Paradise Opening Party

Spain

Amnesia

If you’re looking for the best underground house and techno sounds, this party is the one for you. Jamie Jones and crew never fail to disappoint and have been smashing it out of the water ever since the creation of Paradise in 2012.



Paradise was born as a spin-off party by Welsh DJ and producer Jamie Jones after his longstanding Circoloco residency.After eight years at DC-10, it’s now time for Jamie Jones and the rest of the Paradise crew to take over the most famous terrace in Ibiza. Amnesia will host Paradise for 16 Wednesdays throughout the summer of 2022, with the first being on June 22nd.



This year the theme is “The Age of Love” a celebration of 10 years of Jamie Jones’ label Hot Creations. It’s a well-known fact that this summer's Paradise residency is teeing up to be the best yet and they’re leaving no detail unnoticed. The Paradise team are fully in control of the artistic direction and have re-imagined the main room as The Music Box and added a chill-out area called Pharaoh’s Garden.



The opening party lineup for Paradise is second to none. Headed up by Jamie Jones and joined by house and techno favorites Joseph Capriati, Hot Since 82, Richy Ahmed, Yulia Niko, Alan Fitzpatrick, Archie Hamilton, East End Dubs, Oden & Fatzo (live), and Manda Moor.



The Terrace:



Hot Creations label boss, DJ, and producer Jamie Jones will be headlining the terrace for the opening party. His distinct sound has propelled him to fame and popularity and you can be assured that the terrace will be a roadblock on the 22nd.







Italian DJ and producer Joseph Capriati started behind the decks at just 11 years old, and quickly became popular in his hometown, playing his first proper gig in 2007. He is a techno master and a staple on the global festival and club scene.







Daley Paadley, aka Hot Since 82, is a DJ and producer from the UK, who has been on the electronic music scene since 2012. A DJ Awards winner as well as Electronic Music Awards nominee, Hot Since 82 shows no sign of slowing down.







Richy Ahmed has musical influences from disco, funk, techno, and hip hop and has inspired a new wave of British DJs and producers over the past 15 years of his career. An original resident of Paradise at DC10, Richy Ahmed will be bringing his unique sound to the new era of Paradise in 2022.







Born and raised in the south of Russia, but now living in Berlin, Yulia Niko is a top techno selector, swaying towards more minimal sounds heavily influenced by Detroit and Chicago house.







The Music Box:



British-born Alan Fitzpatrick has been at the forefront of the underground scene since his breakthrough in the early 2000’s, releasing music that keeps dance floors packed across the world. 







Producer, DJ, and label owner Archie Hamilton has spent over 10 years rising through the ranks of the underground house and techno scene. No stranger to the White Isle, Hamilton has played iconic parties such as Circoloco and Music On, as well as Amnesia’s opening party this year.







Not only a master producer and DJ, East End Dubs runs his own label as well as engineers for plenty of other artists and record labels. The London producer has made a name for himself with deep and dark house sounds, inspired by London’s underground scene.







Oden & Fatzo are a French electronic music trio who always perform their disco-laden sets live, building tracks element by element.







Danish-Filipino DJ and producer Manda Moor swings perfectly between house and techno and has had releases on globally known labels such as Hot Creations, Tamango, and Afro Acid.







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

Russia

Yulia Niko

Paradise

OCHO Episode 2

Yulia Niko is a Russian-born DJ and producer of melodic-minimal techno— a style she imagined into existence that incorporates steady beats, precise layering, and the occasional breathy, other-worldly vocal. She is a current resident of Watergate in 

, which is where she technically lives, but her talents have her traveling the world more often than she is at home. 

Berghain

Berghain's story begins long before opening its doors in 2004. Understanding its deep ties with Berlin's unique history is perhaps the key to understanding the reverence that the club itself inspires. 

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 gave birth to a quasi-anarchic society. A product of political disorder and a cherished ideal of freedom, best represented by the vibrant nightlife community that swiftly emerged. 

Techno music was political, disestablishmentarian, and usually illegal, yet universally accessible through abandoned corporate buildings and warehouses. 

This was the tableau in which club promoters Michael Teufele and Norbert Thormann rose to fame. In the late 90s, they ran Snax, an infamous male-only fetish night with the tagline "for pervy men only," operating from various locations around Berlin as was typical of the city's underground nightlife scene. 

