SPOTLIGHT: DJ DAN
To say he is an American institution wouldn’t be far from the truth when it comes to DJ Dan who has been synonymous with good old American home-grown talent for over two decades now; a record collector, house innovator and true legend of the scene.
Born and raised on the West coast, Dan was entrenched in music from an early age, 1989 to be exact, a time when the rave scene was enduring its birth. It’s a sweeping understatement to say Dan has been at the forefront of dance music culture since the late 1980′s, especially when you consider how he’s shaped trends and sounds in his homeland all his musical life, taking the baton from house luminaries such as DJ Pierre, Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy. Drawing influence from a wealth of musical genres, Dan charts disco, jazz and funk as precursors to his interest in more industrial forms of music including freestyle and some forms of rock.
Sharpening his skills with wax at small clubs in Seattle, Dan’s experience in the late 80′s behind the decks converted into a profound knowledge of what people want on the dance floor, a trait still ingrained in him today.
The early 90′s saw Dan move to Los Angeles, feeding the roots of the emerging underground scene in the US, Dan’s after-hours shindig ‘No-Doz’ rounded off debauched weekends for the fledgling DJ, holding down multiple dance floors each Saturday. As the scene exploded Dan was at the centre of a musical revolution; underground promoters snapped up his ability to blend breaks, disco and all things funky that inadvertently placed him as the leading figure on the rave scene.
In 1993; a move to San Francisco with a re-invented sound that lended itself more to acid house and electro, Dan instigated the formation of the legendary group Funky Tekno Tribe that sought to push the boundaries of house music. Dan’s innovative eye for promotion saw him implement the recordings and distribution of ‘mixtapes’, a simple yet revolutionary method that soon developed into a frenzied culture that remains an electronic music mainstay, in various forms, until today. With an ear for good music and eye for new talent, it was at this time that the FTT brought an unknown French duo to tear up one of their parties… Daft Punk never looked back.
This period marked the beginning of the burgeoning breakbeat genre that encapsulated house, dubs and techno. At the heart, DJ Dan, who generated the fused rhythms that were dubbed the ‘West Coast House Sound.’
As global demand grew for his skills behind the turntables, Dan’s 1995 single under the moniker Electroliners was a result of a shift in the American who decided to dedicate more time to producing music. ‘Loose Caboose’ proved to be one of the definitive tracks from the breakbeat era and encompassed the talents that inspired many to follow.
Many visionary artists have queued up to bottle Dan’s unique sound; with a remix discography that reads like a music industry hall of fame; Depeche Mode, New Order, the Pussycat Dolls and a Tribe Called Quest have all enlisted the boss of breakbeat to tap into his hailed production abilities. Earning his first Platinum record in 1999, Dan’s remix of the Orgy cover ‘Blue Monday’ was revered around the world and reaffirmed his reputation on a global scale; re-working seemingly untouchable records with expert precision.
With a firm finger on the pulse, Dan has seen trends and sounds come and go, remaining in the leading pack when it comes to what the public want. Holding down numerous dance floors around the world, from clubs to festivals, including Amnesia Ibiza, Fabric London and Ultra Music Festival Miami to name a few. In 2000, Carl Cox handpicked Dan to share the stage with him on his Phuture tour, whilst Moby recruited his skills to add to the astronomic line up on the Area2 – David Bowie, Tiesto, Busta Rhymes and John Digweed keeping company.
By the time 2008 swung round, Dan had turned his sights to promoting his own label ‘InStereo’; a mammoth North American tour provided the perfect outlet for the innovative label that hosted the epic trip and the even more epic 2×4 DJ sets with Donald Glaude – that have gone down in dance music history.
Having re-worked global megastar P.Diddy, 2009 has followed suit with household names clambering for a piece of Dan. His timeless remix of ‘Paparazzi’ by Lady Gaga did not fail to fill dance floors, whilst his re-touch of the much hyped new single from the new queen of pop ‘Bad Romance’ looks like it will make the same impact. As if that wasn’t enough, Dan has added his electronic music clout to Janet Jackson’s next hit ‘Make Me’ which will see the light of day as we hit 2010.
With 2010 here it seems never more appropriate to discuss the future with Dan’s first ever artist album set to drop next year. ‘Future Retro’ is a retro-cum-futro-spective celebration of the industry that has engulfed Dan for the last twenty years. Exploring the tracks that influenced his own rise to the top, he offers his own fresh versions of classic anthems in a present day context. From Chicago to Detroit to San Francisco, the album’s adventure via the past will take you back to the future on an astronomic journey with the one and only… DJ Dan.
SPOTLIGHT: SANDER VAN DOORN
First there were Heineken and Edam, then came Sander van Doorn. The Dutch musical genius may not be as mature as his predecessors but he’s certainly made as much of an impact in his comparatively short career, not only in The Netherlands but also across the world.
Having made his debut in the world renowned DJ Mag Top 100 at 32 in 2006, before climbing 19 places to No.13 in 2008’s poll; sandwiched between Carl Cox and Paul Oakenfold, the fast rise of Sander van Doorn is a testament to his raw talent and dedication. In just seven years he’s clocked up more dance floor destroyers, sell out gigs and awards than most artists do in a lifetime… and his journey is still in its infancy.
From the start Sander (and his alter egos; Sam Sharp, Purple Haze, Filterfunk & Sandler) has produced a variety of sounds at a level that only most producers can dream of, combining elements of trance, electro, techno and house constantly blowing away his fans and comrades, keeping everyone guessing what he’s going to come up with next. His debut artist album ‘Supernaturalistic’ was released in 2008 to rave reviews and launched a 32 date global album tour. He followed this by winning the coveted prize of ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ at WMC’s IDMA, where he also received a nomination for ‘Best Underground Track’ with ‘Riff’.
