Soon to be superstar DJ / producer Jim Rivers has a lot of hype around him lately. With the launch of his new imprint Misfit Records late last year and an appearance on Diggers’ Kiss FM earlier this year, Jim seems to be on the verge of busting out all over the scene very, very soon.

Like all of today’s new breed, Jim utilizes a wide array of sounds within his sets. Often very techy, but consistently funky, his music definitely has a distinct edge. A production partner of Paolo Mojo, you can definitely hear a correlation in their styles.

I came across this promo pack on his MySpace and have been blazing it from minute one. It contains two parts, one live and one studio; like all promos should be. Both mixes are super tight and extremely well programmed. If they weren’t labeled live and studio, you wouldn’t know which was which, a mark of a very special talent.

Download (left-click and unzip):
CD1 – Jim Rivers – Live at Club Vinyl – June 2008
CD2 – Jim Rivers – Studio Mix – Summer 2008

I know this set has been floating around the web for quite a while, but I absolutely love it so much that I had to host it here as well. The back story is just too cool not to.

Dana Berquist has been a favorite of ours for the past couple years. His production is incredible and his brand of house has a sexiness and class that stands completely on its own. Plain and simple, Dana is one of the best talents out there right now, no question.

So of course when Luke Fair went to Sweden to play alongside him at “Oh!” at Esque in Stockholm I was all over him for a report. He actually said it was an embarrassing situation for him because each time Dana loaded in a track Luke was up his back asking him the name of it. From the sounds of the entire two hour warm up he could have been asking Andreas Hansson the same question.

From time to time you get a hold of all the music from a night, start to finish (you can find Luke’s headline set here), and it reconfirms your faith in the underground. Sweden seems to be a place to be if you like the music we’re into.

Download (left-click and unzip):
Dana Bergquist, Andreas_Hansson & Luke Fair - Live @ Oh! - Esque, Stockholm - pt1 - April 19, 2008
Dana Bergquist, Andreas_Hansson & Luke Fair - Live @ Oh! - Esque, Stockholm - pt2 - April 19, 2008

It’s no secret we have a deep infatuation for South American house music. It most often comes from the south and Argentina, but we’ve recently discovered a slick duo from a little closer north.

Peru’s Diego Aragon and Paul Trelles, together known as FunkMedia, are the residents at G Lounge (Gotica) in Lima. Paul’s passed on a few of their sets over the past month, all of which have been very impressive, but this live set really caught our attention.

The two organize their tracklists before every gig. It’s important to them that the experience is perfect for the crowd and the DJ they warm a room for.

It’s this attention to detail that we at bringthebeats have always appreciated in the DJs we support. We understand the “feeling the crowd out” process is important, but without some sort of direction beforehand, an artist is often just winging it.

And though “fake it till you make it” is acceptable in some work environments, it can be disastrous in a booth before a trusting dance floor. I’m sure a lot of international headliner can contest to this when critiquing club residents.

This three part set is progressively programmed with a recognizable funky groove that has come to define the FunkMedia sound. The warm vibe comes from a fusion of older and fresh tracks that combine to build ideal tension moving into peak time.

Diego and Paul are on the verge of releasing their own productions and have recently affiliated themselves with Cromarti Records, a label supported by many of our favorites including Hernan Cerbello, Matt Rowan and Max Cagliero.

Keep an ear on these dudes; I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot from them in the near and far off future.

Download (left-click and unzip):
FunkMedia at G Lounge (Gotica) pt1 - May 31, 2008
FunkMedia at G Lounge (Gotica) pt2 - May 31, 2008
FunkMedia at G Lounge (Gotica) pt3 - May 31, 2008

The bringthebeats collective is comprised of a group of Toronto clubbers thrust together by our love of a similar style of house music. It’s rare that we don’t all find an artist up our alley or not. However individually, we do seem to connect more with some artists than others.

Brett Solo’s guy is definitely Andrew Genser, better known as Add2Basket. Brett has been passing around gems from this native of Hungary for quite some time now and every single mix has received top marks from the entire btb crew.

