Music Is The Answer - "Foxy Females"

Hey Folks,

Well our skies may be devoid of noise from planes zooming in & out of London, but down here there is plenty of wonderful noise going on with some brilliant new music around and lots of new mixes celebrating brilliant events coming up across the scene, but more on that in a bit.

In our latest music post, we give it a real feminine feel, focussing on two female talents that never fail to impress us, then look at a club mix well worth a listen as well briefly touching on news of more mixwsthat will get our devotion in the a special preview post.

So, without further ado, let’s get to it and we first look at the sophisticated skilful & satisfying talent that is D.J. Minx (Sam Cardwell), a name that is probably relatively unfamiliar to you and indeed the scene over the best part of London, but has really carved a niche for herself within the gAylist hotspots that are The Box Bar in Covent Garden & the swish Shadow Lounge club in the heart of Soho. But looking at her glittering C.V. it doesn’t & hasn’t stopped there as she has been behind the decks at a whole host of scene clubs & events, not least for Salvation in London, Cologne & Copenhagen, but was at the inaugural Famous party at Floridita, has been a feature at Escape Bar, The Edge, Village & Lo-Profile in Soho, as well as holding down residencies at Candy Bar both in London & Brighton, as The End up in the capital and Envy on the coast. Taking to the D.J. game in 2002 was a natural step for Sam, having been involved in the club industry for a few years before and always having had a penchant for pulsating, uplifting & vocal house, which is very much her style. Taking up her skill with incredible speed got Miss Minx noticed very quickly and a whole succession of appearances around the world followed, including Sydney Mardi Gras & the winter music festival in Miami, not to mention plenty of guest slots at parties in both countries, as well as closer to home in Europe, Italy & France being two of Sam’s favourite destinations, playing out to packed crowds at beach parties & outdoor events in Milan, Florence & Nice, earning her a reputation for injecting a real uplifting vibe to events both home & abroad. Having connected with D.J. Minx in The Box only recently, we discovered, to our delight, that there was another Soul Avengerz’s fanatic out there and we were treated to a veritable feast of their tracks throughout a thrilling Matinee pre-party evening, not to mention a whole list of some of our favourite tracks, leaving us coining D.J. Minx as the female version of Brent Nicholls. Away from the live decks, Sam has been noted for her studio work too, having combined with fellow D.J. and one time Box resident Mark Bambach under the “Nu Addictions” name, producing a thrilling vocal drenched hard hitting house tune entitled “Addict To the Dancefloor” an original composition that nevertheless gives a slight nod to 80’s underground & soul in its brilliant beats. Miss Minx also puts together the occasional compilation mix, her latest being a superbly funky & chunky collection of fresh new sounds slanting to the new vein of uplifting & fun filled beats that are being played out by more & more D.J.’s and is well worth adding to your collection by going to http://djminx.podomatic.com/. Back behind the decks, and you can find Sam playing out weekly on Friday’s at the Box & then “Therapy” at The Shadow Lounge, also over in Mayfair on Saturday’s, at the smart Nobu club as well as a weekly online radio show on Axiom FM.

Our other female fancy is D.J. Miswhite (Emma White) who certainly packs a powerful punch in the energetic stakes, spreading her vivacious word wherever she goes. Now we have been often referred to as London’s original party boy, but there is now doubt that in Miswhite we have definitely found our partying match, this pint sized powerhouse certainly giving us a run for our money whenever we meet on the dancefloor and that is quite often too, a long list of fun filled and hilarious times across London’s clubland racked up, we sharing a passion for that truly uplifting disco moment and having both recently declared our adoration for Zoe Baldwin’s “Release Me” as the tune that brings us together. And in the true sense of the word, uplifting describes Miswhite & her D.J. performances perfectly, mind you with healthy doses of electro & funk thrown in for good measure, the impact of her sets is phenomenal and has often left us breathless and wanting more, she absolutely delighting in providing her audience with that magic “Miswhite experience” for which she has become renowned. Having held sway behind the decks for little over 5 years, in that relatively short time, Emma has landed some very impressive residencies at some of the scene’s big hit club brands, first being a regular feature at the legendary Heaven, which was followed by Blue Cube’s Fiction & DTPM parties, Miswhite being a feature of some of DT’s biggest parties at Fabric in Farringdon and achieving a lifelong ambition. However, things were only going to get better as she was spotted by the international clubbing brand Salvation, which has seen her travel right around the globe, playing out at prolific parties as near as Paris or Rome, or further afield in Rio or Moscow, but just as often back in London, Miswhite treating the capitals scene royalty to scintillating sets of stupendous proportions. And there is no doubt that Emma has an eye for the glamorous & fashionable, often turning heads with her glorious outfits that always match her effervescent & outgoing persona, giving more than a hint towards her connection with the fashion industry, although she is undeniably most passionate about her D.J’ing, throwing everything into her performances that make her one of the most popular of Salvation’s residents as well as the brands offshoot Scandal at The Shadow Lounge. Away from the decks and Emma does occasionally get into the studio and produce compilations that are very reflective of her style, although her latest offering brings together a collection of her favourite tracks of 2009 and is an absolute must addition to your collection, which you can grab at http://miswhite.podomatic.com/, she also having given us the nod with hints of a new mix in the making which is worth keeping an eye out for.

