As the major driving force behind the respected Kings of Tomorrow, DJ/Producer Sandy Rivera has steadily carved a successful niche for himself as one of house music's most innovative craftsmen. In a club-oriented career that has spanned almost a decade, Rivera has taken house music - be it vocal - or track-driven - to a purely melodic level worthy of the attention his cuts receive both on the dance floor and in the columns of club music critics globally. An impressive technician on the turntables, Rivera is in demand as a DJ, who takes his vibe across the globe, dropping pumping, energetic sets, spiced with deep house, soaring garage vocals and obscure house gems for the train-spotter contingent. In the mid-90þs he formed the DeepVision imprint, releasing tracks that sport seismic beat potential, enough to make a dance floor literally throb, while catering to those who love their beats sprinkled with silky smooth, ethereal melodies. The label is doing as well as any small indie, shifting respectable numbers for each release. Rivera has great hopes for Deep Vision as he enters a new phase of expansion. As a house DJ and Producer, his star is definitely ascending. "You know, I'll probably be doing this when I'm 40! The feeling for music never goes. Everything I've done in this has made me the person I am. I have no regrets about it whatsoever!"
There is a distinct possibility that the name Seamus Haji may already be familiar to you. One of the most creative and technically gifted house DJ's of our time and to say that he has many more strings to his bow is a complete understatement. Seamus began his DJing career at the tender age of 16 with a London soundsystem playing a mixture of early House, Soul and Hip Hop. With a barrel-full of drive, enthusiasm and determination he went on to secure his first residency at The Satellite and later took on regular guest spots at MOS, Garage City, Release The Pressure, Hard Times and Back To Basics. He then became a regular fixture at the likes of MOS, Code, Bed and Pacha, London. He has also enjoyed numerous residencies around the globe, including the last four years at Pacha, Ibiza where he's gathered an army of fans, possibly something to do with his rather dashing looks as well as his DJing ability of course! Musically his strength is his diversity playing as comfortably alongside, for example, Kenny Dope as Murk. And his sets are now known for the wealth of his own productions and remixes as well as more than a smattering of trickery on the Pioneer CDJ1000's ( for which he is an official ambassador) As well as DJing, producing and remixing, the past 10 years have seen Seamus gather a wealth of musical experience and knowledge. Having spent many years working in record shops such as Red Records, Release The Groove and Uptown Records, taking on A&R management roles at Slip 'N' Slide and of course Defected Records, as well as putting on his journalist hat and writing for publications such as Blues & Soul, Echoes, Touch and Muzik, (he currently reviews for the weekly Update) he can't have helped but build up a strong knowledge of all aspects of the industry. Armed with this knowledge, Seamus decided to set up his own record label, Big Love, with Defected Records' ex head honcho Janet Bell. "Big Love is an organic, lo-pressure imprint for quality, club-based international house whereas Soul Love is it's fairly self-explanatory Soul Sister. Both are reflections of where our hearts lie musically and our intention to be INclusive rather than EXclusive. Dance music is way too up its arse and pigeonholed these days!" As if all this wasn't enough, Seamus is pleased to be back on the air with his ratings-grabbing Ministry of Sound radio show. And in light of guest mixes on Radio 1, Kiss 100, Galaxy and Ministry Of Sound , it's about time too! Seamus Haji has become synonymous with quality, his DJ sets are nearing legendary, he's a technical wizard and his productions are phenomenal. His star is in the ascendant for 2005.
MARK KNIGHT / GB
International dj, innovative producer, founder of plink plonk , Shamen frontman and co- owner of the end, Mr C emerged as a pioneering force in the house music scene in 1987 and has continued to be instrumental in the proliferation of dance music on a global scale. His commitment to experimentation and credibility in setting the standards for sophistication in all sub-genres of dance music has earned him world-wide prestige as he endeavours to take the sounds of the underground to new and more accessible heights. In 1989, his talent as a vivacious m.c was taken to new heights when he joined the shamen. the band's escalation into one of the world's most successful dance bands owed much to Mr.C's vocal charisma, writing skills and remix and production expertise, with 'move any mountain's re-release as 'progen '91' hitting the national charts at number 4 and 'ebineezer good' holding the number one slot for four weeks in 1992. The energy and prestige he gained from this experience was re-channeled into the underground scene where Mr C continues to innovate in his various capacities as a dj, producer, club owner/ promoter and dance music spokesperson. Mr C's versatility as a dj is second to none, applying his own unique and highly sophisticated technique to all aspects of dance ranging from future house and funky techno to psychedelic breakbeat and abstract acid electronica. Now solely residing at the end's "subterrain" night, Mr C's unique blend of deep house, tech-house and techno has made him one of the biggest names on the european techno circuit as well as one of the uk's most popular and colourful dj's. The last year has seen mr c attain critical acclaim with the release of Mr C & Robert Owens " a thing called love" as well as his own "birds and the bees" track on End Recordings; the year 2000 sees him release the "Subterrain 100% Unreleased" album featuring a host of tech-house luminaries including Stacey Pullen, Terry Francis, Charles webster, Gene Farris, Derrick Carter and more.
