Argenis Brito
Born in Venezuela, Argenis Brito is one of South America’s most diverse and experienced musicians and anything but your average live set. His long history in the music business has culminated in him becoming an international touring artist of solid underground repute in the last 10 years, taking him to every major clubbing destination across the globe, as well as cementing his position as an in-demand producer, proven by a multitude of releases on labels like Crosstown Rebels, Cadenza, Dame Music, Mobilee, Tuning Spork and Contexterrior amongst many others. A true musician, setting him aside from the crowd, Argenis continues to flourish as a curator and entertainer of boundary pushing electronic sounds.
A resident in Berlin since 2002, after stints in New York and Santiago de Chile during the 90s, he has proven to be a core part of the ever growing scene there, finding time to play at all the major clubs in between his international tours to South America, the United States, Japan or closer to home across Europe. Thanks to the development of his live act, with performance typified by often unreleased music unique to each gig, and crossing a spectrum of influence from latin music to dub, house and techno, he has been able to ensure that his performance avoids the traps of a monotonous or repetitive sound.
The breakthrough moment in Argenis’ transition from past musical experiences into his current love with electronic experimentalism came in 2006 with his double EP ‘Micro Mundo’ on Cadenza; elevating him to many high profile gigs across the world, including several Circoloco events. Since then, following extensive studio work as producer, vocalist, collaborator, remixer or a combination of everything on the most highly sought imprints around, including most recently in 2011, Crosstown Rebels and Dame Music.
2012 sees him on the cusp of the most productive period of his career, with a new Mambotur album set for release together with Pier Bucci in spring, a new Los Refrescos album scheduled with Dandy Jack, a further solo album and countless collaborations, such as with Dinky, Mike Shannon, David Delgado and also Ricardo Villalobos with whom he has been making some really interesting sounds such as the Peculiar track released earlier in 2011 on Sei Es Drum. This is all preceded with a fresh South American tour at the start of 2012, taking Argenis back to his homeland and the source of his inspiration for his particular sound.
Argenis was instrumental in his work with Señor Coconut, Tobias Freund and Jorge Gonzalez, where he pioneered the use of Latin American sounds and rhythms in the context of contemporary dance music. The significance of this came from the early 2000s when eventually Argenis, Pier Bucci, and also Luciano, perfected this style before making it the defining sound of underground by the end of the decade.
PAST EVENTS
Mirko Loko
Mirko Loko’s passion for music has led him on an upward trajectory
Mirko’s impressive
This is not to mention his collaborat
Born in 1979 in Lausanne, Mirko has always loved music. After DJing in clubs, Couleur3 (Swiss national radio) snapped him up as a DJ and programme planner between 1997 and 2001. During this time he continued DJing nationally
From there tracks spilled across other labels, including Mathew Jonson’s Wagon Repair and Carl Craig’s Planet E. There were remixes too, like their reworking of Daniel Bell’s ‘Science Fiction’ and Oliver Lieb’s ‘Isotropy’
Between 2007 and 2009 he was also assistant programmer
In 2009 Cadenza released Mirko’s debut solo album – Seventynin
There was a new influx of shows across the globe, from Space Miami to Monegros in Spain, Lowlands in the Netherland
2010 saw Mirko remix Layo & Bushwacka’
In 2013, Mirko released some of his strongest techno material yet, some of which was included in the Cadenza 10 Year Anniversar
2015, Mirko released his second “Comet Plan” with remix from sebastian Mulleart, Brett Jonson and Carl Craig. Then he create his own festival called “Polaris” in the prestigiou
PAST EVENTS
Valentino Kanzyani
As a founding father of Slovenian techno, Valentino Kanzyani has been involved in the country’s dance scene since the mid 1990s. A celebrated DJ first and foremost, Valentino built a solid reputation for himself whilst he was resident spinner of Ambasada Gavioli – Slovenia’s most famous electronic music club. His fame grew when he started spinning on three turntables as standard.
Joining forces with fellow countryman and techno champion Umek, Valentino saw his first release in 1999 under the moniker Recycled Loops. Due to the success of their joint EPs, Valentino Kanzyani and Umek set up Recycled Loops as a record label, which further helped establish Valentino as a major player in Eastern Europe’s techno scene. A number of world tours, festival appearances and big club gigs followed.