Now, Lovechild’s latest “Wet” party has attracted a lot of attention and incumbent D.J. Alan K has marked the occasion of his first gig for the brand tonight (Sat 17th April) with a wonderful promotional mix that is a-typical of his amazing multi mixing skills and picking on the right sounds to inject bag loads of energy into any event. Alan explains the combo as “a little bit of old & a bit more of new”, the glorious 68 minutes of octane fuelled sounds kicking off with a definite statement about the art of house music that very much mirrors this man’s passion for delivering delectable & delicious dance sounds to capture the moment. And whilst the mix has hints of old, it definitely has a new style that Alan has moulded to the Lovechild sound which we are sure he will treat you all to when playing out on Fire’s main floor. So, to catch your slice of Mr K in Lovechild mode, go to http://djalank.podomatic.com/ and transport yourselves direct to the dancefloor.

Well, we just want to give a quick shout to Hustlaball which returns to London on Sunday 2nd May and three of the D.J.’s have produced their own compilations celebrating the event, details of which we will be bringing you in our special preview post coming up later this week. However, one record we have picked out already deserves a mention & grabbed us within the first few seconds of listening to it. Leventina’s “Esperando” is so evocative of the sound which one of our favourite D.J’s labels as “Nu Funk” and has certainly got us hooked to a number of tracks in this vein. So, to see what we are talking about, why not check out this “hot of the press” tune which is available at http://www.djtunes.com/chris-reece/rare-cuts-5-essentials/esperando__733875 and watch this space for the full on version included in one of those Hustlaball mixes we mentioned.

Right, well that’s just about it for this week, but don’t forget that http://seenqueen.com/music has a brilliant collection of all the latest mixes by the biggest list of scene D.J’s you will find anywhere & with those naughty peeps at Google having given the sites webmaster grey hairs with fictitious claims that the site was infected with malware dispelled, we wish to re-iterate that the site is 110% safe to visit and is well worth doing so, with not just music, but loads more on offer.

Anyway folks, we hope you like our choices here and if you’re not our listening to D.J.’s live on the dancefloor this weekend then you can do far worse that selecting our sounds, sitting back and “letting the music play”.

xDM

Music Is The Answer - "Progressive Professionals"

Hey Folks,

Having gotten over a temporarily disabling bout of writers block, aided by some terrific tunes over the weekend, we are definitely back in the groove & in music mode as we take a look two stars of the scene & then give a shout to a brand new mix from a brilliant Bello.

