Mexico, a country that’s home to beautiful beaches, tacos and tequila also brings us the sounds of Gabriel Sordo. A member of Somnus Corp as well as partners in the newly founded digital label Discoteca Music, Gabriel is showing us he is definitely In Demand.
Gabriel’s passion for creating music really blossomed after meeting Jorge and Beto, who are his partners in Somnus Corp. Their productions have created a constantly growing and successful discography.
Most recently this includes their work with Kosmas Epsilon, a highpoint of their career which produced a smash hit that has been played for thousands of people by Sasha and Digweed on their latest tour. Other notable successes include two tracks which have been picked up by Nick Warren for his upcoming Global Underground compilation.
Read more about his incredible talent in my recent IM conversation with Gabriel:
For his In Demand set he has reached into the housier side of his techy tastes to bring us a fantastic set which continually builds in momentum towards the finish line. The mix includes one of Somnus Corp’s most recent productions so pay close attention to the 33 minute mark, that’s when the Somnus sound kicks in!
Last year we saw the release of a new label whose vision is to showcase the very best house music this genre has to offer. If you have been out of the loop for the past six months the label I’m taking about is Discoteca Music, which is a collective effort from Dana Bergquist, Tom Morgan, Somnos Corp., balErik and most recently Toronto’s very own Luke Fair.
This past conference was the first of what will hopefully be an annual WMC party for the Discoteca crew. Despite some problems with the venue we all had a great time chilling out on the patio while we looked at the sign on the corner that read “noise laws are strictly enforced!” (I vote that Miami abandon all laws during our annual pilgrimage to their sunny state).
I’m sure next year we’ll see an improvement in both venue and sound so we can hear what Discoteca can really deliver. Until then, to help you get better acquainted with Discoteca Music, you can watch my first on camera interview with Erik Molthe, Tom Morgan and Luke Fair and download balErik’s newest promo; it’s some funky goodness. Enjoy!
We’re over the moon excited to be associated with another Luke Fair event in Toronto. With it all going down within the best underground space in the city, and on the birthday weekend of Isabelle Renaud, our old school clubbing friend who will be visiting from Montreal, we couldn’t ask for a more perfect situation to begin our new association with Footwork.
Luke’s newly affiliated digital label, Discoteca Music presents Luke’s first Toronto gig in almost exactly a year and his first Footwork appearance in well over two years.
Discoteca, founded by Sweden’s Dana Bergquist, Scotland’s Tom Morgan, Norway’s balErik and Mexico’s Somnos Corp. is one of the hottest new imprints in the House scene today. With Luke’s involvement, the label is sure to reach new heights, exactly what we’re expecting from the bringthebeats events we’ll host at Footwork.
To top off what is definitely going to be a legendary night, Brad Copeland returns as Luke’s set up man.
It’s no secret that our intention with all btb parties is to reclaim the Breathe at System Soundbar vibe that has had us hooked into this music for almost 10 years. We all know that the Luke and Brad nights were some of the best Breathe had to offer. We can only imagine the madness that will ensue now that these two are back together with skills developed to levels well beyond the System days… I know it’s hard to believe.
To promo the night in proper bringthebeats fashion, Luke has provided a fresh live set from a recent gig at Dana’s residency in Stockholm, Sweden. This two part beauty is just a taste of the perfection we’ll hear when he lays it down for four hours on May 10.
Our knowledge of this genre is quite limited but from what we know, Get Physical has produced next level tech-house like no other label in the world.
M.A.N.D.Y.’s music has always blown our mind and it’s incredible the depth of Audiofly’s sound. Its music that in many ways is way over the top for us, or maybe we should say “under the top.” Either way, it’s extremely intriguing at the same time. Hearing this all go down in an intimate space like The Social should be right mad.
Check these two Proton sets, Audiofly’s newest and one of the best we’ve ever heard from M.A.N.D.Y., live from the world’s best club, Fabric, London. After one listen, we’re sure you’ll be IN for this one.