In 1998 the duo was offered a permanent location in Friedrichshain, formerly East Berlin. Once a train repair depot, the industrial lot gave way to Ostgut. Though Snax parties continued to run on the side, Ostgut was an inclusive space for men and women of any sexuality. A few years into its career, the club expanded, somewhat embodying the future Berghain blueprint. 

Rampant hedonism found a home in the club's dark nooks and crannies. Local talent was platformed, and DJs like Galluzzi and Dettmann began to build their careers. A new, upper section was opened to cater to house music fans, while another space dedicated solely to the sexual activities of gay men opened in the same club. Named Panorama Bar and Lab.oratory, respectively,  these spaces still exist in Berghain.  

Yet, Berghain, as it exists today, was not physically in Ostgut's original location. Forced to give way to government construction projects, Ostgut closed its doors in 2003 with a party that revelers speak of to this day. Teufele and Thormann eventually established new roots in a disused power plant. They named the new club Berghain, a nod to the two districts the club sits between, Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. 

In 2004, the club opened, commencing with the Panorama Bar and eventually expanding into the space it is known as today. The club's launch came at a crucial time for Berlin's techno scene: the early noughties saw many of Berlin's clubs closing their doors and attendance to the Love Parade, a notorious annual street techno festival, dwindling until it was eventually canceled in 2004 and 2005. Berghain's opening thus reignited the city's excitement for techno, recreating the adventure and anarchy of the 90s. 



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Sven Marquardt is a living, breathing constant throughout the club's history and undoubtedly its future. Becoming entrenched in Berlin's gay punk scene at an early age, the bouncer started working for Teufele and Thormann's Snax nights in the 90s and today mans the doors of Berghain. 

The heavily-tattooed man has become a living legend as a gatekeeper to Berghain. Yet, neither bouncer nor gatekeeper aptly describes his role. He is most accurately a selector and perhaps the most difficult to impress in the world. Countless guides to getting past his scrutiny exist: wear black, come alone, speak German.

Marquardt denies a formulaic approach, instead suggesting that he attempts to create contrasts and excitement within the club's walls through the people he picks. 



Though the club intends to establish a place of expression and freedom for all, the door selection process gets heavily criticized for its unscripted subjectivity that leaves space for discrimination. The club came under public scrutiny in 2015 when Black DJ and producer, Felix Da Housecat, took to Twitter to complain of racism within the door selection process. 

The story is not a one-off and potentially mirrors Berlin's issues with racism and unintegrated migrant communities. Yet, as pressure on the club's policy mounts, so does its cultish aura of protection. One woman of color, who wished to remain anonymous, warns me of those who view Berghain as their "church." 

Photo Credit: Stefan Hoederath/Getty Images



This is not to write the club itself off as a playground for the privileged: the vast majority speak of the institution as a surviving slice of Berlin's early anarchy and a meaningful place of expression. 

Oliver, 49, has been attending the club for 15 years. He tells me he would head to this "most hedonistic spot on earth" as an antidote to spending grueling days working in the world's most conservative societies. He speaks passionately about the club:

"One of the definitions of happiness can be that moment on a Sunday morning, sometime between nine o'clock and midday, when you are standing at the bar with all hell breaking loose and the blinds open and the light shines on the vampire's faces."

A surprising number of Berliners claim to have met their partners amidst the club's dark corners, reinforcing the idea that its hedonism still holds the same depths as its history. 

Post-lockdown, Berghain temporarily became an art exhibition. The club's reopening is almost symbolic of the return to freedom in its most liberated form. When doors finally reopened, hopeful revelers reportedly queued for up to eight hours only to be largely turned away. Berghain will weather many a storm as a powerful legacy of Berlin's nightlife. Let us hope it can continue to live up to its ideals of freedom and diversity as it attracts an ever greater crowd. 

Words by: Kiran Armanasco

Niko grew up in the south of Russia, in a small town called Anapa right on the Black Sea. Anapa is known for palm trees and sandy beaches, unlike the cold and snow that usually springs to mind when one thinks of Russia. Niko feels blessed to have grown up in this sunny tourist town and feels it's part of the reason she's so drawn to the beaches of Tulum. 

