“BREATHTAKING BEYOND”
MUSIC IS THE ANSWER - SPECIAL POST
SUNDAY 9TH MAY
On a weekend when the outside world seems dominated by volcanos, oil spills, economic disasters & political dramas, what better way to escape than listen to some fabulous music and indeed what better way to do it than visiting probably one of London’s, nay, the countries, best afterhours parties, Beyond.
Conceived back in 2001, this club quickly acquired a solid reputation for mesmeric music, treating massive clubbing crowds that made weekly homage’s to its then home Colloseum, listening to D.J.’s like David Jiminez, Alan X, Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron & Steve Pitron, to mention a few, the club even overtaking the then dominant Trade, in the popularity stakes. Through a series of changes, not just in hands but in venues, Beyond, in its latest incarnation across Vauxhall in Area, has close on attained legendary status, packing out the club week in week out, standing proud as THE place to be on a Sunday morning, often working out as an afterparty to many of the major club brands, but also being just as strong alone, whether it be regular parties or its extended “Belief” sessions. And recent collaborations have also seen this audacious afterhours go from strength to strength, proving just why it deserved the award winning accolades from clubbing website SeenQueen and scene magazine Boyz.
But for all the magnificent people involved directly in the club, from promoter Steven Sharp, through hosts Naomi & Tom, through the whole team who deliver that superb Area magic of tip top lighting, production, pyrotechnics & visuals, there can be no doubt that it is the team of resident D.J.’s & guests who make Beyond so special, so in the second specially dedicated post, we look at three superb talents, one that has been part of the residency team right from the outset, the next a young talent who always packs them in and a third who chalks up his second appearance in three weeks, all who have tremendous new compilations out.
So, where do we start? Well at the beginning is usually a good place and someone who was there at the beginning was the legendary Steve Pitron, probably for us THE face of Beyond and a D.J. that still commands a huge following nine years down the road, packing out Area’s main room in his virtually customary slot of 9 till 11 a.m. each Sunday. Steve, it has to be said, is a reasonable regular in our slots here, but is so well deserving of the exposure as he never fails to delight us, not just with his magnificent mix compilations, but live behind the decks, from the heady & happy days of Crash, through the early days of this mega afterhours at Colloseum, then at special parties including Ultra & Universe, as well as outside Pride events both in London & Brighton, Steve has been there for them all. More recently he was a lynch pin to the success of Juicy, has performed spectacularly at the super sized parties for Logan Presents, he being a real favourite of the crowds at SuperMartXe, both at The Coronet & The 02 Academy, packs in the punters at Orange bank holiday specials and remains a tour de force at many of the group’s events, as well as at the Trade/Orange combo parties that were so successful in 2009. But it is Beyond where Steve really seems to stretch his legs, where he tends to pull those stupendously awe inspiring sets out and we have simply lost count the amount of times he has thrilled & amazed us with his prolific performances. Whilst Steve very much selects the tunes of now and some that others may also be playing, there is something quite magical about what he does with them, where he places them in his stints behind the decks and the reactions he gets from his superbly timed selections, that sets him aside from his peers. And it is this magic that has cemented his legendary status in our eyes, meaning that, for us, there are only a handful of D.J.’s that come close to matching his skills & talents, both live & otherwise. So when he occasionally gets into the studio, his compilation work always gets incredible attention, his latest release being a perfect example and for good reason, as it is a collection of 28 terrific tracks, very much in the Pitron style and marking another album in his “Ibiza” series and a clue that this incredible summer season is just around the corner. Steve describes his mix as not just “...a little something to get you all thinking of the sunshine & the summer that lies ahead...”, but also dedicates the mix to a whole host of people involved in London’s biggest & best afterhours, but most importantly to “...everyone who comes to Beyond every week...” and we are sure plenty more besides. Right from the off, this is yet again classic Pitron personified with heaps of fresh new sounds that are so evocative of his sound, whether it be “My Life Is Music” or the brilliant “Chakalaka”, the vocal drenched & poptastic house works of “Make My Heart” & “Acapella”, the deeper beats of “Automatic” & “This Kind Of Love” or the truly uplifting sounds of “Dance The Light” & “Release Me”, each track choice on this mix has Steve’s style written all over it and we think it’s one of his best yet. So to get your slice of the this legend in action check out “Ibiza Opening Fiestas 2010 – Early Check In” now at http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com/ and like us not jut revel in its brilliance but transport yourself right to the heart of the Beyond main room in his magnificent hands. And just before we move on, watch out later in this post for a mention of Steve’s latest track conquest which looks set to be a huge hit.
