Novy, Boris Dlugosch or Felix Da Housecat.

In parallel they founded the Housesession series of events, which has since become an entire network. In 2000, they were awarded the PRINZ Nightlife Award in the category “Best DJ” – voted for, of course, by the readers of PRINZ.

The Tune Brothers managed the quantum leap beyond the deep valley of Stuttgart; in fact long before they could provide proof of their own production. Apart from the most important festivals (SonneMondSterne, Solar Dance/Sofia, Nature One, Love Parade), they also played in all well-known house clubs and rushed through the night life of international metropolises with a tight schedule of appointments.

The steps are constantly increasing, the distances are ever greater. Summer is the most strenuous time of the year, the house Mecca of Ibiza is on their schedule. The few gigs of their first season in Ibiza turned to weekly residencies in the following years. In 2005 they were official Space Residents, and on top of that, for the first time ever, their Housesession held events in the most famous clubs in the world.

In the course of the decade, two young DJs turned into two adult label owners, radio producers, music producers and remixers. Housesession has become a (registered) trademark. The Housesession network is characterised by one common denominator: think globally. Not only the German scene is watched; internationality is the name of the game.

The Housesession radio show launched on the youth radio station DASDING in 2000 is currently broadcast to nine stations in five countries (Germany, Spain, Greece, Belgium and Bulgaria). During the first hour the Tune Brothers mix the latest and generally unpublished tracks. During the second hour a famous DJ supplies a mix as has been done over the past six years, starting with David Guetta, Bob Sinclair or Little Louie Vega and through to Deep Dish. Thanks not only to this unique platform, the Tune Brothers have become an important interface for fresh house music in Germany.

With their first official compilations “In The Mix Vol. 1 & 2” they laid the foundation for the record label Housesession Records, which established itself toward the middle of their first decade. Their balanced publication policy has paid off. Apart from releases by big ones such as Armand van Helden, Michael Gray or DJ Sneak, they come across hopeful newcomers and release their tracks. They are continuously developing their own pool of artists, musical content is the benchmark. Impressive artwork completes the concept of the Stuttgart music factory. The records find homes around the globe.

Most Housesession publications, such as the above mentioned gems, are accompanied by Tune Brothers’ remixes. An extremely fruitful relationship was entered into in the music studio with the experienced producer Peter Hoff. Impressions of a club night and the longstanding DJ experience of the Tune Brothers enter into the studio work. Their tracks must be suitable for prime time listening. Their good flavour is another factor that renders a Tune Brothers track ‘hot.’

In parallel with the label, the focus was increasingly on producing and remixing, considering that almost seven years had to pass before the Tune Brothers debuted with their first single “Mr Roboto” in 2003. The electro house version of the Styx classic became a club hit. The follow-up single “Serenata” in a Latin house version did not only enthuse the ladies for a winter and the following summer. Both tracks climbed to the very top in countless dance charts. For their third single “I Like It” to be produced in 2006, they are integrating a classic funky house piano into a contemporary production.

10 years Tune Brothers amount to 10 years house music and to 10 years of development. Their musical phases have since been documented on a total of seven mix compilations (often double CDs). If one took the time, however, to listen to one disc after the other, one would not come across any hard breaks or extreme changes in style. The result would be a harmonious overall image, like a raw diamond that is ground in the course of time.]]> music entertainment Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:14:17 +0200

Norman grew up listening to music, thanks to his parents. Hearing Bob Sinclar or Daft Punk for the first time is a true shock to him; deeply influenced by them, Norman is quickly attracted to turntables and Djing. He starts spinning in 2002 in several clubs near his home town in the west of France, and quickly earns a residency in 2003, in a club in Lille, one of the club capitals of Western Europe.

Only a year and a half later will Norman be on the move again, playing in clubs throughout France and abroad, while making his first steps production-wise. The first track to be released in the spring of 2006 is “In The Name Of Love”, a collaboration with friend Pierre De La Touche on the German label Starfunk Records. The track is -surprisingly to Norman - picked up and playlisted by many DJs. Norman adds Arno Cost to the team and the trio form ‘The Freshmakers’. Under that name, Norman’s second track “Let You Go” is released in 2006 on Serial Records. “Let You Go” will be considered as THE track of the summer 2006 in France, not only highly charted on radios such as Radio FG, Fun Radio, Contact FM, but also quickly reached N°1 in the club charts, and camped there for 6 weeks.

On the tail of that success, The Freshmakers are asked to remix 3 tracks: Da Sushiman “In & Out” (Ledge Music); Serial Crew “Make Your Own Kind Of Music (Serial Records); Rilod “Thriller” (Nice Music), and at the beginning of 2007 go on to remix the huge hit Sunfreakz “Counting Down The Days” and Antoine Clamaran’s blockbuster track “Give Some Love”. Norman will solo remix one of the most beautiful songs of the year: “Soul Heaven” by Henrik B, for Joia Records.

Norman Doray’s first solo production and summer sounding “Jetlag” is not far behind. It will be released in May 2007 on Serial Records. Radio FG wants Norman as DJ resident in September 07’ and he has his slot there ever since, a one hour floor stompin’ mix show every week. Before 2007 ends, Norman will team up again with Arno Cost to produce the now legendary “Apocalypse”. This track will put both Norman and Arno on the Worldwide dance map, and give to Norman his first Essential New Tune in the well known Pete Tong’s show. Many DJs played it: Axwell, Eric Prydz, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Sebastien Léger, Tiesto, Paul van Dyck… “Apocalypse” will be released Worldwide on labels such as CR2, Kontor, News, Universal.

Thanks to the success of this anthem, Norman will move on to remix fabulous tracks such as “Humanoidz” by Tom de Neef & Laidback Luke (Jsquad), “Delirious” by David Guetta (Virgin), “Baba O Riley” by Cube Guys (Ministry Of Sound), “24H” by Seamus Haji (Big Love) and “Kalle” by Zoo Brazil (Joia), all played by the biggest names out there. Along with these projects, “The Freshmakers” trio produced their second single “Miracle”, with a massive remix by Mischa Daniels. Again, full support by the leaders of the dancefloors Worldwide.

In the summer of 2008, Norman Doray is chosen by David Guetta to play their renowned Pacha party “Fu** Me I’m Famous” in Ibiza. Peak time summer clubbing frenzy. Norman Doray’s second solo single “Krystal” was released at the end of September 08’, directly on CR2, Serial Records and We Play, directly followed by a massive collaboration with Tristan Garner called “Last Forever”, which was his second Essential New Tune of the Pete Tong show in 2 years. Pete played it more than 10 times in his show. This track was one of the biggest club track of 2009. Due to this success, Norman is playing in the best clubs in the world.

Always spinning, always producing, Norman never stops. 2009 is a big year for him, he remixed; Those Usual Suspects – “Shadows” (Ministry Of Sound), David Guetta Ft. Kelly Rowland – “When Love takes Over” and above all Mark Brown Vs The Face – “Needin u” this track was supported all summer long by the biggest DJs in the world and became one of Ibiza’s most spun tracks of 2009. End of April sees Norman collaborate with the talented Swedish producer Albin Myers to create the track “Drink N’ Dial”. “Drink N’ Dial” is a massive success on the dancefloors and will be released on the world famous record label “Strickly Rhythm” at the end of November. It’s another step for Norman.

During this summer Norman played at the best parties: Fu** Me I’m Famous with David Guetta, Dark Forest with the Swedish House Mafia, Papaya club (Croatia), Warehouse Tokyo, Set Club Miami and Sankeys Manchester, to name just a few. Now its time for him to get back in the studio. He has already started one of the most exciting remixes of the end of 2009, the anthem “Woz Not Woz” by Eric Prydz & Steve Angello. Norman is also finishing his new solo project called “Tobita”, which announces massive damage on the World’s dancefloors.

Website: Norman Doray]]> music entertainment Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:13:23 +0200
Danny Tenaglia has spent the past year or so traveling extensively as a DJ adding uncharted territories of Russia and Israel to his already extensive list of England, USA, Canada, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Portugal, Germany and Switzerland. It's fair comment to call him the Christopher Columbus of House Music.

His name is synonymous with the effervescent club scene of New York City where Danny has remained true to his roots by remaining in the thick of the city's clubbing culture. From his days as an early crusader of House music, Danny has always thrived on the reaction of the dancefloor to his music and still considers DJing as the most inspiring part of his work. After more than 20 years in the business, he still DJs his hot Friday night at Manhattan's Vinyl.

Those two decades have been studded with professional highs, and his production credits read like a Who's Who of popular music. For an ex-roller disco DJ from Brooklyn, Danny Tenaglia has come a long, long way. Since the late 80's, Tenaglia has created a niche for himself in the ever-fickle world of hip producers and trendy remixers and ever since his debut recording in 1988 -- "Waiting For A Call" by Deep State -- Danny has been kept busy with a steady stream of quality remixes and production credits. His impressive resume includes major superstars like Madonna ("Human Nature"), Janet Jackson ("Pleasure Principle") and the Pet Shop Boys ("Bilingual") as well as dance luminaries like The Orb ("Little Fluffy Clouds"), Kim Mazelle ("Love Me The Right Way") and working with Peter and Vanessa Daou on their four #1 Billboard dance singles ("Surrender Yourself", "Give Myself To You", "Sunday Afternoons" and "Two To Tango").

His own break-through album, 1995's "Hard & Soul", is now considered a classic - a clubbing masterpiece which featured hard-edged beats wrapped up in soulful rhythms. Danny Tenaglia's style and savvy is in making completely of-the-moment records with an almost timeless quality, with Danny always looking to the future whilst giving the old school a respectful and approving nodd. His DJ compilation albums ("Mix This Pussy", "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?", "Global Underground/Athens" and "Color Me Danny") have only succeeded in making him even more sought-after in clubs around the world. "Tourism", the eagerly awaited follow up to "Hard & Soul" came in 1998 and continued with deep Garage-hued rhthyms and trippy House beats with which Danny would preview to the crowd during his popular residency at New York's Tunnel Club.

Danny Tenaglia as DJ began to make a name for himself in the late 70s - wowing the crowds at legendary Manhattan clubs like Stix and Crisco Disco. When he wasn't rocking the dancefloor himself he could be found hanging out at the Paradise Garage with the likes of Larry Levan. In 1985, Danny packed his records and migrated south to Miami, Florida. "I was the house DJ at Cheers. At that time it was the only club in Miami staying open until 7am on weekends. "I remember introducing the people to all the New York garage stuff and early Chicago house music. I was living for those sounds." Five years later - apparently tired of the fun and sun - Danny moved back to New York. Since his return Danny has played at a variety of clubs, including Tunnel and Twilo and has spent much of his time traveling abroad. Says Danny, "Everywhere I've played, people have treated me with great respect and admiration. To see a crowd touched by music is truly a beautiful experience." His dedication to the dancefloor doesn't go unnoticed, he was recently voted #8 in DJ magazine's top 100 DJs in the world.

Following recent remixes for Giorgio Moroder ("From Here to Eternity") and Green Velvet ("Flash") and the release of "Stick Together" and "Why Can't You Be Real" (produced with Byron Stingily) Danny is back with the first US release from the series "Back to Mine". A beautiful yet difficult album to compile, "Back to Mine" features thirteen classic tracks. With a vinyl collection of over 15,000 records, Danny painstakingly selected his personal favorites for an after hours session at his house after a hard night out on the dancefloor. Quite different from his previous mix albums, "Back to Mine" is a lovingly crafted album of gems for the very end of the night. Perfect home listening material from one of the world's best DJs. Who could ask for more?

Website : Danny Tenaglia]]> music entertainment Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:12:00 +0200

Ida Engberg started DJing hip hop and soul aged 14 after a boyfriend showed her how to mix, but she says “- I had absolutely no plans on becoming a DJ, I just saw it as a new way to listen to and interact with music and I loved it!” But fate had other plans – while at a friend’s bar aged 18 his regular DJ called in sick. Ida talked her way onto the decks on the proviso that if it wasn’t working after half an hour she’d get off again – by the time she’d finished playing she’d secured her first weekly residence. “- I was probably a terrible DJ” she says modestly, “but he loved the music so he booked me every Friday. At this time I was playing lounge music, ambient and soulful house.”

Ida honed her mixing skills and bagged her second residency through more fortuitous timing – working as a host at a big nightclub, Spy Bar, she stepped in for the errant resident DJ who’d had a skinful and promptly disappeared, leaving the dancefloor in silence. The owner immediately changed her job description to DJ, and put her in the main room, kicking off her DJ career proper. “- I guess it was there it really started” says Ida. “- I was playing house, tribal and electro and I really loved every second of it! I kept my residency there for two and a half years until I decided I wanted to spread my wings a bit.”

A move to Marbella brought 8 months of club gigs, followed by a season in Ibiza which inspired Ida musically like no other place. “- I had fallen deeply in love with the minimal techno sound so it was perfect at the time. In Ibiza I met so many people who shared the same dream - to be working with music. I was playing in bars and smaller clubs and in afterhour parties. Everywhere I went it was people with the same passion for music as I had.” At the end of the season, Ida returned to Stockholm landing a top residency at Cocktail Club, the best underground club in Stockholm. “- My first gig was a warm up for Eric Prydz and after that I did warm ups for everyone from Damian Lazarus, Mandy, Anja Schneider and Jennifer Cardini to Roger Sanchez and Steve Angello. “Stockholm is a great platform for electronic music. There are so many great producers and DJs living here and people really support each other.”

Although DJing is her first love, it was only a matter of time before Ida tried her hand at production. Her first effort was the massive Disco Volante - signed by John Dahlbäck to his Pickadoll label and released in 2007 with a Sebastien Leger remix. It became a huge hit all over the world, featuring on compilations from Ministry of Sound, Defected in the House and Pacha Ibiza. It charted across the whole of Europe, doing especially well in Holland, Belgium and Germany. Two more tracks have followed on Get Physical and Pickadoll plus a remix for Dada Life, and Ida signed with the Plantage13 agency for international gigs.

She can be found playing her brand of minimal, techno and tech house in clubs all over the world every weekend, and her love of what she does is obvious to all. Playing unplanned sets allows her to respond to the crowd, and she’s rocked parties and clubs like Miami’s Sunday School for Degenerates, Yes at Watergate in Berlin, Tomorrowland in Belgium, Melkweg in Amsterdam, Catwalk in Rotterdam and Op Art in Portugal to name a few.

Lately she also took part in the Drumcode parties with Swedish companion Adam Beyer. “- It’s still a musical journey, my style develops all the time and I’m always open to new impressions” says Ida. “That’s what makes it the best job in the world!”

Website : Ida Engberg]]> music entertainment Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:41:42 +0200

Felix da Housecat’s 2001 album, Kittenz and thee Glitz, turned the dance music world on its side as his collaborations with the now infamous Miss Kittin on “Silver Screen” and “Madame Hollywood” and Melistar on “Harlot” and “What Does it Feel Like” spawned a synth club revival. Along the way, Felix gained mainstream press acceptance and was heralded by Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and Spin as one of the most creative artists in music today.

With DEVIN DAZZLE AND THE NEON FEVER (2004, Emperor Norton), Felix once again has sewn together an album a la hip-hop’s Dan The Automator and Prince Paul which taps the talents of varied producers and vocalists and creates a thoroughly enjoyable ride. Boasting guest vocals from James Murphy of DFA/LCD Soundsystem (“What She Wants”) – “He’s a cool white boy with lots of funk,’ states Felix, Tyrone "Visionary" Palmer (“Ready to Wear,” “Neon Human”), Kate Wax, and an all-girl group known as The Neon Fever (“Rocket Ride,” “Short Skirts,” “Everyone is Someone in LA,” “Hunting Season”) Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever transcends simple dance, rock or pop music.

While Kittenz had it’s framework squarely built upon DJ and club culture, Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever is an album built upon punk/post new-wave culture and is deliberately more song oriented. To accomplish this Felix took a new approach. “I decided I wanted to use live musicians for this album,” Felix explains. “I got so tired of the arpeggiated bass lines everyone's using, so I went out an got proper live musicians. I play keyboards because I really wanted to get a live feel for this record."

Talking about some of the cast of characters he enlisted for the album, Felix relates how each had an effect on the superego of the album. The tracks on Devin Dazzle fluctuate between an upbeat spiritual side versus the temptations of the excess of nightlife under neon lights - partying and sex.

The Neon Fever (formerly known as Glamarama) represents the latter. “The Neon Fever are five girls from around the world that represent five different types of women,” states Felix, “I wanted to capture their individual personalities within the lyrics and make their voice a collective through each song. I wanted to capture the inside scoop of guys looking into a woman’s world. I think the result is some lyrics that aren’t what guys would typically write.”

Felix’s Kittenz cohort, Dave the Hustler, introduced Felix to Kate Wax. “I was real impressed with her because although she is a talented and impressive producer in her own right. She was willing to listen and work to improve with me. She’s real pretty and ambitious and for her to go with the vibe it was amazing. ‘Let Your Mind Be Your Bed’ is just the tip of the iceberg given her talent.”

“Tyrone ‘Visionary’ Palmer was the spiritual leader of the entire album and kept me writing about things that were meaningful. He brought a good balance to the record,” relates Felix.

Over the course of 20 years his determination and willingness to re-invent himself have led him to a point that has now included a Grammy nomination, remix work for artists such as Madonna, Garbage, New Order and Giorgio Moroder; to DJ gigs at the world’s most prestigious music festivals. Born in Detroit in 1971 and raised in Park Forrest, outside Chicago, Felix Stallings, Jr.'s earliest influence was his father, a saxophonist who turned him on to classic '70s funk and soul by artists like Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire. His next major musical epiphany came about when Purple Rain dropped and he became the keyboardist for Shades of Blue, a band that covered Prince & the Revolution songs.

In Chicago during the early '80s, the House music revolution grabbed Felix’s attention. For Felix, it centered around Chicago's 102.7 and the pioneering Hot Mix DJs. "I remember listening to Farley ‘Jack Master’ Funk, Mike ‘Hitman’ Wilson, Micky ‘Mixin'’ Oliver, and Kenny ‘Jamming’ Jason," Felix says rattling off the city's House pioneers. By 14 he too was recording house music on his four-track. A school friend introduced him to DJ Pierre who he collaborated with on their classic house track "Phantasy Girl".

But Felix's tastes weren't limited to a single genre. His senior year he played in Uncut, a band with an R&B-like vibe. After graduation he enrolled at Alabama State and began making hip-hop. After two years in the Deep South (an experience he compares to “prison") he flunked out. In 1991, Felix moved into his parents' basement, studied audio engineering at Columbia College and worked at Eduardo's pizzeria. "It was rough," he says. "I hated those ovens and I kept thinking something's got to give."

What finally gave was Pierre’s once-in-a-lifetime offer. "Once I got to London and saw all those punk rockers," Felix says, "I thought `this is where it's going to happen.'" Armed with a box of DATs, Felix made the rounds. "It was crazy," he says, "I'd walk into a label cold, play a track, and they'd sign it!" He quickly sold "What's Love About" to Freetown Inc and "Thee Dawn" to William Orbit's Guerilla label and returned to the states with more money then he'd ever seen. In 1992 "Thee Dawn" became a European smash and Felix blew-up overseas. "I was producing a track a week for different labels," he says. The next year, the success of "Thee Underground Made Me Do It," and "In Thee Dark We Live," helped further cement his fame. The latter track, released under Aphrohead, was just one of Felix's many production aliases which would come to include Wonderboy, Rocketmann, Outerrealm, Thee Glitz and Thee Maddkatt Courtship.

