Well, it seems quite a while since we put our music hat of, well apart from our year end round up of course, a mammoth project & report that ended acknowledging over 100 D.J.’s, compilations & tracks, from a staggering 500 plus that got coverage in our posts throughout 2010, making the decision who to include and moreover, who to nominate for top slots, a difficult choice indeed. However our choices were made and our final nod to 2010 completed with both our music round up, “Terrific Twelve Months Of Tunes” & our poll post “Charting A Yardstick Year, both available right here at http://discomatt.com or via direct links http://discomatt.com/web/2011/01/dm-reportsreviews-terrific-twelve-months-of-tunes-2010-year-music-review/ & http://discomatt.com/web/2011/01/dm-reports-charting-a-yardstick-year-disco-matts-bar-club-event-music-charts-special-report-8th-january/ and sealing the end to the  year, meaning it’s time to point deep into 2011 and our biggest passion, promoting D.J.’s their tracks & compilations, as well as more features and news than ever before.

Yet, stepping out of the wake of 2010 and into the 2011 spotlight, it seems there are still lots of mopping up to the end of the year to complete, so we thought it best to marry & link the two by bringing you bang up to date with some compilation and track releases that were released in the final days of last year, then steer into the New Year with snippets of news, as well as links to tracks & compilations that hit the ground running this month, also then honing in on a handful of artists that featured large in our NY celebrations and who will get our focus in upcoming reports during January.

And what better way to kick off with a mention for Pagano and his long awaited & anticipated compilation “Digital Generation”, which was finally released on 27^th December and has since been racing up the Beatport charts. This comes as now surprise, especially when you consider the wealth of artists who grace this 20 track composition, the likes of Danny Tenaglia, Danny Verde & Stewart Who, as well as the tracks which made it to his final selection, “The Reflex”, “Loca 2011” & “Kissing The Wookie”, all previously unreleased, while “Bodyswerve 2011” and “Push To The Top” also grace this magnificent mix. But with so much more on offer, including some Pagano classics, this is one compilation that you definitely will want to add to your collection, especially given that it is only the fifth officially released mix in his long & illustrious career which started back in the 1990’s. So, it has been given provisional release on Beatport, in both mixed & unmixed versions and is available now, but for a limited period only via link https://beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/316641/pagano-digital-generation-mixed-and-unmixed#, although if you hang on till the end of January, then this Kult Records produced package will be generally released on digital record store sites including i-tunes.

Now taking of Danny Verde, we know he has been extremely busy in the recording studio of late and has some exciting projects to come in 2011, he having kicked off the year in superb style with a brand new updated version of his smash hit “Pushin To The Top”, which gained almost immediate worldwide recognition when the original was released 18 months ago. This original, compiled in conjunction with artist Halmadaxx, has, for 2011, been given not one or two, but four remix treatments, we having already mentioned one which appears on Pagano’s compilation. Of the other three, two get our attention here, the first from the man himself, Danny calling it his “Miami 011 Rework”, Mr Verde giving the original a quite different & unique feel through this new release, a preview of which was up on his soundcloud site, although speaking with Danny, a few further tweaks made in advance of its formal release in the next couple of weeks (keeping us in suspense or what!). However, in the meantime, Hector Fonsecca’s mix is well worth a listen and one you can grab now by going to http://soundcloud.com/holabstudio/halmadaxx-danny-verde-pushin-to-the-top-hector-fonseca-remix. As for further projects, like Danny, we will keep you in suspense, although on the D.J.’ing front he couldn’t be busier, tours of Brazil & Mexico confirmed for Feb & March, while he also lands on Britain for a whistle-stop couple of days at the end of January.