First up is Guy Williams, whose reputation not just across the gAylist scene but in metrosexual land has notoriety written all over it, his name synonymous with Trade, DTPM & Matinee parties of old, but his forays into club promotion being just as prolific, the huge success story that is Black Rabbit (thump thump!) chalking up one successful after the other, his Reverse concept working brilliantly both in London, Manchester & Ibiza and his latest conquest, Paradise 45, proving the hit of Shoreditch. Guy’s repertoire of music genres is incredible, this being testament to the differing styles he plays out according to the club night, whether it be the full on tech & thumping sounds at Trade, the slightly slimmer yet progressively yet uplifting sounds at DTPM & Matinee, through to the future & nu-disco funk at Paradise 45, Reverse & Black Rabbit. His C.V. reads like something out of the music industry’s version of “Who’s Who”, having rubbed shoulders with the likes of Danny Teneglia, Tom Stephan, David Penn & Junior Vasquez to mention just a few, he has played at a string of Radio One live music festivals and has even hosted his very own radio show on House FM, welcoming guests such as Tom Nevill, Lottie, Dean Ramirez, Paul Harris & Mark Knight. But as if all this wasn’t enough, Guy hits the studio fastidiously and his discography of releases is extensive, stretching way back, he being at the helm of music awards nominee DTPM recordings for over 5 years, track after track hitting the high spots on all the major download sites, , jewels in the crown being Soul Flava’s “We Got Love”, Electroglide’s “What You Need” & Glide’s “In The Morning”, But it is his latest studio works that are really turning heads and having played at Grace Jones’s London concert post-party, holds the honour of working on her latest single, entitled “Love You To Life”, this official Paradise 45 style remix getting the Guy & fellow resident & studio partner Cagedbaby (Thomas Gandey) treatment, which has seen it get exclusively airplay on Pete Tong’s Radio One show last Friday and is racing up the Coolcuts & Buzz music charts. In addition, the Williams vs Prok & Fitch track “Yalla” is due to get a full release of Roger Sanchez’s label, Stealth records and both Guy & Thomas are working on a Paradise 45 ep, which will celebrate not only the monthly slot of this nu-disco, underground, & 80’s/90’s inspired club night in Shoreditch, but also its new monthly slot at Ibiza’s Soto club. But Guy also devotes time to compilation mixes and his latest is classic Williams tech, entitled “Techousesuperfunk” which is available for download at http://guyguylondon.podbean.com/ with his latest track releases a definite must listen, snippets out at http://soundcloud.com/guy-williams, both “Love To Life” & “Yalla” delectably delicious, but with plenty more on offer besides. Back behind the decks & Guy remains as busy as ever, was part of a fantastic Fiction party on Good Friday, gets gAylisted again this coming Friday (16th April) at Onyx in Vauxhall, follows that up with Paradise 45 both in Ibiza then London, hits Wild Fruit’s massive May Day bank holiday party on the Sunday of that weekend, then with a Reverse return to Paramount for another “Sunrise” party to come, so watch this space for news on that. So is Guy busy or what?!?!

Our second devotion goes to Hifi Sean Dickson who never fails to delight us with his deep, devilish & demonstrative heavenly house music wherever he plays, whether it be behind the decks at Beyond, Sean being as comfortable on the main floor, as in the “blackbox” room or in the terrace space, whether he be delighting his audience at uber fetish monthly outing Hard On! or taking up regular slots at both Barcode Soho for its Friday “Cave” events & at the Vauxhall venture “Our House, playing b2b with scene star Severino, Sean’s talents unquestionably in demand. But he doesn’t just restrict himself to London, as his international exposure has included gigs in Italy, Holland, France, Germany & Spain, the Hifi sound being spread in Rome, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin & Madrid, but his name and reputation stretching virtually worldwide, having been inextricably linked with the platinum selling band The Soup Dragon’s and his unquestionable talent in giving hard hitting dancefloor tunes his own remix/re-editing treatment often seeing many a famous D.J. peer crave for copies. His very distinctive deep tech infused & progressive house with huge beats have won him a loyal following, not just live on the dancefloors, but in the amazing subscriptions to his regular compilation mixes, both the “Tech Noir” series, of which there have been six releases & the “Psychedelic House” run which has seen eleven volumes produced, all going down an absolute storm & vindicating his claim that Sean is “always one with a ear to new vibes but keeping my focus on the energy & groves I replicate on the dancefloor”. But he also flexes his musical mixing talents through specially commissioned compilations and has produced excellent recordings reflecting his sets at Hard On! & Our House, although it is his two latest that we cannot praise enough, demonstrations of Sean & the Hifi Dickson sound at its absolute best, when he plays out in the terrace room at Beyond, both releases aptly entitled “Terrace Sessions”, each emulating his pulsating performances in the special Sunday morning space and are available to listen to & download at http://hifisean.podomatic.com/, both worthy addition to your music collection, as are all his other mixes. But his studio work also includes those remixes & re-edits we mentioned, projects with Jean Philips & Paul King on the cards and, with his Our House partner in mixing crime Severino, often works on tracks to play at their monthly outing & just this week the duo are developing a remix of The Scissor Sisters single “Invisible Light”, taken from their new album, which we can’t wait to listen to. Back behind the decks & it is no surprise Sean’s D.J.’ing is award winning, he landing a bronze accolade in the Boyz magazine 2009 scene poll, delighted us just last weekend in the “blackbox” at Beyond, playing our fave classic remix of his, the funk filled yet deep sounding version of “Get Busy” and has a hectic schedule ahead, not just in London but across Europe, the biggie being Madrid Pride in July.

