Posts Tagged ‘Discotec’
April 5, 2012 | 
Author Having covered “The Big Easter Weekend Ticket” trio of treats, it’s time to let another appetising trio of treats take to the DM spotlight, three exceptional events that deserve to have their Easter say, as the weekend hails the return of two brilliant brands form our partying past, well as a special Sunday serving Stephan style, Disco Matt biting into the detail on Discotec, Fiction & Dish.
The strength of the capitals clubbing circuit is its diversity, while the same could be said for its familiarity, a whole host of brilliant brands & popular parties continuing to draw considerable crowds, whether they be the weekly happenings, the monthly gatherings or the infrequent, that dynamic diversity playing out right across London although, undeniably, in the rich playgrounds that are Soho, Vauxhall & Shoreditch. And while we do our best to lay out Best Bites & Short Shouts hat on all three, when it comes to special weekends like this one, it seems only fair to devote some more focussed attention to appetising alternatives that are also pushing the Easter envelope & awaiting your attention. But these are no ordinary events, as each one represents a harping back to the halcyon days of hedonistic clubbing, when underground & alternative were bywords of a scene that still had to remain pretty inconspicuous due to society’s discriminations, a time when blacked out windows, & backyard venues out of the mainstream sights & sounds engendered a surge of scene splendours such as Trade, Crash, Factor 25 & DTPM that very much paved the way for the superb & inclusive scene that we see today.
So to the first of and a Thursday night club of iconic proportions, plus one that was very much at the forefront of that clubbing revolution in the late 90’s nearly noughties, playing out to capacity crowds from its historic home of The den on the edge of Soho, keeping the party & its popularity going for close on fifteen years. But as times on the scene have changed & social patterns have shifted, Thursday’s began to fizzle out and Discotec began to feel the pinch, plans to demolish its home also sealing the clubs fate. But like all the best brands in the business, not least those legendary names we have mentioned above, the desire for Discotec has remained healthy in the hearts of its diehard fans, many of who couldn’t contain their excitement when the news broke of his swansong like reappearance on the scene. However, with The Den no more the clubs original promoter, Laurent Chaumet, quickly looked to his clubbing & promoting pal Wayne Shires & his connections with The Brixton Clubhouse (that is in Brixton before you ask) to secure the venue for this Discotec “Easter Special” event. And Laurent is very excited to be bringing the brand back, telling us “…I am so excited about bringing Discotec back and being at the beginning of the four day break & on a Thursday as well should hopefully prove a recipe for success…” he adding “…the Brixton Clubhouse will add an extra dimension to this dance event, combining inside & out like Dicotec-ers have never seen before…”
With that backdrop and knowing that this Discotec gathering is sure to be something special, let’s dive into the detail this extra special Easter event taking place tomorrow night (Thurs 5th April) at The Brixton Clubhouse (467-469 Brixton Rd), door opening at 10 p.m. with the event running through to a planned 4 a.m., entry available on the door for just £5 before midnight & then £10 thereafter (bargain!!!). And as for those two spaces, well its very much about upfront, funky & nu-disco house as Laurent & his team welcome Discotec regulars Guy Williams & Femi B to the decks, although the really exciting inclusion for us is the faaabulous Fidel, better known in his (or is it her) Discotec demure as Marron Bitch, this terrific talent having laid down a soundtrack especially for the occasion, so one well worth checking out by going to http://soundcloud.com/fidel-77/fidel-3 & sink into Marron’s magnificent music which will be flooding the so called Saint Club room on Thursday. But alfresco dancing will also be the name of the game, as the Discotec second space will be out on the BCH sundecks (well moondecks really!!), with a brace of Discotec boys on the D.J. decks, Slamma & Jeffrey Hinton sorting the sounds, while MC Brandy will be on the mic & Joy on the drums (percussion to the posh!), with Smirnoff flavours the theme of this outside space & bar, while the Manhunt men will be out in force supplying the eye candy & wearing Andre Christian underwear (yum yum), further information up at https://facebook.com/events/269188593158846/.
So to the second of this appetising alternative trio of treats and another brilliant brand that was in the thick of that evolutionary come revolutionary movement in clubbing around the turn of the century, Fiction a formidable Friday force to be reckoned with, holding sway at The Cross, a bit of a backyard venue in the relative dereliction of warehouses that was part of the infamous Bagley’s collection of buildings, yet this raw & ready state of the place was an intrinsic part of its popularity, dancing on the tables, swinging from the chandeliers (well lights then!) & just general decadent dancing delirium was all part of the prolific package. And Fiction’s creator, DTPM’s Lee Freeman, drew a wealth of D.J. talent, some from the huge success that was Trade, both Malcolm Duffy & Fat Tony regular residents of this Friday frolic, while names such as Miguel Pellitero, Cosmo, Harji & Justin Ballard were indelible inclusions, while other names such as Nick Tcheniak & Guy Williams also graced its decks regularly. Spread over three spaces including an outside terrace, Fiction was the first club that boasted alfresco shimmying and with a reputation of being mad, mixed & better for it, Fiction was the forerunner of what is now commonly known as metrosexuality. But, like Discotec, Fiction fell foul both of a change in trends plus the demolition of The Cross, as part of the substantial redevelopment of the whole Kings Cross area and so by 2007 the club was no more, its sister DTPM also facing changing trends & times.