Well, how can we follow that? In a good way actually as we were pleased as punch when news hit our desks that a new compilation release was planned by a young talent that caught our eye from the minute we heard him play in The Terrace Room at Beyond and has subsequently entertained us at a handful of later parties as well as Orange outings. However, in truth, Terry Bryan has been delighting audiences for far longer, being one of the jewels in The Orange Group crown and having played out at most of their club branded parties, whether it be those appearances at the Sunday afternoon audacity Later, the Monday morning madness of Orange, the Thursday gyroscopic gathering that is Gravity, or the now too rare an occasion that he kicks off Beyond with his brilliance. And Terry got into D.J.’ing at a very tender age (well he is still a babe in arms!) being drawn into the charms of Fire and before he could blink, found himself playing in amongst some of the scenes biggest D.J. stars and playing out virtually weekly, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Paul Martin, The Oli, Gonzalo Rivas, The Sharp Boys & Alan K. But as much as Terry draws some influences from these talents, he has a distinctive style of his own, every set he plays full of incredible dynamism & energy that definitely sets him aside from his peers. His musical choices & style range from deep percussive house through trance & electro beats but with vocals being central to virtually every record he plays, not in the pop style but definitely more house honed medleys that make the tracks he plays irresistible to dance to, whether it be opening sets or closing stunners, Terry’s infectious sounds always ensure the dancefloor is crammed to capacity wherever he plays. We can definitely speak for both his talents & his following, judging from spectacular performances at Later just three weeks ago, when he kept our weary legs more than going virtually right to the end at 8 p.m. and at Orange’s huge Hustlaball afterparty last weekend, when he treated us to a peach of a performance in the new Raw room. And in his latest Spring 2010 compilation mix, entitled “Music Is Life – Life Without Music Isn’t Just Right", he shares a selection of superb tunes that scream his sound right from the off, 69 minutes of electro, tech infused trance & vocal tinged hard hitting house that will have you hooked right till the last beat of the final track and is an absolute MUST addition to your collection, this brilliant piece of work available to listen & download at http://terrybryan.podomatic.com/ and we absolutely love it!!
Our final full-on devotion goes to a man that has been held responsible for leading us astray on countless occasions, but no surprise, as the music he plays is absolutely magnificent and, as you know, we love our music. From the minute we heard him play in Barcode we knew that Nick Tcherniak had considerable talent behind the decks and indeed many a club has seen it too, the man having racked up a whole host of clubs and events, whether it be for Trade at the Egg, at MOS or in the recent Trade/Orange alliances, with DTPM at Fabric & more recently at The Paramount, The Roof Gardens & Jalouse, with Fiction at the infamous Cross & at the huge return event at The Driver, through to those many appearances at Barcode, as well at slots for Matinee at Colloseum & most recently at The Fridge, not to mention stellar performances at SuperMartXe, yes Mr Nick has stamped his mark on most of the biggies on the gAylist clubbing circuit. But he also dips his foot into the metrosexual clubbing waters too and is just as comfortable playing to straight or mixed audiences as to outright gay ones, his musical style transcending the scenes remarkably and in some ways creating a link that few others can achieve. And unlike many D.J.’s that simply pack up their bags & head home after a gig, Nick can often be found partying with the best of us afterwards, enjoying a boogie as much as the next man, much to the appreciation of his audience and is a fine attribute indeed, although like so many accomplished & successful talents, he works hard to play hard. Away from the clubs and Nick is passionate about his weekly radio show, which goes out every Saturday on Push.FM, in which he showcases the latest tunes about to hit the dancefloor in his hands & others, this being a great medium to get into his style of grove. Then there is his accomplishments in the studio, which are just as prolific as his D.J.’ing, Nick having formed successful working relationships with both Steve Thomas & Jason Gardiner (creating the combo White Knights) and a whole string or releases have resulted, many making the big time and included in the playlists of the top D.J. names in the industry. But it doesn’t stop there as he tirelessly works on superb compilation releases, whether they be part of his regular releases or those dedicated to special club events that he plays at, all evoking his very tech & progressive fuelled hard hitting yet melodic & meaningful house that occasionally gets the funky & electro tainted twist to keep you on your toes. So when Nick was named as part of the massive line up when Beyond combined forces with Trade to create “The Event”, he marked the occasion with a recording lifted direct from his live set in The Blackbox at Area and the result is two hours of terrific Tcherniak at his tech & Trade best and as he so aptly says to all listeners of this masterpiece, “...For all the Trade babies out there, enjoy the journey...” And what a journey it is and we cannot recommend enough that you join this trip fantastic by downloading his “Trade Beyond – The Event” mix which you can grab now at http://nicktcherniak.podomatic.com/.
Now we promised we would run down on a few other links to compilations recorded in honour of Beyond and what a handful we have for you, including the latest offering from Hifi Sean Dickson, one of those resident regulars that always takes it deep & progressive but yet reserves a spot for us under the mirrorball, his devotion well worth a listen and addition to your collection at http://hifisean.podomatic.com/.
Harping back to the early days of Beyond at Colloseum, one talent that always saw the main room pumping right till the end was Alan X and seeing him perform at Orange-Hustla” last weekend reminded us of those good old days. So we were thrilled to find, that in true Alan style, he has laid down two compilation mixes, encapsulating those classic beyond moments, which are just superb and available at http://djalanx.podomatic.com/.
Another resident that always hits our sweet spot is Mikey D, the man that has been responsible for some of the biggest and best sets we have heard at Beyond and he is definitely one that gives Mr Pitron a run for his money. Suffice to say, the two have played back-to-back and have also produced compilations together, although Mikey’s rarely get a look in, but are just as, if not sometimes more deserving. So overlook them no more and grab yours at http://mikeyd.podomatic.com/.
Next is one of our favourite mixes of 2010 and a real corker, marking his first set back at Beyond since those brilliant days in the VIP room at Colloseum. Brent Nicholls was part of the D.J. team when Italian club Pervert joined forces with beyond to rock Area back in March and this mix is drenched in his “nu-funk” style of sounds with old meets new in a string or re-worked classics that you will simply love. Brent’s “Beyond Pervert” which you can stream at http://djbrentnicholls.com/music.
But no Beyond music post would be complete without including multi mixing maestro Alan K, who has really hit a purple patch at Beyond, ensuring like his Alan predecessor, that Beyond’s main room remains packed right till the last minutes every Sunday afternoon and we have become increasing witnesses to the amazing atmosphere he creates through his unique sounds combining two sometimes, three tracks to deliver unforgettable combo’s that keep hoards of revellers coming back for more. Check out all his Beyond devoted mixes at http://djalank.podomatic.com/.
Now, we just have time to squeeze in that news about Steve Pitron’s latest track release and what a brilliant one it is too. Back in the studio and with compatriot Max Sanna, Steve has re-worked Grace Jones’s new single “Love You To Life” which was released in the week at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/love-you-to-life-ep/id367856217, their mix part four in the five track EP release and for us a superb re-work that we really rate and are sure that it will become a feature across dancefloors & in D.J’s playlists very soon, so is well worth checking out.
