Eli & Fur
Since breaking onto the scene in 2013, Eli & Fur have been perfecting a sound built around infectious melodies and seductive vocal lines which have mesmerized dance floors & radio waves from London to Los Angeles. Their captivating sets have seen the duo play alongside the likes of Maceo Plex, Hot Since 82, Kölsch and Seth Troxler. Appearing on line ups from Ants, Vagabundos, Bugged Out and Digital with their Festival highlights including Creamfields, Leeds Festival, Bestival and the ultimate of all festivals, Glastonbury.
The duo’s debut track, ‘You’re So High’ reached the top 3 on Hype Machine and has since picked up over 3 million plays. ‘Seeing is Believing’ saw the girls collaborate with Shadow Child and release on Defected, ‘Feel The Fire’ came on Anjunadeep and ‘Your Eyes’ saw the girls self-release on NYX Muisc and team up with Beatport in the first ever Artist Partnership on Beatport’s newly launched streaming platform. More recently Eli & Fur released the incredibly received ‘California Love’ EP which propelled them in the US and helped them gain their first ever performance on Coachella 2016.
2015 saw the rise and rise of Eli & Fur. Tipped by Beatport as 2015 Artists to Watch, they’e since been nominated for ‘Best Newcomer’ in The DJ Awards, ‘Best Producer’ in the Bass Music Awards, ‘Best Breakthrough DJ’ at DJ Magazine’s ‘Best of British’ and more recently ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ in the 2016 IDMA Awards. Their productions have been heavily supported by the champion of dance music, Pete Tong, and the girls are set to unleash their next wave of releases and a series of collaborations which have seen them pair up with Dantiez Saunderson, Tâches, Erick Morillo, Santé and more.
Eli & Fur rolled out 2015 with a Thelma & Louise inspired tour through North America. Documenting every step of their 13 city tour on Go-Pro, taking planes, train, automobiles and boats, dropping into radio stations, studio sessions, TV networks and clubs. It was an unusual way to approach the US market but a life time dream inspired by quite possibly the two coolest chics ever to grace the big screen. The end result is the self-made video for California Love.
So with an impressive 2015 in the bag it looks like 2016 will be a year of continued success.
PAST EVENTS
Damian Lazarus
The mysterious allure of musical vibrations can perplex and intrigue in equal amounts at the best of times, not least when the sorcery of a certain Damian Lazarus comes into play. Crosstown Rebels, Day Zero, Get Lost, Rebel Rave, his own DJ and production career, the discovery of a wealth of influential talents…all of these achievements and more make him not only one of the most respected exponents of the contemporary house and techno scene, but also one of its key tastemakers and pathfinders.
As a DJ, his mastery is unsurpassed. A true storyteller, Damian often holds court at those special times of the day when only his kind of DJ sets are required. Moments that demand a soundtrack that not only fits the mood, but elevates the atmosphere and takes the audi-ence to a whole other level of experience. Besides playing at the world’s best clubbing institutions (resident at DC10 in Ibiza for almost 10 years), Damian also specialises in performing beyond the confines of the walls of a club. He is an expert in performing his magic in extraordinary outdoor locations; jungles, beaches, the Robot Heart bus in the Nevada desert, Mayan ruins in Mexico and a whole host of other spellbinding sites around the world. Just one look at the superlative Day Zero event will tell you what Damian’s ethos is when it comes to outdoor exploits. Add to that Get Lost and Rebel Rave, two more events that epitomise his approach to hosting alfresco shows.
Damian’s visionary abilities are no more apparent than in the curation of music and his discovery of artists via the seminal label, Crosstown Rebels. During its 12-year lifespan, the label has been responsible for launching the careers of some of our scene’s best-known names; Jamie Jones, Art Department, Maceo Plex, Deniz Kurtel… His A&R skills are second-to-none, in direct correlation with the curation of his DJ sets. It’s his dedica-tion to seeking out unique talents that has helped to make his label one of the most influential outlets of recent times.