Felix scored an album deal with Deep Distraxion in 1993 and dropped By Dawns Early Lite, one of the first full-length dance music artist albums ever. Unlike other dance artists, Felix didn't start DJing until midway through his career. "My first DJ gig was in London in 1994 and it was horrible," he says laughing. "I was train-wrecking all over the place." (Now, of course, with DJ of the year honors from Spin and Urb it's a different story.) In 1995 Felix started Radikal Fear records with European distributor Play it Again Sam. Between 1995 – 96, he made four full-length records Alone In The Dark, Metropolis Present Day? Thee Album, Thee Underground Made Me Do It and Rocketman.

In 1997, Felix released the import-only I Know Electrikboy by Thee Maddkat Courtship, an album that despite its limited release, earned Felix reams of fawning press. That same year he played Switzerland and met Miss Kittin and Dave the Hustler. "We got along great and went into the studio and got all silly," Felix explains.

The realization of their “silliness” was one of the most influential dance music releases of the past decade. ”Nobody expected it," says Felix of Kittenz & Thee Glitz's meteoric success, “but it just took off." It’s Moroder-indebted beats, funky synth lines, and insouciant L.A.-meets-Eurotrash vocals captured a moment in time when, after a period of political turmoil, people simply craved "endless pleasure in a limousine." In addition to adoring reviews in The New York Times and Rolling Stone, Kittenz won album of the year honors from Muzik Magazine and Dancestar USA.


Post-Kittenz, Felix has become one of the most sought after remixers and producers on the planet reinterpreting songs by everyone from the Pet Shop Boys to Kylie Minogue to Nina Simone. In 2003 he was nominated for Grammy Award for his mix of Rinocerose’s “Lost Love," released two mix albums entitled Excursions and Bugged Out and began working with artists like P-Diddy, who were eager to tap his prodigious production skills.

With all that said, one inevitable question remains, where did the name "Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever” come from? Felix being Felix, has an answer for everything: “Devin Dazzle is a character fascinated by the nightlife," he says "Every time he sees neon lights he gets the fever. But Dazzle has a friend named Neon Fever who’s a bad influence on him and is everything opposite of Devin.” So, might this be an autobiographical album? “It’s something personal” he says, “and I’m not gonna tell.”]]> music entertainment Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:38:37 +0200

Born in Madrid in 1976, Ángel David López began his career as radio DJ and presenter at the early age of thirteen. With an innovative programme, specialising in dance music, he broadcasted his sessions in the small hours of the weekends on Top Radio. Following this first experience, he worked for the best Spanish radio stations, such as Loca FM, Flaix FM and Maxima Fm.

Pioneer of House music in Spain, he soon began touring the major clubs in the world, sharing the decks with celebrities such as Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong, Sébastien Leger and Mark Knight.

His curiosity and interest in music led him to begin his career as a producer. In 2000 he launched the label Weekend Records, remixing artists such as Tiësto, Marco V, Valentino Kanzyani, Dirty Vegas, Bob Sinclar and Robbie Rivera. Many of his launches have been successfully published on leading labels such as Defected, Underwater, Yoshitoshi and Subliminal.

In 2000 he produced what would be his first international hit "Amman", followed by "Patricia Never leaves the House" and "Disco Night", enthusiastically played by artists such as Pete Tong, Hernan Cattaneo and Steve Lawler, which led to him being named "Man of the moment".

After working for a whole host of labels and artists, he decided, in 2001, to create "LA FACTORIA DISCOS" (now TheFactoria), initially destined for funky house, as well as a more underground sublabel called Fórmula Records. Recently he has created a new label called FATXL together with his colleagues Ismael Rivas and Iván Pica.

TheFactoria currently has over twenty references with huge international impact such as "Love time" (number 1 on specialised programmes and different international radio stations), and "Strike me down", an essential track in the set of artists such as Eric Prydz and Carl Cox, and included on more than forty compilations including one put together by Steve Angello for MixMag magazine.

In 2004 he began his Pachá Ibiza residency, with Darren Emerson and Tim Deluxe, which he combines with The End (London), where he plays together with artists such as FatBoy Slim and X-Press2. He went on to have residencies in Discotèque (Barcelona), Red Light (Paris), Pachá (Barcelona), Ministry of Sound (London) and The Mix (Paris).

However, 2004 was when Wally López's musical career reached its current dimension. Fate led him to take a slow commuter train from Madrid to Valencia and, to beat the boredom, he got out his laptop and started working on a remix of "Just a little more love". In Wally's hands it became a worldwide hit and the man from Madrid became the indisputable winner of the 2004 DJ Awards.

Considered to be the most internationally renowned Spanish DJ and producer, he has played on the five continents and taken part in electronic music festivals such as Creamfields Liverpool, Global Gathering, Exit Festival and Weekend Dance.

His musical intuition is only comparable to his enormous work capacity. Over the last few years he has made remixes with groups such as Lighthouse Family, Enigma and Santana, and work for Bob Sinclar, Pete Tong, Âme and Soul Seekerz, whose remix "Party for the weekend" was published by POSITIVA, one of the most prestigious labels in the world.

Creator of themes such as "DON'T YOU" (number one for several weeks) he is a regular broadcaster on Máxima FM, for whom he presents a national electronic music programme tuned into by over 300,000 listeners every Friday. His programme is also broadcast in English on radio stations in Belgium, France, Italy and Russia.

As well as the affection of an unquestioning public which has followed him over the last eighteen years, he has earned the recognition and respect of other professionals in the sector by being awarded the following:

DeejayMag 2007 best Deejay of the year
DeejayMag 2007 best progressive and electro house deejay of the year
DeejayMag 2007 best radioshow "laFactoria" Maxima FM.
DeejayMag 2007 best marketing campaign made by a Deejay.
DeejayMag 2006 best deejay of the year
DeejayMag 2006 best tribal, progressive and electro house of the year
DeejayMag 2005 best compilation PERCEPTIONS OF PACHA IBIZA vol 2
DeejayMag 2005 best deejay of the year
DeejayOner best deeajy
DeejayOner best production for his remix David Guetta "Just a little more love"
DeejayMag 2003 best house deejay
DeejayMag 2002 best house deejay
Ibiza Deejay Awards 2002 Best Internacional Newcomer
DeejayMags 2001 Best house production "Patricia never Leaves the house"

Website : Wally Lopez]]> music entertainment Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:37:44 +0200

As one of the most in demand producers on the planet, David Guetta is poised to take electronic music out of the confines of the global underground, where he reigns as the No. 1 House DJ. Joining hands and forces with some of the biggest names on the urban scene, while introducing some undiscovered talents, another level beckons.

Already a multi-platinum selling artist in Europe, with three chart-topping albums to his name to date (Just a Little More Love 2002; Guetta Blaster, 2004; Pop Life, 2007), his signature sound of quirky, electro, house and dirty pop, is igniting across the rest of the world, where it was kept a club-land secret. Until now.

EMI Music will release Guetta’s much-awaited 4th album late August. It features guest vocals from Kelly Rowland, Will.I.Am, Novel and long time hit-maker Chris Willis, of course. Plus there are others too hot to mention yet. Guetta has also produced the forthcoming single by the Black Eyed Peas “I Got A Feeling”.

His mission is to share the love and connection Dance music is built on while bringing together music scenes that co-exist but don’t often mix – like NERD, Timbaland and Kanye - but significantly, from another perspective. Call it Electro-Hop, R&B Dance, Hip House, whatever you want, but it's the sound that will define 2009.

As an artist and producer, he makes music that rocks the coolest clubs and yet sits proudly on pop radio and MTV. He uniquely and boldly treads a tightrope most DJs wouldn’t dare to traverse too: the line between being an underground DJ and having huge crossover success.

That might not sound like two worlds that go together, but that he won a World Music Award and was voted the best house DJ in the DJmag Top 100 in the same year is a credit to his ability to work in both of these seemingly disparate worlds.

David knows what touches people; playing in over 200 cities last year alone and up to 2 million people at a time - as well as in underground basement jams; he should.

“I’m not trying to be credible,” David admits with a smile broadening across his soft, open face. “I’m trying to be incredible. It’s very easy to be underground because you just have to obey a set of codes. It’s very formulaic. But it’s also very easy to be totally pop, because it’s very formulaic too. I’m trying to do something different.”

With around 70 million hits on YouTube (and climbing fast), David is as popular outside of nightclubs as he is in them. In fact, David’s video’s hold the Number 1 and No 3 spots in the most watched Electronica clips on Youtube – worldwide and of all time!

To see Guetta wind a room into frenzy is something special. Technically David is one of the most impressive DJs in the house scene. Almost remixing records live, he makes loops, slams tracks together that you’d never think would go and uses vocals over other instrumentals. His sets are so dynamic that at times it’s difficult to see how he can keep the energy up. To put it simply, Guetta creates moments.

“Everything I’m trying to do – in my DJing, my production – is about sharing emotion. When I’m making music in the studio that’s all I’m looking for. It’s what matters the most.!”

Website : David Guetta]]> music entertainment Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:09:23 +0200

On the over populated electronic music stage, Helena has emerged at the forefront to hit the wheels of steel. A temptress in big rooms, Helena is Australia’s very own Queen of Clubs, with a signature sound of uplifting melodies and rolling basslines. Her on stage energy is immense, extracting all the best of house, electro, prog, tribal & tech, Helena commands the dancefloor like no other.

UK born and Australian bred, Helena was always destined to pursue a musical path. Her background in classical piano and cello set the tone for a powerful musical base at an early age, along with her impressive heritage of working in the UK music industry proved to be a deadly combination when a pair of Technics turntables served as her ultimate musical instrument, launching Helena into a successful reign of the stage, showcasing her natural raw talent across dancefloors and airwaves.

From rocking Gatecrasher and Pacha in London, to the White Isles of Ibiza and Malaysia's Ministry Of Sound and Stereolab now calling Sydney home in between worldwide tours, Helena has every major Australian city on lockdown, smashing festivals like Future Music and Sensation White as well as featuring regular mixes on national radio stations such as Triple J and Nova.

Helena performs around the country also representing Pioneer as a Pro DJ Ambassador, balancing her busy gig schedule with daily studio sessions, working on exclusive edits & upcoming releases that ensures an endless supply of unique creativity in her sets.

Helena has earned respect as a highly credible artist by all that have crossed her path, as it is a rare occasion to find a talent with immense skills and energy, magnetic presence and remarkable appeal, this world class talented performer rules the decks. Indeed, there is no stopping this royal powerhouse of dance.

Website: DJ Helena]]> music entertainment Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:30:00 +0200

One of the fastest rising stars of the Australian dance industry, the last 12 months have been a whirlwind of non-stop gigs, overseas trips and packed dancefloors for Jody McLeod.

The floor-filling DJ, popular Nova radio host and ambassador for Pioneer Pro DJ has taken all before her in 2009, rising up the ranks to become one Melbourne’s busiest spinners. She regularly knocks dancefloors for six at clubs, festivals and corporate gigs, while juggling headline tours of Mykonos for Ministry of Sound and trips to New York to interview Beyoncé.

A second generation DJ, McLeod was born with music and performance in her blood. Her dad spent much of the ‘70s spinning tunes, so it was no surprise his daughter sought sonic inspiration from a young age. By the age of four, she was already enacting carefully choreographed musical routines for her neighbours, with keytar and mic in hand. Not long after, her first pocket money was used to invest in the cherished vinyl of Prince and Michael Jackson.

Today, swap her neighbours for thousands of ravenous dance fans and not a whole heap has changed. McLeod’s still captivating them with her effervescent personality and sixth sense for music. On any given weekend, the DJ will regularly play spots at Star Bar, Fusion, Jett Black and Billboard. Find yourself at QV, Highpoint, Federation Square, Chadstone or even the Australian Open Tennis, and you may also be lucky enough to be on the receiving end of one of her hiplashing sets.

A growing favourite with festival goers, McLeod’s smashed it Stereosonic07, 08 and ’09, rocking beats alongside everyone from Booka Shade, to Axwell and Deadmau5. Her impact at the behemoth Sensation parties was also undeniable, going down a treat at the inaugural event on NYE 2009 alongside Erick Morillo and Fedde Le Grand. No surprise she’s set to back up last year’s performance with a slot alongside Sebastian Ingrosso and Roger Sanchez on 31 December at Etihad Stadium.

True to form, there’s no rest for the wicked. McLeod will be starting 2010 with a bang, playing alongside Ingrosso and Dirty South in Perth, before completing a quick fire tour of Bali throughout January. There’s also further touring throughout Europe planned for mid-2010, with McLeod set to return to Mykonos on the back of July’s storming performance at Paradise Club.

All the while, McLeod’s radio career continues to go from strength to strength. She hosts the 12-4pm weekday slot on Melbourne’s Nova 100, having also completed two trips to Amsterdam to cover Sensation and Trance Energy for the network. This is on top of being flown to New York to chat with the biggest R&B artist on the planet, Beyoncé.

With so many projects on the go and an endless amount of passion for music and sharing it with those around her, just wait and see what we’re going to be saying about Jody McLeod in another 12 months time.

Website: Jody McLeod]]> music entertainment Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:54:50 +0200

Born in Stockholm 22 years ago, growing up to be the typical tomboy, disregarding Barbie, refusing to wear a pretty dress, turning her back on a privileged background to become a follower of the Stockholm underground scene, a break dancer performing at local rail stations to earn some money, A love of graffiti art, A successful DJ gigging throughout Europe, and prior to all of this, finding herself at thirteen years old, in the wild countryside of Argentina training to become at the age of only seventeen, one of the leading female Polo players in Spain and Scandinavia...in the men's team.

Realising where her heart lay, and without telling her parents, she eventually returned to Sweden and applied for the prestigious 'Musikmakarna' to pursue her first love. As with everything she puts her mind to, she achieved her goal and was one of the chosen few to pursue her dream, followed by a six month internship in Los Angeles.

Some might say a wild child, but if you knew her, you would understand this is a girl who could already write an autobiography that would keep you engrossed through to the very last page. An artist with a passion for everything she believes in. A talented writer, a real performer and an artist that sings from the heart.

Having recently teamed up with what she describes as her 'hit machine', the talented production team of Holter/Erixson based in Stockholm, and signing to SoFo Records/Lionheart Music in Stockholm, the first tracks from the collaboration are already helping to spread the word of Alex Saidac.

Take note, listen to her story, watch her performance, hear the voice, and understand this is no manufactured pop phenomenon, but the real deal. What you see is what you get.

Website: Alex Saidac]]> music entertainment Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:48:00 +0200

It's true that Anna Reusch does not fit the stereotypical cliché of what it takes to be a serious act on the Techno music scene – she's young, blonde, a model – basta! However what they don't know is that at just 14 Anna was using the stereo in her father's rehearsal room so she could listen to her particular style of music.

Having tried and failed to play guitar, drums and piano Anna thought she would just have to settle for listening to music, but at 16 she met a DJ who luckily spotted her talent and technique for recognising the beat and he decided to help her.

At 17 the newcomer was performing as support act on the "Härtegrad Clubnacht" and it didn't take long before she signed her first recording deal. However, at 18 whilst still at school but also touring throughout Germany Anna decided to throw in the towel as it was all getting a bit too much. Another 3 years passed before she could properly interpret the feeling of itchy fingers which she had been experiencing once in a while, especially when she was out clubbing.

At the end of 2008 Anna decided that she would now concentrate on music and she started to learn. The proper teachers, e.g. George Perry and Peter Latino, who were milestones in the Frankfurt music scene, pointed her in the right direction and opened doors to a previously unknown world : the Techhouse/Techno scene. Driving beats and dramatic arrangements aroused her euphoric listeners and really left an impression. Gig after gig she was able to refine her technique and track by track her style emerged for phatt basslines mixed with dry but grooving melodic beats. She succeeds in her goal to get the crowd to "come with me on a trip of pumpin' electronic music".

During 2009 Anna Reusch was able to play a number of great clubs giving her a very respectable list of references, amongst which were U60311 in Frankfurt, Loft in Ludwigshafen, Elektroküche in Cologne, Club Q in Zurich and Festivals such as Summerwave and Nature One. She surprises her listeners with passion, technique and flair. Prejudices are now passé. Her first music productions are in the making – something to look forward to!

Website: Anna Reusch]]> music entertainment Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:16:00 +0200

There are DJs who can rock a party, a club, a festival. And there are acts that can write songs that will bring out the goose bumps in you. But there’s only one group that can do both: Above & Beyond. Currently fifth in the DJ Magazine annual poll – the highest-placed Brits – in the last year alone, they have sound-tracked the unveiling of a new spaceship, performed an acoustic show in a hot air balloon, and entranced a crowd of 8,000 in Beirut with their first full live show. For the world’s most famous trance trio, there are no limits. “There’s so much going on,” says Tony McGuinness. “We’re trying to do so many things.”

From remixing Madonna (2001), to winning Essential Mix of the Year (2004) or playing to one million people on the beach in Rio de Janeiro (New Year’s Eve 2007), Above & Beyond’s career has been a constant upward curve since the trio formed in 2000. Because Above & Beyond make music, pure and simple. That music happens to be electronic. And it connects. “We’re a group,” says Tony. “And we’re trying to connect with people. When you see people singing along as passionately as they do, I guess you’re getting it right.” The key difference is this: Above & Beyond are DJs, producers – and musicians. “We like to think of ourselves as songwriters first,” says Paavo Siljamaki, who with Jono Grant makes up the trio. “The most challenging thing is to write a song that really touches the listener.”

Creatively and geographically, Above & Beyond don’t believe in borders. Hence 2009’s full live band show in Beirut, Lebanon. “What an undertaking,” says Tony. “We decided to do a really big, high production live show. It was an enormous undertaking and a risk.” It was the first time they had translated the Above & Beyond sound to a live line-up – drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, singers Zoe Johnston and Richard Bedford. “People were blown away and we felt blown away by it ourselves,” says Tony. And Beirut left its mark. “They rebuilt the town centre, it’s beautiful,” says Tony. “But we did a photo shoot in an old Chevrolet showroom and it had bullet holes, and the driver had fought on that very roof, and was picking up shell cases and explaining what happened.”

At the other end of the scale, the group played an acoustic show for two fans and BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong in a hot air balloon as it sailed serenely over the English countryside. At one point, the driver flew the balloon at little more than a metre over a field of wheat. “It’s like a dream sequence in a movie, because you’re not flying fast or up and down, you’re looking at something you would never see in nature,” says Tony.

And when Richard Branson needed a theme tune for the unveiling of his new Virgin Galactic spaceship in the Mojave Desert with California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, he turned to Above & Beyond. Jono DJed at the event. And ‘Buzz’, the track Above & Beyond provided, delighted the ‘ship’s designers with its sleek, rocket-fuelled, trance dynamics and crackly radio dialogue by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. “They thought it was perfect, thought it had the right resonance,” says Jono.