She fell in love with techno music when she went to the clubs for the first time at 14 years old. Although the music scene was small, lacking in age restrictions, and she couldn't name the DJs who played, she instantly connected with the music. 

She played her first gig at 15 years old in neighboring Sochi. Her parents were surprisingly supportive of her burgeoning music career. They preferred she spend her time at clubs playing vinyl than at random boy's houses alone with the potential to drink vodka. Despite their support, Niko felt the need to sneak away to Moscow when she was booked to play at Russia's biggest club. 

Yulia Niko - Live From Berlin

Yulia Niko - Live From Berlin

Special techno set on the boat during an incredible sunset featuring the premiere of my brand new Mozza EP out now on Mood Records.
http://lnk.to/MOOD070

Video by Emin Marht & Bruno Jubin

"When I was sixteen, I went for the first time to a gig in Moscow," she explains, "I was lying to my parents that I was going to sleep at a friend's in the next house and then I took a flight and played and after a couple of days I come back and I thought, I can't lie. And I told my mom, and my parents were like, 'What?? You went alone? You're sixteen!' And I was like, 'Yes, and I was playing at the best club in Russia!' And then my parents just accepted that I was impossible to stop. I was unstoppable."

Ukraine

Korolova

Korolova, real name Olga Korolova, finally feels connected to her music. Her lilting and emotional melodic techno represents a full-circle moment for the Ukrainian DJ and producer. 



She first fell in love with dance music while watching Gabriel & Dresden in 2003. And while she's spent much of her career in EDM, she's held her connection to the soaring melodies she heard that night close to her heart. She's spent the last year reinventing herself, and she feels at home at last.

“I’ve never been a very big fan of pop music,” she says. “Before I listened to Korn and very hard music. Or British rock and old music, like Bob Marley.” But when she watched Gabriel & Dresden perform something woke up in her. She knew that she wanted to give others the same feeling.

Korolova immediately took to DJing. And she pivoted from a degree in mathematics to music, much to the dismay of her parents. Although her mom encouraged her to take music lessons as a child - a tradition she's continued with her daughter -  her parents weren’t convinced DJing was a realistic career choice. “My parents started thinking that maybe you need to change your way and try to something else. They were worried. You can be a good music player, but my parents were not thinking about this as a good profession.”

She eventually found herself traveling the world as an EDM DJ under the name DJ Da Queen. She was living her dream of being on stage, but her heart was somewhere else. She says, “I was not very big fan of that style, actually. For me it’s too much hard bass. It’s why I wasn’t a very good producer of this music. I’m not feeling that.” 

Korolova was grateful for her success, yet she struggled to find her voice. That changed when she traveled to Mexico to perform at Daydream Festival in 2017. She was booked to play the main stage with Yellow Claw, Oliver Heldens, Afrojack, and a host of other massive EDM heavy hitters. After her set, she ended up at a stage that resonated with her deeply. As she marveled at music from Claptone, Boris Breja, and Kölsch she turned to her manager (husband) and said, “Andrew, we need we need to do something in this way for sure. This is music for my soul.”

She started to work on techno as a side project in 2016 and still accepted gigs to play EDM. “Every time I wanted to start something my company would say ‘Olga you don’t have time, you have a lot of gigs.’ It was very hard for me.” That is until COVID hit. With no bookings, nothing was holding her back anymore. “It was time for me! I was very happy that we had time for my project Korolova. And it’s worked!” 

Korolova has found her heart song. Her keen attention to melody is something she’s wanted to share since she first heard Gabriel & Dresden nearly 20 years ago. She’s now remixed Tube & Berger, released a collaboration with Jan Blomqvist on Get Physical, and has an upcoming project on Tiesto’s Musical Freedom. It’s a remarkable moment for her because Tiesto’s trance classics are such an integral part of her musical DNA.

