Having seemingly had our musical head in the clouds over the last few weeks, it seems to have taken the serious accident we have just suffered to plant our feet back firmly on the ground and in so doing, alerting us to the realisation that we have a colossal amount of catching up to do on the composition front, many of scenes big names having laid down new compilations & tracks that fully deserve our attention. So, we have decided that, rather than look back across April May & June, we would combine this colossal catch up into four newsletter chapters, each one capturing the works & creations of those featured D.J.’s across the last three months, but also sharing with you some of the tracks that have been doing it for us during this time. With so many artists to include, the newsletters may take on a rather eclectic feel, but what they will do is bring you bang up to date & give you an incomparable wealth of choice unseen anywhere, very much hailing the rich diversity of music currently at our fingertips.
Down Under Dirty
So let’s get straight to it and to a D.J. that was subject to the second of our special music focuses and one that remains extremely busy right across the globe. Parisian pal Leomeo certainly doesn’t seem to have the word stop in his vocabulary, as he is constantly on the go, currently over in Australia & Asia on tour. Plus since we last featured him in our newsletter in March, this delectable D.J. has been no slouch in the studio, very much matching his globetrotting, which has included trips to Miami, to Moscow and plenty in between. And in typical Leomeo style, virtually every time he takes in a trip, he comes away with a compilation to mark the occasion, four noteworthy compositions being his “Miami Beach Party Mix”, his “La Leche” comp, taken from Matinee’s infamous party in Paris, his “Alimani Mix” from Moscow & the hot of the press “Extra Dirty Mix” from Sydney, all crammed with a-typical Leo tribal, tech & uplifting house that is symptomatic of his superb style, all worth grabbing by going to http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo.
However what has really grabbed our attention is his “Music For Dreams” compilation, very much a departure from the Leomeo norm and sending you on a dreamy journey filled with lounge music and electronic beats that is an absolute marvel and rivals any chill-out, lounge music album we have in our considerable collection. And as we find ourselves on our own road to repair, the soothing tones & wholesome feel of the mix has very much hit the spot, showing a side to Leomeo’s creativity that has left us truly inspired by our Parisian pal. So, if you fancy delving into the dreamy journey that this French fancy has fulfilled, then you can do no wrong by grabbing your copy of this magnificent mix at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/music-for-dreams-by-dj-leomeo, while the Leo story doesn’t end there, as he will be popping up in a chapter two, when we take a look at his track “The Sound Of C”.
Chris Cakes
Now stepping back across to blighty but retain an anglo French feel is Chris Brogan, a D.J. talent who first came to our attention last year and has since been bubbling around our radar, having made the odd appearance here & there. Chris was part of the team of D.J.s that celebrated Industri turning three in January, has played out at the mighty Ministry Of Sound and has also featured in gigs for fetish brand Recon as well as bear bloke night Tonker, the latter proving highly successful for Chris with a return imminent. But away from the decks and it seems Mr Brogan very much comes into his own, his music mixes never failing to hit the mark, especially when the odd gem of a track pops up to blow our minds. And in his short series of “Baby Cakes” compilations released over the last few weeks, that’s exactly what he has done, a whole collection of toe tapping & hip swaying superb sounds very much doing it for us, but two real gems in the mix being the disco drenched “To Be Real”, this incredible original updated brilliantly by the Disco Darlings, which can be found on “Baby Cakes”, while Bob Sinclair’s “Fuck The Disco” is right up there in our top twenty tunes of 2011 and finds its rightful places on “Baby Cakes 2” among plenty of other terrific tracks. Suffice to say, we reckon both mixes are worthy additions to your collection, which you can download by going to http://djchrisbrogan.podomatic.com/.
Onto our next entrant and a guy that impressed us from the minute we met him a good four years ago now, Venezuelan born boy Eduardo De La Torre having spent a short time based in London, where he managed to get noticed by Spanish clubbing brand Matinee. However, choosing to base himself in Berlin proved to be one of the best decisions in his D.J./Producing career, the city a perfect springboard across Europe and one that spurned a studio partnership (known as “no scene”) that has seen the duo’s production hit the Eurovison Song contest high notes, an accolade indeed. And with a list of track compositions that stretches into double figures, it’s their club remix of Part Of The Art’s “You Have It All” that tips our scales & is very much evocative of the sounds coming out of the German clubbing scene right now, so one well worth a listen at http://soundcloud.com/eduy2k/part-of-the-art-you-have-it, the track due for full release in the next week or so.
