Name: ANTS Opening Party
Start: 2022-05-07T15:00:00.000+02:00
End: 2022-05-08T10:00:00.000+02:00

Fisher Opening Party 2023

Spain

Hï Ibiza

The time has come to once again Follow the Fish to Hï Ibiza.

The opening parties are coming through thick and fast, and on Wednesday June 7, we're hitting the dance floors once again and kicking off yet another Ibiza summer residency.



Australian chart-topping DJ and tech-house producer Fisher is back for another season of his electrifying residency at Playa d'en Bossa's superclub, Hï Ibiza.

Get your dancing shoes on, because Fisher is taking over the Theatre room every Wednesday from June 7 to September 27 2023, with the Club room being hosted by Brazillian DJ sensation Vintage Culture.



The Grammy-nominated DJ is no stranger to the decks at Hï Ibiza. He first made his mark on the island as part of Camelphat’s Bodyworks even in 2019 and followed on by having his own groundbreaking residency at the same club in 2022.



If the summer of lineups and special guests are anything to go by, there’s no slowing down for Fisher in 2023. The opening party is most definitely setting the standard, with Fatboy Slim and Little Fritter entertaining the Theatre and Joris Voorn in the Club, as well as a B2B set from Ashibah and Viot.

Hï Ibiza is the ultimate destination for clubbers seeking a futuristic and innovative nightlife experience. As the World's Number 1 Club in 2023 (for the 2nd year running), Hï sets the standard for cutting-edge design, top-class sound technology, and world-class resident DJs.



There’s no mid-week slump if you’re in Ibiza! Let’s dive into the line up:

The Theatre

Before becoming the globally renowned DJ and producer we all know and love, Australian-born Paul Nicholas Fisher was a pro surfer in the World Qualifying Series. Since his debut single "Ya Kidding" in 2017, Fisher has skyrocketed to fame, earning a Grammy nomination for "Losing It" in 2018 and headlining multiple events across the globe. His residency at Hï Ibiza is a testament to his passion for music and his dedication to giving fans an unforgettable experience.



Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, is a Grammy and Brit Award-winning DJ and producer with a career spanning over four decades. As one of the world's most beloved DJs, he has expertly built a loyal following while continuously attracting new fans. He most certainly plays for the party and has an enthusiasm like no other.



Starting off as a DJ and promoter on the Gold Coast of Australia, Little Fritter's infectious personality has spread across dance floors around the world. 2019 was the first year that Little Fritter teamed up with long-time friend Fisher, playing shows together worldwide, and in 2022 he continued his run. Now back for 2023, let’s see what he brings to the table.

Main Room

Sharing the residency spotlight with Fisher for the summer of 2023 is Lukas Rafael Ruiz Hespanhol, aka Vintage Culture. This Brazilian DJ and producer has been making waves with his remix of Shouse's "Love Tonight" and his festival series, Só Track Boa. Vintage Culture's unique sound and high-energy performances have earned him a dedicated fanbase, and his presence at Hï Ibiza will undoubtedly fill the room from front to back.



Dutch DJ and producer Joris Voorn has been devoted to house and techno music since 1997. Ibiza has always played a huge part in Voorn’s summer touring schedule, from playing We Love… at Space on Sundays back in the day to more recent La Familia nights at Ushuaia with Nic Fancuilli. He has also held residencies at ANTS and elrow, so is definitely no stranger to an Ibiza crowd.



Self-taught DJ, producer and vocalist Ashibah knew that she wanted a career in the music industry from a very young age. Her reputation was built on the Copenhagen club scene before she started playing stages across the world. With releases on Defected Records, D4DNCE, REALM Records, Nothing Else Matters, and Armada - there’s no stopping this one from reaching the top.

Playing a B2B set with Ashibah is Brazillian DJ and producer Viot. Taking his influences from house, techno, disco and hip-hop, he is able to create a perfect blend that keeps dance floors packed.

“House has always been interesting, and it’s always so self-referential,” says DJ/producer Mathias Tanzmann. In his chat with Gray Area, the Moon Harbour Recordings label head mused on the ebb and flow of house music’s sounds over the past few years. 



“It sounds like the ’80s again, then it sounds like a 909 rave sound, and now with the very melodic stuff, it’s really difficult to say… I don’t even know where house is right now,” Tanzmann ponders—not that being undefinable is a bad thing.




“There’s all these different scenes in house music; it’s not like there’s one form, and there’s not like one main tendency where house music is headed to—which is okay, which is good,” says Tanzmann. 



“It just underlines how big house is—or has become. I mean, this is something a lot of people can agree on, and it also is kind of mainstream now; you can listen to house (or what they call deep house) now on mainstream radio, so it’s really difficult to say house is going this or that direction, but it doesn’t have to for me, it’s fine,” he says. “I find my niche in house, what I like, and I always find new, interesting tracks.”

Tanzmann admits there was a period during the Coronavirus lockdown when he didn’t want to listen to any tracks, house music, or any electronic music genre. “When there was no clubbing because of corona, at some point … after a few weeks without being able to listen or play that music in a club/party/social environment, [one] kind of loses inspiration to make club music.” 



Thankfully Tanzmann is back to making fresh house tunes, plus he even created an exclusive Spotify Mix for Gray Area. You can also check out his latest releases at https://www.matthiastanzmann.com/.



Matthias Tanzmann: “House is always so self-referential"

In the world of DJing, there are a select few coveted international residencies. Near the top of that list would inarguably be Circoloco in Ibiza at DC-10. Its infamous 12-hour day-to-night parties have been essential to the Ibiza experience for over two decades. Matthias Tanzmann was able to cross the legendary nightclub off his bucket list starting over 15 years ago and continues to do so to this day.

“I played in Ibiza only a few times, I played Space, some other things, but not many gigs,” says Tanzmann about his limited Ibiza experience in the early aughts. “In 2006, I released … a track and a remix that had been played a lot by Tania Vulcano at DC-10 at the Circoloco party, so they invited me to come play on New Year’s Day as a kind of a tryout,” he explains. Friends, like Steve Bug, told Tanzmann that Circoloco is an amazing party. And though he had yet to experience the event, his excitement levels were off the charts, even after playing a New Year’s Eve in London the night before.



Adding to the stress of his Circoloco debut on such a massive holiday, the airline lost Tanzmann’s luggage upon arriving in Ibiza. He got stuck at the airport filling out paperwork before being whisked away with minutes to spare.

Luckily, he’d brought his records onboard as a carry-on so he could play his set. “They took me directly to the club, opened the back door, put me into the DJ booth, ‘So you have to start playing now!’” Tanzmann says he didn’t even have time to get nervous. “I went into that famous terrace room and started playing [and thinking], ‘Wow, this is the most amazing thing.’ And luckily, they seem to have liked it, so they asked me to come back, and from the next season from 2007 on, I played there regularly.”

Circoloco and Ibiza remain one of Tanzmann’s favorite places to play. “I would say it will probably always be the place where you have the best crowds because people go there for that reason—they’re on holidays most of them—and they’re super excited to go to the clubs,” he says. “You can feel that on the dancefloor; it’s fantastic.”

The Wild Weekend That Made Matthias Tanzmann a Circoloco Resident

Started by a group of friends who wanted an outlet for their unsigned releases in 2000, Moon Harbour Recordings has become a staple in the crates of the global house music DJs in the decades since. Tanzmann never imagined the longevity or reach that ensued.

“It was for our group of friends to also be able to release stuff independently from applying at other labels and sending demos,” says Tanzmann, who never expected Moon Harbour to remain on the scene more than 20 years later. “Also, to get so much international recognition, it was never the idea that we had—we’re happy it happened—but there was no business plan behind it,” he says.




While the expert curation of Tanzmann has guided the sound of the label for two decades, it’s impossible to imagine its success without the kickstart of his label partner, André Quaas, who was one of the owners and founders of the immensely successful legendary German nightclub, The Distillery, in Leipzig.



“[André] also wanted to do something else to have another field, which is part of this musical scene, but to get a little bit out of the club thing, so that was a logical step for him and for me, too,” says Tanzmann.




Fast forward, and Moon Harbour Recordings is one of the definitive reasons the New York Times put Leipzig on their list of best places to visit in 2010. Their sounds traveled worldwide to all the top-tier conferences, including ADE, MMW, Sónar Barcelona, and have been a key component in Tanzmann’s residency at the infamous Ibiza club night Circoloco at DC-10.




The accompanying Moon Harbour Inhouse compilations and carefully curated LPs preserve the soul of deep and tech house, while cementing a distinctive “Moon Harbour Sound.” In addition to Tanzmann’s releases, other artists with releases on Moon Harbour include Claude VonStroke, Detlef, Marco Faraone, Miane, Dennis Ferrer, Piem, and Cloonee.

How Matthias Tanzmann Founded the Globally Celebrated Moon Harbour Recordings

The Distillery in Leipzig, Germany, is easily the most-important club in the city, if not one of the most significant in the entire country. Opened over 30 years ago, it’s the oldest nightclub in former East Germany and is woven into the social fabric of Leipzig. Through years of dance music trends, attacks from developers, and thousands of ravers, it’s still in operation to this day. Its longtime resident, DJ and producer Matthias Tanzmann, reflected on over two decades of spinning for the diverse dancefloors.




Tanzmann first stepped behind the decks in Distillery’s basement in 1996. “It was actually a very big step for me, of course, because Distillery had already by then been a legendary club,” he told Gray Area.




At the time, the downstairs dancefloor had a decidedly more techno slant. It’s a distinction that remains part of the club’s footprint. However, the following year Tanzmann had his first appearance upstairs on the main floor, which leaned more toward house music. This was where he says he felt more at home, noting that sounds were far less defined and not as segmented into niche categories as the present day.




“You could play from here to there, from deep house to almost to techno, and back-and-forth,” explains Tanzmann. “Also, the crowd was absolutely way more open-minded because techno and house were not this established thing as they are now, so people would just go with the flow, and everything was still interesting and new.”




Those that packed the dancefloor at Distillery were as diverse as the sounds. “The crowd was super mixed,” says Tanzmann. “You have a mix of queer people, and then you have somebody in a suit, and a punk, and whatever it was—this really diverse crowd and that kind of got lost on the way when everything established—which is a natural process obviously—but for me this was a very, very interesting time and super fresh and to see all those people was really, really exciting.”




In 2017 Tanzmann spoke to Mixmag about The Distillery’s enduring legacy, explaining why it remains such a pivotal part of German dance music.




“The Distillery has survived because it’s made itself into an institution. It’s kept itself open to a new, young crowd over and over again, which is essential to stay relevant in the electronic music scene because crowds change very quickly over the generations,” he explained. “The Distillery was an abandoned building and it was something created out of nothing. It’s grown, just like the city around it has. The story of the club is like the very beautiful story of Leipzig: young people came, took over an abandoned place and created something nice, that then got famous far beyond the borders of the city. The local government promotes Leipzig as a very liberal, open minded, cultural place. The Distillery is something the city can be proud of, something precious, something that is important for Leipzig’s identity.”

Matthias Tanzmann on his Residency at German Clubing Insitituion The Distilery 

Not unlike Spanish DJ/producer Paco Osuna's pimped-out DJ setup with lots of different gear to play and experiment with, his approach to production is varied, expansive, and anything but straight-laced house or techno.