Yes the Winter Music Conference was great; amazing music, even better people. The weather was excellent and it was soooo nice to let loose without any responsibilities other than to remember to sleep and eat. But as I become more involved in the scene – and increasingly jaded I guess – I start to see things with a more critical eye.
It was ANOTHER year of technical difficulties. So many venues had shotty sound. I know Miami doesn’t have a strong House scene outside of conference, but this week comes around every year, with much, much notice, you figure the venues would give the promoters a hand and ensure the set-ups are absolutely perfect when these world-class events go down.
And holy shit, aren’t you totally sick of paying $8 for water and $10 plus for drinks? I know there’s a free pour policy down south, but someone has to tell South Beach that more doesn’t necessarily mean better… like I don’t need a Flintstone sized helping for every meal either!
Don’t get even get me started on the fact the city doesn’t recycle… soooo gross!!
But enough of the bickering - I’ll save that barney’s blazes (coming soon) - the week really was awesome, with so many long lasting memories and friendships made once again. Here are some day by day highlights of bringthebeats’ WMC ‘08. (more…)
It’s going to be wicked night of bumpy tech and breakbeats like only the Dirty Bird crew can deliver. Plus, we’re pumped to finally check out Wrongbar and the crazy ass sound system that we’ve heard so much about.
Check out the CVS Essential Mix that we were raving about in our 2007 review and be sure to hit up this kick ass event.
Ever since I first interviewed Alex Fish of Holosound last year we’ve kept in close contact. I had been a fan for quite awhile, hoping that Holosound would make it to Toronto before I left for Japan. When this didn’t happen I was pretty disappointed, thinking that it would be a long time until I got to hear their ‘Illectro’ sounds live.
So when Alex mentioned that he was thinking of making a stop in Tokyo on his way to Thailand, I really wanted to make some sort of event happen. Not only did I want to hear Alex spin, but I finally wanted to meet a friend who I had never actually seen face to face. Plus, it just so happened he was going to arrive on my birthday, the perfect day for a crazy introduction to Tokyo.
Anyone who has ever tried to get a gig in Tokyo knows how difficult it is. There’s an over population of Japanese DJ’s in Tokyo who make it hard for outside talent to get booked. And unless you are a superstar DJ, clubs are very reluctant to pay for flights. Even the DJs who live here have trouble getting decent gigs.
So when Alex asked me to help out I knew there was almost nothing I could do. Of course I asked around, but on such short notice I didn’t know how we were going to make it happen.
The only person who I knew that could possibly get a club for a CiTRiC party was DJ Que, who Alex put me in contact with when I first got to Japan. When Que finally pulled through with a decent venue I was so excited. I now had a wicked party to promote for my birthday.
On February 16th (the day after my birthday) we all headed to a traditional Japanese izakaya for a warm up dinner. Alex and I were both pretty hurting from the crazy night we had at Womb the night before, but after we filled our bellies and quenched our thirst, we were ready to get the party going. I rounded up the crew and we headed down to the club for 11:30pm, picking up friends on street corners along the way.
None of us had been to Club Ever before, so we didn’t know what to expect. Upon entering we made our way downstairs to the bar and passed a large dimly lit lounge area filled with white couches. To the right of the bar was a dark dance floor, one light and a large screen which projected visuals.
After a few visits to the bar and Que’s fantastic warm up set, Alex was ready to work his magic. I don’t know who was more excited, him or I. Once he got behind the decks, the dance floor immediately picked up. He mixed a beautiful set of classic tracks, high energy build ups and fresh new vocal beats that had everyone smiling.
Prior to Alex’s arrival in Tokyo I asked him what he was going to play. He said that people were telling him to play techno, and of course I said “NO!” We hear way too much of that here. Alex knew the crowd I was going to bring had a different kind of ear, a kind he definitely satisfied that night.
