In October, Gray Area launched OCHO, an eight-hour journey through the global sounds of modern house and techno. In partnership with Diplo's Revolution and Sirius XM, listeners expanded their sonic palates with a day of diverse music and fresh beats. On December 11, 2021, OCHO returns to the airwaves with a new lineup featuring Dennis Ferrer, Yulia Niko, Gioliì & Assia, Dennis Cruz, John Summit, Dombresky, Archie Hamilton, and Arielle Free.

The lineup of innovative and forward-thinking artists is another shining example of Gray Area's mission to unite the international house music community and draw lines between its rich sub-cultures and sub-genres.

Dennis Ferrer

New York-born house music legend Dennis Ferrer heads the lineup. Ferrer established his footprint in the 90s as part of the early New York techno and gospel house scene. The genre-defining producer has throughout the years continued to push the envelope with a wide-spanning output that includes hits like "Hey Hey," "Sinfonia Della Notte," and "Whisper" with Disciples and James Yuill.

Follow Dennis Ferrer on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Yulia Niko

Yulia Niko's worldly sound is likely a result of her travels. The Russian-born artist discovered dance music in Sochi, wrote her breakthrough music in Greece and New York, and finally settled in Berlin, where she became a resident of the iconic Watergate nightclub. Her Detroit-inspired deep minimal tech has received acclaim from Jamie Jones and Lee Foss and earned her releases on Get Physical, Crosstown Rebels, and Objektivity.

Follow Yulia Niko on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud



Tune in to Gray Area OCHO on December 11, 2021



Giolí & Assia

Multi-hyphenate's Gioli & Assia combine their deep-seated background in live instrumentation and traditional music for a lush, passionate melodic experience like no other. What started as a manager/ client relationship has grown into a creative partnership that has developed beyond their imagination. Assia's lilting vocals float over the top of scintillating sonics that exemplify the lengths to which techno can be pushed.

Follow Giolì & Assia on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Dennis Cruz

Dennis Cruz is a singular force in house and techno. By the time the Spanish DJ and producer was 17, he'd already been in the studio with hip hop artists and rock bands crafting hits. However, he found a home in dance music weaving together thumping basslines, Latin-tinged beats, and a wide array of musical influences. Named the Beatport Most Charted Artist of 2016, his music draws support from icons like Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Roger Sanchez, and Marco Carola.

Follow Dennis Cruz on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud



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John Summit

John Summit has been on a two-year tear, dropping hit record after record and dominating the festival circuit. Incredibly, the Chicago-based DJ broke through amid the pandemic with "Deep End" on Defected—the longest-running Beatport #1 of 2020. He has since collaborated with everyone from Gorgon City to Sofi Tukker and has seen releases on the industry's most lauded labels.

Follow John Summit on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Dombresky

Dombresky has established himself as a dynamic purveyor of classy, uplifting, vocal-driven house music. The French-born, LA-based artist has dominated the Spotify playlists and festival stages in 2020 with landmark performances at Lollapalooza and EDC Vegas. And future classic releases on Insomniac, Armada, and Toolroom.

Follow Dombresky on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud







Archie Hamilton

In 2019 Archie Hamilton released his debut album Archive Fiction, a milestone and breakthrough moment for the producer who'd already spent years grinding and building his two record labels, Moscow Records and Moss Co., from the ground up. His rough and tumble basslines and floating synth work were the first signal that a new brand of European house music maestro was taking over the game.

Follow Archie Hamilton on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Arielle Free

BBC Radio 1 presenter, producer, and DJ Arielle Free has risen to be an influential tastemaker in dance music. Often referred to as Scotland's answer to Annie Mac, she's diligently spent years creating her own space in dance music. Aside from being the daytime ambassador for Radio 1's iconic dance programming, her career as a DJ exploded in 2020 with performances at Printworks, Parklife, Glastonbury, and Creamfields.

Follow Arielle Free on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud



Tune in to Gray Area Presents OCHO on December 11 from 12 PM to 8 PM ET.







Gray Area OCHO Returns to Diplo's Revolution in December

Long before the Bronx-native producer Dennis Ferrer was Dennis Ferrer, he was “Morph,” a techno producer putting out records in the mid-90s. During this time, he was also finding success through Afro and gospel house releases on his Sfere label which he co-founded with his buddy Kerry Chandler. Fast forward a few years, and Dennis Ferrer was abruptly sprung back into the house music scene right when the world most needed him. He came back stronger and more popular than ever before.

Ferrer has a pretty hefty roster of hits he has put out over the years, many of which have become house anthems. The producer has been performing at shows and festivals around the world for nearly the last two decades.

 with THE FUNKTION HOUSE, Ferrer reveals that his interest in music really sparked in the early 80s when his next door neighbor had inherited some turntables. His neighbor started bringing in records and Ferrer would come  over and try to learn and battle him on the decks. “You weren’t just a hip hop DJ, you played everything, you know, you played from Chicago house to hip hop to slow jams,” said Dennis of the block parties in New York.

Ferrer shares how he’s been all around the genre sphere over the years weaving in and out of playing certain genres - from hip hop to techy back to hip hop to house. When asked which hit of his took his career to the next level, Dennis responds with “Everybody likes to point to ‘Hey Hey’ but ‘Hey Hey’ was the commercial success and that I shied away from... It was an underground soulful house record when it first came out, it just started speeding out… I licensed it to Defected and Defected took it and ran with it, now it’s not a bad thing – It’s one of my biggest records if not 

 biggest record, I can’t lie, but it doesn’t define who I am.” (


Ferrer is not just a producer, but a true artist. He says one of the most valuable lessons he learned from his friend Kerry Chandler is if you’re going to do something, do it right (

 with THE FUNKTION HOUSE). With this in mind, he has practically perfected the craft of jumping genre to genre and maintaining the integrity of his artistry along the way.

Dennis Ferrer

Articles

Alexander Dias