What really makes us fall in love with this dude is how he extends the Add2Basket brand well beyond his stellar DJ skills. When he’s not traveling the world spinning he seems to be continuously working in the studio.  Add2Basket boasts a production list a mile long, including double digit original tracks and remixes for the likes of Jody Wisternoff, Sultan, Stan Kolev and Dana Bergquist.

Add2Basket is also in support of up and coming producers through Add2Basket Recordings. The label sports a who’s who list of the genre’s hottest talents such as Emjae, Hernan Cerbello and Liluca.

Add2Basket is an ultimate triple threat, but of course for us, it’s all about the mixes and Brett has scored a beauty for bringthebeats. Check this super fresh Add2Basket mix, live from only two weeks ago in Dubai. This two and a half hour groove fest places all of Andrew’s mad skill on a pedestal.

Download (left-click and unzip):
Add2Basket – Live @ Submarine, Dubai - May 9, 2008 - pt1
Add2Basket – Live @ Submarine, Dubai - May 9, 2008 – pt2

One of the best aspects of this year’s conference was that I had some good face time with Tom Morgan. And unlike last year, I pretty much understood everything he was saying under that brrrroad Scottish accent. But even if I could never hear a word Tom says, his music speaks volumes to how cool this guy is.

I’ll never mention it again (a little cheesy and not fair to Tom’s individuality), but I’m starting to think Tom is the next Desyn Masiello. He has the looks, the personality, ambition and most definitely a pristine ear for great beats.

Tom had a great presence about him throughout the WMC and it’s obvious he has Desyn’s seal of approval, being sandwiched between Jody Wisternoff and Des & Omid in primetime at the Sex on Wax pool party.

This two-hour set live from a Renaissance meets Stripped party in the UK is everything I want to hear in a live club set. Tom was on the bill with Paolo Mojo that night… I hope Paolo was able to keep up.

Download (left-click and unzip):
Tom Morgan - Renaissance meets Stripped, Southend - March 23, 2008 - pt1
Tom Morgan - Renaissance meets Stripped, Southend - March 23, 2008 - pt2

I’m eight years deep into the underground scene and over that time I’ve become quite jaded. A good night out is the quality combination of venue, talent and vibe. Everything has to come together or I just don’t feel completely satisfied. And with so much going on in my life from Monday – Friday, 9-5 and beyond, I’d love for satisfaction to be guaranteed.

On January 20, 2007 everything came together for the first time in a long time. It was my first night promoting at Sonic and two legendary DJ / producers debuted in Toronto. Lexicon Avenue’s timeless productions (i.e. ‘Dusk Till Dawn’) and epic remixes (i.e. Science Department’s ‘Breathe’) will always keep them in my great books. But this night at Sonic not only reaffirmed how talented they are, but Mark and Scott also helped bring back that feeling of bliss and togetherness that I felt back in the early days.

DJs come and go. I’ve met a lot of them as they’ve made their way through Toronto. You profess your interest in their music and hand them your card. They offer their appreciation and you don’t speak to them until you approach them the next time you hear them in a club. This has been the routine for I’d say 90% of the DJs I’ve met over the years.

So imagine my shock when Scott Bradford’s name appeared in my inbox. I was blown away that such a top level DJ was actually taking time to market his product the old fashion way, person to person. This is a sign of true appreciation, for a fan’s appreciation of their hard work.

I’ve been waiting for the chance to properly promote Lexicon Avenue’s amazing set from that memorable Sonic event and  figure no better time than now. Check out all four parts of this five-hour gem that takes you through the sharp edged sounds of Mark Amstrong to the club friendly beats of Scott Bradford.