De La Toree Does Dutch
As for Edu & his D.J.’ing, a residency at Berlin’s Connection club keeps him busy enough, on top of the gigs across Europe, one which saw him return to London recently for the massive club combo As One, this on top of trips to Cologne, down into Switzerland as well as across to Amsterdam, Mr De La Torre wowing the crowds at the cities club FUXXX in May with his trademark progressive come tech tunes & uplifting electro beats that never fail to score sensationally. And in reflection of his rapturous reception in Amsterdam, Edu marked the occasion with a podcast that is pumping & pulsating with progressive, funky & euphoric beats that, were we able, would have us spinning around our study to the whole 63 minutes of marvellous music in the mix. Now, this is one compilation you will definitely want in your collection, so go grab it now at http://djdelatorre.podomatic.com/ and find your own spot to spin to successive slices of Edu excellence.
Now, time for a track interlude and one that looks like it will be fighting for top spot in our year end chart, the truly awesome “Stupiddisco” getting a 2011 re-work by King Richard & Danny Torrence. Featuring large on two compilations that have already ascended to the top of our pile, the track has also been played out on plenty of dancefloors across the capital in recent week & looks set to be one of those 2011 anthems that will go on & on. So, go take a listen to this towering track at http://youtube.com/watch?v=xkSvhX4TFW0 and lap up the full seven minutes of magic that make “Stupiddisco 2011” a top prize contender.
Heartening Grooves
Right, onwards to more compilations and to a D.J. that never fails to make an entry to our music newsletters and one who has, since our last report, laid down no less than five compilations, on top of continuing residencies across the capital that includes Hard On!, Lovechild, As One, Industri, Gigolo, Lo-Profile, Rupert St & Barcode Soho. We are of course talking about Brent Nicholls, this articulate Antipodean having been treading the capitals clubbing boards for many a year now and, as a result, has a wealth of experience under his belt. Ever the evolutionist, Brent was very much behind the launch of Lo-Profile’s new smash “Society”, which has seen numbers swell substantially, the Friday nighter growing in stature & popularity by the week, although not quite the same could be said about another brand launch “G&T”, a joint venture with scene queen Minty & ex Salon promoter Aubrey Dobson, that failed to ignite the Tuesday following they had hoped. But with his hands pretty full with other projects, not least maintaining tip top clubbing site SeenQueen, Mr Nicholls has plenty to keep him busy, although never too busy to create compilations that burst with a-typical Brent nu-funk, disco & uplifting beats that rank him very high in our list of favourites (yes we do have them!).
So, looking at the five mixes we have been treated to over the last three months, all were added to our collection straight away, the first being his Hard On! mix which spurned a track that made it onto our very own “Spring Bloomers” podcast (more on that in a moment), while his “Society” mix never fails to have us smiling from the off with an opening shocker of a track that simply has to be heard to be believed. Then we come to his “Groove” double volume release, each one packed full of tracks that definitely have plenty of groove in them, whether they aim for “The Heart” or “The Arse”, probably the latter standing out a bit more for us, especially after about 40 minutes in, while in his latest mix, taken from his live set at Gigolo just three weeks ago, we probably have our favourite of his for the year so far, a delightful blend of old & new that had us hooked from the start & rueing the fact that we didn’t make it to Gigolo that night. So, being pretty much spoilt for choice, why not check them all out by going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/ and streaming/downloading to your pleasure.
Blooming Beats
Now, we mentioned that “Spring Bloomers” podcast and one that was very much masterminded by Mr Nicholls, who creatively crafted ten tracks from our already considerable list of top 2011 tunes back in April. And there are some pretty hefty hitters on this 52 minute mix, not least the superb “People Are People” by Housequake, a take on the Depeche Mode classic, while the tough edged version of “Music In My Soul” is stand-out, as is Stefano Noferini’s “Bad Davis”, just one of a stable full of Stefano sounds that are doing it for us right now. So, taking a moment of self indulgence (why not), we cannot recommend this mix enough and one which has already seen impressive download figures, a compilation for the collection by going to http://djbrentnicholls.com/web/2011/04/10/podcast-disco-matts-spring-bloomers/.