He's often associated with minimal techno, and rightfully so; he's had a strong alliance with Richie Hawtin since the mid-aughts, with releases on Plus8 and Minus. Osuna's tracks are always layered and intricate, with sonic flourishes that can often be described as strange or playful. His sound dances between the lines and intersections of minimal, techno, tech house, and house, and is always club-ready



Osuna began DJing in Valencia in 1994, and released progressive house records under a variety of aliases. In 1999, he became a resident DJ at the legendary Ibiza club Amnesia. That was the first time he visited to the Spanish island, which greatly influenced and inspired his production and mixing style.

He released several Amnesia mix CDs and dropped house tracks as Osuna in the early 2000s, followed by techno heaters at Paco Osuna in 2002. That same year, he launched Shake Records, which became Mindshake Records in 2006, which has become home to many weird and wonderful club tracks from himself and other beloved artists.



1. Paco Osuna & DJ Oliver  - Groove Bass (2022)

As the title implies, "Groove Bass" is a groovy dancefloor heater with a fat bassline. I would describe it as "weird and interesting tech house-leaning techno" (Beatport classifies it as peak time/driving techno). And in a very Paco Osuna move, it features a classic vocal about house music. The seven-minute track is a collab with fellow Spanish DJ/producer DJ Oliver, and was released on Paco's label, Mindshake last year. There's also a great, funky remix of the track on the Groove Bass EP, as well as an additional track from DJ Oliver.



2. Paco Osuna - Brain Bells (2020)

"Brain Bells," opens with a banging techno bassline and sparse claps, picking up sonic flourishes and energy as it chugs along. This one feels like techno with a solid sprinkling of house energy and rhythms (Again, Beatport classifies it as peak time / driving techno). Osuna dropped it during the pandemic on Mindshake, and surely it got the dancefloor heated once they opened back up. The B-side, "TechBass," is even more techno and more driving.



3. Paco Osuna - Let's Dream (2014)

"Let's Dream" is the enchanting lead track of his 2014 album, Long Play, dropped on Richie Hawtin's esteemed imprint Minus. It's somewhat more subdued and stripped back then some of his sonic experiments, yet still playful and bouncy, with a touch of circus energy. It's a perfect opener for the album, which builds in intensity as it progresses.



4. Paco Osuna - Atopisimo (2011)

I love "Atopisimo" so much. It's strange, spooky, and fun, with distorted vocals and an earworm of a groove. It's the first track on the Four EP, his fourth one dropped on Hawtin's iconic Plus 8 Records. It's one of those wonderfully weird club tracks that must sound absolutely bonkers on a good sound system, and even better in the wee hours of the morning, when you're not sure how you're still dancing.



5. Paco Osuna - Crazy (2007)

Crazy is Osuna's first EP on Plus 8, released back in 2007, marking the beginning of a fruitful relationship with Hawtin. The title track is classic minimal, with robotic beeps and boops. It's fun and driving, and a little bit frenzied. Even back then, the Osuna sound was evident, as he put his creative mark on the then-dominant sub-genre of minimal. On the rest of the five-track EP, the BPM starts to rise, and the basslines get fatter, once again making the lead song the perfect opener.

5 of Paco Osuna's Most Weird & Wonderful Tracks

Throughout life, we all face major crossroads, many of which can feel incredibly daunting in the moment. For Spanish DJ/producer Paco Osuna, one of those challenging life-changing experiences came when he developed a bad neck and his doctor told him he had to stop DJing or find a way to do it with better posture. Instead of walking away from the career he loved and has since he was 20, he sought out a solution to continue performing without causing further harm.



It was time to dump the CDJs and get creative with the other DJ technology available. Of course, techno and music technology king Richie Hawtin was a great resource. In 2016, Osuna was chosen as an ambassador of Hawtin's PLAYdifferently MODEL1 mixer. (Hawtin co-designed the mixer with former Allen & Health Lead Designer Andy Rigby-Jones. PLAYdifferently partners with Allen & Heath to manufacture and distribute their products.) 



The "Otopisimo" producer uses the high-tech mixer with his computer, an Ableton Push MIDI pad controller, and a few other contraptions. Since he made the essential switch up, he has even more flexibility than he did with turntables or CDJs.





"The way that I play now is much more creative, giving [me] so many opportunities to go very far with ideas that I have in my mind at the moment," he told Gray Area in 2022.



"For me, it's very important to always evolve with the times. You know, maybe in 20, 30 years, there is no computer, there's something else. I remember I had a friend who told me 'In the future, we are not going to hear music. We will hear frequencies and the frequencies will make us dance.' So, I don't know. But you can't go against the evolution of the world."



He's been DJing since 1994, in the days of vinyl, when his current setup couldn't possibly be dreamed up. And while he loves vinyl, he's always been open to new ways to elevate his DJ sets and offer some something unique.



"My background is analog," Osuna told Antelope Audio—he uses their Orion 32+ audio interface.



"But, I'm one of these people who really likes to have the opportunities that the technology gives you to increase your creativity. For me, the vinyl was very good, and the analog sound is very warm, but you can have the same results with digital sounds when you find the right soundcard and you have the right elements to do it."



Why Paco Osuna Expanded Beyond the DJ Decks

Looking for something groovy to get you through the week or help you escape reality for even just an hour? Gray Area invites house music newbies and die-hard fans alike to join us on an expertly curated house music odyssey from 20+ year veteran DJ/producer Matthias Tanzmann. With this exclusive Spotify mix, the German native showcases his deep and tech house influences mixed with originals off his Moon Harbour Recordings label, as well as his Better Lost Than Stupid trio collab with Martin Buttrich and Davide Squillace.




We caught up with Tanzmann about his new Spotify mix that perfectly reps the roots of proper house mixed with an international flavor, a dash of warm wonkiness, and even nods to hip-hop.




“I wanted to create a mix that bridges both home listening and club vibes,” says Tanzmann of his new Spotify offering. “My DJ sets are usually very groove driven; for my Spotify mix, I wanted to make sure it includes more musical elements so the set also works on home sound systems.”




With a proliferation of classic dance music tracks being sampled (and even re-sampled) for pop superstars, now’s the perfect time for a mix like Tanzmann’s that channels the roots of the Chicago-originating sound while sharing its ability to make nearly anyone move. “House music came up at the end of the 1980s and was mainly created by young producers in their home studios with very limited equipment,” explains Tanzmann. “It kind of followed up on disco music. Due to the technical limitations, there was a lot of sampling involved, so house music naturally merges a lot of musical styles, which makes it very versatile.”




Fast forward to the present day, and quantity vs. quality is often debated—yet another reason why now’s the perfect time for Tanzmann’s mix as he’s done the legwork for us of showcasing the best of fresh deep house and tech house. But if he had to pick one, Tanzmann cites the Michael Bibi remix of Guy Gerber’s “Bocat” as his favorite on the mix. “This was one of the stand-out tracks of 2022 for me,” he says. On the flip side, there was also the difficult decision of which tracks would ultimately make the final cut. “I wanted to include Deetron’s ‘Glass,’ but in the end, it didn’t really fit in.”




If Tanzmann’s Spotify Mix has piqued your interest for more from the artist, look out for even more original music as the year progresses. “I have been working a lot at the studio lately, so I will be releasing more than ever this year,” he says. “I’m looking forward to getting all the music out soon.”




Until then, enjoy Matthias Tanzmann’s masterclass in seamless mix creation, available now on Spotify.

Digging Deeper with Matthias Tanzmann’s Exclusive Spotify Mix

Bristol-born Daniel Pierce has been making fun and playful dance music rooted in house and '90s UK rave sounds as Eats Everything for over a decade now. He cut his teeth in his hometown's legendary local scene, but was considering quitting after a decade of things not taking off outside of Bristol. Luckily, in 2011, his aptly titled "Entrance Song" changed everything. 

He's maintained close creative relationships and friendships with the likes of Catz N' Dogz, Green Velvet, Pete Tong, and Justin Martin. And with his long list of contemporaries, collaborators, and mates, he continues to push the boundaries of house, tech house, and dance music.

Read on to get a tasty sample of his sound, and groove out to seven of his best upbeat and playful tracks from over the years.



1. Eats Everything - Entrance Song (2011)

Boy, did Pierce introduce himself with 2011's "Entrance Song"! He was a decade into his DJ career and was about to hang up his headphones if things didn't finally expand beyond Bristol. But Catz N' Dogz signed "Entrance Song" to Pets Records and the rest is history. It's an entrancing, smooth garage-y track that still sounds fresh. It took the global dance scene by storm, including Pete Tong, who invited him for an Essential Mix.



2. Catz Eats Dogz - Evil Tram (2013)

Peirce's relationship with Polish house duo has continued to this day, and in 2013 they formed the collab trio Catz Eats Dogz and put out the Stinky Lollipop EP. The A-side, "Evil Tram," is an upbeat classic house bop with pretty looped vocals and strange, enticing little flourishes. It's the perfect taste and stew of each act's sound.



3. Eats Everything, Tiga, Audion & Ron Costa - Dancing (Again!) [2015]

"Dancing (Again!)" is one of those dance floor earworms that will never leave your psyche. And when you hear it, you have to dance. It's a pure heater with a fat bassline; killer collab between Eats Everything, Tiga, Audion (a.k.a. Matthew Dear) and Ron Costa.



4. Eats Everything & Green Velvet - The Duster (2016)

Green Velvet is one of the OGs of making infectious, strange and playful house gems. He has also been a big supporter of Eats Everything, dropping his tunes on his Relief Records and Cajual Music imprints as well as collabing with him over the years. On 2016's "Duster," dropped on Disclosure's Method White imprint in 2016, Peirce and Velvet pair up an echoing, building tech-ish house heater.



5. Eats Everything - Honey (2020)

Calling Miss Honey! On Peirce's 2020 anthemic tech house banger "Honey," he samples '90s New York drag queen Moi Renee from her 1992 house track "Miss Honey." You'll recognize her voice from Beyoncé's RENAISSANCE, which was also sampled on "Pure/Honey." Both tracks honor house's Black, queer roots.



6. Nicole Moudaber & Eats Everything - Big Dipper (2021)

While Eats Everything's sound is rooted in house and '90s British rave music, it is truly wide, expansive, and unafraid to expiriment and work with artists that pull out a different side of him. Nicole Moudaber is known for banging techno, and her track with Peirce feels different from her solo releases, as well as from his. Yet just as the cover art creates a cyborg from the halves of their faces, the track does sound like something they would both play in their sets; banging high energy and 100 percent made to make you dance and have fun.



7. Eats Everything & ShezAr - Get Up (2023)

Pierce has had joyful disco-leaning house and gospel house moments throughout his career, channeling that euphoric energy of '90s diva-era house records. On his first release of 2023, ShezAr lends big, inspiring vocals to a sparkling piano house belter.

A Buffet Of Eats Everything's 7 Best Tracks

In 2011, Eats Everything released his breakout track, "Entrance Song." The Bristol-born-and-based producer was a decade into his career and getting ready to call it quits if things didn't finally take off more sustainably. Luckily for him—and us—they did, with "Entrance Song" getting signed to Catz' N Dogz's Pets Records and play from many DJs he admired, including Pete Tong and Justin Martin.


Since Eats Everything's international presence began, Martin was a fan and a supporter, and a lasting friendship soon followed. After admiring each other from across the pond, they B2Bed a few times and felt their creative chemistry. Their first IRL interaction may have been at their B2B set during a 2012 Dirtybird party in Bristol. Also in 2012, Eats delivered a stellar, angular remix of Martin's "Ruff Stuff" from his debut album.


In 2013 and 2014, we saw a string of collabs between the jovial pair, beginning with the Feather Fight EP on London's Hypercolour Records in February 2013.