But with Lee Freeman having made a respeldant return to the scene just a couple of years ago, Fiction was always on the cards to come back for a series of pop-up parties, although with Kings Cross now a major construction & re-development site, choosing a venue to re-emulate the Fiction feel was always going to be tricky, the fist reunion two years ago round the corner from The Cross a shadow of its former self, albeit that the event was a sell-out. But with Mr Freeman laying down routes in South London & engrossing himself in his own re-development project, the result being The Kennington Pub & Kitchen, it is this new sparkling scene spot that will be playing host to the second re-coming of Fiction, Lee telling us “…I have been hunting around to find the right place and have to admit that this was not the easiest of tasks. In fact, it was so difficult, that I decided to put together my own place and now it’s finished, it’s time to party…” adding about his venue “…The Kennington is just a stone’s throw from Kennington Park, 2 mins from Oval tube (Northern Line), has a great terrace on the front and has been refurbished to the highest standards. Nothing but the best for you! We have to say it’s a bit smaller than The Cross, so ticket numbers will be limited to advance purchases only! It’s a beautiful venue & all on one level too, so no need for all those stairs this time and the bonus is, that we can all get down to that Fiction vibe together…”
So what of the detail, well Lee has already spilled the beans on the venues location & feel, but with the team welcoming back the terrific trio of D.J. residents from days of old (sorry boys!), you couldn’t ask for a better package, as Guy Williams, Fat Tony & Justin Ballard will be mixing it up from re-union start to finish, the running order very much under wraps but likely to be a mish mash in true Fiction style, Lee stating that “… we couldn’t do this without a few of those DJs who contributed to and made Fridays so much fun for 8 years of Friday night hedonism & they’re digging out some old alongside some new tunes too…”. So with this Fiction re-union kicking off from 10.30 p.m. on Good Friday (6th April), the planned running time taking you through till 4 a.m., but with space relatively limited compared to its historical home, naturally numbers have been limited too and of going to press, it seems that there are only a few advanced tickets left, meaning you should head straight to direct link http://ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=501914&interface to grab your £15 pass, as there is no entry on the door & no guestlist, more information, should you need it, available at http://dtpm.net & http://thekennington.com.
To the third in our trio of alternative treats and we fast forward to Easter Sunday and look towards Shoreditch, the rich playing field of clubs such as Gutterslut, SOS, Trailer Trash & Paradise 45, to mention just a few, while venues such as The Dalston Superstore, The Joiners Arms, The Horse & Groom &, naturally, Shoreditch House, having very much transformed this area into a melting pot of activity. But with the underground splendour that is East Bloc very much heading up this trendsetting east meets west social & clubbing scene, the recent collaborations between Wayne Shires & Tom Stephan (aka Superchumbo) producing one of the true success stories of 2011, “Meat” having very much spearheaded the renaissance of clubbing that harps back to the days of Crash, probably the club that was singularly responsible for totally transforming the clubbing scene segment that we now know as Vauxhall, “Mat” taking the underground excellence of Crash & transporting it into East Bloc with considerable success. However, it didn’t stop there with this brilliant brand, as special parties down in Brixton elevated its appeal, although Tom decided he wanted to brand to grace its exit while at the top of its game, his promoter partner Kris Di Angelis heading off to new projects, leaving our Mr Stephan with the prospect of a re-branding issue, the result being “Dish”.
With two parties already under his belt, the launch in January & another hedonistic happening in March going down a storm, “Dish” in effect a new version of “Meat” but introducing a more dynamic team of D.J.’s, the March affair particularly served up a superb session akin to a three course meal of cavorting, East Bloc proving, once again, a prolific playing ground for this party, meaning that, having re-captured the imagination of east end boys, west end girls & everything in-between, Easter was always going to be the next prize for Tom & his “Dish” team. However, with trends swaying towards Sunday rather than Saturday as being the preferred option, this has also meant that a switch in venue has been required, although in Basing House & having spoken with Tom he tells us that “…Basing House now have an amazing Function One sound system impressive effects & a pretty impressive laser…” and coming from a man that knows the business better than most, this speaks immediate volumes, Tom adding that “…the first two Dish’s have been amazing and this should be even better…”. And to cement that statement with some substance, just take a look at the promo video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=kohSmarNCzI which should pretty much seal the deal on his “Dish” delight or at least whet your appetite for tucking into this sumptuous Sunday soiree.
But what about the Dish detail? Well, as we have said, it switches from Saturday to Sunday, taking place this Easter Sunday (8th April), also switching venues from East Bloc just across Shoreditch to Basing House (25 Kingsland Rd) and kicking off from 10 p.m. & running through till 4 a.m. As for the D.J.’s on duty, naturally Mr Stephan will be in the thick of the action, although he is joined by Room Service’s & east end boy Dimitry Strigun, along with Dish co-promoter Borja Peña in the main’s meal room, while appetiser servings & hosting will also come from La Pequeña, Melvin and Kane Luke, added to which the way out, whacky & totally outrageous go-go’s, Fer & Claudio will be dishing out plenty of saucy treats, those on top of the pop-up art & visuals drawn from the huge collection that Tom has amassed over the years, these very much needing to be seen to be believed. With Laurent (yes he of Discotec fame) & Benoit on the door, entry is a mere £7 before midnight & then £12 thereafter, more info up at http://facebook.com/events/401956656485367/, while to get a taste of the soundtrack to expect, then we definitely checking out Tom Stephan’s latest compilation at http://soundcloud.com/tomstephan/house-music-girlfriend-you, one packed with banging house beats shout the superb Superchumbo style of sound and one definitely for the collection as well as a tantalising temptation to head across to Basing House on Sunday.