Onwards and to a young talent that impressed us from the minute we spotted him in action for Room Service a few months ago and a name that continues to pop up on the schedules for both Profile & Lo-Profile as well as Heaven’s “Popcorn & The Hoxton Pony. Zach Burns is one of only a few from a raft of new breed D.J.’s that is not just rubbing shoulders with the D.J. scene establishment, but impressing his peers with a depth of talent that has made him stand out in the tall poppy field of protagonists playing across London’s clubbing circuit. Indeed having pretty much stole Gigolo launch party show just five weeks ago, it was no surprise that promoters David & L.A. Hart welcomed him back with open arms, Mr Burns once again proving himself as a resident worthy of his position with the likes of Guy Williams, Per Q.X., Jamie Head & Nathan Six. Indeed, Zach continues to pull a crowd at Profile too, we suspect his cute looks helping, but his capabilities behind the decks definitively delivering to superb satisfaction whenever he plays.
Gigolo Boy Wonder
But you shouldn’t take our word for it, rather pay a visit to his podcast site, one which is brimming with creative compositions, Zach certainly no slouch in the studio, having laid down no less than four mixes since we last featured him in one of our newsletters, each one bursting with Burns style beats that have disco, funky, vocal & uplifting house as his signature sound, making the choice of which mix to pick a really difficult one, as each of the four are deserved additions to your collection. However if we were to lay our hat on one, it would be his Gigolo mix and one that brings back those magical memories of his superb set at that launch party, the heady mix of classic Hed Kandi style tracks intermixed with some real scorchers, “Stupiddisco 2011” in there with loads of outstanding others that will probably see this mix make it into our top ten of the year for sure.. However, with his April, May & June sessions every bit as good in their own impressive way, you could do far worse than grabbing the lot while you can, by going to http://djburns.podomatic.com/ and soaking up some of the brilliant Burns beats.
To another new-ish kid on the D.J. clubbing scene block, we say new, but Jamie Hammond very much established himself as a force to be reckoned with last year, quickly picking up residencies at clubs including Onyx & Popcorn, as well as being spotted by Italian giant Muccassassina, this on top of a series of regular gigs on the straight clubbing scene that keep Jamie’s hand in. Very much one of those new breeds that can stand shoulder to shoulder with a whole load of peers that have been pushing the envelope for many more years, Mr Hammond’s heavenly style of progressive, tech toned, uplifting vocal & funky intentions with his music choices underpin a talent that, in our view, see’s him way underexposed on London’s gay scene, his sets surely to go down a storm anywhere, as they have in recent appearances for Spanish brand SuperMartXe. So, whilst Jamie may be continuing to fly under the radar of some of the more influential promoters in the capital, gigs for Ministry of Sound & Pacha are testament to his talents and we predict this man to really go places in the next few months.
As for his compilations, Jamie has produced three since we last took a look at him back in March, each very much purveying the progressive intentions of his music mixing, his “Spring Break” compilation very much showing the straighter side of his sound style, perhaps a reflection of the gigs he was holding down at the time. However, in “Summer Sessions Part One”, we have a mix that dips in & out of lots of house genres, from funky, to disco, to progressive & to uplifting, the combination of old & new very much a trend that Jamie had latched onto of late and one that is characteristic of the music clubbing scene right now. And he couldn’t have picked a better track to kick off this compelling compilation than a rapturous re-work of the huge “Sunday’s At Heaven”, that very much melted us to this
105 minute mix from the minute we heard it. So, with “Summer Sessions Part Two” due out soon, why not grab the first one now by going to http://d-jamie.podomatic.com/.
Right, before we hit the home straight for this first chapter in our colossal catch-up, time for another track which is very much knocking on the number one slot door in our 2011 chart. This is a track that very much sets it stool on a classic tune remixed, the Sebastian Krieg & Strobe club mix of “Twist In My Sobriety” having all the delightful depth of original by Tanita Tikaram, yet with the brilliant blend of electro beats & uplifting tones that makes it a real dancefloor delight and one that has worked like a dream for plenty of D.J.’s. Plus with a summer 2011 version due for release shortly, we are sure this track will be featuring large for a few months to come, the full length strobe club mix well worth a listen via http://youtube.com/watch?v=TIuS-9jrWkI.