Then came their collaborative debut on Dirtybird Records, "The Gettup," in June 2013. Ahead of its official release, the heater was, as Eats told Billboard Dance in 2013, got "absolutely rinsed" in England. "The cross-section of people playing it is quite astounding. You've got, like, Crookers, and then you've got, like, Jamie Jones," he added.


"After a few times playing together, we realized that this chemistry was too good to waste, and now we are just working on bigger and better projects together," Martin told Billboard. "For me, it's really fresh and exciting, and I feel like the possibilities are endless.


The key is having fun and trying to really be creative. It's cool to be inspired by other music, but when creating, you have to do it your own way. We just set out to make stuff that will be fun to play and different to the people listening on the dancefloor. We don't want to make a track that sounds like everyone else's song, we want to make music that people instantly know is ours when they hear it."


And that they did! "The Gettup" was followed by their Hello Mr. Jello EP on Dirtybird in 2014, all of which fit sonically with what was popping off on Dirtybird at the time, yet felt entirely different. Their tracks brim with layers of strange sonic flourishes like airplane and car engine sounds, banging taiko-esque drums, or the rapidly ticking baseline on "Kong," the B-side of Hello Mr. Jello.





They've played a handful of B2Bs and continued to play each other's tracks over the years, but it's been quite a while since they've shared the decks. Thankfully, that will change on May 12, when they pair up for a special Doubleheader show in The Room at the stellar Superior Ingredients in Brooklyn. They'll each serve up solo sets and close things out with a B2B.

Justin Martin and Eats Everything: A DJ Brotherhood 

Beyond the mainstage, Ultra Music Festival has a history of curating forward-thinking house and techno lineups that rival any of the downtown and South Beach antics during Miami Music Week. Returning to Bayfront Park Friday, March 24 - Sunday, March 26, Ultra's Resistance will host two stages of heart-stopping techno and groove-inducing house.




Most are fully aware of the iconic Megastructure with its hulking framework, astounding LED bars that rise and fall from the ceiling, and next-generation artistic design. However, Resistance Cove is where you want to be for outdoor intimacy, perfectly positioned for Miami's beautiful tropical weather. Isolated to the side of Bayfront Park Resistance Cove was designed to bring a tiny slice of the memorable Resistance Island concept to Bayfront Park. Set amidst a grove of palm trees, it offers storytelling views of Miami's skyline and Biscayne Bay.




The weekend features three full-day stage takeovers from some of the most respected brands in underground dance.




On Friday, Nicole Moudaber takes on an unexpected yet exciting new location bringing her Mood label family to the intimate side of Resistance. She'll light up the night with a jaw-dropping B2B with techno legend and CLR boss Chris Liebing. UK-born Maya Jane Coles and Swedish star Ida Engberg will bring their powerful female techno-magic to the stage. Luigi Madonna will perform alongside fellow Italian techno don Roberto Capuano reviving the intensity of their 2020 Drumcode collaboration Mad World. And rounding out the intense opening day is Aussie-born, London-based Juliet Fox, who will keep the energy high and fire off some tasteful tracks.

On Saturday, Joris Voorn will unleash his Spectrum project. Started to encompass his divergent duo of record labels in 2005, Spectrum has grown into a force of its own, encompassing a record label, events series, and radio show.




Voorn tells Gray Area, "This is an exciting moment for Spectrum. Hosting the Cove stage at Ultra in Miami with such an all-star lineup - it's going to be an amazing day." And we agree. Joris will continue a weekend of massive talent at The Cove. Heading things up with him are Iranian maestro Dubfire doing a b2b with Danish native Kölsch. Afterlife regulars Mind Against will bring their emotionally drenched melodic sounds to the stage. Fideles, known for their transcendental dreamscapes, will craft a caringly curated musical journey. And Franky Wah, who recently launched his new label SHÈN, is a must-see act as he always delivers and serves his crowd with an unworldly blend of euphoric breakbeat, techno, and house.

On Sunday, Dirtybird heads tap in! The dad West Coast house and leader of Dirtybird Records, Claude VonStroke, is pulling up with his wonky and fresh, out-of-the-box tech-house tunes. VonStroke tells Gray Area that the Dirtybird crew is "kicking off a new year of Dirtybird Players shows and festival appearances. This is our full-label tour in about four years, so everyone is excited about it."




Claude is bringing the finest members of the birdhouse to close out the festival: Rules Don't Apply founders and owners Walker & Royce, modular synth demon Lubelski, everyone's favorite sour and sweet tech house titan VNSSA, Basement Leak founder and producer of one of Dirtybird's most defining hits "OKAY" Shiba San, rising twin duo RaeCola, and Kyle Kinch who has recently begun to dominate the international circuit.

Everyone leaves Ultra with the sense that the Megastructure is one of the festival's crowning achievements. However, with a lineup like this, you'd be kicking yourself if you didn't spend a good amount of time at Resistance's small but mighty little sister. The Cove may be a smaller stage, but the acts are massive, and the music will be next-level.



























Resistance Cove is The Move for Underground House and Techno at Ultra Miami

House-and-beyond heavy-hitters Eats Everything and Justin Martin first collabed a decade ago with the Feather Fight EP on Dirtybird Records. They've gone on to put out a string of collab singles and EPs, a few remixes.



This jovial pair definitely seem like brothers from across the pond. DJs who don't take themselves seriously, love to have fun, spread joy behind the decks, and produce and play a wide-range of dance music generally centered in house. Their sound and vibe definitely mesh well, but they've also made names for themselves thanks to their distinctive and always-hot sound.



Justin Martin was born-and-raised in San Francisco, and brings that free-spirited, loving energy to everything he does, especially his music. He was one of the first artists to release on Claude VonStroke's Dirtybird Records in 2005 when it first launched, and played an important role in sharing that early-aughts Bay Area rave energy with VonStroke and the beloved label.



Eats Everything was born-and-raised in Bristol, where he cut his teeth in the legendary club scene there in the early '00s. In 2011, he dropped the entrancing, smooth garage-y Entrance Song EP on Catz N Dogz's Pets Records, and the global dance scene took notice. His sound channels and adds to the eclectic, expansive British rave sound, with a penchant for wonderfully kooky club tracks. He's also brought the UK sound to Dirtybird as early as 2011.



Read (and listen on) for five of the best Justin Martin and Eats Everything collabs.



1. Eats Everything & Justin Martin - The Gettup



Released on Dirtybird in June 2013, this eight-minute heater has looped vocals, melodic piano stabs, handclaps, and a Dirtybird-certified bouncing beat. It's a slow burner that keeps you enticed as the elements of build on top of each other. "The Gettup" fits in with other big Dirtybird tracks at the time from the likes of Shiba San and VonStroke, but still feels unique and distinct from the rest of the pack



2. Justin Martin & Eats Everything - Feather Fight



The Feather Fight EP, released on London's Hypercolour Records in February 2013, was the first time we saw Justin and Eats Everything collabed on a track. The title track starts with a fun electro beat and slowly builds tension as it moves along. At about two minutes and forty seconds, the track breaks down into a groovy number, and picks up some distorted vocals. This is a real fun one, and is a great taste of the playful rave magic the duo can create together.



3. Justin Martin & Eats Everything - Steven Jello

"Steven Jello" is the A-side of Hello Mr. Jello, released by Dirtybird in March 2014. Fitting with its name, it’s wiggly and bouncy, with a bit of trumpet-esque action, sparkly percussion, and ear enticing sonic flourishes. Halfway through an echoing voice comes in to announce "you make me feel so good!" Agreed.



4. Justin Martin & Eats Everything - Kong

"Kong" is the other track on Hello Mr. Jello, and is also filled with intriguing sonic wonder. There are airplane and car engine sounds, banging taiko-esque drums, and more, over a rapidly ticking baseline. King Kong is ready for that daytime rave!



5. Justin Martin - Ruff Stuff (Eats Everything Reruff)







Surprisingly, the only official remix between the pair is Eats Everything's fun, angular edit of "Ruff Stuff," from the first remix package of Martin's debut 2012 album Ghettos & Gardens. The "Reruff" adds a bit more banging energy with a UK bass vibe and a frenzied alarm-like breakdown but leaves the amazing line from the original "This this this is that rough shiiii."

5 Brilliant Justin Martin & Eats Everything Collaborations

To appreciate where you are and where you're going, you must know where you came from. Few artists in the house music space embody this more than Dutch DJ and producer, Prunk. If its got groove, soul, and pulsates with smooth, hypnotic rhythm, there's a good chance Prunk is nearby.



The PIV Records label head has been a champion of classic house, both past and present, for the entirety of his career. While his sounds have expanded across dance music over time, Prunk never forgot his first love—something he reconnected with this past January, releasing his sophomore album, Le Funk.







"This album is a tribute to my entire music career," Prunk shared in an interview. "My first DJ name was Prunk Le Funk, mainly because I only played funky house in the early years. Le Funk has been removed from my entire DJ name because I didn't want to be connected to just one genre. With this album, I wanted to show that there is still enough 'Funk' in Prunk with a nod to the past," he explains. "My album really had to be a house album and I wanted to do this with a warm, soulful, funky sound. I have tried to make this album with young and old talent. One of my dreams was to make a track with house legend Jovonn and I succeeded because he did the vocals of 'Story of House'. In the vocals he pays attention to how house originated with an important lesson for the new generation."



If you love house music—real, authentic, pure, unfettered house—this is the track of the week for you. "Story of House" is an undeniable new school blast from the past. A perfectly pocketed rhythm section casts an instantly infectious spell. Razor-sharp percussion, dynamic bass, brightly chugging guitar, and feathery keys lay an infallible foundation for the history lesson presented by the smoky vocal of Jovann. Push the desks to the side because this master class will have you dancing, and class is in session.

Class is in Session with Prunk's 'Story Of House'

Whether you love or hate to see it, there’s no denying that 2022 marked a period of significant commercial interest in house music.



The genre has had its fair share of moments in the mainstream spotlight since it coalesced in the gay, Black, and Latino nightlife communities of Chicago in the ‘80s, to be sure. Crystal Waters’ 1994 classic “100% Pure Love” hit #11 on the “Billboard Hot 100,” and #1 on the publication's “Dance Club Songs” chart. More recently, FISHER’s 2018 tech house track “Losing It” topped the latter.



2022 saw notable pop superstars join the party. Within weeks of one another, Drake and Beyoncé each dropped albums that included numerous house-inspired songs. The former artist tapped producers like Black Coffee, &ME, and Klahr for his effort. The latter enlisted dance music acts like Honey Dijon and Nile Rodgers for hers.



Some argue that these influences will only dilute house, which has already arguably suffered from recurring identity crises as each new generation of talent offers its own interpretation of the genre. Others are more optimistic, projecting that the increased attention will trickle down into opportunities for artists at every level.



We here at Gray Area decided to gather the opinions of house artists themselves. Some are elder statesmen who helped guide the course of the style early on. Others are up-and-coming acts who represent the future of the genre. Read on what they have to say about the matter and arrive at your own conclusions.



1. Todd Terry







Todd Terry’s career extends back to house music’s genesis in the 1980s. He’s in favor of mainstream house music hits as long as artists bring original ideas to the table.



“We need a Robin S. We need a Crystal Waters. We need a Snap! - ‘I Got The Power,'” he told Gray Area during our Spotlight interview. “We need something that helps us a little bit here, makes us come to the dance floor. We need to get something out there to mix it up a little bit.”