Crosstown’s sorcerer-in-chief has also applied these same bewildering powers to the de-velopment of his latest collaborative artist project, Damian Lazarus and The Ancient Moons. Lazarus has been joined at the production controls by James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco, Arctic Monkeys, Florence), with album recording sessions recently completed in Mexico. The project brings together a wide assortment of vocalists, collaborators and players from around the world. Taking inspiration from Lazarus’s Lazpod series, Get Lost events and Day Zero festival, this is music for deserts, jungles and sunrises.
In tandem with the album project, Damian has also conceived a live show, with band members Zulu (vocals), Ben Chetwood (Percussion and Drums) and Rob Gentry (Keys) who perform live alongside the chief wizard himself on Modular Synths and FX. Damian Lazarus And The Ancient Moons hit the road in the Summer 2015, bringing a whole new dimension to festival stages and intriguing outdoor locations such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, III Points Miami, Crssd Festival and many others.
Throughout a career spanning many years Damian Lazarus has worked tirelessly to main-tain a constant flow of creativity and innovation within the house and techno sphere. Never losing focus, he continues on his mystical pathway to greatness, unleashing his positive spirit on the masses at every opportunity.
Open your mind, embrace the magic, and get ready for the next spellbinding chapter…
PAST EVENTS
wAFF
Over the last two years wAFF has become one of the most engaging artists on the international circuit joining the ever popular and influential Hot Creations / Paradise family, several highly commended releases and a residency with Jamie Jones’s ‘already under his belt. As the future offers up a whole world of opportunity, he’s putting his all into creating music of the highest quality, built to unite and excite in equal amounts. He started out in North Yorkshire with no connection to the global night world apart from an unquenchable passion for music. But he listened. He worked. And now he’s right in the frame.
wAFF has a single, ‘Vibrationz’, forthcoming on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode label. His Paradise DC-10 residency is the hottest tip for Ibiza 2015. He’s responsible for red hot tunes such as ‘Freaks’ for Sven Väth’s Cocoon imprint, and the supremely funky ‘Break A Sweat’, co-written with Spanish don Cuartero for the Leipzig label Moon Harbour (the Patrick Topping mix is also excellent). His music has been getting the nod from Sven Väth, Adam Beyer, Loco Dice, Joseph Capriati, Marco Carola and dozens more. He’s even been asked to collaborate with Masters At Work. Not bad going. And that’s not all. Other wAFF collaborations in the works include Eats Everything, Patrick Topping, Cuartero and Argy, as well as remixes for Groove Armada (‘Final Shakedown’), Fur Coat (‘There’s No Time’), Hot Since 82 (‘Plane and Trains’), and Mike Gill featuring Robert Owens (‘In The Midst’).
wAFF grew up in Hull and got into dance music via the happy hardcore of the ‘Bonkers’ compilations. He then moved sideways into indie, during the minimal boom of 2003-04 he found a style of dance music that truly drew him in, the stripped down pulse of producers such as Troy Pierce, Audion and Minilogue. After this he threw himself into it. His Koala parties achieved success in Hull and Leeds, becoming genuine roots down rave sensations, done for love. He also spent three seasons is Ibiza, dancing all night, sucking up the music, figuring out what worked, distilling it all into his own music.
A former dancer and actor, self-expression has always come naturally to wAFF. Music became another extension of his creative output around 10 years ago when he began to flirt with production. He quickly became obsessed with making music but remained staunch in his belief that he would only release music if he thought it was going to make a big impact. So for several years he toiled away, inspired by visits to Ibiza, the early years of DC10; DJs like Marco Carola, Tania Volcano, Loco Dice and Luciano all feeding into his pool of inspiration. Along the way friends tried to encourage him to release the music he was making immediately, but he sat tight, adamant that he would wait until he’d struck gold. He now has an affinity with his studio that sees him making music for many of his waking hours.
A chance meeting with Richy Ahmed in Ibiza set the wheels in motion and, when the track was ready, he sent it to the Hot Creations A&R. It was snapped up immediately and the track left a trail of devastation in its wake, championed by the bossman Jamie Jones of course, and played by everyone from Sven Vath to Cajmere.