From small, East European club shows to major festival like America’s Coachella, Above & Beyond have a unique ability to captivate and engage audiences. Their music has grandeur and melody, but it’s edged with steel too. There are dark shadows among the sweet moments. Trance is too small a word for their cinematic, ambitious sound, it’s bigger than genres.

THE trio are experienced musicians who know their way around a studio. Tony McGuinness was marketing director for Warner Brothers Records – but for years previously was the guitarist/songwriter of cult indie band Sad Lovers & Giants. Asked to organize a remix of Chakra’s ‘Home’ in 2000, he joined together with Jono Grant and Paavo Siljamaki - and Above & Beyond was born. “By coincidence we ended up tthree individuals with complimentary and different talents into the mix,” says Tony.

Jono Grant first discovered dance music when he borrowed his brother James’s cassette of Paul Oakenfold’s classic Goa mix – and fell in love with its sweeping melodrama. Already training as a classical pianist and guitarist, he was inspired him to build his own studio, taking on part time jobs to fund his equipment. “I managed to save up enough money from mowing the lawn to buy a drum machine,” he laughs. When he arrived at London’s University of Westminster, he had a small, yet compact studio. His first production was a remix of Strike’s Top Five hit ‘U Sure Do’.

Paavo had arrived at the same university from his native Finland. Also classically trained on cello and piano, he was studying music business. The two met one beery night and Jono proceeded tto play his latest productions. “Let’s write a track together,” Paavo told Jono. They pooled their studio resources in one mad taxi dash, and Anjunabeats was born. It is now one of the most famous labels on the world stage.

In 2001, Above & Beyond remixed Madonna’s ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl’ after Tony talked his way into her manager’s office – and into a remix. “We were pitching for the stars at that point,” smiles Paavo. Madonna used their mix for her controversial hot rod rampage video, directed by her husband Guy Ritchie. Other remixes have included Dido’s ‘Sand In My Shoes’ and Britney Spears’s ‘Everytime’. Their first single proper, 2002’s ‘Far From In Love’ with Kate Cameron, became a dance anthem. Their 2006 album ‘Tri-State’ was greeted with rave reviews. “Brilliant,” said DJ Magazine. “The ultimate fulfilment of any dance act’s ambition.” It was the song-writing that shone through - sweeping from euphoric melodies to atmospheric down-tempo moments. “We felt the perfect album wouldn’t be 12 club tracks but a collection of songs that take you on a journey,” says Paavo. “There were moments where we weren’t really sure. But in the end we feel we made something we could be proud of.”

One of the album’s many standouts is ‘Alone Tonight’ whose otherworldly melodies and heartfelt vocal performance from Richard Bedford resonate with audiences all over the world. “A lot of people who go to clubs are single, and that song is about being in a relationship but feeling alone,” says Jono. “So it resonates.” Under their Oceanlab alias with singer/songwriter Justine Suissa, they also produced the unforgettable ‘Satellite’. Another lyric with universal appeal – which Tony wrote about Paavo and his Japanese wife, when both were on opposite sides of the world – coupled with melodies to make you shiver and a vocal drenched in emotion. It too has become a vocal trance classic and live favourite.

Yet Above & Beyond aren’t just consummate musicians and songwriters, they are also world class DJs. Their Trance Around The World radio show airs on over 15 FM, Internet and Satellite stations worldwide and has just celebrated its 300th show – in Russia. They began their DJing career in front of 8,000 people in Tokyo in 2002. In 2004 they won BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the Year. They are Number Four in DJ magazine’s prestigious poll. “To be among such great DJs is a real honour,” says Paavo. “There are people above and below that I really, truly respect.”

Their ‘Anjunabeats 100’ – a collection of the very best tracks from their universally respected label - included a DVD documentary of the shows the group played over the Christmas holidays in 2007 in Goa, India and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they celebrated New Year with a million people. A peak in a career that has been full of them. “It was life-changing,” says Tony. “Amazing to look out and see that many people. In some ways it was too big to comprehend!”

WHAT audiences around the world also respond to is the professionalism and enthusiasm that Above & Beyond bring to their art. There is a warmth about the trio that people love. Tony is the one who gives it all on stage. “Tony is really the rock n’ roll star of the whole crew,” says Paavo. Tony sums up his band members with equal enthusiasm. “Jono is ambivalent about the incredible talent he has. He has a lot of energy, he is fearless when he’s DJing and is always in a good mood.” If Jono’s contribution is an effortless musicality, says Tony, Paavo adds heart and soul. “What he brings is a sense is how to bring out the emotion in a track.”

The ongoing Above & Beyond world tour continues. They just hosted a stage at the Future Music Festival, Australia’s biggest live event, covering five cities. In the studio, they moved towards a fusion of house and trance with their gorgeously anthemic remix of Dirty Vegas’s ‘Tonight’ – recorded in just 24 hours as part of the Ibiza Winter Music Conference. It’s a direction the group are also following with their Anjundadeep label which hit Number One on the US itunes album chart. “It felt to us like the road between house and trance used to be fairly empty,” notes Tony. “Now that has turned into an eight lane highway.” The album included a daring, soaring remix of Radiohead’s ‘Reckoner’. “We always wanted to work with a Thom Yorke vocal, they’re one of the most distinctive groups in the world,” says Tony. Meanwhile their remix album of Oceanlab’s ‘Sirens Of The Sea’ also reached Number One in the itunes Dance Album chart with pumped up versions of hits like ‘On A Good Day’.

The next major project is the new Above & Beyond studio album – currently scheduled for Autumn 2010, their first since ‘Tri-State’ and in its finishing stages. Above & Beyond are a team of perfectionists, constantly striving to get better. “You get more out of life by collaborating,” notes Tony. “We’re always trying to grow.” And what they do is make music with melody, movement – and meaning. Music, in short, that matters to people across the globe. “You can do stuff that is popular without selling out,” says Jono. “If you do something with quality, people respond to that.” Which is why even when they are half a world away, audiences always make Above & Beyond feel at home.

Website : Above & Beyond]]> music entertainment Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:19:00 +0200

If you were to define the term dance music purist, you'd take into consideration a number of factors: knowledge, passion and substance. Combine them together and you get Marco V. Like many of the world’s superstar DJs Marco was born and bred in Holland. He is a modest and down to earth family man with an undying lust for music. Entrenched in the scene from an early age, it was clear right from the start which path Marco would take.

The rest as they say is dance music history, but a history that Marco has not only shaped but continues to re-define with every thought out move. Few DJs have done more than Marco V to draw new talent into the dance music vortex. Whilst inspiring new producers, he has also been described as the DJ’s DJ with many of his colleagues closing following what he does both in the studio and behind the decks – this is testament to his impeccable taste, and unrivalled talent.

To stay ahead to the game you have to adapt as trends change, and Marco is the master at this. On the decks he holds complete control of the crowd with a style that is impossible to put into words, incorporating anything from fierce electro to driving techno and beyond. Travel the globe and you’ll be hard pushed find a major club that hasn’t felt his force.

His studio has belted out more anthems than a national football team. From classics like ‘Indicator’, ‘Simulated’ and ‘Godd’ through to present day floorfillers such as ‘Second Bite’, ‘More Than A Life Away’ and ‘Red Blue Purple’ and his reverential and massively successful updates of classics such as ‘Café Del Mar’ and ‘Loops & Tings Relooped’ leaving his discography the envy of most.

His passion and perfectionism shine through in everything he does. His Combi:Nations mix series has been a huge critical and commercial success, giving listeners at home the entire spectrum of Marco’s sound, from intimate backroom floors to the Dutch techmachine in full effect on the dancefloor. His artist album 200V was a similar smash spawning yet more dance floor destroyers and catapulting him onto the Radio 1 playlist. 2008 sees the 3rd artist album and several brand new singles from Marco and it goes without saying – all combined, they’ll form another accolade for the V mantelpiece!

Genius, pioneer, legend - throw all these glowing tributes his way and Marco will just shrug them off with an unassuming smile. These are words used regularly when his name is mentioned but this doesn’t lead him to arrogance. Some people are born with music running through their veins and Marco V is one of them – A musical chameleon whose musical fire burns on and on. Year in year out – it feels like the story of Marco V has only just begun!

Website : Marco V]]> music entertainment Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:06:53 +0200

Miss Jools has been DJing for a total of 9 years. In this time she has steadily built up her musical knowledge and technical experience, which has gained her the credibility of being one of the leading female DJs within the UK scene.

Having moved to London in 1994 from the Southwest, she started a twice-weekly live broadcast show on Girls FM, London's former pirate radio station. It was here she experimented and adapted her musical style, which now rocks and shakes the dance floors of clubland.

For the past 7 years, she has been a resident for the prestigious promotion 'Milk'n'2 Sugars', which is held monthly @ The End. Here, she maintains a high level of music quality and plays alongside guests DJ's such as DJ Spiller, Sandy Rivera, Marshall Jefferson and Harry Choo Choo Romero to name a few. In addition to this, she manages to maintain her own guest slots in and around the capital playing at some of the biggest clubs in the UK and globally. Miss Jools is also resident for top London designer 'Alexander Campbell' and can be found spinning at all of his Fashion Shows. She has also just started another residency this year @AKA in London for the Italian promotion, New Opera.

In February 98, Miss Jools started touring with 'The Gift from the Gods', a collaboration of four girl DJs which took clubland by storm. This was highly reviewed and regarded tour which was covered by all music press and even main stream press such as 'Company' and 'B' magazine.

Miss Jools has guested on countless radio shows including Radio 1 on Danny Ramplings 'Love Groove Show', on Kiss FM with Bobbi and Steve and Roger Sanchez's show 'Release Yourself'. Danny Rampling being a big fan of Jools music, booked her at the launch of his new night 'London Calling' @ Turnmills with Boris Dlugosch and Benji Candelario. Jools also works in one of London's most respected record shops, 'Blackmarket' which means she is always on the crest of what's hot at the moment in the dance scene. She has already toured Australia, Singapore, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Portugal, Italy and Croatia and in November 2000 toured the US.

This year looks sure to see Jools strengthen her position as one of the most sought after female DJ's on the circuit. She possesses the ability to work the crowd with a magical funky underground set, and has technical skills second to none. With numerous studio projects in the pipeline for next year, Jools is destined for bigger things in 2003. Watch this space!!

Website : Miss Jools]]> music entertainment Sun, 19 Jun 2011 11:58:37 +0200

“ATFC is not a football team, in fact it's one man who stands alone in his quest for keeping the funk alive & kickin and he's been doing so for over a decade. He is Aydin The Funki Chile!” - Seamus Haji, Big Love.

ATFC’s picture hangs in the House Music Hall of Fame. OK, so it’s on a rusty nail in the toilet under the stairs at the end of the hall, but the point is that it’s there; a proud testament to one man’s ability to both devastate dance-floors with his explosive, peak-time sets and deliver sickeningly slick productions at an awe-inspiring rate.

This heavyweight of House was born to Anglo-Turkish parents who immediately named him Aydin Hasirci; Ottoman Turkish for “He who blends 2 records skilfully, is a purveyor of slammin’ yet soulful house music whilst simultaneously being a master at whipping up a delicious Spaghetti Carbonara”. Longwinded yes, aspirational most certainly but also quite a burden to lay on a newborn baby. Happily though the young Aydin blossomed into exactly what his parents had prophesised and now occupies a unique position within the occasionally rich and often beautiful world of dance music.

“I've been playing Aydin's tracks for a long time and he never disappoints! He's constantly evolving and giving sure fire dance floor anthems as well as crossover hits. On top of that, he's a nice bloke too!” - Roger Sanchez

The complications surrounding the young Aydin’s name didn’t end here though. Deciding he needed a more instantly recognisable moniker to carry him through what was destined to be a lengthy embrace of the 4/4 beat, the juggernaught known as Aydin the Funki Chile – or more succinctly ATFC – was set into motion.

Several years, some children, a shed-load of singles and more than a few adoring fans later – 80% of which are, naturally, female – ATFC is one of those rare things within the dance music community; an established, successful name the mention of which doesn’t have the haters screaming ‘Sell out!’ from the rooftops or start to maliciously plot his downfall. Three UK Top 40 hits, Beatport and Traxsource No.1’s and Pete Tong describing one of your tracks as “verging on genius” do not come without substance to back-up the unquestionable style, although the last in this list can allegedly be encouraged with a few glasses of Babysham and a back massage. In fact, the Radio 1 selector must have been heavy plied with both these luxuries, as in January ’09 ATFC was handed the keys to world’s biggest stage with his very own essential mix, resulting in raised fists and weak knees around the world.

Don’t think for one second however that he’s just some kind of studio geek, locked away from the outside world, listening to the same four bars of music thousands of times before spewing forth an eruption of magma-hot house music. Ok, he is like that, but he’s also pretty comfortable behind the digital ones and twos, belting out tunes to thousands of smiling faces and stomping feet. In his time he’s rocked Global Gathering UK, Dance Valley, Holland, Zoukfest, Kuala Lumpur and Summadayze Australia, not to mention regularly dropping bombs at Pacha, Ibiza; no mean feat when you consider the airspace above Ibiza Town is deemed a no-fly-zone for all but the most dashing pilots.

It’s not just big tunes and big stages he dabbles in however. He’s also got his dirty mitts on some of the biggest names in the industry. Ever heard of P Diddy, Missy Elliot, Bootsy Collins, Simply Red, Faithless or Dido? Well ATFC’s taken each one of them, flipped them upside down, shaken them all about and smothered them in his lovely housey drool, delivering killer remixes that would make Ted Bundy proud. As far as his own releases go, by title at least ATFC reveals a love of text shorthand (‘Tell U Y’ and ‘Giv Me Luv’), an addiction to phone sex (‘I Called U (The Conversation)’) and the two word’s no one want to hear when they start dating a Brazilian supermodel (‘It's Over’). Happily in house music, titles mean a lot less than tunes, and all these tracks and plenty more besides have taken up space in all the top house jocks’ wallets and ripped many a happy – although now partially deaf – clubber’s eardrums to shreds.

“Anyone who maintains a profile at the level and length of time Aydin has is truly world class. He has an ability to adapt his style, to stay relevant without compromising his sound. A true house don!” - Mark Knight, Toolroom.

Recently, ATFC even had his own dedicated compilation to play around with. ATFC In The House London ’10 showed what happens when you let a master craftsman loose in the studio for an extended period of time. Once the fag butts, empty pizza boxes and piles of German Jazz literature were cleared, what remained was a hearty dish of house-music loveliness, packed with more bangers than a sausage factory on firework night. Sprinkle this explosive mix with three consecutive nominations as Beatport’s House Artist of the Year and you begin to see just how phat this deeva really is.

It’s important to remember that while the mere presence of ATFC leaves many breathless (he blames it on the spinach), he is just a man, and not an entire football club as many would think. A man with a bad habit of taking you out for the night of your life, forcing you to dance the night away, getting you all sweaty and then jetting off to do exactly the same with a complete stranger the next day.

Website : ATFC]]> music entertainment Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:41:00 +0200

He started his career as a lightjockey in a well known little club, worked in a record shop and finally became “DJ” – this is how most DJ biographies read. It is rather unusual, however, when someone already belongs to an internationally successful music producers before becoming a DJ.

Tillmann Uhrmacher is one of these exceptions. In 1989 he already had his first No. 1 Hit in the German Single Charts with his project “Mysterious Art” and “Das Omen, Teil 1”. Nearly 500,000 singles had been sold and the song quickly led the charts all over the world. Tillmann had “conquered“ the world of pop music doing productions and remixes for the most famous Acts of the early nineties such as Mauro Picotto, Judge Jules, Tomcraft, Safri Duo, Marky Mark, Jimmy Sommerville, Inner Circle, Babyface, Culture Beat, Hot Chocolate and many more. He worked in studios together with real “legends of pop producers”, such as Frank Farian or Harold Faltermeyer. It must have been a great time for 23-year old Tillmann, taking part in events like Madonna´s “Blond Ambition Tour 1990” as a Support Act.

In 1990, when he toured the world with Madonna, he also started his radio show “MaxiMal”. Today, in 2006, “Maximal”celebrates its 16th birthday. It is now the eldest radio show for electronic music in German Broadcasting and is to be heard every Friday evening from 8 to 12 p.m. on “Sunshine Live”. In May 2006 Tillmann won the Special Award for his radio show “MaxiMal” on the DJ meeting in Duisburg.

In his own studio Tillmann works a lot on Clubsound with Peter Ries and later with Stefan Fornaro. In 1999 he produced the single “Autumn” together with Mauro Picotto under the name “Lava”. It is to be found on Picotto´s own label “BXR” and soon became a big club hit. Step by step a lot more albums were produced, such as Bassfly, Free, etc., which all became famous in clubs.

In 2002 Tillmann reached out for even more: On the popular English label “Sony Directions” the track “On the Run” was published. It became No. 1 of the Cool Cut-, Dance and Club charts, no. 16 of the English sales charts and the fans of Paul van Dyk´s “Soundgarden” on Radio Fritz made the track their No. 1 Hit of the year! In many countries the corresponding video clip became a long-running hit. More productions followed, which are to be found in the paylists of nearly every top DJ. Tillmann had been nominated in the category Best Trance Artist for the Dance Music Award Germany in 2005.

Tillmann´s new single “The pride in your eyes” (Om Nama Shiva) published on September 1st 2006. Of course, it includes the Martin Roth Remix – as Martin and Tillmann have known each other for more than ten years and both live in the Frankfurt area. Martin Roth had his first radio gig in Tillmann´s radio show “MaxiMal” and the two still work together quite often.

Website : Tillmann Uhrmacher]]> music entertainment Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:24:00 +0200

Sweden's Erik Pettersson is better known as DJ/producer Sonic Union, one half of prolific progressive house pair Bastards of Funk and Sonic Union and co-founder, label owner and manager of Lowbit Records.

Having played and produced progressive, techno and tech-house for over 14 years, his versatility, experience and sheer talent enables him to turn his hand from everything to producing, remixing, mastering, DJing and label management. He is known for his technical prowess both behind the decks and the mixing desk, while his DJ sets – which have seen him tour Mexico, India and Greece and hold residencies in Canada and his native Sweden – are renowned for their uniquely uplifting energy.

In 2005 he joined forces with his production partner Daniel Sandberg aka Bastards of Funk and a musical match made in prog-tech heaven was born! Since then this dynamic duo has had their music consistently championed by the likes of Laurent Garnier, Tiesto, Carl Cox, Armin van Buuren, Hernan Cattaneo and Anthony Pappa, featured on compilations including Global Underground and Ministry of Sound and released on labels such as Replug, Whartone, Spherax and Baroque. Also hugely in demand for their remixing skills, to date they have remixed top talent including Jim Rivers, Andy Caldwell, Cid Inc, Shiloh and Quivver and the requests just keep on coming! Having just released their rework of Soundprank 'Fortis' on Proton Music in May 2011, their remix of Jim Rivers 'Black Keys' is due out in July on McGroove and their interpretation of Interplay's 'Ignition' is forthcoming on one of the biggest progressive labels in the world, Anjunadeep.