On the homeward stretch for this newsletter, it’s now the turn of Nick Tcherniak to step into the musical spotlight and a deserved inclusion at that, as he is one of a rare breed of D.J.’s that not only manages to make us laugh & giggle on the dancefloor, but never fails to hit the mark with his musical mastery, his full-on tech style of sound suiting the gigs that he holds down on the scene on a regular basis. Having worked for brands that include Trade, Matinee, SuperMartXe, & DTPM, Nick is no stranger to the big clubbing stage but never shies away from the smaller style gig, such is his love for his art. And that art also extends into the recording studio, recent accomplishments with recording partner Steve Thomas including the magnificent “My People”, along with the delectable “Deep Water”, although being no slouch, can boost, just last week, two back-to-back releases that are also pure gems, “My Desire” another collaboration with Mr Thomas & featured the amazing vocals of Abigail Bailey, but for us, the outstanding of the two, Nick’s 2011 remix of one of our all-time favourite tracks, “Trapped” with the mighty Peyton on vocals. Mind you the former is not shoddy, far from it, in fact the more we listen the more we like, both surely to see huge exposure in the coming weeks, although available now , “My Desire” as a single release on download site Beatport at
https://beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/378645/my-desire, while “Trapped is part of a 33 track album “Summer Hits” in Kult Records released via https://beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/383210/Summer%20Hits%202011.
Tcherniak Triumph
But Nick’s productions don’t stop there as he is a consistent deliverer of top notch podcasts, some representing performances at clubs he plays, his recording from his set at SuperMartXe in March a really good example. while he also pops in the odd more conventional studio created compilation. Indeed, his latest offering “My Desire” leans away from the tech style we are used to seeing live, towards the tribal & trance style of his sound, for this first part at least, the title track midway through then taking you on a more tech fuelled direction, making this a very engaging 78 minute mix that showcases a broad spectrum of styles. However, it is his “Disco Tech” release from April that really hits the mark for us, a glorious gathering of tunes that is pure Tcherniak in the making, one that stands him out from the run of the mill crowd, making it to our collection the moment we heard it and a creation that will grow on you the more you listen to it. So, to grab your fill of Nick Tcherniak in the mix, go now to http://nicktcherniak.podomatic.com/ and follow our lead or take your pick.
So to our final choice for this colossal catch-up chapter and what a way to end with a towering talent that we have admired since that heady days of Crash well over ten years ago, but one who has recently come to the fore for brands such as “Meat”, “Downtown” & “Room Service”, once again opening our eyes to the excellence of Tom Stephan. Indeed, we couldn’t have been more impressed with his performance when we visited “Meat” last month, the first half of his split set very evocative of the underground style we used to enjoy at Crash, yet the second half with all its up to date additions still showing that Tom has not lost his touch in sparkling in the spotlight & turning up the heavenly house music heat. But whilst Shoreditch is his hangout home, Tom’s services remain in demand right across the globe, his pseudonym “Superchumbo” still carrying considerable weight and seeing him currently in the middle of a mini tour of the US, having played to a packed out D36 in New York just last weekend & with gigs in The Hamptons & Chicago still to come, before we see him back in London for the superb Summer Rites Remixed mini music festival in July.
Meat Main Man
However, it is the studio where Tom remains at his most accomplished, a never ending string of creations coming out wither under the “Superchumbo” label or in close association with recording partner Kris Di Angelis, it being difficult to know exactly where to start as so many of his tracks hit our musical sweet spots for one reason or another. However, when we first heard “Run The World” at Room Service a few weeks ago, we didn’t realise it was a Tom compilation until the man himself popped up to let us know, since when we have heard it hit even the Beyond dancefloor, so can see the track really going places in the next few weeks. That said, we also adore Tom’s work on track “Turn Me On”, one which will be familiar to you as soon as you hear it, while “Jerk It” is right up there too. Then there are his “Radio Chumbo” compilation mixes, No. 30 the latest & a great barometer for those of you who have not had the good fortune of seeing Tom play live, all his creations a mere click away at http://soundcloud.com/tomstephan/ and each one mentioned, contenders for your collection.
Right that it for the first of four catch up newsletters, and with a massive 32 compilations & tracks featured right here, there should be plenty for you to get your musical teeth into. However, with so much more to come, for the next chapter we hop across into Europe, looking at artists that include Steven Redant, Ivan Gomez, Mike Kelly & Danny Verde, while moving further a-field, giving Israeli Guy Scheiman a special slot. Then for our third chapter, it’s very much about Beyond, we picking up on virtually all the superstar residents & their latest works, while we will round up in pure eclectic style with our final catch up chapter. So plenty more music to come, although in the meantime we hope you like our choices here, leaving us to simply say, “….sit back & select those sounds, then turn up the volume & let them play, as music is the answer…” (DISCO MATT)