She’s leaned into the beauty of her music with a series of YouTube videos recorded against breathtaking backdrops. They’re almost like personal Cercle events complete with drone shots of fantastic locations like Love Valley in Turkey, an ancient castle in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine, and the Farsh Café on the cliffs of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

It’s a fascinating way to connect with her audience. And while the experience has been gratifying she admits, “It's a little bit sometimes complicated. Especially one of them in [a] frozen lake.” She imagined recording from a place many could only dream of. Especially her family in Portugal who has never seen snow before. However, she says, “It was very hard because it was minus 10. Can you imagine?” And her set from Egypt was another extreme, “And the last set was another situation, it was plus 35. It was so so hot!” 

This intimate way of connecting with her audience is a nod to her preference for small rooms. Festival stages are too detached. She says, “I love to see the people. I love to see that reaction. They bring me energy and I'm bringing it back.” She goes on to explain how she needs to feel the warm energy of a smaller venue. “I prefer [a] small place when you can touch, you can feel each other.” 

With her sound solidified, and her direction sure Korolova is eager to take on the future with a renewed sense of purpose. She finally feels heard, “My whole team, now understands what I tried to tell them [for] 10 years. It’s not just [a] project. It’s music.”

Since starting to make music, Niko's process and style have changed completely. Her early influences included 

Gui Boratto, and German techno DJ, Stephan Bodzin. She developed a taste for house music through 

 and Erick Morillo as she started to travel. She credits Luciano as her number one influence. He's even inspired how she performs and moves around the stage. 



The term "Slap House" is currently one of the hottest sub-genres on the dance music scene, but how did it come to be? 

"I actually first heard it called 'Brazilian Bass.' Slap house as a term came to me way later", explains Tribbs a rising slap house artist. Alok, the well-known Brazilian DJ claims that he invented the sound called Brazilian Bass around the mid-2010s, but in late 2016 there is evidence that this morphed into the sound we recognize as slap house. The new characteristic sonic palette first appeared on Alok's remix of "That's My Way" by Edi Rock and Seu Jorge, followed quickly by his single "All I Want" with Liu & Stonefox. Since then, the term Brazilian Bass has gradually become synonymous with Slap House. 

Compared to this new sound, pre-2016 Brazilian Bass featured a similar, attack-heavy bass tone, but was more obviously synthesizer-based, with a less-swung rhythm, and placed greater emphasis on varied and exciting bass tones and sound design, usually with multiple basses playing in an interlocking pattern. 

By contrast, Alok's single "All I Want" features only one bass sound in the main chorus section, a sample-based tone that has the sonic quality of being somewhere between a synthesizer and an organic source such as a real bass guitar. This sound was most likely created by layering two or more sounds together, and then rendered and played back as a one-shot sound, pitch-shifted to the different bass notes via some form of sampler software.

Shortly after this slight change of sound, Alok had a big hit with the track  "Hear Me Now." It's a mellow acoustic-guitar-driven track that features a classic (yet restrained) slap house bass sound in the chorus. The success of that track would probably have brought international attention to the rest of his catalog too.

In early 2017 —likely inspired by Alok's new sound—Lithuanian DJs Lucky Luke and Dynoro began regular releases on the dance label Lithuania HQ. They dubbed their sound Lithuanian house but the parallels to slap house were clear. 

"When everybody in Brazil was soooo over Brazilian Bass, it blew up in Europe," says TRIBBS. 

The earliest European example, Lucky Luke's track "NTFL"  features a typical slap bass drop, among other details that would become de-rigueur for the sub-genre: a triplet-based fill leading into the drop, and something very similar to a deep legato Reese bass (commonly used in D&B) in the verses.

Shortly after "NTFL," Dynoro released his third official single, the global smash hit, "In My Mind." The cover version of Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl's hit of the same name has all the clichéd elements of slap house. And an interpolation of Gigi D'Agostino's 1999 song "I'll Fly With You."

Slap house values simplicity in the drums. A basic deep house pattern in the chorus and little to none in the verses. Add high-pitched lead counter melody in the chorus, and some heavily affected, synthetic sounding vocals with FX swells between sections, and you have a slap house hit.

In 2018, Berlin-based DJ and production duo Vize released the next notable hit of the genre on Kontor Records, "Glad You Came." It was based on the chorus of a 2011 single of the same name by British boyband The Wanted. 

"The first time I heard the term slap house was from Vize. I know this type of sound was very popular in Lithuania and Russia already by then," says Y3LLO KOALA, one half of the duo Sondr and co-producer of Vize's "Kids."