Whilst Valentino’s sound has evolved over the years, he is committed to protecting the art of the DJ with real integrity. Valentino set up his label Jesus Loved You in 2005, for instance, just as digital downloading was becoming the main dissemination channel for the music industry. Instead of joining the trend, Valentino decided to release his label’s music mainly on vinyl as a way to support the true original format of the DJ. And it is his love for vinyl that has seen him flourish today, to become one of most respected underground vinyl djs around.
Through 2012, Valentino released a series of Eps on Cadenza in the build up to his debut artist album ‘Love & Gratitude’. The latest EP as well as a continuous mixed cd which includes all tracks from the project was released in April 2013. The project showcases Valentino Kanzyani’s underground house vision and it also represents a new chapter in Valentino Kanzyani’s career – as part of Cadenza’s booking agency.
He is currently travelling for his “Love & Gratitude” Album Tour, his track “Bobby on Drums” has just been released on the new m_nus MinMAX compilation a few days ago and he has several other exciting new projects coming up this year. Stay tuned : )
PAST EVENTS
Michel Cleis
Michel Cleis has come a long way since releasing his super-distinctive smash hit ‘La Mezcla’ back in 2009. One of the bona fide anthems of that summer and an Ibiza staple to this day, it stands as a testament to Michel’s undeniable musical talent. Now a globally established DJ/producer with a slew of acclaimed productions to his name, his eclectic and diverse taste for melodies and warm grooves has lead him to collaborate with some of the biggest artists in the industry and to craft a unique style embracing several influences and backgrounds. But if you want to experience Michel at his best, it’s best to see and hear it in person: you won’t be disappointed. “The vibe depends on the season on the place, on the club and the crowd. But I enjoy making people happy and excited with some good, groovy music. Happiness Is the first feeling I have thinking about a DJ set and I try to use different colours to make it happen, from disco to deep or tech-house, even techno and soul , always in a groovy way!”
Born and raised in the Italian part of Switzerland, Michel Cleis speaks five languages, and grew up listening to everything from Miles Davis and John Coltrane to the Beatles and Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti thanks to his parents’ enthusiasm for music. As a university student, he witnessed the blossoming of the underground electronic scene. “Music was an accident for me. During my student years at Lausanne University, I met Stephan Mandrax (half of Shakedown and co- runner of the Liquid Groove label). It was at the end of the 80s, Stephan was organizing the first house parties in Lausanne and also starting with producing music using samplers, that was my first connection with electronic music production I had a bad basketball accident at that time and this became a great excuse to buy a sampler!” From ‘La Mezcla’ and right through to ‘Mir A Nero’ and 2015 summer smash
‘Marvinello’, Michel’s sound is soulful, percussive, firing and always in flight: it’s no wonder his music is supported by tastemakers from Pete Tong and Gilles Peterson to Carl Cox and Koze. “I do not have a unique way of producing. Sometimes I start with samples, losing them during the final arrangement. I just take a groovy loop to breathe a feeling and this takes me somewhere finally. Sometimes it’s about a voice or weather conditions of the day. Anyway, what drives the whole process is the goal: if I think about how the music is supposed to make you move, I will keep different elements. I mean, there is a soundtrack for every moment of my day. During the creative process the point is to figure out where i want to go with my elements and my feelings.” And what did DJ Koze say about your music initially? “We were at the end of this minimal music time and he just told me thank you for bringing some sunshine in this boring techno era! I keep it in my mind.”
It’s all about feelings for Michel Cleis. Joining Cadenza and its residency at Pacha and Ushuaïa in 2010 was a timely move for Cleis, who is now part of the Vagabundos circus of performers and an active member of Luciano’s DJ crew and label. A seasoned fixture on the house and techno circuit, he has released on acclaimed labels like Rekids, Supplement Facts, Buzzin’ Fly, Aus, Strictly Rhythm, Defected and Ovum. His works have been featured on compilations such as Radio Slave’s Fabric and Sven Vath’s Cocoon series, with Pete Tong picking 4 of his tracks as Essential Tune Of The Week on his show.