As you might be able to tell from the labels that he’s releasing with wAFF is operating within the house and techno sphere, keeping it tough yet emotive, captivating the dancefloor and creating a deep, absorbing narrative with each track. Current inspirations include Ben Klock, Marcel Fengler, Fred P, Marcel Dettman & Oliver Deutchmann, masters in the art of combining rugged beats with deep, heartfelt melodies.
wAFF is a gifted young man, exuding energy from deep within. He applies this gift to his music, promoting positive vibes and connectivity through his music. He’s proven time and again that he transmit powerful frequencies that captivate and transfix audiences around the globe.
This has turned out to be a fine thing for dancefloors across the world. For those who want the human throb of house tethered to the punchy, driving power of techno, wAFF is now the name.
wAFF’s aim is simple; to make a difference to the world through the transmission of energy through music, judging by his progress so far, he’s bound to achieve that righteous goal… and the positive beats keep rolling.
PAST EVENTS
Jamie Jones
Jamie Jones and his label, Hot Creations, have been credited with creating an iconic sound that has paved the way for a warmer, more melodic, deeper side of techno to emerge.
Widely regarded as the leader of the new sound of house, Jamie Jones is renowned for his pioneering music; his cross genre band, Hot Natured; his groundbreaking label, Hot Creations; and his world-renowned event series, Paradise. In less than a decade, he has catapulted himself to stardom by shattering genres and breaking out of the confines of minimal techno.
Jamie’s revolutionary sound is an instrumental part of his success, being both artistically innovative and yet easily accessible. He and his label, Hot Creations, have been credited with creating an iconic sound that has paved the way for a warmer, more melodic, deeper side of techno to emerge. 2011 was the year that Jamie and Hot Creations took over. Continuing to power out hits, they released Hot Natured’s “Forward Motion,” featuring vocalist Ali Love. But it was Jamie’s remix of Azari & III’s “Hungry for the Power” that was the quintessential song of the year; heard everywhere in Ibiza and beyond.
In 2012, Jamie and Lee Foss evolved their project, Hot Natured, into a full band; adding Ali Love and Luca C as members. Taking elements of the grooves Jamie has long championed and forging them with song based vocals and smooth synth melodies into a live act, Jamie looked to challenge conventions with this new direction. The first Hot Natured single, “Benediction,” reached the top 40 in the UK in 2013 and the debut album “Different Sides Of The Sun” continues to sell strongly six months after its release. In 2014, Hot Natured is viewed as one of the most in-demand electronic live acts globally.
Jamie’s constant touring schedule takes in every major city and festival around the world; including such spectacles as Glastonbury, Timewarp, and Burning Man, as well as highly esteemed clubs like Warung, Fabric, and Womb. His weekly Ibiza party, Paradise, has completed two huge seasons at DC10 and goes into its third year as the fastest growing night on the island. This success has meant that Paradise has been offered stages at some of the world’s biggest electronic music festivals, such as Tomorrowland, Global Gathering, Kazantip and BPM and the brand will continue to grow world-wide through 2014.
In early 2012, Jamie was voted the number one DJ in the world by Resident Advisor. He continues to be seen as a leader in his field and an innovator who will dictate the direction of a booming industry.
PAST EVENTS
Darius Syrossian
and then turned my focus on producing, so music has been my life for 20 years.That is already more info than you need, now stop reading and listen to some music instead
PAST EVENTS
Nic Fanciulli
Nic Fanciulli is a DJ, producer and label owner who has remained one of the UK’s finest exports in electronic music throughout the last decade. A Grammy nominated producer, Nic has worked with artists as diverse as Underworld, Kylie Minogue, U.N.K.L.E, Loco Dice, Josh Wink and Tracey Thorn in addition to producing a plethora of solo club focused tracks that have achieved both critical and commercial acclaim. Now releasing on the likes of Rejected and Souvenir, Nic is responsible for a high output of a sleek, intelligent yet driving strain of house and techno.