Not content with their own production achievements, in 2009 the duo formed their record label Lowbit Records with the aim of championing the hottest up and coming producers on the progressive scene and releasing consistently top-notch tracks - and in just two years their eagle-eyed ability to spot and sign the most spine-tingling tracks and talent has seen the label grow from strength to strength. Given Lowbit's soaring success to date, it's no surprise that the label’s impressive artist roster reads like a who’s who of some of the most high-profile progressive artists as well as some of the most talked-about new talent, including Cid Inc, Ben Coda, Soundprank, Thomas Penton, Kassey Voorn and Deepfunk. This star quality hasn’t gone unnoticed, and Lowbit tracks are now regularly finding their way into the record bags and podcasts of DJs including Carl Cox, John Digweed, Paul van Dyk, Jaytech, James Grant, PROFF, Noel Sanger, Beltek and many more.

With such success under his belt it's fair to say that 2011 has gotten off to a flying start for Erik, but not just on the production side; so far the year has seen him play at Lowbit parties in London, Greece and Miami, tour in India and warm up for Spektre and Leeroy Thornhill of The Prodigy. He also hosts a monthly 2-hour Lowbit radio show on Proton Radio and his own monthly Sonic Union podcast, which has over 10,000 subscribers.

With a packed DJing and production schedule, a burgeoning label and worldwide Lowbit parties to run, it's no wonder that Erik has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the hardest-working DJ/producers out there. But as the saying goes, there's no rest for the wicked – this Swede has a lot more up his sleeve for 2011, so stay tuned...

Website : Sonic Union]]> music entertainment Tue, 24 May 2011 12:36:00 +0200

Susana (born April 1984) grew up in the surroundings of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and has had a passion for music ever since she was a little girl.

“I don’t know how, but I always knew, even at a young age, that I could sing and I have wanted to become a singer ever since I can remember. My bedroom is basically where it all started. I have spent many hours there, singing along to my dad’s records, teaching myself how to sing by mimicking the singers.”

It didn’t take long, however, for her to expand her singing to the outside world. When it was time for her to go to high school she deliberately choose a school that offered a lot of room for developing creative activities. It was in this creative environment that she gained a lot of experience, participating in school plays, Christmas shows and so called “lunch concerts” during lunch breaks. It was also there that she got in touch with a few fellow students with an alternative/rock band – named “010″ after the classroom where they used to rehearse. They were looking for a lead singer and the choice was easily made. Her time in “010″ gave her the chance to develop her lyric writing as well has her performance skills. In the meantime, 15 years old by that time, she had also begun taking professional singing lessons with conservatory schooled opera singer Kirsten Schotteldreier, who worked a lot on jazz and classical techniques with Susana as well.

Thus, by the time Susana graduated high school she had created a pretty diverse musical background. Nonetheless, she had never really explored electronic dance music (EDM) before. This changed when a neighbor of her family, who was impressed after having seen her perform with her band, introduced her to Raz Nitzan and Adrian Broekhuyse, two producers with an extensive track record in the realm of EDM, especially in trance music. Not long after they were introduced to each other in 2003 they recorded “Dark Side of the Moon”, in collaboration with Ernesto vs Bastian. Susana’s first ever trance collaboration turned out to be a success in the scene and eventually led her to work with Armin van Buuren. Susana provided the vocals for “Shivers”, one of Armin van Buuren’s biggest hits to date, which was released in 2005. Susana regarding her first steps on the dance scene: “Despite my diverse musical background and my interest in different genres I had never really explored dance music. But once I got involved with it a whole new world opened up to me and it didn’t take long before I got really passionate about it. There is just a certain emotional energy to it that really touches me.”

Ever since these first two releases in 2005 Susana’s career has grown steadily. She has a powerful and emotional yet quite unique sound and it therefore didn’t take long for her to become a hot topic in the dance scene, resulting in follow-up collaborations with Ernesto vs Bastian (“Stranger in Paradise”) and Armin van Buuren (“If You Should Go”) as well as collaborations with various other talented producers and DJ’s. Also, performing live in different parts of the world, as she did for example with the Armin Only show, has really pushed Susana’s career. As can be read on the Armada website: “Her strong on-stage personality and live performance make her a beloved artist to have or see on stage.”

Another highlight of her career was her collaboration with producer Rex Mundi, which resulted in the release of “Nothing at All” in 2009. It was Markus Schulz, one of Susana’s favorite DJ’s, that had received the instrumental from Rex Mundi and immediately thought of Susana’s voice as a perfect match for the track. “Nothing at All”, with its deep sound and dark edge, was a huge success and made it to #15 in the ‘2009 A State of Trance End of Year Vote’. Susana has a special place in her heart for this track: “The moment I heard the instrumental of “Nothing at All” I was really overwhelmed by the deep and dark sound of it and, even though this might sound strange, I really felt like this track was meant for me. I felt an immediate connection to the track. And not only did its success give another huge impulse to my career, it also made me realize more than ever my passion for progressive trance”.

The journey Susana started out on back in 2003, exploring the realm of EDM, has eventually led her to become the first trance vocalist to be signed as a solo artist to Armada Music – the label of Armin van Buuren. In May 2010 her debut album “Closer” was released. “Closer” has the format of a compilation album for which Susana worked with a lot of big names like Dash Berlin, Josh Gabriel, Jorn van Deynhoven, Tenishia and many others. The first single, Closer (after which the album was named), is a collaboration with Omnia & The Blizzard and has already been played many times in clubs around the globe by DJs like Armin van Buuren, Markus Schulz and Andy Moor.

The release of her album is not the only development that makes 2010 an important year for Susana. In June Markus Schulz’ new album “Do You Dream?” was released including the track “Unsaid” featuring Susana. She also provided vocals for Armin van Buuren’s new artist album “Mirage”. On their intro track “Desiderium 207″ people can hear a different side of Susana’s voice as she shows her versatility with haunting classical vocals that add to the dramatic feel of the opening of Armin’s new album. She will therefore also be part of the new Armin Only Tour which will see its kick off in Utrecht (Netherlands) on November 13th 2010.

Susana is currently busy working on new material, preparing the tour and soon a new single of her album “Closer” will be released.

Website : Susana]]> music entertainment Tue, 10 May 2011 13:36:00 +0200
Grenoble born Caroline Hervé, aka Miss Kittin, has in recent years established herself as one of the most inspiring DJs and voices to emerge within the electronic music scene. Her vocal collaborations have produced seminal moments of dancefloor heaven. Her tracks with longstanding production partner The Hacker, such as "Frank Sinatra" and "1982", propelled them both into the spotlight whilst further collaborations with Felix Da Housecat, "Silver Screen (Shower Scene)", Golden Boy "Rippin Kittin", Sven Väth "Je T'aime" and T.Raumschmiere "The Game Is Not Over" have confirmed Miss Kittin's star billing status.

She released her debut solo artist album "I Com" in 2004, that showed her spreading her wings with jacking Chicago house, distorted punk attitude, skanked-up dub and electronic pop as the singles Professional Distortion, Requiem For A Hit and Happy Violentine aptly displayed.

The heavily-accented deadpan delivery over techno beats that established her notoriety on previous recordings has been unseated by a desire to sing, to scream, to rap and to croon, all of which she manages to do with ample helpings of sly wit and wordplay and a musical landscape that incorporates both brazen beats and intoxicating atmospherics.

However for all her releases and collaborations Kittin's first and main love remains DJing. From starting out in 1994 Kittin's name first appeared on a flyer in the chill-out room for a rave in an old military fort in the mountains. From there on Kittin hasn't looked back. From playing harder edged techno, rave classics, Chicago, acid and Detroit techno Kittin has progressed into more leftfield, electro and electronic realms. Able to play Prince with Black Dog or Aphex Twin with a new Kompakt 12" she has an uncanny and intuitive sense of selection that not only flows but also maintains that primary sense of the party. Anyone who has seen Kittin dancing behind the decks or grabbing the microphone mid-set will understand only too well that she is also a clubber at heart.

As Kittin says, "I love playing records, it's probably the best thing I know to do in life. I do it because it's big fun and it makes me free."

Based in Paris since 2007, Kittin released her second solo album "Batbox" in 2008, followed by the second album of the collaboration with her all time favorite musical partner The Hacker entitled "Two" in 2009, both released on her own label 'Nobody's Bizzness'. After the extensive live touring of Miss Kittin & The Hacker in 2009 all over the globe, Kittin is rightly placed as one of the most revered and recognizable artists in Dance music today. As for the future? It's looking purr-fect.

Website : Miss Kittin]]> music entertainment Sun, 08 May 2011 05:56:00 +0200

Chris Liebing is DJ, producer, radio host of a weekly show and the driving force behind the labels CLR and Spinclub Recordings. His sound has continuously evolved during his DJ career, always true to his Techno roots. He was one of the first DJs that used the new possibilities in the course of the digitalization of music in a consequent and creative way. The real-time manipulation of the individual elements plays an important role in his sets. Due to the good co-operation with various software and hardware makers, his current setup offers him practically endless possibilities. He is a worldwide requested dj and also part of the Collabs live act, together with the Dutch producer Speedy J. His productions and remixes appear in the play lists of numerous renowned DJs. Hereafter some milestones in his career:

It all started 1990 in the area of Giessen / Germany when he was mainly playing Hip Hop, Soul, Pop and House. His growing passion for electronic music caused the opening of his own club named Spinclub in 1994. At this time he also gathered his first studio experiences and founded the label Soap Records alongside with friends. A job at Eye Q Records in Frankfurt provided him with useful experiences and contacts in the Techno scene. When he was called to fill in for a friend at the legendary Omen club, he received enthusiastic reactions from the crowd. From this day until the closing of the club in 1998, he used to play there on a regular basis together with many international djs.

In 1996 Chris left Eye Q and founded his first label called Audio. Before the label´s closure in spring 1999, they released 17 tracks, amongst them his productions Audio 07 and Audio 11, which received worldwide recognition. At the same time Chris developed a new passion by presenting his first radio show Evosonic Update which supplied the party crowd every Friday afternoon with party tips and vinyl critics on the radio station Evosonic. In 1999 his well-established label CLR was founded. This was the time when he also started to receive top rankings in various categories of the reader polls of the popular music magazines, amongst them “best national DJ”, “best remixer” and “best producer” on a regular basis.

In the beginning of 2001 he founded the pure remix label “CLRetry” and released mixes by producers like Marco Carola, Gaetano Parisio, Adam Beyer, Steve Rachmad, Speedy J., Chris Mc Cormack, DJ Rush, Ian J. Richardson and Ben Sims. In 2002 he started to work on his first artist album and the CLR website went online. From then on the CLR office took care of his exclusive booking and the labels. When his album “Evolution“ was released by the middle of 2003 it received massive media attention and enthusiastic critics.

This summer many things started moving, for example on Ibiza. After playing for the first four Cocoon Ibiza residencies, this year Chris played for Carl Cox. In the following years 2004 and 2005 he co-hosted Mauro Picotto´s Meganite at Privilege, where he also hosted the first and promising Spinclub season (named after his club in Giessen) in 2006. In the following year the Spinclub continued at Space. Inspired by the successful season at Space, the label Spinclub Recordings was founded in the beginning of 2008. The first residency of the Spinclub Radio Show started in summer of the same year on the radio station Ibiza Sonica. Due to the big success, another weekly slot on Ibiza Global Radio followed in December.

Since 2005 Chris produces in his own (obviously “state of the art” :) studio in Frankfurt. In the same year a productive and still persisting friendship between him and Speedy J. began, which so far resulted in the album Metalism on Novamute and various singles. The current releases have just come out and there are plans for another Collabs album.

2009 was a year of many changes for CLR. Chris Liebing and his team celebrated the 10th anniversary of CLR, restructured the label, opened an office in Berlin and celebrated many great parties on Chris´ club- and festival gigs. The residency at the BE nights at Space / Ibiza became a big success. In the beginning of the year, Chris had begun with the production of the weekly CLR podcast, which by now counts more than 250.000 monthly listeners. He officially renamed CLR into CREATE LEARN REALIZE (as this is what he did most of his life) and by doing so he finally got rid of his ego in the label name.

2010 CLR starts off with a new distribution by Word And Sound. The first common project is the 10 Years CLR Compilation with 10 exclusive tracks by some of the finest techno producers of our time.

Website: Chris Liebing]]> music entertainment Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:25:00 +0100

A classically-trained jazz virtuoso and national rock ‘n’ roll hero in Argentina, Guti’s double 12” pack for Desolat will leave you in no doubt of his ability to twist a snaking groove into something echoingly hypnotic. The tracks contained here are already a favourite in the record boxes of artists like Loco Dice, Seth Troxler and Marco Carola, while Guti’s life story could itself be the subject of a story by Jorge Luis Borges: "I leave to several futures (not to all) my garden of forking paths."

Guti was born in an exceptionally musical, sprawling catholic family, which included orchestra directors, saxophone players and pianists. His grandfather and uncles emigrated from Russia after the war. His mother, an education consultant, is from Uruguay. On long hot summers in that neighbouring country, Guti would steal hours alone at the piano (first teaching himself how to play at the age of five) in a big house belonging to his uncle. Finally, some years later, the family accepted that he could really play – and at the age of 12 a friend of his mother gave him his first jazz shock by challenging him to match Oscar Peterson’s performance on the Night Train record.

During the rule of the El Proceso military junta, Guti’s family fled to cities in Venezuela and Costa Rica: a story arching across Latin America, France and Russia. As a child he soaked up poems and novels by Borges and Vargas Llosa and his father would sing him Cuban songs. He is influenced by the folk music of Argentina, which he says is both incredibly intricate and perfectly simple.

Guti loves adventures - the spark of discovery seems to be a driving force for him. In 2009 he bounced between Berlin, Athens and Paris, making tracks as he went. Although he plans to move to Düsseldorf in 2010 to hunker down in the studio to concentrate on the Guti techno and house project, it’s unlikely he’ll leave behind the spirit of the Latin America he knows. “I love Buenos Aires. It’s a huge city… a huge jungle. Really fast, really crazy, dirty, messy. But really creative: amazing musicians. That happens with all the poor countries. We don’t have money, so we play music. We write books.”

As a teen, after getting into blues he began hanging with successful Argentine rock bands like the Black and Blues, Ratones Paranoicos, Viejas Locas and Los Piojos. “We were jamming, and I discovered that energy.” Before long, his own band Jovenes Pordioseros were playing to 10,000 people from Thursday through Saturday. But it’s not in Guti’s nature to stay locked in one mode of music. He made time to study salsa from a Cuban teacher on the side, as well as studying jazz under various teachers including internationally-renowned pianist Ernesto Jodos.

It was in the studio of Latin Grammy-nominated producer and friend Leandro Martinez that Guti began experimenting with making house beats and singing on top. And having grown up with music, it didn’t take long before he was
banging out several tracks a day without breaking a sweat.

A heartbeat later, he’d landed a hit with Damian Schwarz on Frankfurt label Raum Musik, and the tune was licensed by Loco Dice for his compilation The Lab. Guti passed a handful more tracks in Loco Dice’s direction, and the die was cast. Guti’s electronic career began to ignite.

Just two years after his first live sets in Europe, Desolat is proud to present Guti’s Las Cosas Que No Se Tocan. The beats follow Guti across continents: Mr Good Vibes was composed in a hotel room in Stuttgart after an argument with a friend, while the serious dancefloor vibes of Sasa, the Hustler and Leuuu were channelled in Martinez’ studio. Leuuu and the Hustler feature slices of glamorous, haunting vocals by Jason Walker, a British singer that Guti discovered on Myspace. And Sasa boasts Guti’s own vocal touches. Meanwhile, the track Aguanile is inspired by one of his favourite melodies as a child, one that he’s collected many versions of. The last track on the release, El Campeon, reaches a bittersweet ending in the wide open space between percussive trills and a cut-out refrain, inspired by Guti’s favourite Latin storylines of “broken hearts and pain”.

Website: n/a]]> music entertainment Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:05:00 +0100 Nowadays, it's more and more often young producers who make the biggest waves. From the dusty, Dilla-esque house of Kyle Hall, to the fresh purple progstep of Joker, it seems the young-guns are bound by less rules; are weighed down by less history. As a result, such artists are creating more freely than are their older peers, and with much fresher results.

One such newcomer is Leeds based Ewan Smith. His records to date (on labels like MagicBag) have had props from Radio 1's experimental taste maker Mary Anne Hobbs and have pricked the ears of local label 2020Vision, Hamburg's Diynamic and, more recently, crossover dubstep starlet Skream who has signed a pair of Ewan’s lateral formulations to his own label, due for release in January.

Smith's music is characterised by restraint and influenced by the consecrated legacy of Detroit amidst the contemporary locomotion of Berlin. He moulds dub, house and techno into subtle sonic atmospheres of the sort anyone from Scuba to Villalobos might employ.He utilises a blunt 'less is more' philosophy that is clearly absent in the customary canon-drops or bounteous hands-in-the-air breakdowns which pollute the music of many of his peers.

Instead, Smith favours the building of atmospheres and emotions using shady, sandy textures and hidden little details to get you gripped.And it’s working, too, as only this summer did Cocoon snap up his MagicBag cut ‘Movin’ for their June released Party Animals compilation.

More recently, impressive new talent Midland has enlisted Ewan’s (along with Radio Slave’s) services to remix his 'Bring Me Joy' release via This Is Music, whilst December sees his latest solo release on MagicBag Music,'Meet Me At Teufelsberg'. It’s made up of slow burning and elongated house mutations and is his most mature work to date.

Of course, with associations such as those, his DJ diary is also full, and it takes him across both the UK and Europe to play alongside all the names you’d expect of a subversive talent. At the same time, Smith's domestic agenda is reserved for regular recur in Leeds where he is a new resident at The Mint Club's exclusive in-house promotion, System.

Website: Youandewan]]> music entertainment Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:58:00 +0100

Ron Carroll is a Chicago-based singer, songwriter, producer, remixer and well respected DJ. Primarily known on the global house music circuit, Ron has worked with many of the world's most famous producers such as Bob Sinclar, E-Smoove, Maurice Joshua & Hardsoul.

Ron began his career as a local DJ in the early 1980s when he performed at his own dance club called ‘The Bangin' Enterprize’. After 2 years on Chicago's south side Ron’s star began to rise and he found himself opening for noted DJs including Lil' Louis, Mike Dunn and the legendary Ron Hardy.

In 2000 friend and producer Mazi from Fiat Lux Records approached Ron to write and sing on a new track on the label. The track was Superfunk’s ‘Lucky Star’ and it blew up worldwide following its release on Fiat Lux, being licensed to dozens of compilations and several labels including Rise and Virgin France. ‘Lucky Star’ eventually went on to sell over 3,000,000 copies.

Ron continued to produce 12” cuts. Some of his successes included ‘Nothing But Funk’, ‘Take Me Up’ - which Ron worked on with E-Smoove - and ‘I’ll Be There’, which was a collaboration with Kings Of The Underground. In 2001 Ron compiled and mixed the ‘Sessions Volume 3’ compilation album, released on Strictly Hype Recordings.

In 2002 Ron released ‘Natural’ on Music 101 and he followed it up the next year with ‘Sexy Thing’ released on his own Body Music imprint. 2003 also the release of Hardsoul’s ‘Back Together’, on which Ron contributed an outstanding vocal performance. The single became huge all over the world, becoming a WMC and Ibiza anthem and later appearing on dozens of compilations.