His recent release on Pampa Records was met with widespread success and praise, true to his spirit of making people dance and have fun on the dancefloor. A collaboration with Basement Jaxx on their new album brought out the best in both parties and he has new music incoming on Pampa and an artist album in the works. But in the meantime, he’s enjoying a purple patch with ‘Marvinello’, which again ignited dancefloors across Europe much like ‘La Mezcla’ before it. So how d’you feel about that? “I am totally happy! Because it’s an opening to something new and the first time a big deal has come to the table. I think it’s a good thing, maybe now I am ready to make this step.” You also have fans wanting pictures: we’ve seen that happen repeatedly this summer. “This for me is surprising. I feel like they know only the new stuff but they now also about stuff before, maybe stuff like ‘Mir A Nero’ or ‘La Mezcla’. In Italy, it’s a lot like that already but now also French, English, Spanish and they are younger than before. It’s exciting and incredible, to touch young people with my music is incredible.”
Up next is a that all-important artist album. Back to feelings again. “If I am happy about twelve tracks it will be a miracle! I would also like the pressure of working with a big artist: I could imagine to work with artists I really respect: Sade, Mary J Blige and Bjork, even Madonna ! Almost all soul singers. And Grace Jones.” “Don’t Mess With A Messer,” sung Grace back in the disco days: smart, focused and ready for the next electronic episode, Michel Cleis wouldn’t consider messing about for even a minute.
Thomas Melchior
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
Argy
Electronic music producers are unique individuals with the skills, tools and ideas necessary to imagine, write and produce transcendent music. Some are more than just musicians through; they represent a way of life that embraces innovation, technology, and communion through sound. They share it, travel it and some simply live it. Argy, aka Argyris Theofilis, born of Rhodes, Greece, is one of these rare artists – perhaps even the epitome of this way of life. Utterly dedicated to his work, Argy’s passion bleeds through in everything he does, from interviews and conversations to creating deeply musical, yet strikingly state-of-the-art house music. Just 25 years old, the Berlin-based artist is already among the elite of the underground club scene. He seized the spotlight with the massive 2005 hit ‘Love Dose’, duly remixed and championed by Luciano, and hasn’t stopped since.
In the past five years Argy has worked with an impressive array of labels ranging from Sven Vath’s Cocoon and Dennis Ferrer’s Objektivity to classic house imprint Ibadan and even Defected. Always seeking to break down barriers, Argy’s studio collaborations and club events with New York DJs The Martinez Brothers have brought together audiences and sounds from formerly unconnected worlds, drawing inspiration from their mutual appreciation and friendship. This same spirit of collaboration is evident on Argy’s first full-length project ‘Focus on: Argy’, released on Poker Flat in 2008, where he works with fellow music luminaries such as Jerome Sydenham and DJ Gregory, creating a fusion of influences rarely witnessed in techno music. Two subsequent DJ mix compilations: ‘Cavo Paradiso 09: The Master Sessions’ and ‘D.Edge Sao Paolo’ on his own imprint, These Days, confirm that Argy’s output to date is only the tip of the iceberg. He has a rare talent for taking audiences on musical journeys they might never have imagined.
Argy developed his love affair with night-time culture as an teenager, thanks to memorable club experiences headed by the U.S. house scene‘s finest. Fascinated by the boldness and the power that the DJ could communicate, Argy dreamed of performing, using the concentration of the DJ to feed and fuel the response of the crowd. Fittingly, he has developed a unique style of mixing in key which allows him to combine everything and from classic techno to deep disco, weaving a sonic tapestry that defies easy categorization of genre or era.
This eclecticism carries over to his label These Days, which is an outlet for Argy’s relentless pursuit of artistic perfection. The imprint rose in 2009 and has since released music from Argy, DJ Duke, The Martinez Brothers, Stephen Brown, Radio Slave, Beat Pharmacy, Jerome Sydenham and more. In addition to production duties Argy does everything from A&R to artwork, determined to make the label an “up-to-date yet timeless” ideas platform.
”I could never be a music purist,” Argy says, “I find beauty in so many things.” Among his fascinations are architecture, current affairs, visual art (growing up in Greece, he planned to be a painter before he discovered clubbing) and music as varied as bossa nova, jazz, Krautrock, and African trance.
Emanating clarity and focus – on both a personal and musical level – rare for one of his years, Argy represents a new breed of far-sighted talent driving modern electronic dance music. He considers the future with confidence. “I was taught that there is nothing that you cannot do, and that if you love it you will do it well”, he says. And, as fans across the globe will testify, Argy does music very well indeed.
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.