Vize followed up in 2019 with "Stars", and together these two tracks brought enough attention to popularise the name that Vize had given their genre. "Vize Presents Slap House," is the name of their official Spotify playlist, which no doubt introduced many to the sound of the sub-genre.

While Vize was blowing up across Europe, 17-year-old producer Imanbek was working in his bedroom in Khazakstan, on an old Windows laptop, cheap earbuds, a copy of FL Studio, and a few classic sample packs from Vengeance and KSHMR. With this simple setup, in less than two hours, he created a global hit. His ubiquitous remix of SAINt JHN's "Roses."

First released as a bootleg on Soundcloud in early 2019, the track quickly gained attention and an official release on Russian label Effective Records. It eventually found its way to Sony Music and commercial radio.

Although the track doesn't feature many of the stereotypical slap house tropes, it fully solidified the sound for the global charts (it peaked on the US Billboard chart at No.4 and reached No.1 in many other countries). The now-famous bass tone is present right from the intro of the song, an unusual technique for a genre that prefers to save the power for the drop.

In recent years big-name DJs like Tiesto, R3HAB, Afrojack, and Robin Schultz have capitalized on the trend while up and coming producers like Hvme, Twocolors, Vinai, and Yves V have broken through by riding the wave.

As each new sound reaches and passes the point of saturation, its creators must keep pushing the boundaries to keep it fresh and interesting. Producers remain hopeful that the sound can adapt to market pressures. 

Y3LLO KOALA muses, "For me it’s got the same energy and power as classic EDM. It’s like the modern EDM right now. The BPM and rhythm lends itself well to both rock and hip-hop, so I’d expect to see some experimentation in these areas. The new Ed Sheeran song "Bad Habits" essentially has a pop slap house drop, so it’s coming into all areas."

Tribbs believes the sound has plenty of places to morph and evolve. "I can see two trends, one of them being back to old 90s UK garage style with some slap house flavours, and the other one will be the dark side of house with just a few slap house elements, and still very car-friendly."

In 2021 we haven't seen much slowdown of the trend, but industry rumblings are that the labels are busy looking for a new sound. Some label A&Rs and managers believe we're on the cusp of a revolution in dance music, that the slap house trend will soon be coming to a close and the next sound of the early 2020s will emerge. For now, this remains to be seen.







Anatomy Of A Trend: Slap House

On Saturday, October 23 Gray Area takes over Diplo’s Revolution on Sirius XM to host an eight-hour journey into the many realms of house and techno. The show pops off at 12 noon ET and thumps until 8 PM. OCHO features eight distinctive talents from the many reaches of house and techno including Luciano, Diplo, Blackchild, Tini Gessler, Vintage Culture, Will Clarke, Chelina Manuhutu, and AMÉMÉ.

OCHO marks the first time Gray Area will dive into the world of broadcasting. It exemplifies Gray Area's mission to unite the international house music community connecting the lines between its rich sub-cultures.

“Sirius XM plays an integral role in building the house music community in North America – which happens to also be Gray Area’s mission – by programming this genre of dance music on Diplo’s Revolution. We are very proud to collaborate on Ocho, a program featuring 8 hours of non-stop exclusive sets representing different sub-genres of house music played by both rising and established international artists, and look forward to other collaborative projects with our friends at Sirius XM to spread the love of house music across North America. Let there be MORE house!” says Michael Julian, founder of Seers – the dynamic venture behind Gray Area and other projects in the world of electronic music and live events.

Joey Sutera, Head of Live Entertainment adds, “We are committed to unifying house music culture around the world.”

Ocho airs on SiriusXM on Saturday, October 23, 2021. Listen here.



The Acts

Diplo

Leading the charge is global music icon, ferocious underground champion, and colorful personality Diplo. The ubiquitous and influential producer has touched every genre of music in his well-documented career. Diplo brings an expert level of curation and an encyclopedic knowledge of the culture of dance music to every set.

Luciano

Chilean-born, minimal techno kingpin Luciano has long been one of the genre’s most influential figures. His enchanting sets are informed by his Latin American heritage and always enliven the spirit.