Right, that’s it for this second Beyond special music post, but just like the club, which keeps coming back for more and getting better & better, we are sure that a third and fourth post will follow, so watch this space. In the meantime, get yourselves in the Beyond mood and check out all our choices.
xDM
MUSIC IS THE ANSWER - SPECIAL POST
SUNDAY 9TH MAY
On a weekend when the outside world seems dominated by volcanos, oil spills, economic disasters & political dramas, what better way to escape than listen to some fabulous music and indeed what better way to do it than visiting probably one of London’s, nay, the countries, best afterhours parties, Beyond.
Conceived back in 2001, this club quickly acquired a solid reputation for mesmeric music, treating massive clubbing crowds that made weekly homage’s to its then home Colloseum, listening to D.J.’s like David Jiminez, Alan X, Brent Nicholls, Paul Heron & Steve Pitron, to mention a few, the club even overtaking the then dominant Trade, in the popularity stakes. Through a series of changes, not just in hands but in venues, Beyond, in its latest incarnation across Vauxhall in Area, has close on attained legendary status, packing out the club week in week out, standing proud as THE place to be on a Sunday morning, often working out as an afterparty to many of the major club brands, but also being just as strong alone, whether it be regular parties or its extended “Belief” sessions. And recent collaborations have also seen this audacious afterhours go from strength to strength, proving just why it deserved the award winning accolades from clubbing website SeenQueen and scene magazine Boyz.
But for all the magnificent people involved directly in the club, from promoter Steven Sharp, through hosts Naomi & Tom, through the whole team who deliver that superb Area magic of tip top lighting, production, pyrotechnics & visuals, there can be no doubt that it is the team of resident D.J.’s & guests who make Beyond so special, so in the second specially dedicated post, we look at three superb talents, one that has been part of the residency team right from the outset, the next a young talent who always packs them in and a third who chalks up his second appearance in three weeks, all who have tremendous new compilations out.
So, where do we start? Well at the beginning is usually a good place and someone who was there at the beginning was the legendary Steve Pitron, probably for us THE face of Beyond and a D.J. that still commands a huge following nine years down the road, packing out Area’s main room in his virtually customary slot of 9 till 11 a.m. each Sunday. Steve, it has to be said, is a reasonable regular in our slots here, but is so well deserving of the exposure as he never fails to delight us, not just with his magnificent mix compilations, but live behind the decks, from the heady & happy days of Crash, through the early days of this mega afterhours at Colloseum, then at special parties including Ultra & Universe, as well as outside Pride events both in London & Brighton, Steve has been there for them all. More recently he was a lynch pin to the success of Juicy, has performed spectacularly at the super sized parties for Logan Presents, he being a real favourite of the crowds at SuperMartXe, both at The Coronet & The 02 Academy, packs in the punters at Orange bank holiday specials and remains a tour de force at many of the group’s events, as well as at the Trade/Orange combo parties that were so successful in 2009. But it is Beyond where Steve really seems to stretch his legs, where he tends to pull those stupendously awe inspiring sets out and we have simply lost count the amount of times he has thrilled & amazed us with his prolific performances. Whilst Steve very much selects the tunes of now and some that others may also be playing, there is something quite magical about what he does with them, where he places them in his stints behind the decks and the reactions he gets from his superbly timed selections, that sets him aside from his peers. And it is this magic that has cemented his legendary status in our eyes, meaning that, for us, there are only a handful of D.J.’s that come close to matching his skills & talents, both live & otherwise. So when he occasionally gets into the studio, his compilation work always gets incredible attention, his latest release being a perfect example and for good reason, as it is a collection of 28 terrific tracks, very much in the Pitron style and marking another album in his “Ibiza” series and a clue that this incredible summer season is just around the corner. Steve describes his mix as not just “...a little something to get you all thinking of the sunshine & the summer that lies ahead...”, but also dedicates the mix to a whole host of people involved in London’s biggest & best afterhours, but most importantly to “...everyone who comes to Beyond every week...” and we are sure plenty more besides. Right from the off, this is yet again classic Pitron personified with heaps of fresh new sounds that are so evocative of his sound, whether it be “My Life Is Music” or the brilliant “Chakalaka”, the vocal drenched & poptastic house works of “Make My Heart” & “Acapella”, the deeper beats of “Automatic” & “This Kind Of Love” or the truly uplifting sounds of “Dance The Light” & “Release Me”, each track choice on this mix has Steve’s style written all over it and we think it’s one of his best yet. So to get your slice of the this legend in action check out “Ibiza Opening Fiestas 2010 – Early Check In” now at http://stevepitronsessions.podomatic.com/ and like us not jut revel in its brilliance but transport yourself right to the heart of the Beyond main room in his magnificent hands. And just before we move on, watch out later in this post for a mention of Steve’s latest track conquest which looks set to be a huge hit.