Now you get to be the judge. I listened to the entire two hour set again while lying on my bed the other day and it was really hard to stay still. This was one of the best birthday’s I have ever had. Thank you Alex Fish for making your Tokyo dreams a reality!
Jeff Button maintained status quo by simmering the dance floor to perfection in the early hours. It has to feel wicked to have one of your favs walk up to the decks while you have 300 locked in a groove. Jeff’s getting to know this feeling all too well.
There’s a crazy level of nervous anticipation when you’ve booked a top level DJ. You know he’s going to rock it, you just hope you can come through on your end. Add on the threatening weather and the phenomenal rush from the music and floor was well deserved when the party was absolutely going off at peak time.
Jody Wisternoff quite simply torched the place. A flood of unreleased tracks and edits, always mixed at the perfect pace, overwhelmed The Mod Club. Jody came through big time at a time that our crew and all of the EXPOSED faithful needed a release from the dark days of this season.
And I know its becoming cliché, but progressive is far from dead. If it’s kept updated and anything but obvious, it’s truly the best electronic music out there (in btb’s humble opinion only… of course).
Our original goal with the bringthebeats bookings was to bring in one fresh artist each month and debut them in Toronto on The Mod Club stage. Admittedly this was a pretty lofty goal considering how competitive the T.O. scene is and how clubbers have become so attached to particular DJs and sounds.
Though we did our best to stick to this policy, we decided to bend our own rules after Neil Quigley’s EXPOSED performance in November. He was so impressive we knew we had to bring him back asap. There wasn’t nearly enough progressive house heads on the floor for his first visit and we needed to expose more of the EXPOSED faithful to this wicked talent.
We rolled the dice with this mid winter booking - on a Friday of a long weekend - and are we ever glad we did. Neil’s first EXPOSED.live recording provided all the promotion we needed. There was so much hype around that set; people were forced to brave the cold and a potentially long party weekend to check out Neil’s second Toronto appearance.
He definitely didn’t disappoint. We couldn’t believe that it could happen, but Neil was even more on point this time than last. He still had the enthusiasm of playing in a new market, but now he was more comfortable with the crowd, vibe and venue. He was finely tuned in every aspect and put together three hours of some of the highest quality dance music played anywhere in the world.
We’re extremely proud to have jump started what seems to be a loyal and extremely up for it following for Neil Quigley in this city. Combined with Jeff Button, the hottest new local DJ in Toronto right now, Quiggers has provided two of the most successful btb bookings of EXPOSED so far. He’s become a “can’t miss” event, so if you didn’t make it to either of the first two, don’t miss the next one, I’m sure he will be even better whenever it goes down.
Look for the set coming soon after Neil’s Kiss mix is aired on John Digweed’s radio show next month. He can’t let out all the secret gems at once.
When you think of Montreal what do you think of? Do you think of the European feel that electrifies the streets of old Montreal? How about shopping or the patios in the summer? Or maybe you think of how damn cold it gets in the winter?! I think of all of those things but it’s always been the nightlife that has drawn me to the city.
I used to party in Montreal when I was still very new to this scene. Actually my first party ever was in an old warehouse in Laval. That night opened up my eyes to a scene that I can never turn back on now.
I haven’t been to Montreal in a few years but I still look back on those weekends as times that helped shape my love for this music. It was those weekends where I’d jump in the car with my friends for the six hour drive ‘cause we knew once we got there the party was going to be worth the ride. It’s those parties where the music pumped just a little harder and the clubs were just a little dirtier. That excited everyone I was with. The whole scene just felt a different compared to what was going on in Toronto.
As with every city that hosts a great nightlife, there are changes that take place. New faces appear, new DJ’s grace the decks and nightclubs come and go. But there is one place that has been able to endure all these changes, the world renowned Stereo nightclub. This is where Maher Daniel got his first big shot about two years ago.