In 2004 Ron teamed up with Bob Sinclair to release ‘World Of Love vs. Sexy Dancer’ on Yellow Music. 2005 was one of Ron’s busiest years, seeing him produce several cuts and remixes and contribute vocals on a raft of projects. On the remix front he put his touch to Soul Rebels and Lisa Millett’s ‘I’ll Be Good’, Ben Tom’s ‘African Music’, Bob Sinclair’s ‘Love Generation’, Dawn Tallman’s ‘You Are Why’, Melba Moore’s Soulfuric-released ‘My Heart Belongs To You’ and produced a beautiful gospel-tinged mix of Jay-J and Charlene Moore’s ‘With Him’, which was released on Defected.

Ron Carroll’s most recent superhit Walking down the Street ("The Nike song") was released via Sneakerz Muzik containing mixes from Fedde le Grand, Bart-B More, ErickE and RiskSoundSystem. In Holland the track soared, remaining in the national charts for 8 weeks. The track is also being released via Hedkandi in the UK, Germany via Tiger, France via Skorpio and USA via Ultra. A sure recipe for success.

Ron is currently actively producing other artists such as female singers the legendary CeCe Peniston, Mona Lisa (“Dancin”), Lex Empress (“Boyz”) & Swaylo (“Heartbeat”). All tracks are currently being signed to major european labels. Watch out for these club bangers! Ron has also collaborated with Bob Sinclair & Axwell on ‘What a wonderful world’ which will be released on Axtone & Soulfuric and is set to be a huge release for all involved.

Website: Ron Carroll]]> music entertainment Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:37:00 +0100 Marco Selvaggio was born in Catania, on 7th October 1983 and since he was a child he approached the world of music and percussion in particular.

Versatile percussionist, Marco, skilfully uses many percussion instruments, in a constant creative search that leads him to experience the sound in all its nuances. Once he obtained a law degree, he took part in some inter-cultural projects related to African traditional music and percussions in kindergartens, primary and secondary school.

He worked in theatres and performed in live concerts. He began to study African traditional music in 2000 with master Senegalese Alù Djeng graduated from the Music Academy in Dakar. Since 2004 he worked with some DJs aiming to take with the djembe and funky house music in all its shades during the nights and event in the house discos.

He participated “Nuit Blanche” in Paris in 2004, after a stage with Djan Camarà original drummer of Conakry in Guinea and descendant of a family of griots Peul ethnic group and a founding member of the Ensemle National de Guinee.

In 2005, he learnt a deeper knowledge of new African musical instruments in Catania following a course taught by master musician Sourakhatà Diabaté recognized as a skilled and versatile virtuoso specializing in performances with the djembe and bass drums (sangban, doundunbà and kenkenì) and with all the tools of traditional sub-Saharan Africa as the bolon, balafon, gongomà, krina, assiko, goni, calabas in water. Over the years he continued to study African traditional music and he also had the opportunity to play in Australia, Sydney, in particular in the Side Bar and Cargo, and also in the Byron Bay Beach Hotel.

In 2009 he participated in a course taught by internationally renowned master Famoudou Konate in Palermo since 1996 who was given the title of Honorary Professor of Music Education of African Art at the University of Berlin in Germany, where he still resides and teaches. In 2009 he played in Italy in Rome to the Shangò, in 2010 in Pisa at Bellavita.

He has played and continues to play at Mercati Generali, Banacher, Giara and Septimo in Taormina, Afrobar, Music & Art, the ZOO, UNA Hotel Palace, Cafe de Mar, Majazé, Faro, Vola, Seventheen, 4 / 20, Capannine as a percussionist on house music, using different instruments (djembe, bass drums, krins and hang drum for the first time ever on the house music) working with many discos and foreign DJs.

Finally he became part of the Cultural Association "The United Artists theatre Cine-Factory" and edited the music section of the show Shakespeare Experiment conducted by the director and actor Claudio Mazzenga. His passion for music led him to play various African traditional musical instruments like dkembè and bass drums (KenKen, sangban, doundunbà) krin and traditional music such as the Australian didgeridoo, and finally a very special instrument of Swiss origin of which there are only slightly more than 5000 units around the world called the hang drum.

The hang drum is composed of two convex metal parts joined together: the side "DING" and side "GU". DING side is composed of 8 tonal areas in the outer part of the body. In the centre there is a sort of dome (hence the nice sound of DING) that produces a percussion sound like a gong. GU hand side is mainly designed as a resonant box. It has a hole in the centre that can also serve to modulate the sound of the DING side.

Marco Selvaggio has also edited the music of a dance performance at the Metropolitan in Catania for the dance school Aire of the teacher Fia Di Stefano played traditional African music first and then a solo with the hang drum. On July 23rd, 2010 Marco was invited to join as a guest soloist in Canicattì Bagni for contemporary ethnic music festival and today he continues to play in many places in Italy teaching basic courses of African traditional music and percussions.

On September 11th, 2010 he was invited to the headquarters of Radio Flash in Adrano to be interviewed and he played live with the collaboration of Ciaudà and on September 12th, 2010 he performed as a guest at the music festival "Soundpeace" in the amphitheatre Ciminiere of Catania. On September 14 2010, he was invited to perform as a guest in the TV show "Under the Spotlight" with the hang drum.

In October 2010 he released his first album called "Into the Ocean" in which many artists have worked. Marco Selvaggio now is the only one in Italy and Europe to offer a complete set using percussion djembe, krins, bass drums, bongos and especially the hang drum! Hang Drum on house music is something that ONLY HIM IN THE WORLD does. This is an International exclusive that makes him play in a lot of famous clubs.

On November 18th, 2010 he made a public show-case at Scenario Pubblico in Catania (repeated two times in a row for the presence of many people) preceded by a press conference. On November 29th, 2010 he took part in a charity event organized by the team Calcio Catania to C & G with Vincenzo Spampinato, Giuseppe Castiglia and other famous TV and Music Celebrities in Sicily.

On January 6th, 2011 he played in the inauguration of Artime whose artistic director is Fioretta Mari (National actress), all presented by Salvo La Rosa, collaborating with a school dance with the Master Walter Pilo. Now Marco plays in a lot of clubs and he is the only one in the world to use a lot of instruments on house music live!

Website: Marco Selvaggio]]> music entertainment Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:20:00 +0100 Miss Yetti's musical career began in 1992 in Germany's Rheinland. Her first public appearance was at the "Orion Rave". Gigs in Germany and the first international bookings followed, as well as residencies at the legendary "UFO Club" and at "Fisch" in Cologne.

In 1994 Miss Yetti produced her first tracks for Liquid Records. Her unmistakable style clearly reflects her musical socialisation. Depeche Mode, The Cult, Tears for Fears, Nitzer Ebb and Front 242 all feature strongly. With a passion, she combines dark and melancholic sounds with hypnotic techno and electro.

In the mid-1990s, Miss Yetti rocked clubs worldwide with her tracks "La Pression Innovative" und "Les Jeux Superieurs". In 1995 Miss Yetti began her own regular nights at the "Wartesaal" in Cologne, which offered the party scene a musical niche somewhere between house, electro and dark techno. Further releases followed in 1996 and 1997 on the Berlin labels "Monokultur" and on "Liquid Rec" respectively, as well as a multitude of international bookings.

In 1998, Miss Yetti founded her own label "Gold und Liebe Tonträger" in order to give her own musical vision a platform. Artists such as Ricardo Villalobos, Johannes Heil, Robert Görl (D.A.F.), David Caretta, Ellen Allien and other top names have contributed tracks, co-operations and remixes and all of this can be heard on Gold und Liebe Tonträger.

The careful selection of these artists leads to a highly exciting mixture of the most diverse styles in the field of electronic music. Miss Yetti's fans voted her best female DJ in 1999 in Raveline Magazine. In 2001 Miss Yetti spent 6 months in Bali and recorded her impressions on the 12" - "Miss Yetti & Die Zauberer, Helden". She then mixed her first solo mix CD for XXX, Austria.

Miss Yetti's 1993 Gold und Liebe release "Ganz Nah" ushered in a new creative period. "Hedonism and Digital sex" followed in April 2003 and developed quickly into an underground hit. In September 2003, Miss Yetti released her first album "Out Of Control" and began her "Out Of Control World Tour". The "Out Of Control" album remixes followed on Gold und Liebe Tonträger.

In 2004 and 2005, Miss Yetti produced further tracks for Gold und Liebe, for Pale Music and for David Caretta's label "Spacefactory Disques". Additionally, she mixed her "Gold und Liebe" label compilation, delivering an overview of the label's bandwidth. Miss Yetti's preference for mixes that transcend conventional style categories is something that is present in all her music. The compilation is a journey from tech-house, via electro and on to dark techno deliberately melancholic but also pumping and bass-heavy.

The "Labyrinth" 12", taken from the second album "Insights", was released in February 2006 and includes remixes by Frank Martiniq and the Icelandic act, Suitcase. Miss Yetti’s "Insights" album release followed in April 2006.

Miss Yetti’s remix of DAF Robert Görl’s "Seltsame Liebe" came out on her label "Gold und Liebe". Miss Yetti's remix of 2rare-people's "Naked Body" appeared in October 2006 on the "Blackout" label from Barcelona. Her track "Spanish Fly" was released in September on the Spanish label "Properproud".

The successful release of Miss Yetti's Album "Insights" was followed in October by Part 1 of the album remixes, with remixes by: Pantone, P.toile, Silversurfer and Andre Kraml.

Website: Miss Yetti]]> music entertainment Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:06:00 +0100

When Martin Eyerer tells a story, everybody listens. Martin reports of his journeys throughout the continents, telling stories of wild escapades in a taxi across the Brazilian jungle through to the impressions of Earth's capitals and the colourful array of citizens that inhabit them, and obviously of his many Gigs in these foreign lands.

Those foreign places quickly become familiar territory when he sets up his digital DJ-system and starts to play that thumping first track because what he plays is groovy Electro-Tech House and the sound is a world language of its own that is euphorically absorbed through sweaty pores and pumping glands.

His passion is eminently clear when he starts to talk about his experiences and such is his passion and enthusiasm for the music that one could easily think it was all totally new to him. But it isn't. Martin Eyerer has been a DJ for 20 years - and just as many years a producer, label owner, radio show producer. Throw in his two young children and it seems that the energy never leaves his side.

Martin Eyerer is not a laptop artist, but a true musician. His high-end studio meets the highest requirements and has become an interdisciplinary interface for mastering (whether it is Hip Hop, Pop or Electronic) and he is also co-producing several mainstream acts (Eyerer e.g.became a gold record in UK). On top of all this, the Tech-House Posse around him like Gui Boratto,Oliver Koletzki, Toni Rios, Stephan Hinz, Namito, Chopstick, Oliver Klein or Robert Babicz come to his house to jam. It is a small circle of friends who share the same musical interest and who put 200% in to every release they do.

Whether collaborations, solo Works, Remixes or Compilations, all his works appear almost monthly on dance-floor dominating labels, like Kling KLong, Systematic, Audiomatique, Great Stuff, Kickboxer and on English big names like Renaissance or i/o records. The most unbelievable aspect of this is the variety of styles Martin stands for. There is no segment from Deep house to minimal Techno that Eyerer is not in control of, always keeping his focus on the dance-floor. This consistently high-quality of output results in rocking world-wide floor-fillers, spun by the most well-known DJs. Beyond that, hits like Make My Day (Haunting) by Eyerer and Chopstick feat. Zdar/Cassius made their way into the A-rotation of English music television.

As an important platform for his music Martin Eyerer has founded his own labels - Kling Klong and Session Deluxe. Due to the conscientious release policy (releasing artists like Koletzki, Namito, Oliver Klein, Babicz and Eyerer himself the Label boss was able to establish an independent sound between electro, minimal and tech-house on Kling Klong and more tooly, housy and underground on Session Deluxe. Releases of both Labels always enter the top 20 of all sales and download charts for electronic music.

Peak time is the best time in a DJ-set, but in Martin Eyerers opinion, you have to work for it as a DJ - there is no way to force it. With that philosophy he builds up his sets, using the newest material and unfolds an oppressive, sizable Groove. Martin Eyerer does not try to get through the night with the current hits. Instead, he travels his very own sound-spectrum in one intuitively construed DJ-set. These legendary sets make their way around the globe resulting in Martin playing regularly in all parts of the world.

But Martin wants to reach more people than only those who frequent nightclubs. Thats why he regularly works on mix compilations, e.g. his own series on Session Deluxe. He has also set up same called Session De Luxe a national weekly radio-show that goes out live every Sunday evening on Sunshine live - Germanys biggest station for dance music, and its on this platform that Eyerer presents all the latest releases for his hungry following to devour as they polish of their weekends activities on sofas, in bedrooms or in the car on their way home after visiting their parents for Sunday lunch in the country. By himself or with guests like e.g. Bodzin, Anthony Rother, Chardronnet, Huntemann, Gregor Tresher, Abe Duque, Thomas Schumacher, John Selway or Shlomi Aber, Session de Luxe never disappoints. But not only are the monologues important - Martin also involves the listeners, giving everyone the chance to ask questions about anything concerning dance music.

In 2008 he released his debut Album on Kling Klong named Word Of Mouth. It was the next step in establishing him as an international player. The album was released in 12 countries and exported to all the world. Feedback from the media was overwhealming. This and the fact that Martin was supported with plays and respect by most of the international dj league lead to a more than expected number of sales.

All in all Word Of Mouth was a big success. Martins first single out of the album furthermore came along with mixes by Marc Romboy and Oliver Klein. The next follow up will be cave canem incl mixes by Gui Boratto, Robert babicz and Someone Else.

Also scheduled studio dates with a few other famous artists and finally martin will start working on his second long player in the Autumn.

Website: Martin Eyerer]]> music entertainment Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:47:00 +0100

Sandra Collins in-demand DJing has kept her constantly globetrotting - everywhere from New Zealand to Romania to Mexico. What began as a humble interest morphed into serious business in the 90’s, when Sandra Collins emerged as one of the Los Angeles rave scene’s major players. Sandra is now, without question, one of the most recognized and beloved DJs in the business.

With her incessant worldwide touring, massive press coverage and hundreds of thousands of albums sold, Sandra has solidified her place as one of the most well-known female DJs in the world. The DanceStar Awards awarded her the 2003 Best DJ award over the likes of Louie Devito, Deep Dish and Bad Boy Bill among others. This award is part of a long list of stellar career achievements, which include URB Magazine’s 1999 “Best Female Artist,” an honor she shared with Lauryn Hill. She also hosted the International Dance Music Awards in 2006 with Daniel Glass.

Whenever Sandra’s on the decks, you know you’re in for an unforgettable evening. She held a massively popular residency at legendary NYC club Twilo alongside Sasha & Digweed and Paul Van Dyk. Her memorable sets, such as the six-hour set following Moby in front of 80,000 fans at the ’99 Woodstock Festival, as well as Coachella in 2002 and 2008, are evidence of her ability to convert those new to the scene into true electronic music fans. In 2005, Sandra created an audio-visual collaboration with VJ Vello Virkhaus called “Sv2 Presents: Interference.” This groundbreaking technical show integrated Sandra’s mixing with over a hundred videos created by her and Virkhaus. The cutting-edge show toured for 3 years, garnering much praise, a DJ Times cover and sponsorships from companies like Pioneer and Edirol.

Sandra’s popularity and reputation for bringing out the deeply emotional side of progressive house and trance has earned her a worldwide following. A tireless experimenter who is always in search of new sounds and platforms for her music, Sandra is in a class of her own, whether she’s performing at a music festival, a 10,000-person super club, or an intimate gallery space. She has become a true ambassador for American electronic music.

Website : Sandra Collins]]> music entertainment Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:15:00 +0100

Victoria Metzker was born in 1987 May 30th in Budapest. As a child, Victoria was already interested in dance and music, and in primary school she started jazz ballet, Modern and Latin dancing. Her dancing career was interrupted at the age of sixteen due to a knee injury that unable her to continue dancing. In her senior high school years, she became increasingly interested in modelling. Her first memorable performance was in the joint production of CKM man's magazine and VIVA music television: the "Cover girl competition".

The number of girls competing was up to almost 150-200. Victoria was able to get in the first round with 42 other chosen girls who were photographed by Pál Nánási. She finished 9th place. The competition also included singing whereby she and her friend were discovered by the main singer of Back to Black, Bebe. He advised us to start recording songs remix them in R&B style. Unfortunately, this girl duo was unable to last so they parted our ways and temporarily abandoned our music career.

Victoria, then focused on primarily modelling. She took part in three other beauty contests. She won a special award at Miss Hungary, people's award at Miss Internel Hungary and cyberspace award and Miss Tourism Hungary lingerie award. Later, due to her previous success, she was offered many job opportunities in Hungary as well as abroad. She posed as cover girl and for other fashion materials for various magazines in Paris, London, Munchen, Milan (SFT, Crank, Armani outlet) She was then the face of the popular watch brand Cornavin in Eurostyle magazine. During this time, she also took upon lingerie and bathing suit presenting and shows for My77 Underwear all around Hungary.

From 2007 February, she became interested in the disc jockey profession so she decided to study by one the most known Hungarian Dj, by the side of Junior. With the support of Sensation Club, she practised in various clubs, like Cafe del Rio during summer which gave her the opportunity to develop her skills. In May, one of the most prestigious competition in Hungary and around the world was announced: Playmate of the Year. The number of competitors was close to 200. She was chosen as one of the 12 most beautiful girls in the finals. After 5 months of photo shoots, media presence, on September 28th she was chosen as the most beautiful bunny of the year.

Therefore, she was the Playmate of Hungary in 2007. She débuted in 2007 December as a beginner disc jockey at Club Sensation at the event of a great party. Victoria was then offered many job opportunities and possibilities throughout the country and abroad at various clubs. Since her début party, she plays and entertains every weekend in different cities around the country. Currently, she is busy learning the electro house-vocal style singing since she also includes her singing skills in her performances.

From the beginning of 2008, every second month, she is the DJ of 'Radio 1 Ministry of Sound ' Hungarian show which is one of the most popular and listened to radio shows on Friday night. 100 thousand people listen to it every week! Her first song featured by DJ Junior came out in February 2008 with the title of: The house of Playmate. It also came out as a mixed CD (thanks to Nike & Playersroom) after my first tour. The party series of three months that involved the entire country came to a successful end in May. Various DJ's like Bárány Attila & Flamemakers, DJ Thomy and Chris Lawyer created remixes.

From 2008 October she became the host and DJ of the new Saturday Club in Budapest. She also entertains in Club Play performing for 3000-3500 people partying it out each week. In 2008 November she worked with Holland Funkerman and with German Eddie Thoneick. In 2008 December she will release her second and new song: "Playmate" (featuring Dj Junior, Náksi, Brunner). They will record remixes and shoot a video.

Website : Victoria Metzker]]> music entertainment Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:06:00 +0100 One of the most gifted and focused production teams in the New York house underground, John "Roc" Mateo and Eddie "E-Z" Matos were both educated in the warm vibe of disco first-hand by listening to classic DJs on New York radio during the late '70s. Mateo & Matos have proven time and again they've got musical spirits like few others in the house scene. In the summer of '85 (believe it or not) John Mateo was spinning whole sets over the airwaves of his CB radio. It was through this self-produced show that Eddie Matos first made contact with John Mateo. They became friends quickly and partners soon after.