Blackchild

Rising Italian DJ and producer Blackchild’s releases on Solid Grooves and Hot Creations have are supported by Fisher, Todd Terry, Marco Corolla, and Kenny Dope. He expertly blends the sticky funk of classic house with the low-end thump of tech house.

Tini Gessler

Relative newcomer Tini Gessler has made a sharp impact on the Spanish scene with her pumping deep tech house. She's earned vital residencies with Pacha Barcelona and Elrow. And she's flexed the legendary systems of Space and Pacha in Ibiza. Over the last year, she’s firmly asserted herself as a sought-after producer dropping records with the likes of Toolroom, Cr2, and Desert Hearts.

Vintage Culture

Vintage Culture has catapulted himself into the hearts of millions in recent years with a sound that brilliantly straddles the line between underground and mainstream. The Brazillian artist’s music has dominated dancefloors and radio with hits like “Slow Down,” “In The Dark,” and his remix with John Summit of Sofi Tukker’s “Drinkee” all streaming in the millions.



Will Clarke

Will Clarke’s move from Dirtybird Player to techno titan was a natural progression for the veteran English producer and DJ. His taste-making label All We Have Is Now bridges the gap between the nostalgia of the old-school and the intensity and weight of the new.

Chelina Manuhutu

Dutch-born Chelina Manuhutu brings with her the influence of a musical family. Her father was part of the Latin funk band Massada. Her chunky tech-house is full of stuttering percussion, brilliantly funky basslines, and the bubbling effervescence of a summer-time pool party.



AMÉMÉ 

West African-born AMÉMÉ transports his cultural heritage into all that he does. The leader of One Tribe, a global dance community, seamlessly blends compelling melody, sultry soul, and the driving rhythms of his homeland.



You can tune in to OCHO on SiriusXM here. For updates on set times, follow Gray Area on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Gray Area Partners With Diplo's Revolution for OCHO

, and once she began to produce, her hunger to play only her own tracks became insurmountable. As for collaborations, she's open. Niko likes to work with artists with an energy that can match hers. 



The CityFox Halloween Festival returns to Brooklyn's adored venue, Avant Gardner this Friday and Saturday. The long-anticipated Halloween spectacular is CityFox's first Halloween event since 2019 and promises to be their largest and most enchanting to date. The spine-chilling lineup features an array of house and techno’s top talent and most electrifying rising stars over two ghastly nights of tricks and treats.

Zurich-born, Brooklyn-based CityFox is one of the most lauded event producers in the game. Their combination of underground sensibilities and intense attention to detail is the driving force behind events that seduce the spirit and tantalize the senses. Their transformation of a gritty industrial space in East Williamsburg into the award-winning Brooklyn Mirage is a testament to their ability to build mesmerizing worlds to explore. 

Now in it its third year, the festival will undoubtedly be a feast for the senses. Combining larger-than-life deco, state-of-the-art sound, and—of course—fire for an unforgettable return to Halloween celebrations.

CityFox's reputation for expert curation is well documented. Each event always combines the best established and emerging talent for a journey through the wide breadth of dance music. This year revelers will enjoy the sounds of legendary acts like British progressive pioneer John Digweed, architects of Detroit techno Carl Craig and Kevin Saunderson, and GRAMMY Award-winning minimal techno hero Dubfire.



Cityfox Halloween Festival Tickets are almost gone, get yours now!



Also slated to perform are Drumcode mainstay and passionate advocate for social justice Ida Engberg, Billboard chart-topping Brazillian artist Vintage Culture, and Afterlife regulars Fideles, Innellea, Mathame, and Stephen Jolk. West African-born, Brooklyn-based AMEME will bring his scintillating afro-inspired electronic beats. And Cassian who mixed RÜFÜS DU SOL's albums Bloom and Solace will draw from his diverse sonic palate for a rousing set.

CityFox core artist Juston Marchaco has been teasing the live version of his emotive melodic techno via Instagram. German artist and Innervisions mainstay Recondite’s slant towards the dark and eerie will provide the perfect atmosphere for a Halloween performance. And the Copenhagen experimental pop trio WhoMadeWho will undoubtedly bring a fresh and unexpected vibe to CityFox.

CityFox Halloween promises to be a memorable and historic return to form for CityFox, an organization that has quickly become a fan favorite and an example of how to elevate the underground.