Perhaps most significantly, Nic’s own Saved Records has become an important purveyor of international, underground house and techno. Having helped develop the imprint into a recognisable label since 2005, Nic and his clutch of impressive Saved artists have travelled the globe with the brand, spreading their musical manifesto far and wide. Always with a keen eye on bringing new talent through, Nic has used Saved as a platform to break new and exciting young producers as well as maintaining a desire to put out quality releases from other stalwarts of the scene. At only five years old, Saved is continuing to expand the legacy of Nic Fanciulli.
Jimpster
Jamie Odell aka Jimpster and Audiomontage has been producing, remixing and DJing for the last 19 years and co- running his Freerange Records (voted Best British Label 2007) label for the last 15 of those. His musical upbringing and early introduction to production (his first release was on UK label Jumpin’ & Pumpin’ in 1990) and DJing have helped him forge a sound that is at once warm and deep as well as being innovative and also club friendly.
His seminal Jimpster LP Messages From The Hub (1997), as well as his more dancefloor orientated Audiomontage 12”s really helped establish Jamie as an artist of some merit and he quickly became in regular demand as a remixer (over 75 at the last count!) and co- producer on a wide range of underground projects. His third Jimpster LP Amour was released 4 years ago on Freerange to excellent critical acclaim and appeared in numerous published Top 20 LP’s of the year charts. In recent years he has released his first original track for another label, choosing Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly for Square Up which went on to become a big underground house track of the year.
His last 12” for Freerange was Sleeper, another deep house anthem which was nominated for numerous Best Dance Single Awards as well as sitting at the top of the Beatport charts for a month. Recent artists to get the Jimpster midas touch in the form of a remix include Josh Wink, Photon Inc, Osunlade, Bob Marley, Joris Voorn, Seal, Marc Romboy, Solomun…. The list goes on.
Over the past 5 or 6 years Jamie has built up a reputation as a highly regarded dj in the UK and around the world, having played over 100 gigs last year alone. With an emphasis on the deeper end of electronic house music, but not afraid to stray from the path, he retains an old school approach that has seen him booked for gigs as diverse as Fabric and Matter (London), Panarama Bar and Watergate (Berlin), Cielo (NYC), Warehouse 702 (Tokyo), Zoo Project (Ibiza), D-Edge (Sau Paulo), GOA @ Fabrik (Madrid).
Clive Henry
Clive is one of the UK’s longest standing flag-wavers for underground house music having been an original member of the West London house mafia, one half of the genre-defining tech house outfit Peace Division and resident at the world’s most musically influential nightclub DC10. Clive started his long musical journey way back in the mid-eighties when he was working after school to earn money to feed his vinyl addiction. He caught the DJing bug going to local hip hop jams in West London and listening to early electro/hip hop on pirate radio. It was all about to change however, when in 1988 he was introduced to London’s early acid house scene by Rocky and Diesel from Xpress 2. They took him to the seminal Spectrum and Shoom clubs which proved highly instrumental in shaping Clive’s musical future.
Not long after, Clive and Rocky started running their own successful nights in the emerging West London party scene called Bone and Gosh with guests like David Holmes, Andrew Weatherall and Ashley Beedle. It wasn’t long before Clive started playing at his own events, which in turn lead to bookings at other clubs, first in London and then across the UK. In 1998 he founded the iconic tech house label Low Pressings with fellow surburbanite Justin Drake who went on to become his production partner in Peave Division.
During this period Clive relocated to Ibiza every summer and in 2000 on after a night out at Space with fellow DJ Lottie they stumbled across the now legendary Circo Loco afterparty held at DC10 on Monday mornings. Back then DC10 was more like a social club for DJs, promoters and their friends and it wasn’t long before Clive was a regular feature at the club. He hasn’t looked back. During the last decade Clive has established himself as the British backbone of the club laying down his trademark brand of deep no-nonsense house music week in week out having being invited to join DC10 stellar roster of residents back in 2004.
Clive’s residency at DC10 brought him into contact with Crosstown Rebels frontman Damian Lazarus who quickly brought Clive into the Crosstown family.
With the re-opening of DC10 this summer after its year ban, 2010 promises to be an eventful one for Clive with his solo production path beginning to take shape and collaborations in the pipeline with good friends Jamie Jones and Dyed Soundorom. In addition, his new Rebel Rave mix compilation for Crosstown Rebels will be hitting the stores this August.