Eddie Matos grew up in the lower east side of Manhattan. He is of Puerto Rican descent. His interests in music and deejaying came in the late 70's and early 80's. His deejaying influences were Jonathan Fearing, Ted Currier, Shep Pettibone, Tee Scott and Tony Humphries. He was exposed to these DJ's by listening to New York radio stations such as Disco 92, WKTU, WBLS and KISS FM. In 1985 he met John Mateo who had similar music interests. They teamed up and later would be known as Mateo & Matos. That same year he also met "Little" Louie Vega who played at a club called Heartthrob, formerly the Funhouse (N.Y.C.).

Louie Vega was a big inspiration, he would invite Eddie Matos to studio and editing sessions where he learned about recording, producing and engineering. In 1986 he ventured to David Mancuso's spot, The Loft. In that same year he also was lucky enough to meet the legendary Larry Levan. Listening to these two icons introduced him to the Garage and Loft sounds. From 1986 through 1989, he was heavily into deejaying, from playing in street summer jams to indoor winter jams. Late in 1989 he got into producing and has been producing ever since.

They have been inspired by listening to Tony Humphries, Shep Pettibone, Jonathan Fearing From '86 through '89, Mateo & Matos performed at a staggering number of club festivals and old school block parties in the tri-state area of New York. In late 89 they started producing and have released numerous E.P.s and singles from then until now on many record labels throughout the world. They've since torn up dance floors spinning in over thirty countries. You can find their unique New York soulful sound in dozens of original productions and remixes on record labels such as Henry Street, NiteGrooves, King Street, Defected, Nervous, Large, Manuscript records Ukraine and Glasgow Underground. If spirituality and soul in house music is what you seek, Mateo & Matos provide it. They're one of club-land's most enduring and well-known house DJ and production partnerships.

They've since brought their work to deejay appearances in over 30 countries and dozens of original productions and remixes on record labels such as King Street Records, Defected Records and Large Records.

Website: Mateo & Matos]]> music entertainment Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:27:00 +0100
Last year, 2010, Tocadisco celebrated his fifteenth anniversary as a DJ. And he has been busy during all these years! With more than 100 international remixes, over 20 internationally successful singles, as well as two hit albums on his résumé, this outstanding talent and multi-instrumentalist is preparing his third album, which will finally be hitting the shelves this spring.

Tocadisco's fans and supporters can look forward to a spectacular new record. Even before that, the first single "Alright" will be released at the end of February. On this track, Tocadisco teamed up with none less than Lennart A. Salomon, the singer of SONO, a collaboration that has already proven successful in the past.

His authenticity as much as his understanding of music won him the respect and acknowledgement of well-known DJs in the electronic music scene. But not only this scene began to prick up their ears. His extraordinary sensibility for music and the zeitgeist brought him to the attention of an advertising agency, who used one of his productions in a Citroen TV spot. It also got him contracted to work on countless remixes for acts and artists like Moby, Tiga, Pet Shop Boys, the Black Eyed Peas, New Order and many other international artists in the music business, as well as write for and contribute to single productions by, among others, Kelis, David Guetta and Fisherspooner.

Respected in the underground, loved by a captivated audience, a success story around the world – these attributes best characterize the award-winning all-rounder, star DJ and hit producer Tocadisco.

Tocadisco had his international breakthrough in 2004 with his single “Nobody Likes The Records That I Play”. After that, his indescribable career took off. In 2008, he released his first album “Solo”, promptly taking home the MTV award for “Best Dance International” for it. He wrote five singles for David Guetta on Guetta's albums “Pop Life” and “One Love”, the latter of which sold more than one million records worldwide. In 2009, Tocadisco founded his own label TOCA45 Recordings. On this label, he collects and distills the hottest trends in electronic music he comes across on his travels around the world – underground tracks with crossover potential.

The following year, Tocadisco started his own radio show, broadcast weekly as the Tocacabana Radio Show. This show quickly gained a worldwide following and is now, one year later, broadcast on over 40 radio stations in more than 20 countries around the world, including Ibiza Global Radio (Spain), FG Underground (France), Big City Beats (Germany) and Proton Radio (USA) just to name a few. Furthermore, Tocadisco discusses his global DJ activities on his show “Toca's Reisen” (Toca's travels), which is broadcast once a week on Germany's biggest radio station for young people, EINS LIVE. Tocadisco also has the honours of presenting a special of his Tocacabana Radio Show on Northern Germany's biggest radio station for young people, N-JOY, every two months, performing a two-hour set.

Tocadisco – a phenomenon. And a visionary who never rests. It's not surprising then that, alongside his many projects, he brought to life a new party series with his wife Nathizinha: the Tocacabana Party. It all started in the “Kölner Bootshaus” (Cologne boathouse) in 2010, and before the year came to a close the Tocacabana Party had already crossed national borders. In December 2010, Rio de Janeiro was honoured with being the venue of the first Tocacabana Party in Brazil. In addition to the host Tocadisco himself, various top DJs and acts like David Guetta, Joachim Garraud, Fedde le Grand, Laserkraft-3D, Dusty Kid, Afrojack, Francesco Diaz and others have thus already electrified the dancefloor during these wild party nights.

Tocadisco - a story that has only just begun...

Website: Tocadisco]]> music entertainment Sat, 29 Jan 2011 11:51:00 +0100 Fergie (aka Robert Ferguson), a DJ of international standing for the past decade, has never had a stronger and more vibrant aural identity. Playing the kind of music he wants, determined not to be held back by perceptions and tags from the past, he continues to be a global representative for electronic music by consistently breaking down underground barriers and bringing new music to the people, without compromise.

There is no doubt that Fergie has firmly re-established himself as a producer of innovative exciting music that really takes a hold of you. Having dedicated himself to the studio for the past few years, where he totally immersed himself in his passion for music, this has been a true labour of love for Fergie:

”I just wanted to go back and take time to rediscover what the music meant to me; how it made me feel, the buzz, the excitement. To find a sound that would reflect my individuality as a DJ and producer and in some way to recapture all of that in my productions” - (Fergie).

Clearly he has found his sound and the results are very evident in the free flow of original productions and remixes being consistently supported by the likes of Sasha, Digweed, Dubfire, Laurent Garnier, Miss Kitten and Slam.

His ever growing ‘Excentric Muzik’ label has been hailed by Carl Cox as his “label of 2008”, with Cox going on to license several productions for his forthcoming Space compilation this summer. Underground cuts such as ‘Anon’, ‘To The Core’ and ‘Blackeye-P’ have helped to instill Fergie and Excentric at the forefront of serious peak time electronica. Excentric off-shoot label ‘Rekluse’ (launched at the tail end of last year) has got off to a storming start with first release ‘2nd To None’ by Umek refusing to leave the Beatport techno charts almost half a year after it’s release, peaking at the number 1 spot along the way.

A steady stream of new material and remixes on many other labels of distinction have proven the Fergie sound to be one that is in much demand. ‘Ireland’ and the remix of Namito ‘City Of Gods’ (on Great Stuff), the remix of King Unique’s ‘Hinode’ (which went down so well they asked him back to rework one of their biggest ever tracks, ‘Dirty’) and not forgetting the all conquering remix of Umek’s ‘Gatex’, these have all firmly established Fergie as a proven seal of production quality for many.

A collaboration project with electronic compatriots Reset Robot & Alan Fitzpatrick is an outlet for a deeper, darker, more twisted side to Fergie, with the recent ‘Gas Mask’ / ‘Rattlesnake’ gaining momentum from DJ Hell, Luciano, Adam Beyer and Ivan Smagghe amongst others.

Then there’s James Lavelle, who has consistently supported Fergie’s work and drafted him in to his remix his renowned Unkle Project with devastating results. By the end of 2009 this will have been joined by remixes of Slam’s seminal classic ‘Positive Education’ (Soma), Smith & Selway ‘Work it’ (Tronic), Yousef ‘Letter to No One’ (Circus Recordings) as well as Reset Robot ‘Softie’ on Excentric.

2009 will also see Fergie playing clubs Shine, The Stiff Kitten (Belfast), Pressure, Sub Club (Glasgow), Circus (Liverpool), Firefly (Nottingham), MOS (London), Shindig (Newcastle), The Tripod (Dublin), Meganite (Ibiza), Exit (Lithuania) and the Sonar festival (Barcelona), as well as international tours of France, Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Brazil and Canada.

It all started in Northern Ireland where Robert Ferguson, as his passport dubs him, grew up. His first day of secondary school would see him donning a walkman instead of putting up with his teacher’s voice, and for the next three years he would spend more time outside the headmaster’s office than in the classroom. At the age of 13 he finally left the school system and embarked on the passion that had engulfed him, embracing music headlong and becoming a DJ. This was to become a mercurial move that would lead to international DJ status and a coveted show on Radio 1.

Growing up as part of the Northern Irish rave scene and being a witness to events such as the iconic Hellraiser raves at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, where he got his first taste of international DJs such as Carl Cox and Pablo Gargano, confirmed the direction in which his music was to go. “It was the harder edge of the music that really caught me, just the full on driving energy of it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge.” - (Fergie)

Tony De Vit later took Fergie under his wing, starting him on a journey that eventually led to his own slot on Radio 1 where he championed the sounds of the underground on mainstream radio, long before minimal techno became the “du jour” genre for DJs. At only 21 he found himself presenting live shows from Skol Beats (Brazil), Love Parade (Berlin), Meganite (Ibiza), the Miami Winter Music Conference and not one to forget where he came from he brought his very first live Radio 1 show back to Northern Ireland.

The show ran for 5 years and developed into a snapshot of what was going on in the underground electronic music scene. Guests included Richie Hawtin, Sven Vath, Dave Clarke and Phil Kieran (who both covered the show in Fergie's absence), Carl Cox and Jeff Mills, as well as providing a platform for many aspiring producers and DJs to show what they had to offer... the likes of Kev Gorman (Gigolo), Anderson Noise (Noise Music), Matt Tolfrey (Leftroom) and Dave Robertson (aka Reset Robot) all received some of their prominent initial exposure through Fergie’s show.

His drive and support for new talent has long since continued, the ‘Excentric Artists’ agency operates as a platform and a launch pad for the next generation of unconventional aspiring DJs and producers, with the roster currently consisting of Mr Henry Von, Psycatron, Erphun, Jus' Phil, Jordan McCuaig and Hans Bouffmyhre.

With the ascent of his Excentric project, making a real impact in clubland on three different levels; releasing cutting edge music, putting on events and pushing new talent, Fergie is investing and developing in the future of electronic music and making sure he has a say in it.

A proven forward thinker, constantly developing and never standing still, the architect of an ever evolving sound by keeping one step ahead of the rest, he has never forgotten though that it's still just a rave. A place where people are trying to escape the realities of urban life each and every weekend, and is where he hopes to catch up with you very soon.

Website: Fergie]]> music entertainment Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:02:00 +0100

Both Frederic Berger and Patrick Buck are true boys from Hamburg. They are in their mid 30s and have had single careers of their own for more than 10 years, but when they joined forces things began to simmer.

They have so much in common that you could think they were twins in mind. Both started to play musical instruments at school and also started their DJ careers then. As they grew up Patrick started to study and Frederic started an apprenticeship. Patrick quite his studies and once Frederic had completed his hotelier apprenticeship both became professional musicians.

After several years pursuing their musical careers they meet up and discovered that they had a great deal in conmen and then started to work together.

Kaiserdisco signed to MBF two years ago and have since then accumulated half a dozen top chart positions on Beatport and international fame. What started as fun in 2008 with a remix for Phunklarique (one half of Piemont) and Pierce, got hugely successful and won an award as one of "Beatport's minimal top 10 selling tracks in 2008".

Their "Pipe!" EP (MBF 12052) was a raw and psychedelic EP to start off with which earned shouts from DJs such as Format:B, Len Faki, Technasia, Joseph Capriati etc. With their Zapateria EP (MBF 12055), they created their first summer hit and title song, the a-side "Espandrillo" got very high in the Beatport charts as well as selling very good through Kompakt distribution as vinyl.

Meanwhile also remixers such as Uto Karem and Hermanez had spread the fame, when the 3rd EP "Amalfino" hit the shops and evolved as the biggest hit they had so far. Climbing up to no3 in the Beatport sale charts and staying in the charts for over 3 months, "Amalfino" was hitting the bulls-eye in every respect. Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Stephan Bodzin, Dubfire, Tiefschwarz were among the many to celebrate the track in their sets and to boost the popularity of Kaiserdisco.

Since then Kaiserdisco have been gigging in clubs and festivals around the world. Releases on on Terminal M and Drumcode, Kling Klong and on Micro.Fon showed that their potential was huge. Remixes for Booka Shade, Umek and Swedish pop singer Robyn are cooking.

After five 12"s on MBF they decided it was the time for the next step in their career. With an album release Kaiserdisco would be able to really show their whole range of music. The album "In no one's Shadow" (MBF CD004) will feature 10 brand new exclusive and unreleased trax, as well as their chart breakers "Aguja" and "Carachillo" and will be accompanied by a video and an album tour.

Website: Kaiserdisco]]> music entertainment Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:41:00 +0100

Leama is the globally respected UK house DJ and producer responsible for several high profile original productions and collaborations which have propelled him to a top 50 positioning in the US URB Magazine DJ Poll and created the platform for a series of global tours taking the worlds leading dance floors by storm.

With early influences accredited to electronic music dignitaries Sasha and Laurent Garnier along with rock bands such as Pink Floyd and taking great influence in music from films, Leama to create his own diverse yet universally appealing sound, combining elements of house, tech-house, deep and progressive along with ambient and breaks, summed up best by Leama as "funked up rockin' party music"

Beginning his production career back in 1997, early collaborations with Tilt and Malcolm McLaren were invaluable in setting the standard for the quality of his music, which is evident today both in his solo productions and as one half of melodic progressive house act Leama & Moor.

His production style uses subtle yet familiar ambient undertones, layering soundscapes and placing great emphasis on the importance of melody, which is projected on his debut solo production, Melodica. At it's time of release the track became a particular favourite with maestros such as Sasha, Dave Seaman, Sander Kleinenberg and Paul Oakenfold, who featured the track on his highly successful Travelling Mix Compilation.

Whilst his joint venture with Tilt under the Odessi guise named 'Moments in Space' gained equal critical acclaim and DJ support, the 'Matrix' based track rocketed it's way onto an impressive accolade of prestigious mix compilations including Euphoria Deep and Chilled, Dave Seaman's Renaissance and Anthony Pappas Nu-Breed Mix on Global Underground.

Another project inspired by the silver screen was Leama's massive underground hit 'Requiem for a Dream', released in 2003 on Perfecto Records. The track went on to receive huge global support from the likes of Tiesto, Sander Kleinenberg and James Holden and found it's way onto several major compilations including Tiesto's Nyana Mix CD and Paul Oakenfolds - Great Wall of China.

As a DJ, Leama has taken his unique sound to many of the worlds leading events including Muzika in Miami, Pacha in Tel Aviv and Renaissance in the UK whilst becoming a regular feature on the South American circuit with regular tours incorporating Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela.

Whilst his iconic status amongst the elite of America's most respected artists remains strong, Leama's commitments closer to home remain equally impressive as Germany, Greece, Israel, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and The Ukraine are amongst the nations toured by Leama.

With a heavy ongoing production schedule including the long awaited debut Leama & Moor album and an equally impressive weekend tour schedule things remain very positive for this unique pro active musician.]]> music entertainment Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:00:00 +0200

Recognized as one of the main techno pioneers and influential artists of the recent time, Shlomi has the kind of impact usually reserved for inbound meteors, the reason for which is buried in a ground swell of genre-defying appreciation and support. a comment taken from a recent “Radio 1” interview provides a probable insight as to why his productions are hitting such a broad mark, “No matter if it’s hard or soft, it just needs to touch your mind, body and soul at the same time. That’s what I call a ‘Good Record’.”

This personal approach, married with 12 years production experience that takes influence from jazz, funk, minimal, acid and, in particular the old school Detroit techno movement. Aber has created some of the most recognizable and unique techno of modern times. Means he boasts some of the world’s most prestigious labels on his ever-expanding CV: Cocoon, Ovum, R&S and Renaissance to name but a few. Tracks such as Sea Of Sand, After Love and Tel Aviv Garden have become engraved on Top 10 bestseller lists all over, whilst his release “Crop Duster” has already been described by every aspects as ‘…a classy piece of Underground fodder…,’ not to mention his worldwide funky techno anthem with Ovum Recordings, “Freakside,” which became his trademark as “ the biggest club track of 2007 “

The accolades from the press don’t end there either; his sets have also been cited for their unique ability to cohesively traverse genres; DJmag positively wrote in a profile article, ‘Shlomi’s sets are full with warm and unique sounds that makes you feel like you are going back to the better days of music, it was something I can’t define just by one word, if I must I will call it something between house and techno. With his fascinating technical skills, accurate programming and music selection, you can just feel the magic in the air.’ Quite a statement.

Growing from the classic Tel Aviv “90’s underground dance scene”, shlomi rise through the DJ ranks of his native environment is the house fairytale in its purest form, beginning with throwing regular parties for his mates in his parents’ garage when he was just 14!, support soon developed and he was able to take on bigger underground venues and increase his local profile to massive events such as the Love Parade, Gay Parade, Dance & Levis and many others.

Back to these days, Shlomi was selected as Beatport’s artists of the year for 2008 and also received a respected “Worldwide DJ Awards” nomination, placing Shlomi in the first tier of electronic music artists, Headlining every prestigious club, festival or venue worldwide.

2006 saw Shlomi launch his own imprint, bookings, and artist management agency. This heralded the birth of one of the most established and top leading labels of the underground dance music scene, “Be As One Imprint.” The label, with its broad range of quality underground house and techno, has become a firm favorite with the world’s elite, , with the only constant being that “a track must have the right feeling and stand out in its own way.”

After another successful EP release in 2010, Shlomi finally brings us his debut album on Ovum “Chicago Days/Detroit Nights”. Shlomi really shows his diversity on this LP from the driving main floor monsters of Groove Mechanism to the melodic beauty of Taped and Gorgeous. Shlomi takes you on a journey and shows why he is one of the most sought after and respected producers at the moment.

Website : Shlomi Aber]]> music entertainment Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:07:00 +0200 For more than a decade, Swedish duo Rickard Berglöf and Robert Elster (better known to the world as Vibrasphere) have been pumping out tracks from their Cloud 99 Studio.

With way over a 100 released productions to their name, they are without a doubt one of the most sought-after and respected trance acts in the world today. Vibrasphere have performed hundreds of Live sets in over 40 countries all over the globe. Early releases Echo (2001) on Spiral Trax and Lime Structure (2003) on Digital Structures established them as truly leading figures of the progressive trance scene, earning them a place in the history of this progressive sound.

Their 3rd Album, Archipelago (also on Digital Structures) was regarded as one of the seminal releases of 2006 and after their short break in 2005, firmly signally Vibrasphere were back on the scene.