Download (left-click and unzip):
Lexicon Avenue - Live at Sonic, Toronto - January 20, 2007 - Pt.1
Lexicon Avenue - Live at Sonic, Toronto - January 20, 2007 - Pt.2
Lexicon Avenue - Live at Sonic, Toronto - January 20, 2007 - Pt.3
Lexicon Avenue - Live at Sonic, Toronto - January 20, 2007 - Pt.4

I first met Sean Miller at an invite-only Big Dj Small Club event in 2003 at Revival in Toronto. Sean got the party started that night and immediately heads were bobbing with his edgy progressive sound. It was a smooth transition for Steve Porter’s Porterhouse and the legendary Sasha, who headlined the event. I knew I would be hearing more from this DJ in the future and I was right.

By the time I met Sean he had already played many big raves and Gold Club Series events, opening for Deep Dish and of course Sasha. Since then Sean has been steadily making a name for himself, playing at some of the world’s biggest clubs including Space in Miami, Avalon in LA, Pacha in NY and Red Light in Paris.

Sean held a residency at Toronto’s Boa-Redux Nightclub for two years, allowing him to play alongside crowd favourites such as Chus & Ceballos and Satoshi Tomiie. His discography includes productions for these DJs on their respective labels, Stereo Productions and Saw Recordings, as well as for Steve Lawler’s Harlem Records.

Sean’s worldwide recognition as one of Toronto’s rising stars in House music helped him in being signed to the elite roster of The Collective Agency, which also includes DJ greats such as Lee Burridge, Luke Fair and Nick Warren. And proving that Sean is a rising talent, Steve Lawler made him his official opening act on his recent ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Viva’ tours.

After ten years of DJing and producing there is much more to come from our hometown boy. And finally, after touring abroad, Sean is back in our hometown. You can catch him at Toronto’s official WMC pre-party at the Docks on Mar. 17th alongside DJ Vibe and fellow TCA talents Chus & Ceballos.

For a little preview of what’s to expect at the Docks here’s a live set from Sean’s recent trip to Mexico. For those of you who love to get down and dirty with deep progressive tech-house, this is for you!

Download (left-click and unzip):
Sean Miller live in Mexico part 1
Sean Miller live in Mexico part 2

And as an added bonus Sean answered a few questions for us. bringthebeats features its first ever interview… with Toronto’s Sean Miller… (more…)

Lee Osborne is hands down Toronto’s most bad ass DJ. He’s one of the few who can get me groovin’ to Tech with this mix being no exception. We were the lucky ones who recorded this opening set for the exceptional night at Footwork with Lee Burridge. As you’ll hear, Lee built the tension in the room to a peak level, setting up Burridge for a night people will be talking about for years to come.

Download (left-click and unzip):
Lee Osborne - Footwork, Toronto - October 7, 2006

John Digweed is the world’s #1 DJ – the greatest DJ of all time. He’s the most reliable, professional, arguably the most talented and definitely the most respected figure in dance music today. His Bedrock label has launched the careers of some of my favorite artists and his live sets have literally blown me off my feet – no lie.

Transitions on Kiss 100 is my knowledge of the underground (an immense thank you to my friends at mercuryserver for continually making this show available). Week in and week out Diggers highlights only the best producers and DJs the industry has to offer. The quality of the two hours never falters and if your mix is showcased in the guest slot; you know you’ve made it to the big top.

The WMC 2005 Fabric party at Pawn Shop was most definitely the event of the year for me. Five hours of flawless mixing, programming and intensity. Cliché’s aside, he literally had me in a trance from the first track to the last. Not even the most overwhelming fatigue I had ever felt in a nightclub could coax me off that dance floor.

It was with great disappointment that we had to pass on this year’s conference. Much of the distress came from the fact that we were going to the Bedrock party at Pawn Shop. But true to form, Diggers has come through and made this absolutely phenomenal set available through his Transitions show. Thank you Mr. Digweed - for this and for all the amazing music you have introduced to us over the years.

Download (left-click and unzip):
John Digweed - Live @ Pawnshop WMC 2006 - pt.1
John Digweed - Live @ Pawnshop WMC 2006 - pt.2
John Digweed - Live @ Pawnshop WMC 2006 - pt.3
John Digweed - Live @ Pawnshop WMC 2006 - pt.4

Thanks for the sets mercuryserver.