DAVID MORALES
FRED EVERYTHING
SEB 1
TOM 1
DARREN
DAVE
HARRY
It's very easy to think that England and America are the only places in the world where amazing parties take place. Despite the fact these two countries provided the formative foundations of dance music as we know it today, they are now constantly being challenged by new kids on the block; new countries who are discovering dance music, grabbing it by the scruff of the neck and embracing it wholeheartedly. With this comes new talent; fresh producers and DJs who are being thrust onto the world stage and given the exposure they so richly deserve. One such success story is South America's Hernan Cattaneo. Growing up in Buenos Aires, Hernan listened to Europop bands like Simply Red and Level 42, music he found sifting through Billboard magazine (the only music journal he could get at the time). But in 1987 a friend visited Vinylmania in New York City and brought back a sweet taste of Chicago house in the form of Traxx and DJ International pressings, which featured artists like Frankie Knuckles, Derrick May and Inner City. "They blew my mind," exclaims Hernan. "I loved them because they combined the energy of Europe's electronic music - bands like Depeche Mode and New Order - with the soul of American music. After that, everything changed for me." Shortly after, Hernan scored a residency in a small club in Buenos Aires that led to him being invited to play in clubs throughout South America. His talent was fast becoming recognised and in 1996 he secured the hotly contested residency for a new weekly Saturday entitled 'Clubland'. Within 2 years the night had developed and was being hailed as Argentina's best club. Soon all the world's elite were beating down the door, giving Hernan the chance to share the booth with DJs like Sasha, John Digweed, Danny Tenaglia, Carl Cox, Darren Emerson and, of course, Paul Oakenfold⦠..In '98 and '99, Hernan also toured the States with Oakenfold, which introduced him to many high profile venues and events such as Nevada's Burning Man festival and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver. Residencies soon followed at Cream, both in Liverpool and Ibiza; Perfecto in Ibiza and gigs from Iceland to Singapore. Keen to capitalise on this consistent exposure, Hernan knew the time was coming to once again release a mix compilation and, in one of those simple twists of fate, his wish coincided with an offer from Renaissance to compile and mix their next 'Masters' compilation. From its conception back in 2000, the Masters series has always showcased some of the world's finest DJ talent, a fact that Hernan is aware of, "I've always been a big fan of the Renaissance CDs, from those early Sasha and Digweed mixes through to the likes of Danny Howells and Deep Dish. It feels really good to be part of that now." With favourable reviews flooding in ahead of its imminent early February release, the juggernaut express that is Cattaneo shows no sigh of slowing down, and with another full promotional world tour confirmed, he'll be coming to a town or city near you soon - listen up and watch out people!
JUNIOR
MARTIN
OLIVER
Paul Oakenfold's musical career started from admirably humble beginnings, playing soul and rare groove cuts in a Covent Garden wine bar in the late 'seventies with mate Trevor Fung. By the early 'eighties, having decided that NYC was the place, Paul decamped there armed only with the chutzpah to blag his way into a courier's job in West Harlem. At that time, more than any other, New York was bursting with musical invention: hip-hop was the freshest street sound around, and Larry Levan - arguably the first ever superstar DJ, inspiring a frenzy in the crowd that some guy playing records had never inspired before - was packing out the Paradise Garage every week with the revolutionary, hypnotic mixing style that would become the acid house DJ's stock in trade. Returning to London, Paul became one of the UK's leading authorities on hip-hop. During his stint as an A&R man for Champion he signed the as-then unknowns Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and Salt N'Pepa. Oh yeah, and he appeared on Blue Peter with a breakdancing crew who he was looking after at the time. Alongside running a seminal club night, Paul's production career had also begun by 1988 under the name Electra, working with long-time collaborator Steve Osborne. By 1990, with his work on The Happy Mondays' frugadelic Wrote For Luck and then Hallelujah (on the Madchester Rave On EP), Paul had created two of the cornerstone records of the indie-dance scene, a hybrid that demystified acid house for kids who'd been raised on a musical diet of guitar, bass, and drums. Paul was one of the guest DJs at The Stone Roses' legendary Spike Island gig, and his work with Osborne on The Happy Mondays' classic Pills, Thrills And Bellyaches LP (NME's 1990 Album Of The Year) won the pair the 1991 Brit Award for Best Producer. Remix galore followed, for Mondays labelmates New Order; Massive Attack; The Shamen, and Arrested Development among others, as Paul and Steve began trading under the name Perfecto. If the name was little known at first that soon changed with the 1992 Perfecto mix of U2's Even Better Than The Real Thing. The track, with delicious irony, attained a higher chart position on release than the original song, thus signalling a watershed in the history and growth of dance music. 