Well, how can we follow that? In a good way actually as we were pleased as punch when news hit our desks that a new compilation release was planned by a young talent that caught our eye from the minute we heard him play in The Terrace Room at Beyond and has subsequently entertained us at a handful of later parties as well as Orange outings. However, in truth, Terry Bryan has been delighting audiences for far longer, being one of the jewels in The Orange Group crown and having played out at most of their club branded parties, whether it be those appearances at the Sunday afternoon audacity Later, the Monday morning madness of Orange, the Thursday gyroscopic gathering that is Gravity, or the now too rare an occasion that he kicks off Beyond with his brilliance. And Terry got into D.J.’ing at a very tender age (well he is still a babe in arms!) being drawn into the charms of Fire and before he could blink, found himself playing in amongst some of the scenes biggest D.J. stars and playing out virtually weekly, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Paul Martin, The Oli, Gonzalo Rivas, The Sharp Boys & Alan K. But as much as Terry draws some influences from these talents, he has a distinctive style of his own, every set he plays full of incredible dynamism & energy that definitely sets him aside from his peers. His musical choices & style range from deep percussive house through trance & electro beats but with vocals being central to virtually every record he plays, not in the pop style but definitely more house honed medleys that make the tracks he plays irresistible to dance to, whether it be opening sets or closing stunners, Terry’s infectious sounds always ensure the dancefloor is crammed to capacity wherever he plays. We can definitely speak for both his talents & his following, judging from spectacular performances at Later just three weeks ago, when he kept our weary legs more than going virtually right to the end at 8 p.m. and at Orange’s huge Hustlaball afterparty last weekend, when he treated us to a peach of a performance in the new Raw room. And in his latest Spring 2010 compilation mix, entitled “Music Is Life – Life Without Music Isn’t Just Right", he shares a selection of superb tunes that scream his sound right from the off, 69 minutes of electro, tech infused trance & vocal tinged hard hitting house that will have you hooked right till the last beat of the final track and is an absolute MUST addition to your collection, this brilliant piece of work available to listen & download at http://terrybryan.podomatic.com/ and we absolutely love it!!
Our final full-on devotion goes to a man that has been held responsible for leading us astray on countless occasions, but no surprise, as the music he plays is absolutely magnificent and, as you know, we love our music. From the minute we heard him play in Barcode we knew that Nick Tcherniak had considerable talent behind the decks and indeed many a club has seen it too, the man having racked up a whole host of clubs and events, whether it be for Trade at the Egg, at MOS or in the recent Trade/Orange alliances, with DTPM at Fabric & more recently at The Paramount, The Roof Gardens & Jalouse, with Fiction at the infamous Cross & at the huge return event at The Driver, through to those many appearances at Barcode, as well at slots for Matinee at Colloseum & most recently at The Fridge, not to mention stellar performances at SuperMartXe, yes Mr Nick has stamped his mark on most of the biggies on the gAylist clubbing circuit. But he also dips his foot into the metrosexual clubbing waters too and is just as comfortable playing to straight or mixed audiences as to outright gay ones, his musical style transcending the scenes remarkably and in some ways creating a link that few others can achieve. And unlike many D.J.’s that simply pack up their bags & head home after a gig, Nick can often be found partying with the best of us afterwards, enjoying a boogie as much as the next man, much to the appreciation of his audience and is a fine attribute indeed, although like so many accomplished & successful talents, he works hard to play hard. Away from the clubs and Nick is passionate about his weekly radio show, which goes out every Saturday on Push.FM, in which he showcases the latest tunes about to hit the dancefloor in his hands & others, this being a great medium to get into his style of grove. Then there is his accomplishments in the studio, which are just as prolific as his D.J.’ing, Nick having formed