You can catch Clive regularly at Circo Loco in Ibiza, MuMu in Liverpool, Kubicle in London, Droog in LA and at Crosstown Rebels events worldwide.
Robert James
Robert James has made a big impact in a short time. First surfacing amidst a new wave of house talent on Lee Foss and Jamie Jones’ label du jour, Hot Creations, he has gone on to take his infectious dancefloor sound to all corners of the globe as well as labels like LA based Culprit, Jef K’s Silver Network and the legendary Strictly Rhythm.
It was hearing Andy Weatherall at Sankeys in 2005, however, which inspired Robert to leave the army and focus on music full time: Since then he’s laid out his own nu-school sonic template with releases like “Sleep Moods”, “Malibu” (alongside Burnski) and “Big Ass Biscuit” (as Pteradactil Disco with Jamie, Lee and Fb Julian) begin championed by international spinners and respected music press alike.
“My style is all about the groove” says Robert. “I play house and techno, but always with groove.” He’s not wrong, and channelling that groove – as well as other influences like various fabric CDs, Radio 1 Essential Mixes and the work of French funksters Daft Punk, Robert has gone on to remix Hot Creations duo Clockworks, play Sonar in Barcelona, DEMF in USA and Hideout in Croatia.
If last year was the year Robert James broke through, 2012 is the year he establishes himself as an essential talent: there are remixes and solo productions coming on Saved (plus a collaboration with Simon Baker on the same label) as well as a return to his favoured Hot Creations labels for another solo EP and plenty more in the pipeline. He Also this summer starts his summer residency at Dc10 for Jamie Jone’s Paradise night on thursdays. With dates at Circoloco, Trouw Amsterdam, Panorama Bar Berlin and US tours. 2012 is going to be a another good year for Robert James.
Paul Woolford
Through his work as Dj, Producer, Dancefloor experimentalist, Remixer, Collaborator and label owner, Paul Woolford has succeeded in bringing a rare level of artistry to the world of modern dance music and in doing so, made an enduring global impact. His name is synonymous with high-quality. Early 2010 will see Woolford push his creativity even further with a with Renaissance Platform double CD release cultivated from a large amount of the finest quality original material from right across the house & techno spectrum, some brand-new material solely produced for this release, exclusive re-edits, exclusive takes on Woolford remixes and all lovingly crafted, spliced & diced using modern technology to deliver a product that blurs the lines between mix compilation & artist album, retaining the excitement, advent and movement of the former, and holding the attention the way the best artist albums do.
As 2010 begins, the projects through Woolford’s Intimacy studio in 2009 alone include Depeche Mode (the single “Hole To Feed” released December 7th on Mute), Simian Mobile Disco featuring Jamie Lidell (“Off The Map” forthcoming 2010), Morgan Geist “The Shore” for Environ (for which Beatportal awarded a ‘Bomb Alert’ and DJ Mag included in their ‘Killers’), remixes on the Ewan Pearson-produced band Delphic for R&S, The Juan Maclean “Happy House” for New York’s DFA, DJ Hell feat P.Diddy “The DJ” for Gigolo in Berlin, and Chelonis R. Jones “The Cockpit” for Systematic, also in Germany. On top of these remixes, there has been a fierce release schedule for Woolford’s own singles on his Intimacy imprint which began in April with “Pandemonium”, followed in May with “Timebomb” and continued into Autumn with the “False Prophet EP”. These tracks sparked feverish dj reactions from the global elite of house & techno including the likes of In the cannon for early 2010 is a Renaissance Double CD Compilation consisting of many exclusive tracks, re-edits and remixes and brand new Bobby Peru material to include James Zabiela’s re-working of “Knives” as well as a series of singles for Intimacy and other cutting-edge European labels. Aside from these projects, Woolford has worked on production and remixes for the Mercury Music Prize-nominated act Maps for Mute Records, and is also working with the band Delphic in various capacities, having sequenced their Minimix for Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show. The quality of each of these projects speaks for itself.