1993 saw Paul hired to provide the warm-up sonics on U2's Zoo TV world tour, and as a result the de facto arrival of the superstar DJ. On the production front Paul began to release his own tracks as well as continuing to turn in remixes, while Perfecto expanded into a fully-fledged label. Its offshoot, Perfecto Fluoro, became the label of choice in the mid-'nineties for the harder, trippier Goa trance sound. Today Perfecto boasts artists as diverse as Arthur Baker, Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero, and Timo Maas on its roster, and has gone from strength to strength by refusing to pander to only one style of dance music. Alongside the building of the Perfecto brand, Paul released a string of superlative mix CD's, amongst them his awesome New York set for Global Underground - still the series' biggest seller to date. And who else would have been commissioned to write the theme for what was certain to be the biggest TV show of all time? How did you guess? Paul wrote and produced the Big Brother theme, as Element 4, with Andy Gray. So what now for a man at the pinnacle of his profession, the world's premiere DJ? Why, upward, ever upward of course. 2001 has seen Paul score the Joel Silver-produced and John Travolta-starring Swordfish, remix the theme to Tim Burton's Planet Of The Apes, DJ on Moby's Arena:One U.S. tour, and make a triumphal return to his home shores with a free gig that left tens of thousands sweat-soaked and grinning like Cheshire Cats on London's Clapham Common. October sees a club tour of the UK, and the New Year? Well, like we said before, the best is yet to come, so stay tuned and prepare to be amazed?
PIPPI
ROBBIE RIVERA
SISTER
Steve Lawler is a definitive DJ and producer; a tastemaker whose sets combine quality house music with the power to move dance floors around the world. In the last few years, he's wowed crowds in such far flung places as Zouk in Singapore, Groovejet in Miami, Twilo in New York and the mighty Space in Ibiza. Courtesy of home, he provided the most groundbreaking sets of the season for many of those lucky enough to hear him. After two months he had been crowned 'King Of Space' by the locals - a rare and well deserved honour⦠..But it was in Ibiza that Lawler got his first true break. Having earned his Ibiza stripes - he's been every year since 1990 through to 1997 it was finally Steve's chance to prove himself as an accomplished DJ. He was a resident at Café Mambo, spinning his legendary 8 hour sets there every day, as well as playing three times a week at Pacha. It was then he was spotted by Darren Hughes, then of Cream, who recognised his talent and ambition to succeed. Signing him up to Cream's DJing agency, he began a residency at the eponymous Liverpool institution. At only his second date at the club he had to follow Paul Oakenfold at their NYE party. Not an easy feat, but one which Lawler coped with admirably. The rest, as they say, is history? It's not all about DJing though. Lawler's accomplished production, under the monikers of Novocane, Chameleon and, naturally, Steve Lawler, are currently causing mayhem amongst the likes of Tenaglia, Tong, Sasha, Digweed, Deep Dish, and Pete Heller. 'Rise In', his latest single, is a self-assured cut of heavy dancefloor pressure, which, as with all the best things, has simplicity as its key. Watch it drop on any dancefloor in the world and you realise that Lawler, in his production as much as his DJing, understands how to work a crowd. 'Rise In' is set for a September release, and if you've been near any of the coolest dance floors on the planet, you'll have realised just how special the track is. The buzz around the tune has superceded any of this summer's releases, and the Top 20 beckons. Who'd have thought proper house music would once again reach such heights? But then, as most of you know, Lawler is something very special. "First and foremost I am a DJ," explains Steve. "I am not making records for a career or the money, it's just that I want to make my own version of sounds that would go down well in a club. When I make music I sit there and close my eyes and imagine being on a dancefloor, with the lights and the soundsytem. It's hard to get right all the time, but I'm going to keep banging away at it until I do". Steve's spun at every club in Ibiza, and every decent club in the world, and has stunned all detractors of the progressive sound. He was described in The Face as, "The UK's Tenaglia", and in Jockey Slut as "one of the best dj's in the world". Steve Lawler: the pioneer of twisted house who loves a bit of hard work. If you were waiting for a change of musical tack, then follow Lawler's lead. Don't be left behind?