After returning back to Montreal from Dubai to go to university, Maher quickly became involved in the scene. Having been taught the basics from his older brother back in Dubai, he used what he had learned to start DJing and producing. He created a mix that fell into the right hands and that’s when he was offered the chance to open up for one of the UK’s greatest DJs, Lee Burridge.
After that night things have only gotten better for Maher. He frequently opens and closes Stereo for top talents such as Desyn Masiello, Paolo Mojo and Harem Records’ Sultan.
Maher is the A & R for Harem Records where he often co-produces tracks with the production duo of Sultan and Ned Shepard. Their first production, Itajia Vibes, was released last year under Sick Watona and it has been a huge success.
As Maher’s tracks start to travel across borders so has his demand. Maher’s upcoming gigs include Nectar in Cancun Mexico and at Montreal’s Tribe Hyperclub where he will open for another UK great, Nic Fancuilli.
Before this mix I didn’t know who Maher was or what his music was like. After giving his In Demand a good few listens, I knew I loved his style! For this set he reaches into his ‘housier’ side to give us a compilation full of soft vocal tracks, edgy beats and looping baselines. It’s a mix that definitely grew on me the more I played it, so keep this one on repeat!
The fact I’m writing this review in mid January is a sign of how extremely busy ‘07 was and ‘08 will seemingly be. bringthebeats has never had so much going on and I don’t think we’ve had a year as motivating, exciting or challenging. Of course it all took place in the never ending quest for good times. Here’s what went down in our underground in 2007. (more…)
If there was one guy that could brave the Canadian cold and put on a show despite a blizzard, NYE hangover or any other January blahs excuse, it’s Eli Wilkie. And of course B.C. is always the perfect wingman. These two complete madmen put on a show for the EXPOSED hardcore with some kick ass comedy house.
It was a pretty interesting mix of people on the floor for this event. Many thanks to the bringthebeats following that came out to support. Our promotions group and of course our good friends Eli and Brad Copeland definitely appreciated the kick ass energy you all brought to the night.
I’d say the craziest aspect of the party had to be the girl on stage left. People on the stage have been a dilemma throughout our first six months, and to tell you the truth, we’d rather people not be up near the booth.
But this girl, who I’m sure you can all point out in the pics, was so over the top that we had to let her continue to do her thing. I’ll leave it at that because you really had to be there to believe what she was up to, but I will give her props for some absolutely uninhibited, funky ass moves.
Brad played a more up tempo opener than his December gig with Naveen G. He’s just so freaking versatile. Brad can play in any roll, across so many genres and make it flow like no other. Dude is awesome, no question.
In many senses, Eli was the night. His relentless enthusiasm and appreciation for being behind the decks was super satisfying for our team. He rocked it out especially hard for the EXPOSED faithful, but maintained his signature, light-hearted sound. Eli has serious skills, but his sets are far from that. How injected pure fun into the night was most refreshing for us.
Gabriel’s passion for creating music really blossomed after meeting Jorge and Beto, who are his partners in Somnus Corp. Their productions have created a constantly growing and successful discography.
Last year we saw the release of a new label whose vision is to showcase the very best house music this genre has to offer. If you have been out of the loop for the past six months the label I’m taking about is 
Ever since I first interviewed Alex Fish of 
The only person who I knew that could possibly get a club for a CiTRiC party was DJ Que, who Alex put me in contact with when I first got to Japan. When Que finally pulled through with a decent venue I was so excited. I now had a wicked party to promote for my birthday.
Though we did our best to stick to this policy, we decided to bend our own rules after 
I used to party in Montreal when I was still very new to this scene. Actually my first party ever was in an old warehouse in Laval. That night opened up my eyes to a scene that I can never turn back on now.
It was a pretty interesting mix of people on the floor for this event. Many thanks to the bringthebeats following that came out to support. Our promotions group and of course our good friends Eli and Brad Copeland definitely appreciated the kick ass energy you all brought to the night.