So, that’s our appetising alternative trio of treats, all worth more than just a consideration, each one proof in the pudding of the dynamic diversity that the scene serves up, so well worth soaking up in their own right. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Recommends | 
Tags: Basing House, Borja Pena, Dimitry Strigun, Discotec, Dish, East Bloc, Fat Tony, Femi B, Fidel, Guy Williams, Jeffrey Hinton, Justin Ballard, Laurent Chaumet, Lee Freeman, Marron Bitch, MC Brandy, The Brixton Clubhouse, Tom Stephan | 
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Schools are out, Easter looms, a new era dawns and spring is definitely in the air in Disco Matt land as he draws a line under the stormy seas that marred his stepping out on the scene during January, February & March, taking a brief look back but a more significant stare forward of what’s to come for an April awash with activity.
If we had thought that 2011 was a rocky road & rollercoaster ride of a year, while 2012 got off to the best possible start we could have imagined, the year soon went seriously downhill, paling the previous year’s down’s in comparison, a whole host of superb soiree’s, prolific parties & magnificent meets passing us by while we continued to come to terms with intense personal & family issues affecting our enthusiasm & ability to step out significantly on the scene. But with a steadfast step in our stride along our determination to draw a line under the last three months, what better way to start than to highlight & then put to bed our relative anonymity in January, February & March and then look forward to an April awash with activity, so, not so much a monthly message, more a quarterly catch-up, a midterm report if you like, driving home the “Must Try Harder” theme.
REVIEWS – Given that this is an acclimation of our activity, it has come as quite a shock that, as we look back over what had always been our core writing & publications, our reviews, we can only muster a total of five in the last three months, perhaps Beyond & WE from NYD being two highlights, although it is the former’s February foray that we lay our highlight hat on here, this exceptional event without doubt the most emotionally enthralling yet. But with no less than six reviews in the catch-up tank, while we may have missed out on the likes of Matinee “The Return”, we were there for the follow up, added to which we have reflections on Beyond at Fire, & a bunch of Profile & Lo-Profile outings to accentuate, that on top of seeing our beloved Area re-open just two days ago for Onyx “The New Era”, not to mention seven sorties over Easter that should see our review count quadruple just two weeks into April.
PREVIEWS – With absolutely diddly squat to look back on, it’s best we simply look forward, the first feature planned is a preview look at new club “Covert” which is just weeks away from making a significant splash on the scene. Over & above that, we will be casting our forward thinking minds towards the return of Delooded, as well as a special preview look at international festival Delice Dream.
RECOMMENDS – While we made every effort to get our weekly newsletters back on stream, the plan to split our “Best Bites” & “Short Shouts” bearing a little fruit, the result was an all too erratic service which we intend to put right from April onwards, while our Weekend Focus features fared a little better, coverage extending to Matinee, Beyond, Trade, Casa Latina, WE Party, Room Service & Gigolo, perhaps our highlight pick being the feature we commissioned on “The Masked Ball”, although this one of many events we recommended but failed to review. So, having taken over in the quantity stakes as our most extensive activity area, it seems this part of our publications can only go from strength to strength in April, starting with a flood of Best & Extra Bites, Focuses & Short Shouts for Easter alone, while we are committed to those weekly newsletters in their split format.
REPORTS – Like the majority of our activity, our reporting suffered a significant slide during January, February & March, although we did manage to ruffle a few scene promoter & club feathers when we looked at the suspension of “SuperSocial”, as well as what we saw as the uncomfortable bedfellow bringing together of Trade & Beyond for Ultimate, although we headed for calmer & less controversial waters when we looked at Room Service & the Boyz Awards. However, it is that “SuperSocial” post that is our highlight pick here, while as April opens out, we already have two special reports planned, the first, “I Would Like To Thank” looking at those Boyz awards results, along with analysing other scene awards such as Attitude & SeenQueen and giving our take on the winners & the losers in it all, while with the sad & shocking news of the untimely & premature passing away of the true gentle giant of the club promoting scene, we will be paying special tribute to the late great Steve Elliot.
MUSIC – Much of our, it has to be said, limited activity was concentrated early on to looking back into 2011, as we picked out our top tracks, podcasts & sets in our most comprehensive Y.E. music review to date, a three part epic entitled “The Best Year Yet”, while there is no doubt that our new year has very much been dominated by one particular D.J./Producer, we devoting a special feature to the release of Steve Pitron’s prolific podcast “Jan 2012 Session”, this feature being our highlight pick here. However, with steadfast plans to get our music newsletters back on track stumbling a little, we can only boast one in the period, although our “Premier & Protégé Player Productions” first volume has paved the way for a series that will continue for the rest of 2012, side by side with our other series “Allsorts In the Mix”, the first of which will be out this week.
D.J.’s – Falling woefully short of expectations here, the “Must Try Harder” theme of this message rings ever so true for our D.J. devotions and so we aim to put the metal to the peddle in a big way during April with the return of our weekly focuses, planned inclusions being Guy Scheiman, Zach Burns, Elof De Neve & Paulo Moreno, while special features on Javier Medina, Brent Nicholls, The Oli & Gonzalo Rivas are also chalked for April. However, one chap that did get our focussed attention was Marco Gee & it is his that is our highlight pick here.