Moving on and to a man that has been entertaining us under the mirror-ball for good two/three years now and has really found his stride in recently extended & improved Chapel Room at Beyond , as well as being part of the RAW team of residents at citric splendour Orange, both gigs two of his absolute favourites. However, one Hi-Fi Sean Dickson is also busy in the recording studio, amassing monthly compilations in his now substantial series which you can grab at http://hifiseandj.podomatic.com, his January edition an absolute peach. However, he has become more & more active producing tracks, one of which has grabbed our attention although missed our net for a while until we heard the man play it at Beyond on 2^nd Jan. “Stand Up” by Loleatta Holloway has been given the deep yet gospel treatment by Mr Dickson and is Beyond Chapel personified (well it’s gospel!), hence why our ears pricked up. But such is the brilliance of the track, it has also made the Gaydar Radio airwaves, so is a must grab, which you can do for free by going to the music section at http://hifisean.com, but be quick as it will be dropping off soon. Talking of Gaydar, Sean has made some special mixes for the radio station, three of them to be exact, which he tells us are only available for a short period too. Having listened to them all, you would be mad to miss out adding them to your collection, although you need to be quick as they will drop off host site Mediafire in the next few weeks. So to grab these special compilations go to the following links, http://mediafire.com/?uz42a4vxv7l06so (Mix 1), http://mediafire.com/?1cr9z84e716brf5 (Mix 2) & http://mediafire.com/?nhqmsla6vyjnc59 (Mix 3).

Now onto a D.J. that had an amazing 2010, this year looking just as busy, French fancy Leomeo’s feet hardly touching the ground in the last twelve months, indeed he only having spent a handful (we are talking single figures here) of weekends in his home city of Paris. Tours, especially of Asia, have left some indelible musical marks on this young man, so much so, he has been in the recording studio to produce a very special compilation that nods to the oriental, but has definite disco undertones, a little bit of a departure from Mr Carandang’s usual tribal & tech styles, but is every bit as good as his previous productions, in some ways better. With tracks including artists such as David Penn, Richard Grey, & Taylor Square, this definitely has dancefloor pedigree, the 58 minute mix hooking us from the start. So, it goes without saying that his “Urban People Makassar Mix” is an absolute must for your collection which you can download at http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo/urban-poeple-presents-makassar-mix-by-dj-leomeo while his latest track “Feel Me”, the Leomeo peak time mix, produced with Fabrice K, is a tribal triumph but has also been given the remix treatment by D.J. Bruno Kaufmann (more on him soon) which, with the DJBK influence, can be yours by going to  http://soundcloud.com/djleomeo (it’s right at the top).

Next in our selections in Guy Williams, another man who’s 2010 was busy and extremely productive, he breaking into Ibiza in a big way with his club brand, Paradise 45, which did equally as well back home, his D.J.’ing balancing nicely between the gay & metrosexual world’s, Black Rabbit, another of his ventures, going from strength to strength, while regular appearances at DTPM, & A:M, to compliment Trade & SuperMartXe have kept him in the mind’s eye of his gay audience. . However, with the New Year dawned yet more new projects & musically inspired trips to Goa & Dubai loom, before he throws himself back into the world of Ibiza for the summer, which looks set to be even bigger for him. Guy always has projects in the making & studio works bubbling to the surface, his latest collaboration with the D.J./Producer duo Prok & Fitch, “Yalla” a truly terrific track that is sure to hit the dancefloors over the next weeks & months and has been given full release on Stealth Recordings as well as on online record store Beatport. However, for a limited period, you can check out this tech house treat by going to http://soundcloud.com/guy-williams/guy-williams-vs-prok-fitch-yalla. Plus, like Danny Verde, we have an inside track on those projects, but have been sworn to secrecy, so will just have to keep you in suspense, although watch this space for news, as it is here where you will see it first.  

Onwards and to Berlin based boy Eduardo De la Torre, who, in some ways, will be glad to see the back of 2010, yet the year having had a truck load of highs, not least a Eurovision Song Contest nomination for one of his studio releases. However, with the chalk line drawn, 2011 couldn’t have got off to a better start for Edu, still smarting from a terrific mini tour taking him to Moscow just a few weeks ago, his residency back home in Berlin, at the cavernous Connection, going extremely well and further dates in his diary that include Siwtzerland’s Mad at the end of January and then a trip to London for a guest appearance at Lovechild’s birthday bash, means he is as busy as ever. But he remains just as busy in the studio too and has lots of projects under construction with recording partner No Scene, which he has promised to send our way, so keep your eyes peeled for news. In the meantime & given his Connection successes, we thought we would share a compilation mix he completed back in September, which somehow missed our net, but is Edu personified, full of progressive & tech beats with vocal drenches that are so characteristic of his style. So the Connection inspired mix is a mere click away at http://djdelatorre.podomatic.com and well worth a listen.