Now, in advance of his set at Lovechild’s “Wet Party” at Fire this Saturday (17th April) resident D.J. Alessandro Londra has issued an edited compilation mix, giving you a real sense & flavour of the music he plays at this horny happening, busting electro beats, funk filled fusions & terrifically tech drenched tunes that saw him pack out the Lovechild room at As One’s Easter “All In” event. This is 37 minutes of magical music, which is a listening must at http://souncloud.com/djalessandrolondra, some massive tunes that include his takes on two of our faves, Sirusmo’s “All The Girls” & Pirupa’s “Sweet Devil”, both breathtakingly brilliant, that like the rest of this superb comp will get your feet more than just tapping and we love it.

Right, just time to give a quick shout to http://seenqueen.com/music, which serves up a splendid selection of music mixes & links, their own “Spring Sampler” download still available.

Well folks, that’s it for this week, but coming up next we focus on female talents D.J’s. Minx & Mis-White, with Paul Coals & Saki, as well as JC Christopher & Terry Bryan penned for special attention, not to mention shouts for all the hot off the press releases. So, lots of great music to come, but in the meantime, go grab our choices, sit back & “let the music play”.

xDM

Music Is The Answer - "Multi-Mixing Masters" - Special Post

“MULTI-MIXING MASTERS”
MUSIC IS THE ANSWER SPECIAL POST
4TH APRIL


Having been committed to our regular posts, then procured writing contracts, not to mention recent setbacks following our review work, our promised special music post, “Multi-Mixing Masters”, has been put on the back burner until now. So, without further ado, we look two talents that have an amazing skill of blending not two, but three & sometimes more tracks into one, giving their sound incredible dimension and leading the pack in this art.

First up is Beyond resident Alan K, who’s repertoire of gAylist appearances also includes Gravity, A.M., Later, Orange, & As One, but also associations with clubbing brand Puscha & intentional exposure with “funky4love" not to mention a recent tour of Mexico, keep this man really busy. But as much as he enjoys his D.J.’ing for all these clubs & brands, his real passion is in mixing, not just one record into the other, but blending a whole host of sounds & tracks, giving immense depth to dancefloor hits recognisable to ardent clubbing fans. This is a continual feature both of Alan’s live sets & his studio work and whilst the constraints of some clubs equipment don’t always allow him to exercise these mixing skills directly in front of his audience, he tireless works on recording blends away from the clubs, then arming himself with suitable multi mixed recordings to delight his crowd. We can only imagine how difficult it is to combine three, sometimes four different tracks and just how much hard work & concentration goes into selecting the appropriate tunes to intertwine, but Alan seems to scintillatingly succeed and the results have often left us breathless in admiration, two brilliant examples being a delightful combo of sounds when he played out Celada’s “The Underground” at the As One party on NYD and at Beyond two weeks ago, when floor filler favourite Zoe Baldwin’s “Release Me” benefitted brilliantly from the Alan K treatment. However, his sets are well & truly littered with other examples, not only making his sound fresh & vibrant, but ensuring, particularly at Beyond, the dancefloor remains packed & the crowd mesmerised by his performances. Now, we highly suspect to achieve this unique sound, the equipment needs to be as good as the D.J. and in amongst the plethora of options & manufacturers choices, Alan explains “...I would love it if someone would come up with a machine that allows me to blend a handful of sounds to create that unique style I aim & crave for, but in the meantime, I do it the hard way...” he going on to say “...all that hard work & managing the limitations of the equipment at my disposal is worth it when you see the reactions on people’s faces to the results...”. And we are definitely one of those people that really admire what he does & how he does it, the sheer enthusiasm that he exudes, either multi mixing live or playing out the studio work results, pure magic. Now, if you haven’t yet sampled Alan in action, best you do and Beyond on a Sunday morning from 11 a.m. is one of the best places to do it, but if (how could you not) can’t make it to Area, then the next best thing is to tap into his podcast recordings, his latest offering taken direct from his live performance at this afterhours club phenomenon, which includes that Zoe Baldwin blend we mentioned. So, to find out exactly why this multi mixing masters skill is so addictive, go to http://djalnk.podomatic.com/ and check out not just this latest Beyond Live recording, but a whole series of compilations laid down for posterity, which has Alan lamenting of these various sets “Beyond is without question the leading, biggest & best afterhours parties in the U.K.... the main room was buzzing & what another killer night...one of my most memorable sets that will live with me for a long time..” And all we can say is, long may they continue & long may Alan’s multi mixing talents delight us on the dancefloor.