DOES… & DISCO MATTERS – Two other sections of our website, like Previews, that saw no activity during the first three months, although we will be starting our spring season as we mean to go on, planning one “Does…” & one “Disco Matters” feature a month, the former likely to be on Paris, as we are right now planning a weekend trip for the end of April so will be digging into our archives to post our feature from last February, while with the launch of new club Covert, just weeks away, we will be commissioning a special feature on this new & smart addition to the scene, which will include an exclusive interview with the clubs manager, Tom Fuller.
COMING UP – Naturally we have set the benchmark quite high for April, but with that spring back in our step, plus with plans to devote a whole day a month on top of our weekend work to our writing, we are determined to keep track of our timetable. And with the focus now clearly on the upcoming Easter weekend, watch this space for our special feature on “The Big Easter Ticket Trio”, as well as Extra Bites Special combining alternative antics Discotec, Fiction & Dish, that on top of the return of our two part recommends newsletter, “Best Bites” & “Short Shouts”. Plus with a weekend full of activity, there will be reviews a-plenty, with much of that music activity we promised, slotting in as well.
KEEP UP – One part of our activity that has literally soared both in substance & popularity are our infamous “Nibble Size Tweets” which now not only just extend to those events we are reviewing, but to ALL our steps out on the scene. And with our following gaining momentum with every turning week, our tweets are one of the best ways to keep up with our activity, which you can follow at http://twitter.com/discomatt. Twitter aside, we continue to use Facebook as a major broadcast medium, the changes to FB causing a few hiccups during February & March, although with timeline now bedded in on both our profile & our page, plus Disco Matt’s group restored, there are three additional gateways to keep up with our activity, so please check out our group at http://facebook.com/groups/discomatt/, press the “like” button at http://facebook.com/pages/Disco-Matt/112730602119746, or simply follow our profile at http://facebook.com/discomattlondon, while please feel free to post/plaster our walls with your podcast links, event details or even comments on our tweets, reviews, reports & recommendations. Plus, don’t forget that you can keep track of us via your smartphone, by simply bookmarking http://discomatt.com & benefit from both an iPhone & android friendly layout.
CONTACT US – Very simply, just drop us an e-mail at matt@discomatt.com , or fill in a contact form which you can find at the bottom of our website, a hint of which can be found in the main body of our website. That aside, you can send us a message via Facebook, or even more simply, just plaster our walls or send us a tweet.
SUPPORTING THE SCENE – Having established the “Supporting” section as an integral part of our website last summer, we have slowly increased capacity to include well over twenty promotional banners covering clubs, events, businesses & music producers in London & internationally. In addition we recently introduced a “Best Bite Choices” interactive section, along with “Pick Of The Day” & “Podcast of The Week” banner sections, these also being promoted via our Facebook Page & our Tumblr site (http://tumblr.com/blog/discomatt), this part of our activity having proven most effective in keeping you updated with the best places to be & be seen on the scene, links to websites, event & ticket pages complimenting the visual images. And with these continuing to be updated daily with broadcasts going up on Facebook once or twice a week, we now consider these promotional banners as a cornerstone of our activity and are grateful to support a wide range of clubs, events & businesses, so if you are a club promoter or event organiser & fancy having your club or event promoted, then just drop us a line at matt@discomatt.com including the relevant artwork and we will do our best to include you.
DISCO DIARY DATES – With Easter very much dominating our immediate diary, we have already committed to a number of events this coming weekend, including “High Society” on Thurs (5th Apr), A:M “Easter Headliners” on Saturday morning (7th Apr), and then a fifteen hour marathon on Sunday/Monday, which begins with Beyond and then encompasses Later, WE “Fluro”, Dish, As One & Orange, while we will be making every effort to pop into Discotec & Fiction too, so it certainly looks like we will be spreading ourselves pretty thin which will no doubt produce a plethora of “Bite Size” rather than “Full Size” reviews. As for the rest of April, well we will be making successive trips to Gigolo & Room Service, as well as aiming to fit in a visit to East Bloc so as to fly the Shoreditch scene flag as well as the Soho & Vauxhall ones.
Well that’s about it for this midterm report and with the line now very much firmly drawn under the first three months of 2012, we can look forward to the new era in Disco Matt land awash with activity throughout April, meaning spring has definitely sprung in our world, even if there is snow on the way for the UK. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Reports | Tags: A:M, As One, Beyond, Casa Latina, Covert, Discotec, Dish, East Bloc, Gigolo, Gonzalo Rivas, Guy Scheiman, Javier Medina, Later, Marco Gee, Matinee, Onyx, Orange, Room Service, Steve Elliot, Steve Pitron, The Oli, Tom Fuller, Trade, Ultimate | No Comments »
Hot As His House Music
Of the scores of D.J.’s that we have come to know through our writing, we can count so many as friends, plenty of those as good friends, but just a handful that are close friends, individuals that we have strong associations with and whom we have spent some special moments with, both in & out of clubs, Leomeo Carandang being one of those few and a guy that we feel honoured to know. However, that said, the bond we have developed (and it’s a strong one) has not clouded our judgment on Leomeo as a D.J., nor has his handsomely good looks, as there is far more to this prolific Parisian player than meets the eye, six delightful days recently in both London & Paris allowing us to learn much more about the man & his music than we had ever known before.