Limited tickets are still available for CityFox Halloween Festival here

Feel the Fright at CityFox Halloween Festival in New York

Yulia Niko - Octava Bogota, Colombia

More OCTAVA: https://www.facebook.com/cluboctava
More YULIA NIKO: https://soundcloud.com/yulianikomusic
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As illustrated in Mixmag’s recent feature Bogota Nights, Colombia's after-hours scene has transformed into an anarchic, cultural melting pot which is attracting some of the most exciting names in electronic music. Having explored this exciting nightlife scene, we thought it fully appropriate that we head south to get in on a piece of the action.

Mixmag and Octava Club - Bogota’s foremost nightlife destination - have partnered up to present an exciting showcase from Guti and Yulia Niko.

Topping the list of Mixmag’s 20 artists rising from the underground in 2017, Russian-born producer and DJ Yulia Niko is has held residencies at NYC’s Verboten, Heart Nightclub in Miami and is now settled down in Berlin to focus on her vinyl only label TochnoTechno. Having “sold her soul to the music devil”, Yulia Niko’s no-nonsense techno and house output is not to be trifled with.

See Guti's live set here: https://youtu.be/4VZtAjpb1wY

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YULIA NIKO house set at Octava in Bogota

Music is undeniably Niko's calling, which became abundantly clear when she quit producing for a few years to study law. She tried to do both, but playing nocturnal shows on weekends and turning up to class the following Monday became unsustainable. While separated from music, she felt its significant absence and quit her stressful job as a lawyer to return to her passion. 

"Music also makes me independent, if something happens in my life, you know like break up, or whatever… I just sit in the studio, I make music, instead of crying and make drama and overthinking. I'm just focusing on something, and music makes me happy and free."

Niko radiates positivity and hopes to spread joy to those dancing at her shows. She often holds up her hands in the shape of a heart for the crowd. Recently she has adopted a pre-show ritual where she steps into the DJ booth and envisions rays of gold light emanating from her body out into the crowd. 

Sessions with a somatic psychologist introduced this ritual to her life, and it's working well, "I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but it's working." She laughs it off, but she believes in her practice, "So before I come to play, I go to DJ booth, and sometimes I close my eyes, sometimes I'm just looking at the crowd, and I imagine a gold ray coming out of my chest and going in the people, in the crowd. … I'm feeling the energy, and the room is high. It's so high, I start to have goosebumps."

Her glowing confidence and newfound meditation practice have kept her going throughout the pandemic, while live music was hit hard. Niko feels an artist must create during difficult times and thus released 

Ambient Meditation Mix (Manifestation of Love)

As the world opens, offers for the gigs of her dreams flood her inbox. Still, many shows get canceled. So when disappointment strikes, she reminds herself of where she is now and how far she has come, and she can't help but be grateful. 

The greatest feeling comes when listeners connect with her music, "People who really understand how much you put into looking for this music, making this music and then you share this music, and you share this message, and they say to you, 'You changed my life,' and its priceless. I'm so addicted to that."

Gray Area Spotlight: Yulia Niko

Yulia Niko is a Russian-born DJ and producer of melodic-minimal techno— a style she imagined into existence that incorporates steady beats, precise layering, and the occasional breathy, other-worldly vocal. She is a current resident of Watergate in Berlin, which is where she technically lives, but her talents have her traveling the world more often than she is at home. 

Read the full Spotlight: https://grayarea.co/artists/yulia-niko

▪️Follow Yulia Niko▪️
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yulianiko/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/julianikomusic
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/yulianikomusic
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3RUNl0j2ISAQdC2Fxhj2q3?si=ZVJUO7pQQsS5nUYWzsvMCA
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/yulianikomusic
Beatport - https://www.beatport.com/artist/yulia-niko/564470

Connect with Gray Area:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/entergrayarea/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/enterGrayArea
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/entergrayarea
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@entergrayarea
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3nGJIfQ
Website - https://grayarea.co

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:25 - Describing her sound
01:00 - Growing up in Russia
01:55 - First getting into dance music
03:48 - Her supportive parents
04:44 - Early influences in music
06:10 - What she wants people to feel from her music
07:13 - How her production process has changed
08:48 - How the pandemic affected her career
11:27 - Live performance rituals
14:19 - Going to law school
16:33 - Artists she wants to work with
18:28 - Favorite place in the world to play
19:53 - Tour/album plans
20:35 - Favorite track of 2021
21:10 - Speed round

#grayarea #yulianiko #housemusic

Gray Area Interview: Yulia Niko

Yulia Niko is a Russian-born DJ and producer of melodic-minimal techno— a style she imagined into existence that incorporates steady beats, precise layering, and the occasional breathy, other-worldly vocal. She is a current resident of Watergate in Berlin, which is where she technically lives, but her talents have her traveling the world more often than she is at home. 