"Break some new records,” he went on. “Stop catering to the same piano sound all the time. We got enough piano records. Okay, you guys found the piano in the last three years. Good job. There's other shit.”



2. East End Dubs





East End Dubs is a name that has grown more and more ubiquitous among London house fans over the past decade. In his Gray Area Spotlight interview, the “bRave” producer expressed optimism that house-inspired tracks in the mainstream could offer new fans a point of entry leading to the underground.



“Recently, people have said, ‘Oh, this is going to bring uneducated people into the scene.’ For me, I think people can start with Beyoncé or Drake and then fall in love with house music,” speculates East End Dubs, who also praised the tracks by the aforementioned artists. “It's a beautiful thing. Why not? House is something that we share together, so I don't mind people getting to know our music that way and then going a little more underground to discover us.”



3. SYREETA





SYREETA stands out as a more recent house music artist who still represents the queer, Black, underground roots of the genre well. She nonetheless believes that her world can coexist with the mainstream.



“There's no judgment on this,” she said during Gray Area’s Spotlight interview. “House music started underground, and it will always be to me. It hits everybody’s souls differently and is inspired in different ways, so each artist will have their own stamp on what they have taken away from it, whether it be more on the commercial side or more underground. Not everybody has to like it. People will move with what they prefer.”



4. Iglesias





Fast-rising UK house DJ and producer Iglesias also posits that commercial interest in house has little bearing on what he does. In his Gray Area Spotlight interview, he pointed out that most consumers of those releases likely don’t even associate it with house music.



“I don't really care, to be fair," he said. "What they're doing is not what we're doing, let's put it that way. They're making commercial stuff. Who they're appealing to, I don't even think that person would even know that that's a house beat or whatever. They would just be like, 'Oh, it's another Drake track.' Do you see what I mean? So it never really fascinates me that much because I don't feel like they're stepping on our toes. What we're doing is way cooler than what they're doing."



5. Harry Romero





During his Gray Area Spotlight interview, longtime NYC DJ and producer Harry Romero expressed optimism about house music’s popularity in the past few years. He did, however, have choice words about how the EDM movement impacted the culture over a decade ago.



“I hate to say it, but that EDM thing really threw us all through a curveball. We were like, ‘What the hell is this?’ he said. “The mechanisms changed. The way of doing business changed. The EDM thing really commercialized the industry, and for them to claim that they were house music was just strange."


"The reality is that it became a business," Harry went on. "It was pop music all of a sudden. A lot of people steered away from what they loved, which was the roots of house music. I understand evolution. I’m not mad at technology or the times. What I at least try to do is scratch my head and figure out how to put my own twist on it.”



6. ACRAZE





ACRAZE is enjoying an enviable breakthrough as an artist thanks to recent covers like “Do It To It” and “Believe.” With his recent good fortune, it perhaps comes as little surprise that he sees the genre’s recent popularity as a good thing.



“I think it's cool, man. I think seeing new faces in the industry is just special,” he said during Gray Area’s Spotlight interview. “Massive artists like Beyoncé and Drake getting into house music only helps the genre explode even more. I guess it becomes more commercialized, but now there’s also a bigger goal for artists. Drake’s in house music—it's my dream to even collab with him. Now I know, there's a chance. I didn't even know he was into that shit. Beyoncé too, like, that's so sick.”



“Some people will think differently and say, ‘They don't know anything about the music, the culture,’ he went on. “I think people read way too deeply into those kinds of things. If people are putting out good music and pushing the genre, I think that's what matters, you know?”



7. Shermanology





Dutch-Caribbean outfit Shermanology are also enticed by the prospect of working with more commercially successful acts. In their Gray Area Spotlight interview, the brother-sister duo named one hip-hop artist in particular.



“What we wanna do in the near future is collaborate with artists you wouldn’t expect us to collaborate with,” said Dorothy. “For example, if I could dream big I’d say Anderson .Paak. That would be someone who would excite me.”



Andy added, “I wanna work with people who may have said, ‘I will never do a house record,’ and get them to do a house record. Just mix and blend different genres.”



8. Tim Green:





Count longtime DJ and producer Tim Green among the artists who feel Beyoncé and Drake’s interest in house music has no bearing on the underground. Why? Because he doesn’t consider it house.



“I literally couldn't care,” he said in his Gray Area Spotlight interview. “You can call a car a tree if you want, and that's your prerogative, but each to their own opinion. When you start to get down to the finer details of what something is, who knows—and really, who cares? It doesn't matter.”



“I understand, of course, the negative connotations that it kind of has, and it's not right,” Tim continued. "But for the people that know the kind of music that they're into and want to listen to, I think that's enough.”



9. Kyle Walker





Breakthrough tech house artist Kyle Walker, on the other hand, does think mainstream artists dabbling in house will affect the underground—but in a good way.



“[House music is] definitely headed to the top 40 chart, I would say, like Billboard and such,” he said during Gray Area’s Spotlight interview. “I could see more dance records being in the top 10, even. It's definitely a good thing for everyone—even the underground. It's a good thing that more ears and eyes are gonna be on the scene. I just think everyone's gonna start with this wave of just having house music producers come onto their albums, which in turn is just going to create more house music fans.”



10. LOVRA





Rounding out this list is the perspective of LOVRA. The German DJ and producer agrees that the increase in attention to house music has created new opportunities for artists.



“It's super interesting, but it also shows that the people understand this music right now,” she said during Gray Area’s Spotlight interview. “They're more open to it. Back in the day, sometimes you couldn’t play in a club because it was too commercial or you were too underground. But now, I feel like the people and the club promoters are way more open to trying it out a little bit more, and this is a good thing.”





10 House Artists Weigh in on the Genre's Recent Mainstream Popularity

SYREETA, a UK-based DJ and producer, is at the vanguard of diversity and inclusion in the music scene. Her 2017 come-up is thanks in part to her friendship with Jaguar, who vouches for her technique—an expansive blend of soul, groove, flavorful house and techno blended perfectly and styled with flair in high-energy performances.



SYREETA's influences are rooted in a youth characterized by a love of reggae and rave music, and her taste has evolved with time. Her present-day style connects these underlying influences into a mosaic of classic house, techno, and garage. Each set showcases a rich repertoire that will take you on an exciting journey on the dancefloor.



She is a resident of HE.SHE.THEY, a creative collective promoting diversity and safe spaces free of judgment for people of all races, genders, and sexualities. One of its main objectives is to provide a podium for marginalized communities and artists, and it’s driving a powerful message about equality. She helps amplify their voice to encourage and challenge promoters to diversify their lineups and increase the representation of marginalized demographics. SYREETA works hard to raise awareness of the marginalization among dance music artists and what can be done to improve it.



It was inevitable that she would eventually connect with Jaguar, a prominent DJ and radio personality. Jaguar takes pride in giving first plays to many up-and-coming producers from around the United Kingdom, shining a spotlight and creating opportunities for POC, LGBTQIA+, women, and non-binary people in the dance music arena. SYREETA is arguably one of Jaguar's most celebrated discoveries.



The blossoming friendship between Jaguar and SYREETA started when they shared a mutual gig, changing the trajectory of SYREETA's career and sending it into hyperdrive. Taking pride in utilizing her platform to connect people, Jaguar pushed the mark further by fostering the relationship between SYREETA and HE.SHE.THEY's founders, Steven Braines and Sophia Kearney, paving the way for her celebrated residency with the collaborative. The genuinely inspiring relationship between Jaguar and SYREETA is an example of how tastemakers can encourage and connect artists in the electronic industry while moving the mark on diversity and equality.

How Jaguar Used Her Platform to Help Put SYREETA on the Map

SYREETA is a DJ who’s truly dedicated to inclusivity, both musically and personally. Based in London, she’s all about the music—especially house music—and she has the unique talent of drawing in the crowds with her extensive library of grooves. Since debuting on the scene, she’s made her presence known with her track selection, technical skill, and high energy.




That combination has made her a force with which to be reckoned, both on the dancefloor and off. SYREETA’s played among such artists as Octo Octa and Eris Drew at iconic parties like elrow. She has also become a resident of the fashion label, event series, and record label HE.SHE.THEY, a crew that epitomizes inclusivity.




When we tell you that SYREETA is making her rise, believe us. Playing both in actual clubs and online, she’s developed a well-deserved and hard-earned following. If you’re still not familiar with who she is, check out these nine must-hear sets by the one and only SYREETA.



1. Recherché




We thought we’d start this list going back into the SYREETA SoundCloud archives. Eight years ago, she released a mix called “Recherché,” a delicious blend of tech house and deep house beats perfect for afternoon listening. A clean mix that really showcased her skills, "Recherché" is full of bangers and danceable tracks.



2. Reading Festival Saturday - Smirnoff House 





Back in 2018, SYREETA threw down on Saturday of the Reading Festival on the Smirnoff House stage—and when we say she threw down, we mean she threw down. Her bright, housey set began with a tribal-leaning sound perfect for a Saturday stage at a festie. Each track kept revelers up and moving.



3. Sagrada Familia SYREETA 04 





Remember when I said SYREETA was all about inclusivity? Well back in 2018, she started her own party in London, Sagrada Familia, to be one family, under one roof, listening to good music. Mixmag even dubbed this event "one of the best alternative pride parties in 2018,” so you know she was doing something right. We simply had to feature a set from her night and this is a good one, full of incredible buildups and banging house beats.



4. SYREETA in The Lab: Paris





This time, SYREETA appeared in Paris, throwing down for BUDX and Mixmag in The Lab. As per usual, she radiated welcoming vibes with fresh beats to match. Her sound is straightforward. No frills—just good tracks that’ll have you dancing nonstop. Vibrant and full of soul, this set is peak SYREETA.



5. Club Muriel Soho House NYE 





Next up we have SYREETA’s set from Club Muriel Soho House NYE 2019. SYREETA managed to make this set energetic while also keeping things a bit on the deeper side. You can definitely feel SYREETA’s love for music through each carefully selected tune that’s blended into this perfect mix celebrating the beginning of a new year.



6. Mixmag The Lab: Home Sessions





In 2020, when the world was shut down, SYREETA threw down a Mixmag Home Session live stream from the comfort of her own home. And though she was broadcasting from home, she still brought the good vibes and her bouncy, techy sound. She was moving and grooving while mixing, showing viewers how much she loves the music she plays, and how much fun she has doing it.



7. Pride 2020: HE.SHE.THEY x Beatport Live







Here we have another at-home sesh, this time celebrating Pride 2020 with a HE.SHE.THEY fundraiser in partnership with Beatport. SYREETA is totally in her element, jamming out to her carefully curated setlist. She’s got some backup dancers also clearly enjoying what they hear, adding a little flair to the already banging set. You can feel SYREETA’s beautiful energy emanating through the video, and that just speaks to her ability to connect with the crowd.



8. Tobacco Dock Virtual Opening with SYREETA 





Back in 2021, SYREETA played the opening night of the Tobacco Dock Virtual, an online "partyverse" that’s a hybrid live event series created by promoters LWE. Taking real life and fusing it with the online world, SYREETA played The Great Gallery and helped usher partygoers into a new era of music events through her signature style. Her feel-good vibes and high energy translate just as well online as they do in real life.



9. SYREETA The Lab LDN: HE.SHE.THEY Takeover Pt. 1 





Ahead of the inclusive party crew’s Amnesia Ibiza residency, HE.SHE.THEY took over Mixmag’s and Coors’ weekly live event, The Lab LDN. SYREETA brought her A game and all the basslines she loves so much. She went from house to techno and everything in between, creating a mix that is carefree and fun. SYREETA exudes such freedom as she plays records, and it’s a beautiful sight to see.