But, having caught our eye a good three years ago, while having been treading the D.J. & clubbing boards for so much longer than that, Leomeo, is probably the one talent to whom we have devoted the most biographical style focuses, music posts, reviews & reports, the total running deep into double figures, some more detailed than others, yet all with the same result, showcasing the merits of this magnificent man & his music. So, deciding to devote a special post, the second in out series, came as easily as the first, and will take a similar form to that, as we look back through our archives, pick out highlight of posts & reports and bring you brilliantly into the life, times & works of our Parisian based Philippine born pal.
So, let’s kick off where it all stated for us, the biog/focus we devoted to him, one of which we have already published on our D.J. page, which you can check out via direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/05/d-j-s-leomeo-carandang-focusbiog-issued-saturday-14th-may-2011/, competed in ahead of his appearance at The London Global Dance Festival (more on his showing later), although this first devotion goes back further.
Extract from our Music is The Answer post, “French Fancy’s” issued 4th November 2009
Our second choice this time round goes to French fancy & worldwide globetrotter Leomeo, probably one of the sexiest D.J’s we have seen in a long time (what is it with these French boys!?!), who spreads his musical words wherevever he goes, whether it be Montreal, New York, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, or Sydney, definitely earning him a reputation across the planet. But it doesn’t stop there, as his wings have spread across Asia, with major gigs in Kuala Lumpa, Shanghai & Manila, but also Singapore where he was resident for a while. Then there are places like Tel Aviv & Prague as well as the clubbing hotspot, Ibiza & you will realise that there are precious few places this man’s steps have not trodden. Of course his native Paris his major stomping ground, but London has not escaped his attention, with gigs at Discotec & more latterly Lovechild, where we witnessed his superb set. When he is not running around the world, Leomeo has a resident slot on the very popular “Radio FG” French online music channel & whilst his musical roots have a tribal, electro & progressive tendency, his energetic style goes more vocal too, his work dipping in & out to great effect. So, we definitely recommend a visit to http://leomeo.com where you can get your complete fill of over 8 mixes plus a whole load of visuals and more.
So, with that look at Leomeo setting our stall and the LGDF post following, we continued our focuses of this French fancy, our biography style posts culminating in this composition for his new website, we feeling particularly honoured that he both approached us & tendered us for this written piece.
Final Draft issued to Leomeo & applied to his new website http://leomeo.com, Febraury 2011
Iconic Headphones
If ever there was an internationally renowned D.J. with a prolific pedigree it is Leomeo, a well established talent who, from his base in Paris, has touched virtually every continent the world, destinations including Montreal, New York, Sydney, Shanghai, Istanbul, Rome, London & many in between. With roots firmly in Asia, but with Europe being his first real playground, making Paris his home saw his early steps in D.J.’ing inspired & encouraged by his then mentor ,Claude Challe of Buddha Bar fame, a young Leomeo evolving quickly from lounge & chill-out to more mainstream house, with residencies across Paris and guest appearances across the globe quickly following. Leomeo’s influences have a true tribal feel, yet with tech tones, vocal injections & progressive beats, means he has an amazing ability to adapt to a wide range of clubbing brands & concepts, as well as keeping his audiences entertained throughout his live performances. This makes Leomeo one of the busiest D.J.’s on the worldwide clubbing circuit & scene to this day.
And it doesn’t stop there, as Leomeo has chalked up an impressive collection of studio works and remains continually active & creative with projects involving both recording partners & other leading producers. With a dynamic discography including solo tracks and remix works, he has amassed a comprehensive collection of compilations, now close on treble figures and with equally impressive download statistics. Ranging from tribal tunes to dance devotions and back again, Leomeo’s recording’s are as prolific as his live performances, recent solo releases “The Sound Of C” & “Give Me Love” snapped up by a handful of artists for remix productions. Plus with new projects a-plenty including working with a new vocal artist on a number of tracks, this stand-out studio activity combined with in demand live performances means that the big club brands & record labels along with scores of bars, clubs & events all want a slice of Leomeo & his music.
From all of these devotions, you have probably now got a good feel for the man and is history, but what about his music? Well, trawling back through our archives, there are plenty of pieces we have written on his compilations especially, a selection of three from a score shared as follows.
Extract from DM Does The Music News Newsletter “Energetic Euro’s”, issued 18th October 2010
Right to France and to Parisian Leomeo Carandang whom we sadly missed when we made it across in September, although will be diarising another visit very soon. Currently, this enchanting Frenchman is on a semi worldwide tour, having taken in New York for just under two weeks & is now in Montreal, this being followed by a return trip to his beloved Thailand, where he spent a few years much earlier in his career & life. But it is fair to say, there is hardly anywhere in the world where Leo has not laid his musical hat, we always being thrilled when he makes it to London, recent visits including for Alex Erfan’s massive LGDF gathering & then Lovechild’s “Hot Tropicana”. But trips to Italy, Germany & Spain litter his exhausting schedule, although we can’t wait to see him back in the capital in December for another pre Christmas meet at Lovechild.