Moving on and coming back to our home stomping ground, had it not been for our dreaded ear infection, we would have been in the thick of new(ish) club night, Room Service, on Thursday just gone, when Beyond boys Steve Pitron & Mikey D ruled the musical waves. However, with other residents that include new boy on the block, Zack Black, the learned talents of Fat Tony and stylish Shoreditch son Kris Di Angelis, Room Service has quickly established itself as THE place to hangout on a Thursday night, host venue Diu on Greek Street fitting it like a glorious glove. So, whilst a review is still due, there is a compilation mix out, celebrating all things RS, compiled by Kris Di Angelis, which, whilst a departure from his usual style, is very much evocative of the sets he plays at this small yet perfectly formed outfit. So, if you haven’t been down to Diu on a Thursday yet, then like us, it’s about time you did, although in the meantime, you can do no wrong by checking out Kris’s compilation at  http://soundcloud.com/clubroomservice/vol-1-kris-di-angelis.

While still on home territory, we simply couldn’t leave him out as birthday boy Jamie Hammond is another talent that got our focus in 2010, but has pointed firmly in the 2011 direction in so many positive ways, not least with is continuing residencies here in London, especially for Monday nighter, Popcorn, but also jets across to Rome on a regular basis for the Italian’s favourite extrovert & excellent club event, Muccassassina. However, despite being a busy boy, Jamie never fails to impress with the regularity of his compilation releases and marked the New Year with not one, but two new mixes, titled “Happy New Year” & “House/Disco 2011”, the former more akin to his live progressive styled sets, while the later is a favourite of ours, as it is crammed with 70’s & 80’s retakes (wonder who inspired that!)  as well as some more up to date tracks to keep you hooked. Suffice to say, this disco dream hit our collection the moment we saw it (well it’s in the name innit!?), although both are worthy additions to yours, which you can grab at http://d-jamie.podomatic.com/, simply leaving us to say, Mr Jamie, here’s wishing you a very happy birthday.

Right, our final major mention goes to Spaniard Ivan Gomez, who really wowed us last year when he tripped over to London for LGDF in May, yet, he has kept missing our net in newsletters & mentions since, so we thought we would make amends and bring you bang up to date in the life & times of Mr Gomez. And golly gosh has he been a busy boy or what, having amassed no less than 29 track mixes/remixes since we focussed on him in May, plus having laid down eight full length compilations in that time too. Working with close friends & recording partners Nacho Chapado & Fran Ramirez, Ivan has produced a whole collection of tracks that have gone global & hit the high notes on digital store Beatport, although it is his compilations that really do it for us, a particular favourite being a collection of some of his favourite tracks from 1996 to 2007, which he put together in December and is available at direct link. http://soundcloud.com/ivangomezmusic/ivan-gomez-some-tracks-from-1996-to-2007-free-download, while you will have hours of pleasure, like us, trawling through his Souncloud collection at http://soundcloud.com/. However, Ivan points to 2011 in the best possible way with the latest in his free download compilation series, a rousing collection of progressive & pumping house tunes that grabbed us from minute one through to minute one hundred & seven and is available at http://soundcloud.com/ivangomezmusic/ivan-gomez-promo-mix-january-2011-happy-nye-free-download.