9 Must-Hear DJ Sets by Rising Talent SYREETA

The music industry has always been one with a disproportionate representation of women, minorities, and marginalized communities. Women of color and those identifying as queer, non-binary or trans all seem to be less present on mainstream lineups, so much so that those who fall into those categories are no longer staying quiet. They’re making their presence known, and demanding their rightful place on lineups.



It’s almost as if people forget that techno and disco music originated in safe spaces. Queer folks, especially those of color, have a history intertwined with the roots of dance culture. Yet with the current climate of the music scene and festivals, those same people have to fight just to be included.



One person who’s taken notice is house and techno DJ SYREETA. She’s a Black, queer woman who has worked hard to get to where she is today, all the while pushing for inclusivity. Even with all that work, she says she still usually finds herself to be the only queer, Black or female artist on most lineups.





“I like to think that people now look a bit more closely at their lineups to ensure that they're balanced, they learn the history, and they create more diverse lineups,” she told Gray Area during our Spotlight interview. “Personally, every lineup that I'm on at the moment, I'm still probably the only female, the only black person, the only queer person, or all three. So yeah…there is still a lot of work to be done. But I'd like to think that better things are been being done at the moment.”



In some areas, better things are being done. Back in 2015, Vanessa Reed, former CEO of the PRS Foundation, started the Keychange Initiative, an international program geared toward investing in underrepresented talent. Expanding further on that idea is The Keychange Pledge, which was an opportunity for any festival, promoter or music organization to join in the commitment to gender equality and reduce male-dominated lineups by 2022.



Over 500 festivals and music organizations in the UK and Canada have signed this pledge, with MUTEK and SoundCloud among its supporters. Large-scale festivals such as Glastonbury and Barcelona’s Primavera, as well as some smaller events, have all succeeded in creating more balanced lineups, according to an article published in the British Music Collection as part of the BMC Future Views series.



All this is a step in the right direction, but like SYREETA says, it is by no means the finish line.



SYREETA is a current resident of HE.SHE.THEY, a crew who lives and breathes inclusivity. The event series, record label, and fashion label is as open minded as they come, and they strive to be as diverse as possible in anything they do. HE.SHE.THEY provides non-judgemental and non-prejudicial spaces for everyone, proving that they are one prime example showcasing why diversity matters.



SYREETA also has close ties to Jaguar, a Black, queer radio host and DJ who’s done her due diligence in researching this exact topic. She’s long recognized that the music industry has historically been a boy’s club and she’s here to change that. Along with FutureDJs, she created Future1000, an initiative focused on highlighting gender inequality in music. They set out to offer 1,000 women, trans and non-binary people career opportunities by offering DJing and production courses, in addition to teaching the ins and outs of the music industry. Jaguar then launched The Jaguar Foundation to dig deep and compile data to really show how large of a gender disparity there actually is in music.



These aren’t the only folks taking notice and making moves in the name of inclusivity. In the Key of She is a union of 250 LGBTQIA+ female producers and DJs created so that promoters, crews, and labels can add diversity to their lineups. Another crew hard at work at promoting the importance of inclusivity by offering opportunities to non-gender-conforming individuals and people of color is Femme House. Helmed by LP Giobbi and Hermixalot, Femme House is geared towards creating more opportunities for women and gender-expansive people in music, both behind the scenes and in the forefront through workshops, specialized coursework, a weekly radio show, and a bi-yearly scholarship program for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ creators.



But they are only a handful of the crews making an effort to do the work. In the overall scheme of things, more can still be done. More should be done.

SYREETA Says She's Still the Only Black, Female, or Queer DJ on Lineups

Spanish producer and DJ Paco Osuna has set the tempo for techno and tech house for over twenty-five years. As the owner and head curator of Mindshake Records, he's guided the prevailing sound of the underground since 2005, releasing his own music and that of industry leaders like Pig&Dan, Cuartero, Eats Everything, Carlo Lio, Daniel Orpi, Blackchild, Jean Pierre, and Ben Sterling.




Around the same time he founded Mindshake, he opened the Club4 techno night alongside Adam Beyer, Marco Carola, and Christian Smith. The quartet eventually parted ways, each marking their own heavy influence on dance music culture. Osuna, too, remained on a path that opened avenues for expressing his deft skills as a curator of memorable nights.




He has also found himself at the inception point of several other ground-shaking cultural institutions. Like many other artist-led brands, Mindshake moved beyond releases and became a platform for creative growth in the club. After leaving Club4, he was one of the first residents of Marco Carola's Music On. Then when Osuna transitioned away from traditional DJing, he became an ambassador for Richie Hawtins PLAYDifferntly brand. And he was notably one of Spanish experiential party purveyors elrow's first resident DJs.




When Gray Area spoke to him at ARC Music Festival after playing on the elrow stage earlier this year, Osuna emphatically explained how deep his reverence runs for dance music's champion of the confetti blast.




"I was with elrow from the very first day in Barcelona. So I am part of how this entire family has grown from the first day," he explains. "For me, it doesn't matter where you have to be with them, Chicago, Russia. It's always a family."




Being a part of such a unique organization's explosive growth has allowed him to express aspects of his creativity that otherwise would have laid dormant. Working alongside famed multimedia artist Okuda San Miguel he helped soundtrack elrow's highly conceptual Kaos Garden theme in 2019. Osuna says that even though it's always a challenge to collaborate with a creative genius, he's always open to finding artistic union.




This summer, Osuna debuted Nowhere, his first Ibiza residency in conjunction with The Martinez Brothers at Hi Ibiza. Over the inaugural season, he invited Ben Sterling, Melanie Ribbie, Anna Tur, Reelow, Latmun, and Nicole Moudaber to join him.




Now that he's started his own event concept, he reflects on how he can continue to exist at the intersection of art, technology, and music. And while he still loves the creative trifecta, he explains that music remains paramount.




"My father always told me to look no farther than the next day. And for me, it would be a dream to spread my brand to Taiwan like elrow does. But it's a different concept. With elrow, the music is important but also the show is important. In my party, it's only [the music that's] important."




When Osuna began his journey in dance music, it didn't matter who was playing, people just came to have a good time. This storied era— before the celebrity DJ and the abhorrent hero worship of the selector— is something that he holds close to his heart. As a curator, he understands that the experience is important, but as a musician, there is nothing more sacred than the dancefloor.




That's not to say that he hasn't envisioned expanding his vision beyond the speakers. In fact, he tells us that's a vital part of his bringing the residency across the pond to Club Space for its first US iteration at Miami's Art Basel in December 2022. He plans on making it a unique experience. And he's excited to partner with one of his favorite clubs in the world for the one-night-only experience.




It's no coincidence that Osuna regularly plays in the world's most esteemed clubs like Space and Hi. His sophisticated yet dancefloor rocking style has been a focal point of his mystique for years. Seeing someone like Paco Osuna perform reminds you that how you play makes all the difference.




Stoic and focused, Paco stands amongst a small array of digital gear when he plays live. And while he still calls himself a DJ, what he's doing is far more complex. So when I ask him why he chose to leave the decks behind for a more elaborate performance setup, it's surprising to hear that the change was out of necessity.




After years of standing hunched over turntables and CDJs, he explains that he developed a debilitating sickness in his neck. His nerves were destroyed, leaving him at critical crossroads. His doctor told him, "you need to stop DJing or find a way to play where your neck has to be as straight as possible."




And while many would have given up, Osuna saw an opportunity in technology. When he decided he was going to use the computer to play, he was met with the usual derision from purists saying that he was taking the easy way out, that he was no longer DJing.




"I always give this example to people [who say] you are not DJing anymore; you're playing for the machines. People are driving here in America for a long time with automatic cars. In Europe, no! Do people in America not drive" he laughs. "For me, the way that I play now is much more creative, giving [me] so many opportunities to go very far with ideas that I have in my mind at the moment.




The creative freedom he has with his innovative setup would be impossible with turntables alone, he explains.




"So for me, it's very important to always evolve with the times. You know, maybe in 20-30 years, there is no computer, there's something else. I remember I had a friend who told me 'in the future, we are not going to hear music. We will hear frequencies and the frequencies will make us dance. So, I don't know. But you can't go against the evolution of the world."





















Paco Osuna: "You Can't Go Against the Evolution of the World"

United States

Syreeta 

The word “authentic” comes up often in a conversation about music with SYREETA. It is by being her most expressive and uninhibited self that so many doors have begun to open for her, after all. Far be it from her to abandon an approach that’s clearly working.



“It really has treated me well,” SYREETA says of the time since lockdowns lifted and nightlife resumed across the globe. “I've mainly been playing in Ibiza, Italy, and Croatia, but I've literally been back and forth every other week.” She’s become a familiar face at event brands like Pyramid, Paradise, elrow, and Circoloco. It’s a far cry from where she stood only a few short years ago.





“Music has always been a huge part of my life,” she says of her upbringing. “I've always associated it with fun times.” She and her mother used to dance around the house on the weekends while doing chores. Her father used to run blues dances in Birmingham that weren’t all that different from underground raves.



SYREETA initially dreamed of becoming an athlete, running the 400-meter race for England. That all changed when she was sidelined by injuries. She underwent three operations on her knees and then suffered an Achilles tendon injury on top of that.



“I realized it was not going to go down well unless I quit while I was ahead. It was devastating because that was all I wanted to do,” she says. “So the fact that I found my career in music—because that's where I went to for my happy times, to feel better—I feel like it was just meant to be.”





She first learned to play records at a house party and soon afterward bought DJ gear so she could practice on her own time. A month later, she was invited to open the room at the grand opening of 512 London in the Dalston area of the city. More and more gigs would follow as time went by.



A major turning point came when SYREETA met BBC Radio 1 presenter Jaguar after they were both tapped to perform for Mixmag and Smirnoff’s Equalising Music initiative. "Jaguar is an absolute babe," SYREETA says. "I love her to bits."



At the time, Jaguar was hosting a show on Reprezent Radio and brought SYREETA on to deliver a guest mix. "After she invited me onto her Reprezent show, I invited her to play at a party that I was putting on, and our relationship just blossomed," SYREETA says. "We've just become closer and closer—I think I can say we are really good friends."



Two years later, Jaguar invited her to International Music Summit in Ibiza, where she attended a panel by Steven Braines and Sophia Kearney of the queer party event brand, record label, and fashion label HE.SHE.THEY. SYREETA spoke to Steven and Sophia after the talk and they hit it off immediately. 





“We were chatting for about 45 minutes and Braines invited me to HE.SHE.THEY’s party that same weekend, their first birthday at fabric,” she says. “And yeah, I got the memo and I came all HE.SHE.THEYed out—I came in chaps—and I think that that was the start of a blossoming relationship!”



HE.SHE.THEY actively champion artists from marginalized communities, taking great pride in creating safe spaces for clubbers from all walks of life. As a queer, female musician of color, this struck a deep chord with SYREETA. Before long she became a resident of the collective, performing at HE.SHE.THEY events at superclubs like Watergate in Berlin and fabric in London.





"These are clubs where I wouldn't have played at that stage in my career," SYREETA says. "So I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity."



Truly, though, SYREETA’s skills as a selector speak for themselves. She digs deep to only play records with which she connects strongly, carving out a niche defined by high-energy cuts packed to the brim with danceable grooves. As house music sees a period of renewed mainstream interest, it is this authentic and decidedly underground attitude that makes her stand out among the rest of the DJs.