Niko grew up in the south of Russia, in a small town called Anapa right on the Black Sea. Anapa is known for palm trees and sandy beaches, unlike the cold and snow that usually springs to mind when one thinks of Russia. Niko feels blessed to have grown up in this sunny tourist town and feels it's part of the reason she's so drawn to the beaches of Tulum. 

She fell in love with techno music when she went to the clubs for the first time at 14 years old. Although the music scene was small, lacking in age restrictions, and she couldn't name the DJs who played, she instantly connected with the music. 

She played her first gig at 15 years old in neighboring Sochi. Her parents were surprisingly supportive of her burgeoning music career. They preferred she spend her time at clubs playing vinyl than at random boy's houses alone with the potential to drink vodka. Despite their support, Niko felt the need to sneak away to Moscow when she was booked to play at Russia's biggest club. 

"When I was sixteen, I went for the first time to a gig in Moscow," she explains, "I was lying to my parents that I was going to sleep at a friend's in the next house and then I took a flight and played and after a couple of days I come back and I thought, I can't lie. And I told my mom, and my parents were like, 'What?? You went alone? You're sixteen!' And I was like, 'Yes, and I was playing at the best club in Russia!' And then my parents just accepted that I was impossible to stop. I was unstoppable."







Since starting to make music, Niko's process and style have changed completely. Her early influences included Brazilian electronic producer Gui Boratto, and German techno DJ, Stephan Bodzin. She developed a taste for house music through Luciano and Erick Morillo as she started to travel. She credits Luciano as her number one influence. He's even inspired how she performs and moves around the stage. 

She studied music production in New York, and once she began to produce, her hunger to play only her own tracks became insurmountable. As for collaborations, she's open. Niko likes to work with artists with an energy that can match hers. 

Music is undeniably Niko's calling, which became abundantly clear when she quit producing for a few years to study law. She tried to do both, but playing nocturnal shows on weekends and turning up to class the following Monday became unsustainable. While separated from music, she felt its significant absence and quit her stressful job as a lawyer to return to her passion. 

"Music also makes me independent, if something happens in my life, you know like break up, or whatever… I just sit in the studio, I make music, instead of crying and make drama and overthinking. I'm just focusing on something, and music makes me happy and free."

Niko radiates positivity and hopes to spread joy to those dancing at her shows. She often holds up her hands in the shape of a heart for the crowd. Recently she has adopted a pre-show ritual where she steps into the DJ booth and envisions rays of gold light emanating from her body out into the crowd. 

Sessions with a somatic psychologist introduced this ritual to her life, and it's working well, "I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but it's working." She laughs it off, but she believes in her practice, "So before I come to play, I go to DJ booth, and sometimes I close my eyes, sometimes I'm just looking at the crowd, and I imagine a gold ray coming out of my chest and going in the people, in the crowd. … I'm feeling the energy, and the room is high. It's so high, I start to have goosebumps."

Her glowing confidence and newfound meditation practice have kept her going throughout the pandemic, while live music was hit hard. Niko feels an artist must create during difficult times and thus released Ambient Meditation Mix (Manifestation of Love). 

As the world opens, offers for the gigs of her dreams flood her inbox. Still, many shows get canceled. So when disappointment strikes, she reminds herself of where she is now and how far she has come, and she can't help but be grateful. 

The greatest feeling comes when listeners connect with her music, "People who really understand how much you put into looking for this music, making this music and then you share this music, and you share this message, and they say to you, 'You changed my life,' and its priceless. I'm so addicted to that."





Yulia Niko

Articles

Tiffany Bennett

Alexander Dias