Our other protagonist of this mixing game is Steven Geller, who, from the minute he broke out onto the D.J. scene in London, showed he was really adept at combining sounds to exhilarating effect. Of all the D.J’s we know and there are many, Steven ranks as one of only a few that displays his sheer enthusiasm for his art in energetic movements & reactions behind the decks, sometimes even surprising himself just how good the sounds he is producing are, Steven remarking “...if I am not dancing and having fun, how can I expect the crowd to be?...”. When Mr Geller is on fire, there is hardly anyone that can touch him with regards to the immense amount of layers he develops within his sets, often switching from one mix to another & then back again, keeping his audience very much on their toes and injecting a level of pace & vitality rarely seen across the many dancefloors of the capital. His trademark sound of uplifting house with tough tribal undertones yet with accessible vocals, means that mixing & selecting tracks can be tricky, yet Steven manages it to incredible effect and can often be seen delivering his unique sound through three decks or more and this skill not only won him the award for best new D.J. for 2008 from Boyz magazine, but secured a long list of appearances at clubs & events including The Orange group’s, Gravity, A.M. Later, & Open, Trade’s Naked Zoo parties & Heaven’s Popcorn, his special sound being very much in demand. However, exercising these multi mixing skills was put to best effect at Friday night club Onyx, an event which he created & which, under his steer-ship, landed the best newcomer club award in favourite clubbing website Seenqueen’s 2009 poll, not to mention knocking closely on the door of SuperMartXe’s in the Boyz Magazine awards, the whole fabric of the club built around his D.J.’ing skills & the sounds it produced. Whilst Steven is now pursuing other projects which include his own productions company and fresh new club ideas, music remains central to his activity and this exponent of multi mixing can be found playing out at clubs that include Fitladz & new afterhours Booster, as well as a whole host of music bar venues across the capital. In addition, Steven produces regular podcasts which are testament to his incredible passion for blending sounds and has even been noted as having played back-to-back with our other mixing master Alan K, Steven commenting that “...this was a set we recorded on four decks and gives you a real insight into the tracks we used to create that special sound...”, that mix still being available at http://djstevengeller.podomatic.com/ which, among a list of compilations which showcases Mr Geller’s finite art. Judging by the feedback we have received from friends & faces across the scene, many of who proclaim amazement for the magnificent mixture of sounds in his recordings, we suspect that, with plenty of years ahead of him, Steven Geller will no doubt become considered as at the top of this multi mixing game, yet for us is already as master at this very clever skill.

So, two superbly talented D.J.’s who for us display those extra special qualities within their work that deliver dynamism and serve up special sounds through their multi mixing magic. What more can we say, apart from hunt these two down on the scene, so as to see with your own eyes & hear with your own ears, just how good they both are that doing what they do, but if not, then check out their podcasts which will confirm everything we have said in accolade of them both. (DISCO MATT)

Music Is The Answer - "J is for Jon & Jonny"

Hey Folks,

In a week that has seen us immerse ourselves into music in more ways than one, the low points have ended with real high notes, especially with some of the latest offerings from the scene’s D.J.’s. So, we take a close look at a man that is making waves not just as a D.J., but in the club promoting game as well as in journalism, while our other focus goes to a man whose name is synonymous with the D.J. glitterati, finally giving a big shout to a latest compilation that has left us gasping for more.