The experience of dancing for the last time inside the super clubs of Ibiza is a singular experience. The last week of September and the beginning of October brings the final call for many of the most popular residencies at Ibiza's top venues. And while there are many closing parties to choose from, we're bringing you the ones you can't miss out on.




Sven Väth presents Catharsis | Club Chinois | Tuesday, September 27

The founder of Cocoon, Sven Väth, will take the stage at the brand-new Club Chinois for one exclusive night this Tuesday. The German artist has heavily influenced Ibiza's dance circuit over the years. This season he has brought unique musical experiences through Catharsis (the name of his thirteen-track album) to the most essential venues playing every party as if it were his last. This will be the final chance to connect with the Ibiza legend this season, don't sleep. Buy tickets to enjoy the last Catharsis show by Sven Väth in Ibiza at Club Chinois.




Follow Sven Väth on Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud







The Martinez Brothers Closing Party | Hï Ibiza | Tuesday, September 27

The superstar brothers from the Bronx, Chris, and Steve Martinez, conclude their first-ever residency in Ibiza this week. The Martinez Brothers have led one of the hottest nights on the island this summer with their trademark sound that expertly blends techno and house with a distinct New York edge. Next door in the Club Room, Paco Osuna has offered exquisite and forceful techno sounds. Paco and the Martinez Brothers were accompanied by a carefully curated selection of talented DJs, making Tuesdays at Hï Ibiza a must-visit for all dance lovers. For Kerri Chandler, Guti, and Renato Ratier, join them for the final outing alongside a special guest to create a memorable grand finale.

Get tickets for The Martinez Brothers' closing party at Hï Ibiza.




Follow The Martinez Brothers on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud







FISHER Closing Party | Hï Ibiza | Wednesday, September 28

From the start of the season, it was obvious FISHER's headlining slot at

the #1 club in the world (as voted by DJMag) was going to be one of the greatest debuts in Ibiza this summer. The Aussie DJ and producer knows how to throw a party, and we have all danced to some of his tracks like "Losing it" or his latest "It's A Killa" (with Shermanology). FISHER will play all night long in the Theatre Room at Hï to conclude the season, while Vintage Culture drops an extended set next door in the Club Room.

Enjoy FISHER's last show at Hï this season




Follow FISHER on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud







Afterlife Day & Night | Hï & Ushuaïa Ibiza | Thursday, September 29

Italian music duo Tale Of Us present a final glorious show across Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza this Thursday, kicking things off in the open-air at Ushuaïa at 5 pm. The melodic techno pair play two headline sets in both venues (offering a b2b with Maceo Plex outdoors before midnight) and will be joined by Stephan Bodzin (live), Dixon, Mind Against, Sven Väth, Ben Klock B2B Marcel Dettmann, and many more. Purchase combined or separate tickets for Afterlife Grand Finale.




Follow Afterlife on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud







Solid Grooves Closing Party | DC10 | Thursday, September 29

Solid Grooves, the much-loved party and label with a distinctive deep tech soundtrack wraps up its first DC10 season this Thursday. Founder Michael Bibi joins label mates Dennis Cruz, PAWSA, Ben Sterling, and ANOTR and secret guests. The iconic underground venue DC10 has proven to be the perfect match for the groovers crew, so head over to the Salinas club and enjoy the last Solid Grooves of the year! Purchase your ticket for Solid Grooves Motel Closing party




Follow Solid Grooves on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud







Defected Closing Party | Eden | Friday, September 30

House music giant Defected is ready to close a fantastic season at San Antonio hotspot Eden. Defected has been at the forefront of the clubbing scene for more than 20 years and culminates its longest-ever season on the last day of September with Simon Dunmore, Mambo Brothers, Low Steppa, and many more. Head over to Defected closing party if you are looking for classic house music and uplifting vibes before the party season finally ends! Purchase your ticket for the Defected closing party at Eden.




Follow Defected on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud




elrow Closing Party | Amnesia | Saturday, October 1

elrow presents a new theme to close the busiest night at Amnesia properly. For the first time, elrow will present its most artistic and avant-garde theme: DELUSIONVILLE, a concept curated by the American contemporary artist Ron English. Metamorphic landscapes and anthropoid animals come to life exclusively at elrow's closing party. Amnesia and elrow have chosen one of the greatest representatives of clubbing culture to headline the show on the terrace, Fatboy Slim, alongside Eats Everything and elrow resident DJs Bastian Bux and Tini Glesser. The Main Room, renamed elrow City, will be occupied exclusively by Kölsch all night long. Dare to join the last elrow event of the summer in Ibiza and discover their new world! Buy your tickets for the elrow closing party and discover its newest theme.




Follow elrow on Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud




Storytellers Pangea Closing Party | Cova Santa | Sunday, October 2

A day trip by Storytellers (the team behind WooMooN) finalizes the season with Pangea. The closing is the last opportunity to take an active role in the fairytale world they've created while dancing to an extended set by Red Axes and Audiofly b2b Deer Jade. The event begins outdoors at 6 pm at Cova Santa and follows indoors from midnight till sunrise. Get tickets to enjoy Pangea by Storytellers at Cova Santa.




Follow Storytellers on Instagram | SoundCloud















Ibiza Selects (September 26 – October 2)

Three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and Four Tet redefining reality with music. On this latest episode of “What Will Kieren Hebden (aka Four Tet) Think of Next,” we see the UK producer take his talents to Chloé Robinson and DJ ADHD’s 909-driven, four-the-floor stomper, “Pax.”







Despite what many people think, a proper banger does not need excessive elements to get the party started. Robinson and ADHD prove their discipline as producers by using space to do just as much as the beat and the bass. Trust me, with an invigorating pulse like this, you’ll want as much breathing room as possible. Four Tet honors this energy, allowing his addition of swelling bass waves and timbre distortion to morph this tune into pure, unadulterated sonic stimulus.



This stand-out track comes off Chloé Robinson’s debut EP, Steamin, marking the full launch of her latest project. Formerly known in dance music circles for over a decade as Barely Legal, the Pretty Weird label head has always been a champion of diversified sounds. From polyrhythmic techno to face-melting dubstep, Robinson has been behind it all. No wonder she’s linked with renowned sonic explorer Four Tet.



Pretty Weird also supports DJ ADHD, a genre-blending UK-based up-and-comer. He’s emerged onto the scene only in the past year but has already gained support from established boundary pushers of sound like Robinson, Nikki Nair, and Villager.

Four Tet Revamps Chloé Robinson & DJ ADHD’s 'Pax'

Whether you’re a casual listener or die-hard fan, any house music enthusiast has heard the name John Summit. The Chicago native is the hottest up-and-coming name in dance music, headlining the biggest festivals and clubs around the world, topping Beatport charts, and even starting his label, Off The Grid. He’s been behind some of our favorite tracks, including his 2021 collab, “Witch Doctor,” with UK mainstay Nic Fanciulli.



This tune casts a powerful spell from beat one. Organic percussive kits tap out the vigorous beat for our hearts and our feet to follow. As the pulse grows within, entrancing vocal chants imbue this beat with mystifying energy that will not be denied. You can try and resist the siren song to the dance floor, but you’ll only be prolonging the inevitable. The witch doctor’s spell captivates listeners, taking hold of their souls through the power of house music.



We love a good collab here at Gray Area, and “Witch Doctor” is a great example of why. Fanciulli and Summit bring fundamental pieces to this tune that are crucial to the final product. Nic’s legendary rhythm work is perfectly in sync with John’s unquestionable ear for a hook, creating a roller that would become one of Fanciulli’s Saved Records’ most streamed songs of the year.



Follow John Summit on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Follow Nic Fanciulli on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter.

Fall Under The Spell Of John Summit And Nic Fanciulli’s 'Witch Doctor'

The women of progressive house and melodic techno are a formidable bunch. Not only are they inspired, but they’re innovative, evocative, and impressively industrious. These women are from all over the world and come from a menagerie of influence and inspiration. If it were possible, we’d celebrate every single one of them.




The 11 women on our list are an inspiration to fellow females and all burgeoning young producers in the genre. Between the lot of them, they’ve graced the biggest festival stages in the world, released magnificent music on the industry’s biggest labels, and made a name for themselves doing what they love. Let’s hear it for the girls.




1. Miss Monique

The eclectic mix of techno, trance, and progressive house that Miss Monique creates has racked up a severe online fanbase. The producer turned to her YouTube channel through the pandemic to connect with fans and play music. There, her Livestream sets have racked up millions of hits. She also has a fan-favorite podcast, Mind Games, where listeners are treated to a fresh DJ set every month.




2. Gioli and Assia

As two multi-faceted, creative women, Giolì & Assia started as an artist/manager duo. Assia was the practical, get-it-done accomplice to Giolì’s burgeoning sound as a DJ and producer. After opening their label, Diesis Records, and finally landing on a clear direction forward as the melodic techno / electro-pop duo Giolì & Assia. Their music is often flavored with a bit of the Middle East, adding hand pans, steel drums, and other fun instruments.






3. Korolova

Born in Kyiv, Olga Korolova is a rising superstar in melodic techno. Her visually stunning YouTube videos and intimate performances have earned her a mass of dedicated fans and critical acclaim. Melodic techno is a somewhat new direction for Ukranian artist who started her career in EDM. She feels that she's truly found her dance music calling now, evidenced by her domination of the club charts and support from industry luminaries. She even recently went back to back with Gordo on one of her livestreams.




4. Maya Jane Coles

Maya Jane Coles is usually involved in every aspect of her work. From writing, production, engineering, mixing, and even cover design. She has a vision. The London-based producer / DJ has collected a staggering three million followers on Soundcloud, 20+ magazine covers, and countless worldwide fans thanks to her effortlessly chic take on house and techno.




5. Sinca

Sinca has a multicultural and vastly artistic background. The Montreal native is a fast-emerging DJ and producer whose already been named a rising star in her field. Her debut release, the instrumental progressive house track “Mancora,” was picked up by UK label and global tastemaker Anjunabeats.




6. Anfisa Letyago

Anfisa Letyago debuted on the iconic Dutch label Spinnin’ Records in 2016 with “Stop Talking.” Her style is a mix between hard-hitting melodic techno and deep house grooves. In 2021, she officially launched her label, N:S:DA. Toss in a BBC Radio 1 Residency, an official Moby remix, and a digital Mixmag cover, and it’s apparent Anfisa is here to stay.




7. Giorgia Angiuli

Giorgia Angiuli is a classically trained musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Italy. Through her solo productions, she moves seamlessly between techno, house, and electro-pop. She’s also a big fan of toys. In addition to her dreamy vocals, during her live sets, she uses a theremin, toy flute, sax, trumpets, and just about any instrumental toy she can get her hands on.




8. Eli & Fur

This London-based duo created a truly mesmerizing sound. Eli & Fur marry mysteriously moody melodies with evocative vocals and cascading synths with a flair for dark, emotive dance anthems. With a steady stream of releases on their own NYX Music and seminal imprints like Anjunadeep and Sony RCA, they’ll undoubtedly continue to mesmerize dancefloors for years to come.




9. Dinka

Tamara Hunkeler, better known by her stage name Dinka, describes her sound as “Multicultural Dance Music.” The Swiss DJ taps influence from world music to add to her uplifting brand of progressive house. From 2007 - 2017 she couldn’t be stopped, snagging deals with both Anjunabeats and A State of Trance. Though we haven’t heard much from her since then, she’s still earned a well-deserved spot at the top.