Initially inspired by the constant throb of the radio throughout his childhood, the seeds of his future direction were sewn by the time a record-collecting addiction kicked in properly during his teenage years. This insatiable appetite for musical stimulation has driven Woolford to explore far beyond the cutting- edge house and techno that is his stock-in-trade, and led him down more experimental paths, embracing aspects of improvised jazz through his collaborative work with Paul Hession, and taking huge inspiration from the modern composition of Steve Reich. All this is distilled within the techno dynamic that Woolford has made second-nature.
Paul Woolford tours the world constantly as a guest dj of the finest clubs and festivals, and in keeping with this made his peak-time saturday night debut at Spain’s esteemed Benicassim in summer 2009 and also at Glastonbury. Both shows are more famed for their rock acts and it’s testament to Woolford’s wide-range and inclusive values that he is as much a viable option to these events as he is to a 500 capacity underground sweatbox such as D-Edge in Sao Paolo. Other events have included Warung in Santa Catarina, Womb in Tokyo, Goa in Madrid, Panaramabar in Berlin, Il Muretto in Venice where he held a 6-week summer residency, Chicago’s Smartbar, Paris’ The Mix, Manchester’s Sankeys & The Electric Chair, Buenos Aires and Sao Paolo’s Pacha, Riccione’s Cocorico, Dusseldorf’s Tribehouse, LA’s Avalon, Las Vegas’ Jet, Milan’s Amnesia, Zurich’s Q Club, a career-defining performance in 2007 at Serbia’s Exit Festival, Buenos Aires’ Creamfields event twice, Global Gathering, The Glade Festival, Glastonbury ) and has a frequently exhausting schedule that runs into overdrive in the summer when his main weekly residency at WeLoveSpace on Sundays in Ibiza starts. He was awarded ‘Best Newcomer’ in Ibiza’s DJ Awards in 2006 and nominated for one of DJ Magazine’s ‘Best Of British’ Awards in 2007. In addition to this, he now holds a monthly UK residency at Matter London at which he can approach things in a different manner more appropriate for this worldwide hub of dance music.
It is with this highly personal and chameleon-like ability that Woolford makes his mark, creating bespoke re-edits built purposefully for each environment, ensuring that you KNOW it is Woolford and Woolford-only in the booth when you hear them.
Many know Paul Woolford’s name through the 2005 slow-burning hit “Erotic Discourse”, released on 2020 Vision, the Leeds label with which he made his name initially. The success of this proved he has the ability to create a genre-defining sound and led to sales of over 15,000, capturing the imagination of DJs across the board from The Chemical Brothers, Richie Hawtin and DJ Hell to Francois Kevorkian, Laurent Garnier, Trevor Jackson and Erol Alkan. It was Erol Alkan that described the track as “a modern day psyche record” and the track became a classic, spawning a legion of copyists intent on imitating the studio technique at the heart of the track. Rather than replicate himself with a swiftly produced facsimile of the track as many and most djs and producers do, Woolford sharply turned left and his next 3 releases were EPs of detroit-inspired techno and deep house for UK stalwart NRK. The tracks ‘313’, ‘Sealed In Amber’ and ‘Demons’ proved to be amongst Woolford’s best work, and perfectly encapsulated that mood of integrity, rather than cashing on the previous success of ‘Erotic Discourse’. Since this time Woolford has given birth to his Intimacy label which is now his first home to explore the myriad of different facets from across the house and techno divide, occasionally dipping into heavy experimentalism as with the collaboration with world-class free-jazz drummer Paul Hession on ‘Vanguard’, and also releasing the work of other artists such as Jet Project and Mat Playford. Intimacy is set to step up a gear in 2010.
Magazine Covers have included DJ Mag August 2006 (with Nic Fanciulli), One Week To Live October 2006, IDJ in January 2008 with a photo shoot from Tate Modern’s Doris Salcedo installation “Shibboleth” (after a personal email from Woolford, Salcedo gave her express permission) and an exhaustive 5 page feature to mark the release of his “The Truth” album on 2020 Vision.
Irrespective of your position on the dancefloor or listening at home, Paul Woolford’s tropes and idiosyncrasies are unmistakable and he has become a force to be reckoned with in modern dance music.