First up is young talent Jonny Marsh (known as Jonny M behind the decks), a multi talented Londoner that has made Brighton his home and from this base has added a number of strings to his career bow, not least D.J.’ing, this south coast city, allowing him to stretch his disc spinning legs. Jonny quickly made a big name for himself at the iconic Wild Fruit, which not only has seen him play regularly at their Sunday evening meets, but travels across Britain with the brand, touching on Manchester, Birmingham & beyond as well as featuring in all the major events hosted by this massive club name throughout the year. However, it would be fair to say that Jonny is also considered as one of the bright starts of the Brighton scene, having graced the D.J. decks of an long list of clubs & venue’s that include The Honey Club, Cash Queen, Monkey, Revenge, The Koo Club, Rebel & Digital, so much so that he was crowned as the best D.J. of 2008 at the infamous Golden Handbag awards making him one of the city’s hottest properties. But he often stretches those legs we were talking about and has played in the bright spots of London on many occasions, an absolutely scintillating set at Trade’s first outing at Ministry Of Sound last July and some sparkling appearances for Matinee at their previous home Cable, being highlights in a string of appearances in the capital. However, he remains most fond of his time behind the decks at Brighton’s Rebel, remarking that “...Rebel is where my heart is...the crowd is always up for it...there is something really special about it...” and he always speaks very highly of Wild Fruit and the team behind the brand, explaining that “...For me, Wild Fruit & the plethora of events run by Aeon Events make the Brighton scene what it is. The different club nights and the huge monthly parties ensure that everything stays fresh & exciting...” And Jonny’s passion for the scene in the biggest gay scene outside of London was channelled into a position as nightlife editor for the scene’s 3Sixty magazine, where he superbly applied his journalistic skills in compiling stories & features on promoters, D.J.’s clubs, & club owners, as well as posting a monthly house music column. This opened further doors for him at both QX magazine & also for GaydarNation, for whom Jonny continues to write for to this day, a recent series of interviews with prominent scene faces & D.J.’s featuring big on this online gay lifestyle site. So balancing both his daytime job as a journalist & his night-time D.J.’ing exploits would seem to be plenty for most to cope with, but Jonny’s appetite for challenges in his life are now seeing him take on responsibilities for event co-ordination & related communications, not only for one of the London scene’s big club promoter players, but has now also taken on promotion of prolific Friday night club “Onyx” and there is no doubt that he is immensely passionate about this new addition to his portfolio of activities and should ensure that the club which was the wow of the scene in 2009 will be back where it belongs in 2010. But back to the music and Jonny M as a D.J. and his roots as a firm drum & base addict were delightfully transformed into house genres that include progressive & tech with more than a hint to uplifting & chunky tunes, his new style certainly having gone down a storm in Brighton & impressed us at Trade & Matinee, his sound choices showing through in his compilation mixes (yes he gets into the recording studio too!), his latest entitled “Spring Session” out now to play & download at http://jonny_m.podomatic.com/. 2010 has been a great year already for Jonny and “Onyx” is becoming a real passion, he riding high on a brilliant party just last night, but he continues to play for Wild Fruit & for Rebel as well as balancing all that with his work for GaydarNation & other projects, he very much evoking that phrase “here comes Jonny”.