successful working relationships with both Steve Thomas & Jason Gardiner (creating the combo White Knights) and a whole string or releases have resulted, many making the big time and included in the playlists of the top D.J. names in the industry. But it doesn’t stop there as he tirelessly works on superb compilation releases, whether they be part of his regular releases or those dedicated to special club events that he plays at, all evoking his very tech & progressive fuelled hard hitting yet melodic & meaningful house that occasionally gets the funky & electro tainted twist to keep you on your toes. So when Nick was named as part of the massive line up when Beyond combined forces with Trade to create “The Event”, he marked the occasion with a recording lifted direct from his live set in The Blackbox at Area and the result is two hours of terrific Tcherniak at his tech & Trade best and as he so aptly says to all listeners of this masterpiece, “...For all the Trade babies out there, enjoy the journey...” And what a journey it is and we cannot recommend enough that you join this trip fantastic by downloading his “Trade Beyond – The Event” mix which you can grab now at http://nicktcherniak.podomatic.com/.
Now we promised we would run down on a few other links to compilations recorded in honour of Beyond and what a handful we have for you, including the latest offering from Hifi Sean Dickson, one of those resident regulars that always takes it deep & progressive but yet reserves a spot for us under the mirrorball, his devotion well worth a listen and addition to your collection at http://hifisean.podomatic.com/.
Harping back to the early days of Beyond at Colloseum, one talent that always saw the main room pumping right till the end was Alan X and seeing him perform at Orange-Hustla” last weekend reminded us of those good old days. So we were thrilled to find, that in true Alan style, he has laid down two compilation mixes, encapsulating those classic beyond moments, which are just superb and available at http://djalanx.podomatic.com/.
Another resident that always hits our sweet spot is Mikey D, the man that has been responsible for some of the biggest and best sets we have heard at Beyond and he is definitely one that gives Mr Pitron a run for his money. Suffice to say, the two have played back-to-back and have also produced compilations together, although Mikey’s rarely get a look in, but are just as, if not sometimes more deserving. So overlook them no more and grab yours at http://mikeyd.podomatic.com/.
Next is one of our favourite mixes of 2010 and a real corker, marking his first set back at Beyond since those brilliant days in the VIP room at Colloseum. Brent Nicholls was part of the D.J. team when Italian club Pervert joined forces with beyond to rock Area back in March and this mix is drenched in his “nu-funk” style of sounds with old meets new in a string or re-worked classics that you will simply love. Brent’s “Beyond Pervert” which you can stream at http://djbrentnicholls.com/music.
But no Beyond music post would be complete without including multi mixing maestro Alan K, who has really hit a purple patch at Beyond, ensuring like his Alan predecessor, that Beyond’s main room remains packed right till the last minutes every Sunday afternoon and we have become increasing witnesses to the amazing atmosphere he creates through his unique sounds combining two sometimes, three tracks to deliver unforgettable combo’s that keep hoards of revellers coming back for more. Check out all his Beyond devoted mixes at http://djalank.podomatic.com/.
Now, we just have time to squeeze in that news about Steve Pitron’s latest track release and what a brilliant one it is too. Back in the studio and with compatriot Max Sanna, Steve has re-worked Grace Jones’s new single “Love You To Life” which was released in the week at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/love-you-to-life-ep/id367856217, their mix part four in the five track EP release and for us a superb re-work that we really rate and are sure that it will become a feature across dancefloors & in D.J’s playlists very soon, so is well worth checking out.
Right, that’s it for this second Beyond special music post, but just like the club, which keeps coming back for more and getting better & better, we are sure that a third and fourth post will follow, so watch this space. In the meantime, get yourselves in the Beyond mood and check out all our choices.
xDM
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