Audiojack
Audiojack are the Leeds based DJs, producers and label owners making big waves in recent years with original productions and remixes for labels such as 20:20 Vision, Leftroom, Get Physical, BPitch Control, OFF, Exploited, Diynamic and their own rapidly expanding Gruuv imprint.
Whilst it was their robotic techno sound that filled the dance floors in their early years, it is their current deeper and housier style which has reaffirmed their ability to produce groovy underground music across the genres whilst maintaining their own strong signature sound.
Exemplified by releases such as their ‘Get Serious’ EP for Ralph Lawson’s ever on-point 20:20 Vision Recordings, the respected pair have been charted and supported by DJs as diverse as Pete Tong, Erol Alkan, Seth Troxler, Sven Vath, Steve Bug, Sasha, DJ Hell, Maceo Plex and Laurent Garnier.
Now an integral part of the electronic music scene, Audiojack are equally captivating DJs. Their tightly woven, deep digging sets have seen them booked to play everywhere from Space (Ibiza) to fabric (London), Watergate (Berlin) to Zouk (Singapore), D-Edge (Sao Paulo) to Circo Loco (Sydney).
Audiojack apply a firm focus on quality over quantity with their productions and this same idealism is channelled through their label Gruuv, which has to date seen original music from the likes of Tiger Stripes, NTFO, Uner, Chris James and more with remixes from Catz n Dogz, Jimmy Edgar, Mendo, H.O.S.H. and Gorge to name but a few.
As we look to the future, appetite whetting highlights include vocal collaborations with Stee Downes and Nancy Wang (LCD Soundsystem), the long awaited release of their hugely supported Plastic Dreams remake, new original EPs on 2020Vision and Gruuv and their much anticipated live show, sure to be as individual and forward thinking as everything else this twosome set their mind to.
Gavin Herlihy
Gavin Herlihy’s music has been a constant feature on underground house and techno’s most iconic labels since 2006. After starting this year with a bang with releases on esteemed labels Culprit, Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical and Leftroom his discography is backed up by previous outings on scene leaders like Cocoon and Buzzin Fly. As comfortable writing sublime deep house as he is at crafting no-nonsense future techno, few artists have achieved such a broad base of label support as this enigmatic Irishman.
Now based in the UK’s capital of house music, Leeds, Herlihy (pronounced Herl-i-hee) is an established feature on the global DJ circuit. He earned his place thanks to a two year stint learning his trade as an up-and-coming producer in Berlin at the end of the 2000s where he notched up gigs at the Panorama Bar, Watergate and Bar 25. In the last year his tracks have been championed by a diverse array of DJs from Seth Troxler and Ricardo Villalobos to Jamie Jones and Pete Tong. A split EP with Detroit legend Delano Smith last Summer was supported by the house and techno elite. Deep and dark bomb ‘With Me’ added fire to his ever evolving relationship with hot UK label, Leftroom while in February 2012 his Witching Hour single on Crosstown Rebel scored a Top Ten chart placing in Beatport’s Deep House Top Ten. It was closely followed by another bomb EP lead track ‘Get Loose’ which became a worldwide house anthem championed by many including Pete Tong on his Radio 1 show and iTunes in their featured tracks section.
It’s a long way from his debut single ‘Machine Ate My Homework’ in 2006, hailed by DJ Hell and Laurent Garnier as one of the tracks of the year. However, his roots in dance music lie much deeper than that. Herlihy’s teenage years were spent lost in the experimental rock of bands like Sonic Youth, Rage Against The Machine and Fugazi before uncovering electronic music during an eye opening festival pilgrimage to England at the tender age of 14. During this pivotal trip he remembers in particular hearing early drum ’n’ bass on a north London pirate radio station. “It sounded like the future being beamed down the radio waves,” he says. “And I’ve been chasing it ever since.”
The coming months will find Herlihy building on the success of his releases in 2012. With forthcoming music squared away for some of the scene’s most talked about labels, plans for his own vinyl only label in the making and his move last year to London super-agency Air London adding extra fire to his bookings, his star is set to shine even brighter than ever.