Our other focus goes to scene D.J. star Jon Dennis, whose name is one of those that truly emulates the D.J.’ing art and it comes as no surprise as he has one of the impressive pedigree’s we have come across in a long time, being right in the thick of some of the biggest movers & shakers in the gAylist clubbing scene in the 90’s. Jon, despite the pressures from his mother, decided that D.J’ing was what he wanted to do having received the backing of his bank to invest in his first set of decks, the bold gamble paid off when he landed a gig at The Roof Gardens in Kensington, partly with the help of Heaven’s Colin Holsgrove, his performance turning plenty of heads, not least that of club impresario David Inches, saw Jon’s career in the D.J.’ing game well & truly confirmed. Rubbing shoulders with both Daz Saund & George Mitchell at the evolutionary afterhours club The Opera On The Green, the forerunner to Trade, then saw him play at this legendary club at Turnmills, as well as at Heaven’s Garage, opening further doors across Europe with appearances at Le Palace in Paris & being part of the React tour of Ibiza. Back in London and by now Jon was Heaven’s biggest main floor resident, having followed in the footsteps of the likes of Ian Levine & Marc Andrews, although the more mainstream sound was not really his style, Jon more akin to the harder edged tech, electro & minimal style that was characteristic of his performances that secured slots at Trade & Garage. So, giving way to spurning inbound talents Brent Nicholls & Wayne G, Jon was free exercise his love for the harder sound, landing a residency back at Turnmills for Sunday nighter Melt, although with the music scene on a big change but his name still very much in the frame, connections with the infamous Coco Latte followed & through his longstanding friendship with John Truelove, he continued to be involved with Heaven & plenty of overseas projects. Indeed, Mr Dennis has played right across the globe, as near as France & Spain or as far as Australia & South Africa, Jon loving to return to Pretoria, Cape Town and particularly Johannesburg, playing at uber cool club Therapy on many occasions. To say that he has rubbed shoulders with the industry’s biggest names is an understatement & the list of peers within his preferred genre of music he has been involved with is endless & has included Rachel Auburn, James Horrocks, Jon The Dentist, Paul Young & Sam Hunwicke, also forming solid friendships with Mark Bambach, Luigi Rosi, Kris de Angelis and of course with Wayne G over the years. Away from the D.J. booth and Jon is an accomplished computer programmer & through his skills now devotes much of his time to designing adverts & flyers for a significant amount of the big & famous clubs in London and whilst he occasionally dips into the recording studio, full compilations are very few & far between. However, when they come round they are real gems and this can definitely be said for his latest, a unique multi layered house soundtrack, which was commissioned for the Rootstein New York Native American show, which you can grab at http://download.yousendit.com/S1VEYURPZ2pTSURIRGc9PQ, a mix Jon describes as being “...perfect for getting ready to go out, chilling out or clearing your mind...” In terms of current D.J. activity, Jon concentrates his efforts playing occasionally overseas, his sets still full of seriously funky dirty house with the latest electro, minimal & tech sounds, he throwing in smatterings of classic tunes & soaring vocals, so watch this space for more studio work from this scene legend.

Now, talking of legend’s, having sadly missed out on his return appearance at Beyond, playing out for the combined party with Italian club Pervert at Area last Sunday, we have been able to delight ourselves with Brent Nicholls’ full on compilation, released as part of his “Download” series, aptly entitled “The Pervert Mix” which we simply cannot put down. Right from the opening & amazing track, Sirusmo’s “All The Girls”, through some pumping, as Brent calls them, “Nu Funk House” tracks, then taking you on a delightful journey through a whole host of genres, latin meeting electro, progressive blending into tech & funky fronting out amazing classic tune undertones, recognisable in an instant, this is an impressive collection of sounds that rival any of his previous compilation works. He goes on to explain that “...you may not take to all of them at first, but give this mix up to three listens & I guarantee you will be hooked...” Well, we were hooked within minutes and continue to find real gems in the mix that keep us smiling like a cheshire cat (78 minutes in is mind-blowingly fantastic) and are sure you will too. So, to stream/ listen this impeccable mix, go to http://djbrentnicholls.com/music & click on the relevant album cover or keep your eyes peeled for free download options via Facebook or his other online groups.

Now, just time to mention http://seenqueen.com/music, which continues to keep you bang up to date with the latest offerings from the scene’s best gAylist D.J’s, but also serves up their own “Spring Sampler” mix which is a definite must to your collection, so grab the free download there while you can.

Right, that’s it for another week, but coming up next week we look at two scene biggie’s, Guy Williams & Hi-Fi Sean, then give space to two great female talents, Mis-White & D.J. Minx, dates also penned for Terry Bryan & J.C. Christopher, Paul Coals & D.J. Saki, so some great music choices still to come. However, for now, there’s not much more to say apart from “select those sounds, turn up the volume & let the music play”.

xDM