It’s not only Sander’s solo productions that keep everyone on their toes but his bootlegs, covers and incredible remixes. This year we have seen Sander deliver official interpretations for multi-million selling and multi-award winning band, The Killers, with his re-working of their single ‘Spaceman’, as well as ‘Peace’, the new single from electronic legends Depeche Mode.
Also let’s not forget his fantastic selection of collaborations, with artists including friend and mentor Marco V on the monster tracks ‘Organic’ and ‘What Say’, and ‘Close My Eyes’, the European Top 20 hit, with a man that needs no introduction, Robbie Williams. Sander is one of the most in-demand genre crossing producers of his generation, his releases regularly picking up support from as wide reaching places as Pete Tong, Judge Jules, Tiesto and Carl Cox – you’re as likely to find his records in a house DJ’s box as a trance DJs.
Not content with taking the world by storm with his productions, Sander’s DJ skills are a force to be reckoned with. Every year sees Sander playing to over one million clubbers. He consistently headlines huge events from Sensation to Global Gathering, from Trance Energy and Mysteryland through to his high profile summer residency at Cream in Ibiza.
It was Sander’s DJing experiences around the world that prompted him to start up ‘Dusk Till Doorn’, taking clubbing to the next level, offering the ultimate Sander van Doorn experience.. Having already wowed crowds at the launch in May at The Gallery, Ministry of Sound, London and in Ibiza in June, Sander’s musical and visual journey continues to pleasure crowds around the globe.
Sander is extremely grateful to his fans and likes to give back as much possible. In 2006 Sander set up his own radio show, giving fans the opportunity to hear him no matter where they might be. Now in it’s 3rd year and broadcast on DI.FM and syncidacted globally, the show has given Sander a platform to distribute the sound thousands of fans adore and a stage to test his own productions. In 2009 Sander relaunched www.sandervandoorn.com offering users the chance to view his Studio Sessions videos, learning the tricks of his trade, as well as being able to listen to his entire discography. The updated site includes the SvD forum, SvD shop, guestbook, his monthly hour long DJ mix and an exclusive members section which offers exclusive bonus content.
With all the above happening at such an early stage for Sander, it’s easy to see where this man’s career is heading – No.1
Website: http://www.sandervandoorn.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sandervandoorn
Dusk Till Doorn: http://www.dusktilldoorn.com
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/sandervandoorntv
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11087682391
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sander-van-Doorn/42400315644?ref=ts
Bebo: http://www.bebo.com/SanderVanDoorn
SPOTLIGHT: MARKUS SCHULZ
The rise to great success with most top DJs starts with a dedication born out of an obsession for music. For Markus Schulz, his story was no exception. Originally from Germany, Markus moved to the USA aged 13 and quickly become engrossed in the break-dancing scene of the time. Although a talented mover on the floor, a chance to dominate the decks at a breaks party he helped organise became the pivotal moment when Markus decided upon the path of his life’s work. That dedication has since seen him storm up the charts to take his current place at number 8 in the prestigious DJ Mag Top 100 DJ poll 2009.
Markus always had a desire to meet the world and has continued to tour globally over the past few years, bringing his unique brand of progressive and melodic trance to thousands of clubbers from as far afield as Australia to Russia and as far away as China and Trinidad, that combined with criss-crossing in his own country of the USA. Markus also dominates the airwaves with his weekly radio show, Global DJ Broadcast and can be heard in over 30 stations worldwide. His very special “Ibiza Summer Sessions” debuted in summer 2006 to rave reviews. Wanting to give the listener the feeling of being part of the Ibiza summer, Markus planned each week with the hottest music and best DJ’s from the Balearic Islands. The mission was to bring Ibiza to those who couldnt be there and to add to the experience of those who were. And it worked, with new stations around the world grappling to sign the show for their listening audiences. Through his radio show, Markus was able to reach out through the airwaves and meet even more people, thus touching their lives with his music.
Markus has built himself a stellar reputation as one of the global leaders in production as well as a world renowned DJ. His own label, Coldharbour Recordings has delivered over 60 A-list releases within 3 years. His commitment to his own work as well as his peers has seen numerous solo, collaborative and remix projects that have enabled him to boast an unrivalled discography, largely inspired by his travels and the people he has met. With his heart at the soul of every project, Markus consistently delivers hit after hit, most notably with ‘Without You Near’, ‘Daydream’, ‘Perfect’, and his latest chart stormer ‘The New World ‘ the booming trancer and theme tune to the infamous Transmission party that has clearly set the tempo for 2009 on fire!
Following phenomenal success with Miami ’05, Ibiza ’06 Markus continued his city inspired series to deliver us the hugely successful Amsterdam 08, which has been nominated for Best Full Length DJ Mix at this years IDMAs taking place at the annual Winter Music Conference. The nominations dont stop there – hes also up for Best American DJ for the second year running could this be his year? Next up, Markus continues his musical tour of the world with this year’s Canadian inspired ‘Toronto 09′, a mind blowing belter that celebrates the community spirit within the clubbing scene of the city. 2008 saw Markus release Progression Progressed, a rare reworking of his album Progression 2007 that brought together a collection of interpretations by some of the most talented producers on offer including: Mat Zo, Nic Chagall, Mark Otten and Monogato, as well as an inspired collection of remixes and new tracks from Markus himself. Toronto ’09 gives Markus the opportunity to bring his experiences from his tours and inspiration from his audiences to all fans worldwide with his unique stamp on things.
Schulzs steadily growing collection of awards is testament to his influence on the dance music community, and ever increasing popularity. His relentless determination to bring new sounds and new experiences to his audiences and fans worldwide demonstrates a passionate enthusiasm that knows no bounds and firmly sets Markus up as one of THE forces to be reckoned with in dance for 2010 and beyond!
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