In late 2006, the single Floating Free was picked up by Superstar DJs Markus Shulz and Armin Van Buuren for their radio shows, resulting in a string of licenses including Gatecrasher Live on Ministry of Sound and Armada Trance Vol. 1. With strong support from DJs Paul Van Dyk, Hernan Cattaneo, Paul Oakenfold, Christopher Lawrence, Remy, Menno de Jong, Kenneth Thomas and John 00 Fleming has helped with making a successful transition to a wider audience and a whole new generation of Vibrasphere fans.

Riding on the back of their successful 2006 release Archipelago (and its subsequent remix cd), Vibrasphere released their 4th full length album, Exploring the Tributaries this time on Tribal Vision Records in June 2007.

In December 2008 Vibrasphere released the Album Lungs of Life as a tribute to their 10-year anniversary. The album crossed over into many different styles such as techno, minimal and trance. During 2009 Vibrasphere toured a lot and made a highly acclaimed remix of the Depeche mode song Peace as a part of the bands remix contest on Beatport. After a decade of the music, one can only guess where the pair will go next.

However, one thing is for sure and that is that Vibrasphere have firmly stamped their name in the history books as one of the pioneering acts of the electronic music movement and their music will continue to influence people for many years to come.

Website: Vibrasphere]]> music entertainment Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:20:00 +0200 Marascia starts his artistic career in the mid 90s working actively for some independent labels.

Among some of his first house music experiments “The land of rhythm EP” gets immediate international feedback. From this moment on his name starts appearing on the most influential DJs charts and playlists.

He works as a producer as well as a remixer and he is asked to remix tracks by Todd Terry, John Aquaviva and Richie Hawtin on legendary labels such as Illegal and Strictly Rhythm. He then starts djing in the most important clubs in England, Spain, Germany, France and even Russia. But it is only from 1997 that Marascia starts releasing real charts hits.

When “Ride on the Rhythm” was released with the name Blackwood it went straight to number 1 on the Italian charts and and was top ten in many other countries. Then followed “My love for you” and “Peace”. Both tracks were big hits being played on the main radio networks and tv shows. After the Blackwood project he released another single with the name Chase called “Obsession”. The tracks title was a sort of prediction because he was a huge success becoming a real radio obsession of the late nineties.

Jumping onto the new millennium Marascia gets acquainted with one of the most famous Italian djs of that period who was to become his current executive producer. Meanwhile he writes and produces two tracks for the Brazilian singer Vania “Agua y amor” and “La brisa del mar” which have been dancefloor fillers all over the globe.

He then begins to work for label Sound4group and starts working on more peculiar tracks in which he adds drums and percussions creating a very original sound that will become a real trend in the underground scene. The result is an explosive mix of electro sound and tribal atmospheres that made tracks like “Chemical attraction” and “Genetically changed” a new step in dance music.

To follow is “The Rumbar” project alongside with Kortezman, who was also involved in the earlier Blackwood and Chase projects, giving birth to the track “A bailar mi gente” that was a huge success and got licensed all over the world on labels like Emi, Virgin, Global Productions e New Records. His style is instantly recognisable and Marascia is the only artist that ever entered the dance charts [over 10 weeks on the Deejay parade] with tribal house tracks creating a sort of little revolution in the dance scene. In 2002 Marascia releases “Shake it” that was to be one of the most played dance tracks of that year played on all the major Italian radio networks [radio Deejay, kiss kiss network, radio Italia network] and soon licensed to all the most prestigious foreign labels finally reaching number 8 on the American Billboard dance chart.

In a few words Marascia is an international phenomenon that cannot be stopped.

Website: Marascia]]> music entertainment Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:19:00 +0200

To many a series of discordant, often obscure and forgotten names but to Gilles Peterson and an ever growing number of radio listeners, clubbers and music lovers, these and many other artists form a rich, vibrant and coherent thread stretching from the primal roots of Africa to the bass culture of Jamaica via the urban soul of Detroit to the intricate stylings of the European new jazz generation. All in all, a truly global musical perspective championed by Gilles for the past 20 years and given voice on his weekly Radio 1 show ‘Worldwide’ and heard around the planet from London to Lagos to Los Angeles. It is this instinctive, personal belief in the uniting power of music that has motivated his vision of an all-embracing musical language that not only cuts across cultural, linguistic and national boundaries but also encompasses them to create new possibilities, new vistas. Indeed, to quote from Lonnie Liston Smith to create ‘a vision of a new world’.

So where did this distinct approach find its genesis? What course has led Gilles to this current point? To answer this we need to go back to South London in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Internationally, the period was hallmarked by tension in the Middle East and a new ossification in the Cold War. In the UK, a new Tory government under Margaret Thatcher had been elected, unemployment rocketed and riots scarred many inner cities. Along with the various political & social transitions, music was witnessing a change. Punk had died and the fallout had given birth to New Wave. Electronic sounds increasingly infiltrated the charts and black music, as mercurial as ever, was undergoing change. In reggae, the rockers sound had become more militant, begetting the more strident ‘steppers’ vibe, hip hop & rap was just emerging from across the water and jazz funk was viewed as the favoured choice of a new generation of dancers, twisters and all night party people. And, as ever among new scenes, different camps emerged, each with their own take on a nascent music and culture.

Within jazz funk there was the urban, black London crowd represented by magazines like Black Echoes and a more suburban, Essex soul boy vibe, largely represented by the likes of Blues & Soul magazine. Gilles was somewhat caught in the middle. Although brought up amongst the suburban soul scene listening to Level 42 (he was a member of their fan club and ‘Mark King’s biggest fan’), Earth Wind & Fire & Central Line, he would also avidly listen to the pirate radio stations of London, which were heavier, deeper, and blacker.

‘I would listen to a lot of radio, Radio Invicta, the pirate that used to broadcast on a Sunday. I used to spend all my Sundays just trying to tune into Invicta. They were the first ones to do pirate radio and play jazz, funk and soul music. That was all my life revolved about. Doing lists, checking stuff, I was a classic trainspotter.’

This love of radio inspired his first forays into broadcasting. Somewhat removed from the present relative luxury of the BBC, Gilles invested in a small transmitter and turntables.

‘I used to record these shows with my turntables with my next-door neighbour in my garden shed. Before long we were recording an hour each. I convinced my Dad to give us a lift to the nearest high spot. From there we’d connect the transmitter to the tape recorder which would have the two hours of show we had recorded. We’d connect that to a tree with an ariel. We’d sit in a phone box hoping for hours hoping someone would phone.’

The call soon came. However, it was from an unexpected source. Radio Invicta, the very pirate station that Gilles so keenly tuned into had had their transmitter taken away so needed another. Gilles takes up the story, 'They heard there was this young kid in South London who had a transmitter and so I hooked up with them, gave them my transmitter and they offered me a show. They weren’t bringing me on because I was a good DJ - I was just a kid who had a lot of energy and enthusiasm who had a car so they could use me to put ariels up.'

Around this time Gilles was frequenting Palladin Records, a record shop run by DJ Paul Murphy. Murphy was a big influence on the young aspiring DJ. Murphy’s reputation and knowledge of rare, killer power jazz tunes was pre-eminent and his club nights at the Electric Ballroom were already legendary.

This was, says Gilles ‘the club. It was the ghetto black club; there were very few white boys. In the main room it was Paul Anderson with George Power, jazz, funk, imports and early electro. Upstairs was this little ghetto room. Paul Murphy was in there playing mad fast speed jazz records, really nutty rare fusion Afro-Cuban stuff. The best dancers from downstairs would get to a point where they would have to compete at a higher level so they’d go to the upstairs room. It was very much based around dancing.’

Gilles soon became a well-known face amongst the older dancers and jazz heads. His enthusiasm, passion and burgeoning knowledge made him a natural replacement for Murphy when he left the Ballroom to DJ Friday nights at Soly Sombra.

‘I think half the reason he offered it to me was because he thought I’d fuck it up. There was this little boy turned up with a dodgy wedge. I used to really annoy him. I used to be that irritating guy who irritates me these days. I was just too keen. Put it this way, I was on the pirate radio then and he used to do a chart for me from his shop, Palladin Records, and they’d actually put fake names in there and they’d laugh at me announcing the fake names on the radio.

‘The first couple of weeks was a disaster. I didn’t have the music really. The dancers gave me the first week when Paul Murphy left and I was rubbish. The week after, they went to Soly Sombra but they couldn’t get in. They were really annoyed. Then they all went ‘We’re gonna go back, give this guy a bit of support.’ That was good for me because it really broke me in really well. I appreciate having to work hard’.

Once ensconced upstairs in the Electric Ballroom, Gilles understanding and insight into jazz, funk and soul grew exponentially. A hard, almost unforgiving baptism, the Ballroom sessions worked dancers harder and faster. Bass driven, percussion heavy and topped with screaming horns and driving keys, the music Gilles played attracted an increasingly loyal following and his reputation grew. He began playing more venues to more people. The harsh, elitist door policies of many of the Soho clubs where Murphy had gone to play – the Wag particularly – meant many of the racially mixed jazz funk crowd couldn’t follow Murphy. Gilles now became instrumental in an embryonic scene yet to be named. Murphy’s once ardent followers now danced to Peterson’s tune. In particular, the elite of the black London dance crowd IDJ (I Dance Jazz) spun, twisted and leapt to the new DJ’s message.

Gilles soon began to play at Nicky Holloway’s Special Branch night at The Royal Oak. ‘His scene that he was building was a cross between the casual soul boy scene, the ones that sang in unison to ‘Joy & Pain’ by Maize, and the London trendy. I’d play upstairs with Chris Bangs and downstairs it was Rampling, Oakenfold, Holloway. That lasted three, four years, a very important weekly club that that scene would all go to, this was pre-Shoom. Out of that scene came nearly everything that we have today in the UK.’

1985 was something of a watershed for Gilles. It saw him releasing a series of records which were to become the template for compilations to come. The Jazz Juice series collected together many of the jazz tracks Gilles had been playing over the past few years. Drawing on the rich catalogues of Riverside, Prestige, Inner City and other seminal jazz labels, Jazz Juice set the standard for DJ compilations and today are regarded as milestone collections now exchanging hands for serious money. The knowledge displayed by Gilles in compiling these albums brought him to the attention of EMI Records. Witnessing the increased popularity of jazz dance in the UK club scene they called upon Gilles to dig into the vaults of arguably the finest jazz label of them all, Blue Note, and put together a series of inspired collections showcasing the labels best artists - Duke Pearson, Horace Parlan, Art Blakey, Hank Mobley, John Patton and many others. These albums – ‘Blue Bossa Vols. 1 & 2’ & ‘Baptist Beat’ – became the motivation for the hugely popular ‘Blue’ series of Jazz compilations.

During this period, Gilles had also been working on new radio projects at Kjazz (with Kev Beadle, Jez Nelson & Chris Phillips. Later taken off air by gun toting gangsters), Solar Radio and On Horizon, pirate stations that had take up Invicta’s mantle. Then Gilles had the opportunity to ‘go legit’ with the BBC.
‘BBC Radio London was the first legal station I worked on which was a major deal for me. There were only a few legal stations at that time. I had my own show ‘Mad On Jazz’. We’d do live percussion, spoken word and we’d mix it all up.’

Then, managerial changes at the BBC saw his show getting axed and Gilles focused again on the club scene. 1986 saw Gilles start what was to become a seminal period in club culture with his Sunday sessions at Camden’s Dingwalls – Talkin Loud & Saying Something’. Although now a far more salubrious venue, back then Dingwalls was a rough and ready space. A dark place, perched on the edge of Camden Lock. It would run for 5 years there and for a further two at The Fridge in Brixton. Co-hosted by Patrick Forge, Talkin Loud at Dingwalls became a byword for headstrong clubbing. Starting off with an already established audience (bands had long played there) the music policy – if you could call it that – injected a heady fix of vitality, vibrancy and youthfulness into a somewhat tired location.

Whereas previously, Dingwalls was a shadowy space inhabited by subdued, hungover detritus from the previous night, it was now a joyous place exemplified by exuberance, laughter and music. Starting at midday, the music would move from jazz to Latin to funk and soul to live performances by new bands such as the Brand New Heavies, Push, and Galliano as well as established icons such as Roy Ayers, Dave Pike, Poncho Sanchez, Mongo Santamaria and Mark Murphy. Coinciding with the nascent acid house scene, the session soon became a natural magnet for pot clubbing come down kids. Talkin Loud saw itself as the connection between the new acid house clubbers and those who stayed with the jazz funk roots of UK club culture. Today, Gilles is acutely aware of the role the Talkin Loud sessions at Dingwalls played.

‘It was incredible. Five years that were the best of my life as a DJ. It couldn’t get any better than what was there for me. It took me a few years to recover from what a great club it had been. It took everything that Id done from all the scenes that I’d played on and it brought all those scenes together. The trendy kids from Soho, on the Blue Note bohemian tip, the ravers, still up from the night before, the Black jazz dance crew, Electric Ballroom, tourist people who were passing by Camden looking in and going, ‘what’s this?’ You had kids going in there because it wasn’t that kind of night club thing, we could have 15-16 year old kids coming down there which is brilliant because that’s where the energy comes from for the future. Musically I did exactly what I was into, the Real Gilles Peterson trip. Started off midday ‘til two with real electric Ballroom jazz, hard jazz, real jazz, Blakey, Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, the jazz dancers, it would be boiling outside but they’d all be in this dark pit, dancing off each other. At two ‘o’ clock we’d put on a live band, Courtney Pine or Brand New Heavies or Galliano or Jamiroquai. From 3.30 ‘til 6.00 I’d play jazz funk, hip-hop, house, whatever, it was really the full spectrum through the day. For five years it was an absolutely incredible club.’ The emergence of acid house in the late 80’s gave birth to a whole style of music, clothing, and attitude and would, indirectly, christen another emergent scene looking for a name.

‘I was with Chris Bangs at one of Nicky Holloway’s nights. One room, five DJs, 1,000 people. Paul Oakenfold was before us. He was wearing a smily t-shirt and on it was ‘Get on one matey, acid’. Everyone was going nuts listening to acid tracks by Phuture. Chris Bangs and I were like, ‘Fucking hell, this is wild, what are we going to play? We’re on next’. There was a fusion of rare groove, acid house and growth in club culture that was making it quite an interesting period. Oakenfold left everyone in rapture, we put on this old 7-inch by Mickey & the Soul Generation which was a rare groove record with a mad rock guitar intro and no beat. I started vary speeding it so it sounded all warped. Chris got on the microphone and said, ‘If that was acid house, this is acid jazz’. That’s how acid jazz started, just a joke. That was really where acid jazz became acid jazz, it wasn’t a music form, it wasn’t anything, it was just a joke to counteract acid house. By calling our thing acid jazz we actually created a name for what we were doing that was contemporary with the acid house scene.

‘Within a few months of acid house happening, we were putting on parties of our own called Cock Happy. We were doing the acid house thing but to a different soundtrack. All the people who were the key people in acid house, the first prophets of that scene and that lifestyle, they were all regulars at my clubs.’

In the wake of acid house, Gilles joined up with Eddie Pillar to form a new label. It was initially a vehicle to release the records and projects Gilles and his friends were working on. It was around 1988 and Gilles was playing at a night called Babylon in Heaven, London.

‘I was doing Babylon at Heaven, rave period. Colin Favor, main room, hard techno. Next door was Rampling and Oakey playing Balearic. I was playing my funk and acid jazz upstairs. I was DJing with a guy called Marco, who later became a member of The Young Disciples. One night we thought, ‘Fuck it, let’s do a record’. It was a version of ‘Freddie’s Dead’ by Curtis Mayfield performed by Rob Gallagher and we thought, ‘Fuck, who’s going to release this? I don’t know how to put records out,’ and I thought of Eddie Pillar (radio plugger from the ‘Mad on Jazz’ days). That’s when Acid Jazz started. Great time but after two years I was beginning to feel the sound, the music and name was ghettoizing itself, it was becoming a mod thing, a retro thing.’

During this period Gilles’s radio career had also progressed. After the granting of new FM licenses for London, Jazz FM was set up in 1990. However, his brief tenure with the station ended when he was fired for playing ‘inappropriate’ music and making statements supporting peace during the Gulf War. His absence from the airwaves was short lived as he soon joined the newly legalized Kiss FM, London’s first dedicated dance radio station. His Sunday morning slot proved one of the most popular on the station and he stayed there for 8 years until he joined Radio 1

It is this belief in ever moving forward which has hallmarked Gilles. Not content to be caught looking backwards, an approach from Phonogram Records in 1989 to set up a new label revitalized his interest in the record making business. That’s how Talkin Loud Records came about.

‘The scene was growing; there were groups that needed more support than I could give them at Acid Jazz. There were bands coming through, the ‘Heavies, the Jamiroquai’s, the Galliano’s, they were the bands that were in a position to sign major record deals. Because I was the focus of the scene, I felt the scene needed to grow in the right way and Acid Jazz was too lo-fi. When I got the offer to work for a major and set up a record label of my choice, I thought this is the right time to do this.

‘After about a year and a half of being there, I had to infiltrate Mercury. It was an old school rock label and I had to infiltrate it. They saw me as an interesting person although they didn’t give me much support’. Feeling somewhat isolated, Gilles brought in old friend and respected DJ, Norman Jay to help him. From there, he proceeded to add to the personnel.

‘They saw me as an energetic guy and I thought I need someone in marketing and that’s when I got Paul Martin. Suddenly I was infiltrating the company. Whenever I heard there was a job going a Phonogram or Mercury I’d try and get someone I knew in, so by ’93, ’94 there was five or six people there who I knew outside of work, my people. Suddenly there’s a few of us and there’s a little vibe going on and that’s really how Talkin Loud started.’

Talkin Loud’s initial releases immediately got the right reaction. The Young Disciples debut album was rightly lauded by clubber & critics alike and is regarded as something of a letter day classic. Other artists such as Omar, Incognito, Urban Species and Galliano went on to achieve considerable success over the next few years. Talkin Loud very much echoed Gilles’s own diverse tastes. Embracing many varied styles from house to hip hop to soul to tech-jazz to drum and bass, the label always managed to forge a very distinct identity without appearing static, a record illustrated by the fact that it has been nominated for 5 Mercury Music Awards – Roni Size Reprazent (winning in 1997), 4 Hero, Courtney Pine, Young Disciples & M J Cole. Indeed, the list of artists who have graced Talkin Loud’s roster is a testament to Gilles’s skill as not only an A&R man but true music lover: Raw Deal, 4 Hero, Carl Craig & Innerzone Orchestra, Incognito, The Roots, Galliano, Young Disciples, Marxman, Perception, K-Creative, Omar, Jeffrey Darnell, Steps Ahead, Reprazent, Courtney Pine, DJ Krust, Elizabeth Troy, Tammy Payne, UFO, Nu Yorican Soul and on and on.

Gilles not only ‘joins the dots’ between artists, producers and styles, he colours in the spaces between. A DJ who places equal legitimacy on a Max Roach album as on a Jig Master’s 12” and can understand the links between the two, he as comfortable playing Roland Kirk as he is Jazzanova. As passionate about Dee Dee Bridgewater as he is about India Arie. With his Worldwide radio show now broadcast in 15 countries as far apart as New Zealand, Croatia, Nigeria, America and Cyprus, and his Radio 1 website receiving more hits than any other DJ at the station, his popularity and message can only grow.]]> music entertainment Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:56:00 +0200 Per Qx born in Stockholm 1977, Per's DJ career started off when he got his own dance column in Swedish QX magazine, where he wrote about new releases and club compilations.