10. Eleonora

The genre palette of Eleonora almost reads like a drink menu: dark pop, cold wave, downtempo, and trip-hop. And much like a good bartender, she blends it all seamlessly together. Her chill variety of techno lends itself well to her sultry voice, as apparent in tracks like “Awake.” Besides her experimental electro, she’s also fronted several inspired jazz projects.



10 Women of Progressive House and Melodic Techno

Netherlands

Prunk

Perhaps the most fascinating and unmistakable aspect of speaking with Dutch DJ and producer Prunk is his unbridled love and admiration for the American roots of house music. The reverence the Amsterdam-based artist (real name, Nilz Pronk) has for the icons who paved the way for his career and label PIV Records is evident in everything he touches. From his imprint’s thoughtfully curated lineups and catalog to own his soul-infused sets that pay homage to dance music’s deep history.




As PIV Records establishes a greater presence in festivals and clubs worldwide, Prunk continues to work towards a mission he conceived when he began DJing as a teenager: To build a deeper and broader global community rooted in the love of soulful, authentic house.




One might ask how the musical influences of Detroit’s Motown and Chicago’s house classics migrated nearly 4,000 miles across the Atlantic to pique the interest of a Dutch teenager. For Prunk, it all started in the family.




“My mother was a soul singer when she was young. There was always a Motown record on in our house,” he says. “My older brother was also a big influence. When he turned 18, he began partying in Ibiza, Mykonos, and clubs throughout Amsterdam. He got me interested soulful music and what he called the ‘real house' sound.”




One of his most memorable encounters with this fascinating sound, Prunk recalls, was receiving an Ian Pooley record from his brother on his 11th birthday. From that moment, Prunk knew a life behind the decks was his destiny.




He began DJing at clubs throughout Amsterdam at 15. At the time, he was attending a professional football prep academy. However, his new path meant it was time to hang up the cleats and lean on his small burgeoning dance music network to further evangelize the soulful sound he'd grown up on.




His vision wasn’t without its naysayers. A seminal moment came at 17 while spinning at one of his largest gigs. A headlining DJ starkly told Prunk that his style of house didn't belong on the main stage. That singular comment lit a fire under the young artist, catalyzing what’s now a globally renowned career spanning decades.







Notably influenced by the deep, hypnotic rhythm of Detroit house, Prunk’s sonic style blends passionate vocal motifs, percussive flourishes, and a unique tech house flair all his own. The artist has released music on iconic labels, including his tech house heater “The Machine” (2016) on Nervous Records in collaboration with friend and fellow deep tech evangelist Chris Stussy. Other hits like "Through the Walls,” released on PIV Records in 2020, demonstrate Prunk’s finesse for passionate, piano-laden, deep house.




His presence and poise behind the decks has steadily elevated him to bigger and bigger venues worldwide. Prunk is a resident at Amsterdam’s STRAF_WERK Festival, a regular at Club Jenja in Bali, and has performed at festivals including DGTL Barcelona, Amsterdam’s Loveland, and Welcome to the Future — helping further cement soulful house’s rightful place in the dance music spotlight.









Having established a unique, globally-inspired spirit all his own, Prunk’s next calling was to codify that brand with the launch of PIV Records in 2015, an imprint with a self-described “soft spot for US classic house… with a modern European touch.”




“PIV initially stood for Prunk Invites,” he says. “But as we grew and became more successful, I realized it wasn’t just about me.” PIV evolved to the more inclusive “People Invited” with a hidden message in the name that harkens back to the label’s ethos. "If you flip 'PIV’ around, it’s ‘VIP.' We want everyone to feel like a VIP at our parties."






Inclusion in the groove is the name of the game at PIV. The label and its roster of more than 20 artists continue to expand the culture globally, with stage takeovers at acclaimed music festivals like Defected Croatia and sold-out parties in all corners of the world—from Ibiza and Lima to Brooklyn.




In 2022, the label even launched its inaugural PIV Festival in Spaarnwoude, North Holland, featuring more than 30 international artists, many within the PIV family. Among the lineup was UK duo RUZE, whose contemplative, vocal tech house track “Mindset” has become one of the label’s biggest hits to date.




The PIV sound has become more focussed and refined over the years. "It’s a really big compliment when people talk about the PIV sounds, when something is not a PIV release at all.”









Prunk’s Resident Advisor bio aptly states, “Prunk is working at his own pace, but this doesn’t mean he’s taking things slow.” By the looks of things, the now-veteran DJ and his label are on the precipice of rapid acceleration and significant expansion.




"It’s our goal to feed the people again,” says Prunk, speaking on the instant gratification implicit in modern dance music. “When you give people the groove. They respect it. It’s refreshing. You realize you don’t always need constant build-ups and breaks in the music."




The same analogy can be applied to Prunk’s career philosophy of “steady success."




“For me, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you create good music — we will support it. We created from nothing, something. That’s the power of PIV. I always say: never believe your own eye. If you stay humble, if you believe in your sound, you can be doing this for a really long time.”






Saeed Younan

Baghdad-born Dj and producer Saeed Younan is your favorite DJ's favorite DJ. The technical powerhouse is lauded for his precision and effortless blend of house, tech house, and tribal. A globe-trotting performer with a case full of DJ awards, he's worked the most infamous dancefloors of Ibiza, Tokyo, Mexico, Hong Kong, and the US for over 20 years. As a producer his trademark sound continues to evolve, garnering support from revered artists like Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Mark Knight, Nic Fanciulli, and Loco Dice.



Before he became their peer, he was a young protege and novice DJ, yearning to one day sell out a club show of his own.





“I used to take the Greyhound bus from DC to New York in the mid-90s, go check out Tenaglia who’d play at Twilo, hop back on the Greyhound and go clock in, work a shift at Fresh Fields—now they call it Whole Foods—and then do it all over again. They were pretty cool about giving me weekends off, which was great because I needed those days to DJ.”




Fast forward into the digital age, Younan is a successful touring DJ and label head of Younan Music. The imprint’s name was a fortuitous accident.





“Younan Music was never meant to be named after me. Somewhere along the way, my company Younan Inc. became Younan Music and we just kept it,” explained Saeed. “I started the label to shed light on new artists, people who were trying to make it. We wanted to focus on smaller acts, people who were starting out who needed an avenue to get their name out there.”



Since 2004, the label has churned out over 300 releases including singles and compilations, according to Saeed. Supported by Carl Cox, Hot Since 82, Carlo Lio, and more, the imprint forges on preserving and maintaining its original mission—to help the outliers, the strays, and the new kids on the block build out their legacy, just as Saeed has.





“We sign personalities, but we stay away from signing anyone that’s too cocky or has an ego. Everyone on our label produces their own stuff, they’re making their own stuff, working hard in the studio—no ghostwriters. We focus on humble people who are really trying to make something happen for the culture, for music,” said Saeed.


The selector is a humble artist with a tenacious work ethic and an unwavering love for music that stemmed early on in his life. Born in Baghdad in the early 70s, Saeed, his parents, and two sisters lived in Iraq until they fled in 1981 due to an ongoing war.






“We had to flee the country, but at that time you couldn’t leave or go anywhere so we had to say we were going on vacation,” said Saeed. So the family escaped to a bustling London, as punk music and fashion were approaching their pinnacle. During this tumultuous time, Saeed turned to music as an escape.



“I was seven or eight years old, recording music on a tape deck I always had on hand. It was a little boombox I would tune to little European stations. The tape deck had a space for a cassette and I’d record on it any chance I’d get when I heard music I enjoyed,” Saeed shared. “That was how it all started. Sitting in my room, tuning into European stations and sifting through the channels for music, grasping different sounds and listening to everything I could.”





Saeed recalled that music wasn’t as accessible in those days as it is now. So his favorite method of exploring different sounds and genres was through terrestrial radio. For the young producer, this meant he spent hours tuning through stations, sifting through static and white noise for any clearly defined snippets of music—much of which included a lot of disco and ABBA.




“It was difficult to find stations sometimes with clear sound. I’d have to keep tuning the dial if the reception wasn’t clear and then, when I found a good one, I would keep it locked in. Majority of the music I was listening to was disco, occasionally some rock.”



The family stayed in London for a year-and-a-half while his father filed the necessary paperwork that would allow them to transfer to the United States as refugees.



“But we were living like refugees then. We couldn’t go to school,” explained Saeed. “We hunkered down. There was a lot of politics going on and we didn't want to run into the wrong people, or else they’d say we’d escaped the country. So we did the best we could to stay quiet, in the meantime, until we got our paperwork.”





For Saeed, who had trained all his young life to fight in a war, the sudden move to London was hard on him. “I didn’t speak any English, and it was even harder as a kid, living in London, where it’s already difficult to understand what anyone’s saying,” he recalled.



However, the move proved to be serendipitous. Arriving in the UK at the brink of the punk movement in the early 80s was pivotal for Saeed. “I grew up seeing punks everywhere—the mohawks, the leather. This really opened up my eyes to a new world, a new genre of music and culture.”



After the brief stint in London, the family arrived in the US and settled on the East Coast. Saeed enrolled in school, and it was around this time that the burgeoning musician fully began to embrace the arts. After school, he dabbled in breakdancing and eventually picked up DJing when a friend gifted him turntables to tinker with before jetting off to college.



“My friend in high school was into hip hop and DJing. This guy was friends with Sir Mix-A-Lot, so we’d be at his house, listening to Sir Mix-A-Lot records. He had these turntables, and started showing me how to scratch…I was blown away. I knew that this was what I wanted to do,” said Saeed.



“I had never seen two turntables and a mixer set up, but something clicked within me. I gravitated toward it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I would skip class just to go to my friend’s house and mess around on the turntables.”





Upon graduating in 1991, the friends went their separate ways but promised to keep in touch. Before he departed, Saeed’s pal offered his turntables and DJ gear to the aspiring DJ, knowing he would put them to good use.



“I started giving my demos out to promoters, and booking small gigs at house parties, weddings, proms…any chance I got to mix, I took it. It wasn’t about money to me—I just wanted to play out,” he said.



The producer’s ear for music remains as diverse today as his early setlists. In the beginning, Saeed said, he would only play hip hop because that’s what was most requested. Gradually, he began incorporating the dance and club music he enjoyed listening to into his sets. A few of his favorites from his earliest club gigs included L.A. Style’s “James Brown is Dead,” Petra, Co’s “Just Let Go” Dub version, and D.H.S.’ “The House of God.”


“Going to the clubs and seeing DJs bigger than I was, seeing the crowd reacting to the music—some of the songs didn’t even have words, it was just the rhythm, the synth, the drums—seeing that did something to me,” he shared. “That’s when I started going to the record store to look for those exact records. I’d sit in record stores all day long, sifting through [records], just to find that one record that I heard at the club the night before. That’s how I gravitated toward DJing.”



Though the days of taking Greyhound buses to and from clubs while working a part-time job have ceased, his love for dingy venues and clubs remains.



“I like clubs. With clubs there’s more of an intimacy, especially when it’s a dark room, there’s a low ceiling, I love that vibe. I don’t like the clubs that are all bells and whistles, bottle service all over the place…that to me will never be the vibe that I want,” said Saeed.



The label boss-DJ has headlined Ultra, Electric Forest, and EDC. While he agrees there’s nothing quite like playing for these festivals and the crowds they amass, they don’t compare to the vigorous buoyancy generated at a club venue.


“Sometimes when you play at a festival, you can’t get that same energy. I’ll look at that sea of people and sometimes I won’t see as much movement. Maybe hands in the air during breakdowns and the buildup, but it’ll never be the same in the way the interaction is at a club. They’re two different worlds,” he said.