So, with all this touring on his plate, we would forgive him for not getting into the recording studio that often, but nothing of it, as his list of compilations & track releases is nearly as frenzied as his globetrotting, his appearance at Cafe Ole in Spain creating a magnificent mix which is out at direct link http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/cafe-ole-space-ibiza-by-dj-leomeo while a subsequent track of his called “Give me Love”, featuring vocals from Diva Avari has been given the remix treatment by artists including Javier Medina, Pagano & Aurel Devil, although the original is our favourite, which has Leomeo’s style written all over it which you can check out at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/leomeo-feat-diva-avari-give-me-love-original-mix. Then there is his own remixing talents displayed with a remix of DJ Rony’s record “Colour Of Love”, not to mention a full on compilation very much hot off the press & compiled in reflection of Leo’s time in New York, which, along with over four pages of stunning sounds, you can add to your collection via http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo
Extract from DM Does The Music News Newsletter “Big Guns & Baby Boomers”, issued 6th December 2010
Flexing His Musical Muscles
As for Leomeo, well, we simply can’t keep up with our favourite Frenchman (sorry had to be said), tours of The US, Canada & Asia taking him away from his beloved Paris for most of the last six months, as have trips closer to home, including Spain, Germany & Belgium as well as his home country France, Lyon often calling on his superb services. Mind you, as busy as he is, it doesn’t stop Leo from dipping into the recording studio to lay down the odd compilation or two, many marking either his trips around the globe or the gigs he has played, three brilliant examples being “Sunday IN NYC”, “Shanghai Halloween” & “Matinee Paris – 1st Anniversary”, all available at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo. But we get extremely excited when he hits the track recording path, his own “The Sound Of C” earlier this year getting our vote, as does his latest remix work of Shazz’s “Wherever You Are”, which he cutely entitles his “Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi” mix and is another example of Leomeo at his banging beat best.
Extract from DM Does The Music News Newsletter “March Winds Of Wonderful Music”, issued 20th March 2011
Onward and to our next big star, our Parisian pal no less, whom we spent three fabulous days with in the French capital in February, we walking away having secured the place & our pal a special slot in our heart. But, whilst we didn’t indulge in some of his music while in Paris, our Leo Leo proved the perfect guide to the gastronomic delights & the scenic sights of this awe inspiring city, leaving an indelible impression on our minds & souls for which we remain eternally grateful for. And who was better to show us Paris in such a superb way but resident of the French capital, Leomeo Carandang, our three day frolic allowing us the time to get to know each other even better than we did before, so thus cementing an already burgeoning bond of friendship between us. But that’s not what we are here to talk about, rather that music that this magnificent maker creates and by golly does he do so at a rate of knots, on average one a month, very much matching his exhaustive gig schedule that takes this amiable & adventurous man right across the globe.
So, what’s this latest Leomeo mix then? Well, “Me Gusta” has all the elements that tend to make up this man’s music compilation, banging beats, the odd drench of vocals to keep you focussed & staying on track (check the lyrics of one of the tunes), although with a minimal amount of tribal influence which is usual for Leo, this 60 minute marvel is much more in the house music vein, a selection of sounds that would easily fit a Lovechild main room, a Beyond second space or even a SuperMartXe showing. So, with this latest production of his, our Mr Carandang displays his diversity & ability to hit the mark within a wide range of house genres and “Me Gusta” had our feet tapping & hips swaying from the off, so should you too by going to http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/me-gusta-mix-by-dj-leomeo. Plus, if you are into your skiing and have made the European Gay Ski Week a date, then you will catch him playing similar sounds to supplement all that snow, the man fresh from a trip on the sunnyside of the world, Miami no less, while watch this space for news on a re-work of his track “The Sound Of C”, which has just been given a 2011 make-over by a big production star.
Touring Paris With Our Leo Leo
And this third music selection in this special devotion to Leomeo neatly moves on to out first cultural review posted, the inspiration coming from out trip to Paris when Mr Carandang showed us around the city in splendid style. But rather than pulling out extracts of this comprehensive article, why not simply take a look by going to direct link http://discomatt.com/web/2011/03/does-culture-parisian-pursuit-perfected-disco-matt-on-paris-sept-2010-to-feb-2011/ and see how well our Parisian pal looked after us.
Having visited Paris during the week, we were sadly unable to see Leomeo in action behind the decks, we missing two spectacular showings by him that weekend, as we headed off to Brussels & Antwerp. Plus with Mr Carandang jetting off to all corners of the globe in an international D.J.’ing career that just goes from strength to strength, it is rare that he lands on London, but when he does, we always make sure we are there to savour his sets. Indeed, here are some examples of Leomeo in action, lifted straight from our reviews, very much reflecting what a terrific talent he is.
Extract from Review “Mains Meal Of Magnificent Music” on The London Global Dance Festival – Sunday 30th May 2010
“…..moving into the Mirrorarch room, which had been set aside predominantly for Italy’s finest gay party club Muccassassina, but with a little bit of French influence to kick off proceedings, the dishy Leomeo behind the decks representing Paris’s clubbing hotspot Pleasure X and laying down some serious sounds that saw the room numbers swell before our eyes (check out his special compilation lifted from his live set performance, available at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo). With Brent & Fabio still by our side, we bounded up to the D.J. booth to grab this French fancy’s attention and weren’t to be disappointed as Leomeo recognised us in an instant, lining up a track and then coming out to give us a warm hug & kiss (yum yum), he dressed resplendently in a fetching union jack vest & looking every bit as scrumptious in real life as in his photo’s. Retreating back into the crowd we lapped up a healthy portion of Leomeo’s stunning opener of a set…..”