His first gig was a big party called Sthlm Goes Gay, where he warmed up the floor for 1500 people. It went down so well that he got a resident gig at a new hyped up club called Bangkok. The promoters didn't know what to write on the flyer, so they wrote Per Qx, hence his DJ name was born.

After travelling up north and down south with gigs in both gay and straight clubs, Per and his friend Rickard Nordstrand decided to do clubnights that invited DJs from London. They called those nights 'One Night in Heaven'. DJs like Wayne G, Stewart Who, T-total, Lisa Reds and many more came over to give the crowd a feel of a London night. Music has always surrounded Per since he was a kid.

He started DJ-ing at 12 and released his first record at 16; but it wasn't until the DJ and remixer StoneBrige discovered his tracks and released them on his label Stoney Boy Music that things really started to take off.

After a two years Per found the Swedish club scene was too small so he moved to London. With his single "Out Tonite" out on Mambo Recordings (which charted in the in DJ Mag Ibiza chart all summer) and projects and remixes with Wayne G and Stewart Who, Brent Nicholls, David Jimenez and StoneBridge the future looks bright! You can hear Per play regularly at Salvation, Sweet Suite, Detox, Homolulu and Timebomb at Freedom.

Website: Per QX]]> music entertainment Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:41:00 +0200

Xzibit is a name familiar to millions across the world. It belongs to A man as comfortable inside a recording studio booth as he is behind a television camera. He is a performer as likely to be seen on-stage thrilling listeners in Germany as he is on cinema screens in blockbuster franchise entries like XXX 2 and The X Files: I Want To Believe. Let him tell it and Xzibit is simply "a self made man from poverty." A platinum recording artist first and foremost, X to the Z is also a superstar with a formidable fanbase that spans the entire globe.

X first came to the attention of attentive Hip-Hop listeners as a member of the revered rap collective, The Likwit Crew. Founder and West Coast Hip-Hop veteran King Tee enlisted raucous group Tha Alkaholiks and newcomer Xzibit into the clique as original Likwit representatives. From there, the ferocious X unleashed his 1996 debut, At The Speed Of Life. Considered by many to be an underground rap classic, it spawned a definitive West Coast Hip-Hop classic, the cautionary "Paparazzi." "That song still elicits a crazy reception from my fans," says its creator. "It first blew up overseas, but ended up travelling everywhere. It's a timeless record."

With enlightened Hip-Hop listeners swarming to offer their approval, he swiftly followed this release with another Hip-Hop staple. His sophomore release, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz was lauded by critics and fans alike, and its lead single "What U See Is What U Get" spent an astonishing six weeks atop the charts on BET's Rap City.

X's mainstream breakthrough came courtesy of one of Hip-Hop's most memorable guest verses. Appearing on Snoop Dogg's atmospheric "B Please," his brash aggression was a perfect foil to Snoop's, considered drawl. With an integral assist from X, the single became one of Snoop's most successful in years. The X-Man's turn clearly impressed the track's producer, the legendary Dr. Dre; He soon offered X a spot on his epic Up In Smoke Tour. Joining a bill that included the aforementioned Dre and Snoop, Ice Cube, and the controversial Eminem, a captivating, show-stealing X was introduced to thousands of thrilled concertgoers night after night. "That tour was a turning point in my career," acknowledges X. "I was rocking capacity crowds in arenas across the country, and everyone was feeling what I brought to the table."

Forging a strong artistic bond with Dre, Xzibit got the production giant to oversee his next solo album, the platinum release Restless. Expanding Xzibit's fanbase, far beyond the undergrounds constraints, it spawned the unforgettable "X," a worldwide smash hit synonymous with the MC. The Dre and Xzibit pairing was so phenomenally successful that the Doc also served as the Executive Producer of Restless' successor, the star-studded Man Vs Machine. "It made sense to collaborate with Dre again," stresses the artist. "We have a dope chemistry and Restless had sold over a million copies - why not capitalize on that momentum?" Man Vs Machine featuredappearances from career affiliates and fellow Hip-Hop heavyweights Snoop Dogg and Eminem, and soon earned its creator another RIAA plaque. Having now established a devoted fanbase and gained a reputation as a relentlessly energetic live performer, Em wisely enlisted Xzibit as a headlining act on the mammoth, globe-spanning Anger Management Tour.

With his vibrant personality, showcased expertly through his music, Hollywood inevitably began to show interest in the ascending MC. "I was open to the offers," explains X, "Because they allowed people to see the other sides of me. My raps will tear your head off, but I'm not always the aggressive dude from music videos." His stint as the host of MTV's overwhelmingly successful Pimp My Ride led to X accepting an invitation to host the networks prestigious European Music Awards. It also prompted numerous notable film roles, including a starring role in 2006's sports drama Gridiron Gang. Continuing to hone his acting skills, X can most recently be seen alongside Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes in the critically-acclaimed Bad Lieutenant: Port Of New Orleans. Amidst silver-screen acceptance and MTV hosting duties, X found the time to release two more albums: Weapons Of Mass Destruction, which featured the Timbaland-helmed club favorite "Hey Now," and the independent release “Full Circle.” Although the latter featured some of the most popular names in music, including T-Pain and The Game, X made it clear that his primary allegiance remained to his fans. Dedicating the poignant "Thank You" to his wealth of supporters, X went on to give an arousing performance of the track on David Letterman's highly-rated program. "It was important that I made a song like ‘Thank You,’" X claims, "because, I wanted to remind all the people that love Xzibit that I put my music above just about anything. My music is the foundation of everything that I do, and my fans make it possible for me to keep recording. It's only right that I thanked them."

In 2010, that love for his listeners remains consistatant. Despite securing several impressive film roles and a well-received guest host spot on ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover Edition, Xzibit is still committed to making the unadulterated and unforgiving Hip-Hop that motivates so many. He has lent his booming, unmistakable vocals to both thankful up-and-comers and renowned veterans expect to hear X's gruff baritone on Dr. Dre's future certain masterpiece Detox. Amidst such extracurricular duties, he is recording several of his own high profile projects. These include a collaborative release with Cypress Hill front-man B-Real and promising New West representative Young De who have formed a collective called Serial Killaz, and a fervently anticipated new solo album, tentatively titled MMX. As a preview of this new solo, X has teased listeners by offering "Phenom" and “Hurtlocker.” “Phenom,” a thunderous precursor, was produced by Scoop Deville, the man responsible for Snoop Dogg's unavoidable hit "I Wanna Rock."

A household name that will continue to dazzle on the big and small screen, X never forgot his Hip-Hop roots. He will continue to warrant the respect of all those within earshot, and as a lyricist is intent on proving his skilled penmanship at any given opportunity. "I still love it as much as I did when I first burst through the door," confirms X, "And I'm going to keep spitting like I'm that unsigned kid desperate to showcase himself." This inspiring grind, boundless enthusiasm, and enviable talent means that Xzibit will remain familiar to millions for as long as he desires.

Website: Xzibit]]> music entertainment Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:00:00 +0200

When your achievements already include having remixed the likes of Madonna, Katy Perry, La Roux, Yoko Ono and Stevie Nicks, your debut album, Elevate, spawned the global club hit "The Longest Road," the Deadmau5 remix of which garnered a Grammy nomination and yet you're not even thirty, it could be said that you have accomplished far superior success than many DJs can even dream of.

This is the position 28-year-old American DJ and producer Morgan Page finds himself in. Standing on the threshold of 2010 having already conquered the United States and making huge in-roads into Australia, it was only a matter of time before he turned his considerable attention to Europe, launching himself across the Atlantic Ocean to make titanic waves in the Electornic music scene, and with back catalogue of award nominations and a remixes that reads like a guestlist to the Grammy after party, he is well positioned to take poll position as one of the most prolific DJ/Producer and remixers in the world.

Morgan's musical journey started at the tender ago of 14 in the confines of a log cabin in Vermont none-the-less. Seven years away from being able to (legally) enter a night club, his uncontrollable desire to be a part of the late 90s club culture exploding around him saw him take over the airwaves of his local college radio station and through sheer hard graft construct his own production studio from the ground up.

This staggering determination more than paid off when in 1999, Morgan dished up a remix of Wax Poetic ft Norah Jones' track Angels which both the band and Norah fell in love with the mix. Soon after, Morgan's Landline white label release featured on Sasha's legendary Maida Vale Essential Mix. Snapped up by James Zabiela, Morgan found his tracks signed to the Hearing Aid label, closely followed by Sasha's co-demi god of dance, John Digweed and his ground breaking Bedrock imprint.

With that kind of titanic support behind him, it took only three years for Morgan to go from mere remix to his first ever artist album. The acclaimed Drifting Into View was released on Nordic Trax and described by 7 magazine as "a sonically-absorbing audio immersion experience".

Never one to follow convention, and with his confidence rising, 2005 saw Morgan self-release his bootleg album Ceast & Desist. Without any of the original splits or parts – or indeed label permission – Morgan reworked a host of tracks by artists as diverse as David Bowie, The Kills, Coldplay, Tegan & Sara and Imogen Heap, rounding out the sound with luminous instrumentation and blazing beats. His undulating progressive feel and strict attention to kit detail – never the same kick drum twice, ever – was a perfect compliment to the larger than life vocal hooks. Ceast & Desist became an instant underground hit, establishing Morgan as the one to watch and bringing him to the attention of several high profile names within the industry.

That attention was swiftly backed up with recognition, as first The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix) scooped a Grammy nomination with the original track now licensed to over 20 compilations including most recently Defected. Followed by nominations at the International Dance Music Awards (IMDAs) for Best Break-Through Artist (Solo) and Best Progressive House/Trance Track followed.

So here stands Morgan Page, on the brink of the next chapter in what is already an undisputedly prolific career. America has already fallen – the rest of the world is in his sights. Behind him over 100 remixes, two albums, six number 1 Billboard club hits, a consistent presence in the Beatport and iTunes charts. In his hand a third studio album Believe and its lead single Fight For You which is already being supported by the A-list of dance – Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Dave Dresden, Hernan Cattaneo to name just a few. From young bootlegger to award-winning artist, Morgan is no longer an up and comer but a force to be reckoned with as he takes on the 'triple threat' DJs, producers and remixers.

The world had better sit up. The world had better pay attention. The world had better Believe.

Website : Morgan Page]]> music entertainment Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:49:00 +0200

Avicii had only been producing a few months when his friends noticed that the productions were amazingly professional and that they had just witnessed a great talent being born. Avicii started out with doing a remix of the theme music for the Commodore 64 game ʻLazy Jonesʼ, but decided to drop it as it inspired him to make his own ʻLazy Laceʼ - released almost immediately on Strike Recordings.

Avicii was instantly fascinated with producing and spent many hours in his home studio creating one fresh tune after the next. Avicii never tried to get caught up in a specific subgenre of house, but wanted to keep the productions up to date and innovative. His music is inspired by the likes of Laidback Luke, Steve Angello and Tocadisco, but also Daft Punk, Eric Prydz and that of Axwell. In April 2008, Avicii released the first big track, ʻManmanʼ, on Pete Tongʼs Bedroom Bedlam label after winning the Pete Tong Fast Trax.

Avicii received an astonishing 70% of the votes and after the release and were contacted by numerous labels, promoters and booking agencies from all over the globe. Even Laidback Luke mentioned Avicii on his Myspace website saying: “[Avicii], by winning this competition, left many contesters behind in their dust. / So a big CONGRATULATIONS to these brilliant DJs for winning the contest and all the luck with their future careers!”

What Avicii wants is to create music for people to listen to and come to love, whether it be at home or in a dark nightclub. Avicii puts great emphasis on melodies in his productions and wants to appeal to fans of many different house music genres. Avicii signed on to At Night Management in May 2008 and within a month the buzz around them spread noticeably and they were recognized on labels such as Joia Records, Vicious Grooves and Ministry of Sound, just to name a few. By the end of that month, Avicii had already signed a big deal with Vicious Grooves in Australia and were head on target to soon explode over the entire globe.

Avicii is currently appearing on selected venues on his world tour but otherwise locked up in the studio, always experimenting with new sounds in order to bring out original cool tracks and to grow as producers. More recently, the 19 year old producer has been VERY busy in the studio. With his first single (Sound of Now) and follow up EP (Muja/Record Breaker) off the shelf, remixes for D.O.N.S., Roger Sanchez, as well as Jose Nunez, Richard Grey & Erick Morillo and with upcoming mixes for Livin Joy, Phonat, Little Boots, Paul Thomas and Tim Berg - just to mention a few.

Among more of his own releases, Avicii broke ground in 2009 with his third release and original track Ryù, which was charted two weeks before release on Pete Tong's Essential Mix. One week later it was 'This Week's Essential New Tune' while at the same time the "track of the week" on Tiesto's Club Life(Episode 113). The track hit Beatport Top 20 in worldwide sales almost instantly and has been on Top 30 for over 4 weeks.

Avicii in 2009 means killer vocal collaborations combined with his own highenergy style productions bringing a new sound to the scene. Avicii truly is the Sound of Now.

Website : Avicii]]> music entertainment Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:48:00 +0200

A boy who takes his love for house music very serious, is step by step and gradually becoming a leading figure amongst the younger generation of DJs. Though Hardwell could never have dreamed what laid ahead of him when starting his DJ career at the tender age of 13.

For the last 2 years, Hardwell’s overall talent is recognised by the dance music industry as a new, exciting and refreshing take on a scene that continues to evolve and with an apparent everlasting shelf life! If you want to describe Hardwell’s identity and musical development in one phrase then it can be no other than that he’s now arrived in the “Big Room House” sound and has created his very unique trademark as a dj and producer.

His latest release, “Feel so High” ft I-Fan, has been licensed to 10 countries, has had great support from the biggest names in the scene and comes with an amazing video! “Guess What”, a co-production with Chuckie,is likely to be one of the most played underground house records of the past two years and his “Show Me Love vs. Be” bootleg of Steve Angello and Laidback Luke’s track was one of the biggest dance hits of last year. In 2009 he played at Mainstage, Dancevalley, the biggest festival in Holland where he was also responsible for that years themesong “Twilight Zone”.

Did we mention the remixes he did for some top DJs of the DJ Mag Top 100, such as Fedde Le Grand, Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Bob Sinclar, Chris Lake, Funkerman, Laidback Luke, Sharam (Deep Dish), Steve Angello, Booty Luv and Hi_Tack?

On top of this pronounced success stories, Hardwell has also topped the leading Dutch chart ‘Dance-Tunes.com’ a grand total of 8 times in the past 12 months.

Not to forget, last summer he has also mixed the Privilege Ibiza Compilation next to Cosmic Gate.

Also, Hardwell's series of "Eclectic Beatz" belong to the best selling mix albums of the last few years. The final edition (#10) will be released April 2010! Need we go on?

Behind the decks Hardwell never fails to deliver, his exceptional technical skills, variety of music and that added personal touch make him stand out, and he’s bringing it to the masses now, with performances all over the world! From Sydney to Miami, Amsterdam to London.

There’s a new kid on the block, and he’s here to stay.

With a new creative channel, his own record label Revealed Recordings, once again Hardwell appears to have the world at his feet. The kick off with the first releases will be in April 2010! Stay Tuned!

Website: Hardwell]]> music entertainment Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:47:00 +0200 Bogdan Taran is one of the very few Baltic DJs who performed at Love Parade in Berlin in 2006 (Baltic Groove Union float). He was the opening act of Sensation White show in Latvia and played a warm-up set for Paul Van Dyk in Riga in 2008.

He's one of the leading names in Latvia's club scene and has been voted Nr1 DJ in the country 4 years in a row (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008). Bogdan has also received a special award by National TV & Radio Council of Latvia for "Dance music development" in 2009.

Since early 90ies Bogdan has been a respected figure in Latvia's music journalism - be it a TV show, press articles or radio programmes. His highly acclaimed radio show “Dance Box” has been running for over 12 years and is now broadcasted in Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

Bogdan's record label and events agency Amber Muse Records (founded in 2004) has produced over 15 releases including such artists as Magik Johnson, Christian Hornbostel, Alex Santos, Laid, RyRalio DJs, Derek Conyer, Nica Brooke etc.

Besides being one of the most demanded Djs in the Baltics, Bogdan has performed numerous international gigs in such countries as France, Germany, Ireland, Russia, Finland, Belorus, Moldova and the list goes on... His festival appearances include SunDance Music Festival in Estonia, MN2S Stage at Essential Knockout Festival, Baltic Beach Party and Moonlight Party in Latvia, Fashion TV Baltic Carnival and many more.

Bogdan has booked to Latvia and/or played alongside such Djs as Pete Tong, Danny Rampling, Todd Terry, Seamus Haji, Bob Sinclar,Timo Maas, DJ Chus, Jay J, Sandy Rivera, Grant Nelson, George Morel, Joey Negro, Dennis Ferrer to name only a few.

Website : Bogdan Taran]]> music entertainment Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:24:00 +0200 Very few DJs can jump from club sets to high-profile festival performances, to Kanye West’s larger-than-life stadium shows with ease. In today’s DJ culture, A-Trak holds a truly unique place. He founded 2007’s most buzzworthy label, Fools Gold, with a mission to merge all aspects of club music.

The manifesto for this fusion was outlined on his first official mixtape: Dirty South Dance, which set the tone for Trizzy’s very own production, each acapella or track re-edited to create something fresh. In a matter of a few months, his signature remixes (for, amongst others, Boys Noize and Simian Mobile Disco) and his original tracks (Say Whoa produced for Nike and released on Kitsune) and a collaboration with Laidback Luke (Shake it down) were gaining support from the likes of Erol Alkan, Busy P, DJ AM, Annie Mac, MSTRKRFT and Boys Noize.

This year A-trak has created two critically acclaimed pace setting DJ mixes for US dance music giants Thrive (Infinity +1) and UK stalwarts Fabric (Fabric Live 45) and is about to embark on recording his debut solo record.

Not bad for a kid who many viewed as a 90’s turntablism prodigy. Indeed, Alain’s career began at age 15 when he won the 1997 DMC World Championships and proceeded to take home every other DJ title known to man. He then toured the globe, first alongside Q-Bert’s Invisibl Skratch Piklz and then with Craze and the Allies. In 2004, he was hand-picked by Kanye to be his tour DJ. A near decade of youthful meanderings was captured on his acclaimed DVD Sunglasses Is A Must.

Somewhere along the line, A-Trak also became a streetwear culture icon, collaborating with Nike, New Era, Kidrobot, Zoo York and pretty much every designer worth his salt.

The last couple of years have seen him headlining tours with Diplo, The Rub, DJ Mehdi and Kavinsky, and of course his older brother’s band Chromeo. Add to that production for Chicago rap sensation Kid Sister and a strong, audible influence on Kanye’s Graduation album. His forthcoming solo debut is preceded by a 4 track EP collaboration with Armand Van Helden under the moniker Duck Sauce.

After years of scratching, accumulating air miles and dressing smart, A-Trak has finally become the man to call to make the kids dance. Ask him and he’ll tell you that this is the moment he’s been waiting for his whole career.

Website : DJ A-Trak]]> music entertainment Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:10:00 +0200