Jumping from compilations to pure tracks, 2011 has started off where 2010 left off, with two tunes dominating our superb stereo sounds airwaves (or should we say our mono ear), Lizzat & Voltaxx’s incredible remix of Tom Novy’s classic “Now Or Never” very much our hot tip of this New Year, we have been truly captivated since hearing the track on Brent Nicholls’ “Industri – Gotta Move” compilation and a week later spinning on our spot as Steve Pitron played it out at Beyond. Indeed it made another double appearance on Jan 2^nd, Steve doing it again and Gonzalo playing it to perfection in his Beyond set, and when you check out the video at http://youtube.com/watch?v=yFmvB13R_Jc, you will see where they got their dance moves from, “Doing The Disco Matt” maybe?!?, hence the fact this record is sure to feature on our next viral, due out soon. Incidentally, if you haven’t seen the original go get a look now at http://youtube.com/watch?v=RCOqKp9SpgU. As for the other track, well it’s another Danny Verde quick mention as “Trapped” the Pagano (another shout for him too) & Wayne G smash featured large over NY, not least as featured vocalist, Peyton, put up the most prolific P.A. performance we have seen in months, at WE Attacks, since when we can’t put it down. Now, the video link is pretty rubbish (in our humble opinion), but is a good way to at least hear the track, by clicking on http://youtube.com/watch?v=yi1YOREB8ew, although we may come to its rescue with our own WE inspired attempt (the gauntlet has been laid down!).

Right before we finish with some exciting news, time to whittle through some latest compilation releases from artists that often get our exposure, so need no introductions apart from their links, Nick Tcherniak’s latest offering out at http://nicktcherniak.podomatic.com, Terry Vietheer’s January mix out at http://soundcloud.com/terryvietheer, while Micky Galliano has a brilliant new compilation well worth a listen & download at http://mickygalliano.podomatic.com. One guy that received a new boy focus in 2010 was Norbert M and he has got on the NY bandwagon too, issuing a “Disco House Classic” mix well worth looking at via http://norbertmik.podomatic.com/ and, while you’re at it, grab his 30 minute “Hed Kandi Bar” competition mix too. D’Johnny’s mix from his performance on Beyond’s main room is worth downloading too at http://djohnny.podomatic.com/ and fellow Beyond resident Gonzalo Rivas continues his “deep” series with a Xmas Eve release, out now at http://gonzalorivas.podomatic.com. More mop up’s and Alessandro Londra kicked of the NY in style at As One, laying down a recording in recognition, which you can download now at http://djalessandrolondra.podomatic.com/, while Jamie Head marked his appearance at WE Attacks with a special podcast, which is an absolute corker and has already been marked as one of our favourites of the year, so is well worth grabbing at http://jamiehead2.podomatic.com/, Jamie being one of three folk that will be getting our focussed attention over the next few days as we accelerate our Music Is The Answer posts. So the other two? Well Tel Aviv based boy Guy Scheiman is one, who starred at Salvation “The Return” on NYD and then stormed As One, his “Feel The Vibe” mix our little teaser, which you should have a listen by going to http://djguyscheiman.podomatic.com/2010-10-16T10_52_42-07_00, while Brent Nicholls will be featuring in a special post, coming up in the next day or so (more details in a sec), but marked 2010 with his year end double volume mix “MMX”, both available at http://djbrentnciholls.com/music, both crammed with nu-funk & disco tunes to delight (Vol. 2 is breathtaking!).

Right we are nearly there, but just time to mention that special report, as for the eagle eyed of you that have visited Brent Nicholls’ site already (or in the last day or so), you will have spotted a special compilation he kindly produced, marking our year end music round up in which we included our top 40 tracks of 2010. So, in true Brent style, he has put a 20 track mix together and, given this momentous move, we thought it only appropriate to set aside a special report on both him & the mix, which will form our first “Music Is The Answer” focus style post of 2011.

So, with the New Year now under a full head of steam, music will be taking centre stage in Disco Matt land, with plenty of focuses, plenty of D.J. bio’s & monthly newsletters to compliment all our other posts, also remembering that you need to keep your eyes peeled for music links in our weekend posts & our reviews. Now all that remains to say is, we hope you like our choice picks here and if so, “…sit back, select those sounds, turn up the volume & let them play, as music IS the answer…”. (DISCO MATT)