Sander Kleinenberg knows how dancefloors work: he's instigated 'sweaty' scenes around the world, observing what makes people move from Belfast to Buenos Aires. Ultimately, the mechanics of the dancefloor revolve around just one thing: good dance music. Sander knows about this, too. His own vinyl creations are saturated in clubland so that they virtually perspire dry ice and radiate glitterball shards from their grooves. It's time to get back to basics, to stop watching the DJ and get back on the dancefloor. 2003 will be Sander's year. His remixes of global pop/r&b sensations Lamya and Justin Timberlake have topped dance charts on either side of the Atlantic. His very own, newly inaugurated record label, Little Mountain, is a labour of love intended to release only the highest standard of music from Sander and the most like-minded of souls. And through Little Mountain comes the third and final instalment of his highly acclaimed 'Four Seasons' EPs, reaffirming what the 31-year-old stands for as he draws a line on the first phase of his DJ/producer trajectory and forges toward an expanding vista of new possibilities. Hooking up with local movers and shakers, Sander began releasing tracks through German and Belgian labels, Superstition and Wonka Beats, setting up his own label, Deal Recordings. His breakthrough came in 1996 as S&S Project, the single 'Y.D.W. (You Do Me Wrong)' signed to New York's Strictly Rhythm, proving a sensation that reverberated in clubs around the world. The release of his first 'Four Seasons' EP also proved a definitive moment. 'My Lexicon' and 'Sacred' won him admirers across the spectrum of the dance fraternity; notably Sasha, who included both the aforementioned tracks on his 'Global Underground: Ibiza' compilation and was to become a close friend and collaborator. "I think the 'Seasons' EPs set a general reflection of what I do in a club,"explains Sander with customary humility. "I hope that they'll be things that people will go back to five years from now and go, 'Yeah, I'll play that'. I hope that it has a sort of timeless quality about it - that's what I try to achieve." But Sander's ambitions lie beyond the confines of the club. He remains fascinated by the possibilities of pop music, creating hybrids that are at once immediate and intelligent, club-oriented and credible. "I listen to Missy Elliott records and I go,' Wow, this is so clever,'" he admits. "This is cleverer than 90% of what I hear being made by underground dance producers and it's kind of inspiring. Like, 'Dam, we still have a long way to go!'" Sander is on his way and doing things right. Listen up people.
TIMO
VICTOR
MATTHEW DEKAY - GB
Liubomir Desider Ursiny was born in March 1984 in Sofia, Bulgaria. His childhood goes under the sign of his moniker Jose, later giving him the reputation of the fastest progressing deejays in Bulgaria. Liubo has been fallen in love with the e-music since he was a teenager. The passion for artists like Orbital, Prodigy & Underworld was the thing that distinguished him from his coevel mates. His first touch with house music -`Camisra - Let Me Show You` was the main reason to fall in love with the style. It was in 1999 on a party at Yalta club that Liubo saw a record-player for the first time& maybe it was love at first sight, because very soon mixing became his hobby. Thanks to his friend Dj Nice he learns the basics of mixing & makes his first steps behind the decks as a dj at hip-hop parties in club Yalta. In 2002 Liubo is introdused to Dj Paul, one of the residents at Spartacus club of that time. With his help, Liubo makes his first steps as a house dj, gets familiar with professionals like Sander Kleinenberg, Danny Tenaglia, Deep Dish & discovers himself in their underground style. Gradually he becomes fond of Spanish produsers D-formation, Simon & Shaker, Chus & Seballos & their Iberican sound as well as the `absolute` procressive style from artists like Hernan Cattaneo & Dave Seaman. In 2004 Liubo makes his debut at the legendary club Spartacus under his moniker Jose. He is often invited to play there during weekends. In the summer of 2005 he is a part of the line-up for events with Dj Pippi, Hernan Cattaneo & Sandy Rivera at the fabulous club MOMO in Varna. Autumn 2005 - Liubo is invited to be the resident of the renovated club Yalta & is honoured to play at its opening party, which marks the new era of the club having been closed for reconstruction for a couple of years. For less than a year, Liubo stood side by side behind the decks with names like Sandy Rivera, Hernan Cattaneo, Junior Vasquez, Darren Emerson, Sister Bliss, Victor Calderone, Tom Novy, Dj Beyza, Anna Maria X, Mark Knight, Fred Everything, David Morales, Robbie Rivera, Dessy, Harry Romero, Martin Solveig, Sander Kleineneberg & others. In the summer of 2006 one of his biggest dreams comes true - he attends the Winter Music Conference in Miami, where for less than a week he manages to get in touch with house music of the highest quality & to make many valuable contacts with people sharing his passion, helping him go straight ahead & chase his dreams. Always open for new kind of sounds, in Miami Liubo is most impressed by the trio Desin Masiello, Omid 16B & Demi in which he discover his ideal of the most supreme club sound. During the last few years he builds his own view over the contemporary club music, which hepls him construct his own sound - mixture of deep, funky, progressive & electro house which purpose is to put smiles on peoples` faces.
JUAN
SALOME DE BAHIA - YELLOW PRODUCTIONS / PARIS
MARYLIN DAVID - 1 MAGAZINE