Extracts from Review “Leomeo Lovechild Love-In” on Lovechild “Hot Tropicana – Saturday 31st July 2010
“…..Returning to the main room was now a simple choice, especially as the lovely Leomeo was about to hit the decks and were we in for a treat or what, as this terrifically talented individual set about stoking up the already impressive atmosphere with a mesmeric mix of uplifting and funky vocal infused house, slowly sliding into more tribal and progressive beats, that took us on a journey of magical musical exploration. With every new track Leomeo selected, we became more engrossed with his delightful delivering, dancing deliriously to recognition of his rip roaring raptures and it was clear he was enjoying his lot too, bopping up & down behind the decks, occasional hands in the air invoking similar reactions from the packed out dancefloor. Such was the strength of his set, that the numbers next door in the Mirrorarch soon drained into the main room to soak up Leomeo’s scintillating sounds……”
“…..But in reality this was no surprise, as the Leomeo show certainly packed a punch, his brilliant blend of funky, chunky tunes sliding into tribal tracks, had us hooked from start to finish and yes we were pleased to change our plans in order to make this “Hot Tropicana” happening, as his set was our outstanding highlight & well worth the visit…..”
Extracts from Review “Funky French Fireballs” on Lovechild “Mirrorballs” – Saturday 11th December 2010
“…..standing right next to our French fancy, Leomeo having arrived to take up his duties behind the decks, the amazing act of Miss O Love a tough one to follow, although if there was anyone to take the music on a tribal, tech & funky filled jubilant journey, it was our man Mr Carandang, his string of selections hitting immediate approval with us and the main room revellers that were lapping up every tasty morsel of Leomeo’s magnificent music…..”
“…..matching this muscular man fest, was Leomeo with his music, working the crowd like the pure professional he is, mixing in plenty of dance anthems with his trademark tribal & tech beats that had the room pumping to his precision perfect performance. And such was the enthralling extent of this fantastic Frenchman’s magnificent music, that, despite feeling very much under the weather with crippling stomach cramps, we still managed to dance in our usual dervishness for the remainder of his scintillating set, banishing all thoughts of our tumble dry like tummy, rather spinning on our spot in recognition of his brilliant beats…..”
“…..But as is usual for us, the music shone the most and Leomeo’s performance did particularly, he crafting his choices to cater for the crowd and hitting our sweet spot with his selections from start to finish…..”
“…..If you happened to miss out on this latest Lovechild with Leomeo, fear not as our Parisian pal has laid down a special compilation to mark his guest slot set, which is a collection crammed full of tech, tribal & funky inspired dance tunes that had us hooked from the off & will you too we are sure. So to grab your copy of this magnificent mix which includes tracks from Danny Tenaglia, David Penn, Shazz & much more, go to http://soundclound.com/djleomeo…..”
Wonderfully White
So, in rounding up our review segments on Leomeo with a link to his music page, it also now neatly leads into the final part of this special music feature, as we look to some of his latest compilations works, all worthy additions to your collection. Indeed, with Leo jetting around the globe again & well as playing in Paris, there are three additions to his collection out since our last music newsletter in April, the first inspired by his trip to Miami for the recent world music festival, where he cut a stride with some of music industry’s biggest names, this neatly followed by his “La Leche” mix, which marked his Matinee Paris representation for what is the Spanish giant’s most famous party. And just this last weekend, he played in Moscow at “Alimania” and laid down a compilation in celebration. We will touch on these in a little more detail in an upcoming newsletter, but all three are typical of Leo’s current uplifting & pumping house but still with tribal influences that have run through his music for as long as we can remember. So, go grab all three at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo and see which tips your scales the most, we know which one does it for us!
To the future and as they say, it’s looking extremely bright for this terrific talent, as yet more global journey’s are about to commence, Australia & Asia on the horizon, as is a new opening in Mexico which has sprung out of his Montreal connections. Then there is the brilliant news that his track “The Sound Of C” gets full release on Kult records, Leo’s creation inspired by the genre of music from Belgium called “New Beats”, with remix versions laid down by the likes of Tom Stefan aka Superchumbo & Matinee Group’s Javier Medina since its initial release in January last year, a rhythmic & upbeat triumph that has made dancefloors & D.J.’s playlists across the globe already, so with Kult’s weight behind it, should do even better. Catch both the “Superchumbo” & the “Original” mixes at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo, along with other productions works including the brilliant “Nirvana Dream”. Plus, do take a look at his sparkling new website, which gives you pretty much everything, not least some incredible videos he has uploaded, all at http://leomeo.com.
Right, that’s it, our special devotion to Leomeo Carandang, an excellent D.J./Producer who we count ourselves so fortunate to be able to call him a true friend. So, here’s to our Leo Leo and may his wonderful world of magnificent music grow & grow. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Music | Tags: Discotec, La Leche, Le Parking, Leomeo, LGDF, Lovechild, Matinee, Radio FG, The Sound Of C | No Comments »
Trademark Headphones
Welcome to the second of a comprehensive catalogue of D.J. biographical style focus posts and with so many to select from the archives of our old blog pages, we will be speeding up the issues of these, intermixed with some special Music features. So, having devoted our first set to Steve Pitron, it’s now time to give Parisian based Philippino Leomeo the full DM focus treatment, we first digging back into our devotions to find the biog/focus that speaks the most volumes, we having devoted no less than four full ones in the last two years. So, given the extent of our coverage on this prolific player on the international gay clubbing circuit, not to mention some exciting news & developments, watch this space for the second in our Music Special’s, as we hone in on that news & highlight a whole raft of reports reigning rapture on this terrific talent. But first to the focus/biog……
Full Focus Issued May 2010 in advance of Leomeo’s inclusion in the huge London Global Dance Festival
So our focus goes to the drop dead gorgeous Leomeo and if there is a D.J. that is unmistakably French yet has deep veins of his global travelling running through his body, it is Leomeo, there being few that can boost both his whirlwind lifestyle and destination repertoire that has seen this very amiable and handsome young man inspired by music from a tender age, also drawing his eclectic style from experiences during his travels, especially across Asia. However, his tastes were first developed when maturity allowed a young Leomeo to explore the clubbing scene in his home city Paris, drawing influences from the legendary David Guetta & also Laurent Garnier, often observing & admiring their techniques behind the decks as he partied away in clubs like “Le Boy” and Le Palace”. So, it was inevitable that he would soon find himself spinning discs too, but in a period of his life when he decided to up sticks from France & head for the pulsating pace of Singapore, using it as a springboard to not only enrich his culture, venturing across to Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, China Vietnam & back again, a real highlight being when he played in front of 8000 revellers at Singapore’s “Nation Party”.
Strike A Pose
But Europe was always going to draw him back and at residency at “Le Bains-Douche” in Paris proved a solid base for a host of circuit parties around the continent, including dance music brand Hed Kandi, & Space Of Sound, as well as more regular gigs in both London for “Discotec” & in Rome for “Gorgeous I Am”, also making a name for himself with a full summer season in Ibiza & then fulfilling requests to play as far afield as Montreal & New York, to Moscow & Tel Aviv, with plenty of places in between, Antwerp, Barcelona, Berlin, Cologne, Madrid & Prague as well as back in Paris. Other career highlights have included his D.J.’ing presence at Kylie Minogue’s perfume launch party & the afterparty for Pierre & Giles’s 30th anniversary exhibition at “Jeu De Paume” in the French capital, not to mention a magnificent reception & amazing performance at Greenkomm’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Away from his live D.J’ing, Leomeo still cuts a stride on France’s music radio station Radio FG, his “Underground FG” show getting a twice monthly slot, receiving a healthy audience and he gets into the recording studio as much as he can as well, a whole collection of mix compilations representative of his vast array of musical styles which include electro, progressive, tribal, tech & vocal house, this talented individual often navigating through these different genres to great effect.
Dependant on where he is playing or the influences he gains from his travels , this very much dictates his style, whether it be through his “soft” , “energetic” or “pleasurable” mix series, a selection of which can be found at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo which includes two amazing extracts from his sets playing for Matinee in Paris. But he also cuts track singles and his release “The New Sound Of C” is a fantastically uplifting & funky electro piece that is destined to be a huge dancefloor hit this spring/summer and his latest, “Give Me Love”, has already been given the remix treatment by Pagano, Aurel Devil & Javier Medina. But while Leomeo is very proud of his studio work, his insatiable appetite for travel continues to draw him out into the limelight & away from home, recent trips including to Australia for Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival, which allowed him to drop in on his beloved Singapore & Bangkok, as well as hitting the snowy slopes of Tignes for the European Gay Ski Week, playing out at the fabulous pool party and with gigs, underpinning his reputation & in demand style. (DISCO MATT)
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Discotec, Gorgeous I Am, Greenkohm, Leomeo Carandang, Radio FG, The New Sound Of C | No Comments »
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5 Apr 2012 | 0 Comments
Recommends – “Appetising Alternative Trio Of Treats” – Discotec, Fiction & Dish – Thurs 5th, Fri 6th & Sun 8th April – Easter Extra Bites
Having covered “The Big Easter Weekend Ticket” trio of treats, it’s time to let another appetising trio of treats take to the DM spotlight, three exceptional events that deserve to have their Easter say, as the weekend hails the return of two brilliant brands form our partying past, well as ...
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1 Apr 2012 | 0 Comments
Reports – “Must Try Harder” – Matt’s Monthly Message – Sunday 1st April
Schools are out, Easter looms, a new era dawns and spring is definitely in the air in Disco Matt land as he draws a line under the stormy seas that marred his stepping out on the scene during January, February & March, taking a brief look back but a more ...
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18 May 2011 | 0 Comments
Music – “Prolific Parisian Player” – Leomeo Carandang – Music Is The Answer Focus Special – Tuesday 17th May
Of the scores of D.J.’s that we have come to know through our writing, we can count so many as friends, plenty of those as good friends, but just a handful that are close friends, individuals that we have strong associations with and whom we have spent some special moments ...
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14 May 2011 | 0 Comments
D.J.’s – Leomeo Carandang – Focus/Biog – Issued Saturday 14th May 2011
Welcome to the second of a comprehensive catalogue of D.J. biographical style focus posts and with so many to select from the archives of our old blog pages, we will be speeding up the issues of these, intermixed with some special Music features. So, having devoted our first set to ...
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