Like many well-versed DJs and producers, Saeed is not only an avid music listener—his love for music also extends to instruments. From drums to guitars, keyboards to shakers and didgeridoos, Saeed’s instrument collection is expansive. He houses it all in his work studio in Washington DC. Lately, his favorite instrument to tinker with is the latest addition to his collection—a Native American flute.









The musician recently had to consolidate the collection due to the proliferating mass of vinyl records overtaking his studio. “I’ve been buying records in bulk up until 2003…I still have hip hop records from 1988,” he said. “I still buy records sometimes, but definitely not like I used to. I only buy them for my listening pleasure now since I can’t really play ‘em out anymore.”









Saeed’s detailed curatorial skills come in handy when he records the impromptu sets for his Hot Crate Classics vinyl series, which he uploads to Soundcloud weekly. So far, the producer-DJ has mixed around 40 curated sets.




The vinyl sets are unrehearsed, unplanned, and always hand-picked. The series showcases proper mixing—the way DJ’s spun in the 80s and 90s.



“When I do want to play records at clubs, a lot of them don’t understand how to set up turntables. You’ll show up and the tables aren’t right, the needle will start bouncing when there’s people dancing behind you…Sometimes I bring my own stuff, but even then it’s hard when you’re traveling, trying to carry two turntables, and all your records—it’s ridiculous,” he explained.



It’ll be a long time before he rules out playing vinyl though, said Saeed. If there’s a club with low ceilings, minimal lighting, and a crew that knows how to set up the tables just right, he’s more than happy to spin the hits, and his latest, the old school way.

Nowadays, the name Prunk is virtually synonymous with PIV Records. The Dutch house label has made good on its promise to build upon the rich dance music legacies of places like New York City and Chicago, emphasizing an inclusive philosophy towards nightlife along the way. Few may realize how much Prunk has contributed to the culture with his own releases.




Prunk, née Nilz Pronk, is of Dutch-Indonesian descent. His career as a recording artist extends back at least as far as 2010 when he collaborated with Norman Soares on the EP Cirque du Soleil via Masal. The title track’s trumpet sample and energizing bass stabs offered a glimpse of what was to come from the producer, with “Carma” offering a more tranquil, reverb delay-soaked permutation of his budding style.









From 2013 on, Prunk’s output increased. That year, he collaborated with PONY on the Disluv EP on Electronique, opting for a UK garage-infused sound defined by bouncy bass lines and soulful vocal refrains. In 2014 he followed it up with a solo EP titled Make U Crazy that saw him dive more deeply into a classic, Chicago house-inspired sound.









2015, of course, marked the launch of PIV Records, which Prunk dedicated to this time-tested style. The label’s first releases arrived by way of artists like Roland Nights, Yusuke Yamamoto, and Chris Stussy — the latter of whom shares label head duties. Parallel to his work on PIV Records, Prunk still toiled away on his music in the background. That same year, he released the Life EP on Moulton Music and the collaborative effort What I Do alongside Bas Roos on Inner City Records.









It wasn’t until the following year that Prunk put out his music through PIV Records. The Sexy Brasil EP marked the label’s fourth release, combining classic themes with minimal house overtones. His two 2017 collaborations with Stussy carried out this evolution: the Brooklyn Tears EP via PIV and Material / The System on Berlin label EWax.









More recently, Prunk returned to PIV Records in 2020 with the four-track Through The Walls EP. He followed it up with an EP titled Perception Of Groove on French label Djebali that encapsulates a decidedly current update to his evolving style. Crisp leads and smooth bass lines now carry his distinguished sound signature. It is at once old and new, paying homage to the roots of house while adding European flavor.









Prunk has also established a formidable presence as an internationally touring DJ. A regular at Amsterdam gatherings like STRAF_WERK, Awakenings, and DGTL, he’s graced the decks from Monaco to Barcelona, Zürich to Sao Paulo, and even the white isle of Ibiza.




Where will Prunk’s musings take him next? Only time will tell. One thing is certain: you should follow him closely to get a sneak peek into the future of true-to-form house music.



The Indelible Lane of House Music Carved by PIV Records Boss Prunk

KiNK fired up the debut edition of Stone Techno Festival with over two hours of texturally rich, varied, and rocket-fuelled house and techno. Taking place at UNESCO World Heritage site Zeche Zollverein – a massive former industrial site and coal mine in Western Germany – Stone Techno also featured the likes of Dax J, Ellen Allien, D. Dan, and more.

Hailing from Sofia, Bulgaria, KiNK brought his characteristically interactive live performance to the festival. Amongst his dizzying array of live equipment is a remote that he swings through the air and occasionally hands over to members of the crowd. With each swoop, a percussive sample is released through the speakers, bringing an explosive level of energy.



According to KiNK, it was one the most challenging sets he’d ever played, as the strong sunlight made it impossible for him to read his gear. Nevertheless, the incredible vibe and electric atmosphere never dipped.







KiNK ascended the ladder of the music industry without a support network, campaign, or any media hype, but through his music alone – both live and in the studio. He first gained recognition in 2008 with his collaborative releases alongside Neville Watson on Amsterdam’s Rush Hour imprint. Later, an unassuming video of KiNK tweaking a drum machine at home led him to a slot at Berlin’s iconic Panorama Bar, which was followed by years of global touring.





Catch KiNK at a torrent of upcoming festivals and clubs this year, including Sonus Festival in Croatia, and Contours Festival in Paris.



Follow KiNK on Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud

KiNK Breaches the Gap Between Audience and Performer in Stone Techno Festival Debut

Oh, genre labels. Love them or hate them, some heads live and die by discerning the subtle differences assigned to descriptors. Whether it be to break it down on Beatport charts, cultivate a Spotify playlist, decipher which festival stages have certain vibes, or even to be the ultimate electronic music nerd to win friends and influence people. It can be entertaining to dig a bit deeper. And when we say “deeper,” we’re not just talking about a blanket term referring to non-commercial EDM, but the nuances of more cerebral sounds. That being said, let’s talk about deep tech.




Is it techno? Is it deep house? Tech house? Deep techno? A combo abbreviation of deep-and-tech house? Underground, “urban,” or “shuffle house?” An amalgamation of all those sounds—or its own thing entirely? Though the name “deep tech” is obnoxiously vague, for this article, we’re referring to the house music offshoot that sprung up in the late 2000s, i.e., deep tech (house).




Where Chicago, IL is the undisputed birthplace of house music, the subgenre of deep tech is decidedly UK in its roots. Rising to prominence around the same time the younger audiences reimagined the Running Man and shape-cutting as shuffling, the underground nature of deep tech’s emergence mirrors the path of its more mature sonic sibling. Like house music before its roots were white-washed, deep tech was also birthed on club nights attended by predominately Black audiences. Stemming partly from the UK funky scene, deep tech provides a more warm-and-fuzzy feeling compared to another UK staple in the form of grime tunes.




However, the vagueness of the moniker expectedly leads to debates amongst fans and DJs alike. Some prefer to stick to calling the subtle offshoots “house.” At the same time, heads often dissect the subtle nuances of BPMs, incorporating melodic elements and even the feel of the bass when hugging the subwoofers. With a low-end that permeates one’s soul, deep tech provides those darker—but still danceable—beats. Whereas those with a discerning ear often thrive on delicate differences between the vast expanse of possible descriptors for the multitude of music that falls under the electronic umbrella, most electronic dance music fans can still enjoy deep tech as it avoids being too heady.




For those in search of the details of deep tech, one is immersed in four-on-the-floor basslines with a melodic groove that regularly samples classic R&B vocals. Weighing in at 120 to 124 BPM, deep tech is in that sweet spot to get people swaying even if they have two left feet. Deep tech carries on the UK rave roots of incorporating soaring diva songstresses, hip-hop rhymes, ragga, jungle, and garage with a decidedly sexier edge that sonically delights the physical aspects of attendees as well.




Who are the standouts in the subgenre? Much like when attempting to describe deep tech, pigeonholing an artist as solely deep tech doesn’t do the music justice. Even when perusing Beatport for deep tech tracks, the music retailer lumps “Minimal/Deep Tech” together as a category, likely much to the dismay of DJs and producers.


To begin your deep tech journey, check out record labels such as Cuttin’ Headz, Eastenderz, Locus, and PIV. As far as deep tech DJs and producers, one of the scene staples we dig includes Satoshi Tomiie. The Japanese legend embraced house music early, ultimately adding deep tech to his repertoire. With a background in classical and jazz piano studies, his career launched in 1989 with a collaboration alongside Frankie Knuckles, aka the “Godfather of House.” The pioneering Tomiee is still a force in the studio and regularly releases deep tech tracks to this day.




Much like Chicago house has its originators, for deep tech the expanding popularity can partially be traced back to Mark Radford and his Rinse FM Saturday night show. Raving since the late 1980s, he first absorbed the UK’s jungle, acid house, garage, and drum-and-bass sounds. Christening his Audio Rehab record label in 2012, Radford fostered many new deep tech talents and has even produced a few tracks of his own.




Speaking of deep tech denizens, veteran producer Steve Bug channels earlier progressive house, deep house, and tech house effortlessly. His Poker Flat Recordings celebrated 20 years in 2019. He has also amassed numerous successful releases on labels, including Bedrock, Cocoon, Defected, Knee Deep in Sound, and Minus.




Discerning tastes will appreciate the 2021 Traxsource Deep Tech Artist of the Year, Sidney Charles. With releases on the aforementioned deep tech labels (plus his own Heavy House Society imprint), Charles hails from Germany and has over a decade of chart-topping tunes, including “Cabo” on PIV, “There is No Time” via Locus, and “Grindin’” on Eastenderz.




Another fan favorite in the realm of deep tech is the mononymous Toman. The Dutch DJ/producer brings his drummer roots to his electronic beats that pay homage to UK tech house. Earning accolades as one of the highest-selling minimal/deep tech artists on Beatport, Toman is an artist to keep an eye—and ear—on when seeking fresh deep tech tracks.




As deep tech has carved out a dedicated legion of fans, remember that thinking about too many details of a subgenre can distract from the dancefloor. And at the end of the night, as a party turns into day, as long as it makes people move, isn’t that what house music is about?



Let's Talk About Deep Tech

The world's brightest, most absurd, and colorful party returns to Brooklyn. That's right, another edition of elrow is just around the corner and is on track to be the biggest and the best to hit New York yet.



On Saturday, July 23, The Brooklyn Mirage and the King's Hall in the famed Avant Gardner complex will welcome over 15 top-tier DJs for elrow Summer Festival: Far Rowest. And as the two stages of pure debauchery plunge into kaleidoscopic chaos, guests can immerse themselves in a host of brand-new amenities.



But to access all the whimsical and wonderful experiences offered at Far Rowest, you'll need to show up early and purchase a Full Experience Pass. And let's be honest here. Why anyone would want to miss even one second of the action at an elrow event is a mystery. So grab the ticket, take the ride, and get a little weird.



Here are ten reasons to grab a Full Experience Pass before they're gone.

1. Save Money



Spoiler alert: the Full Experience Pass is the cheapest ticket for the elrow Festival. You're literally paying less money to have more fun. Has there ever been a more exciting trade-off in the history of live music?



2. Drink Specials



People show up late to an event because they want to save money on the pregame. Now elrow is taking care of that for you. Everyone who arrives early will get a special drink deal—buy one, get one half off. The bars will also serve a specialty-themed cocktail until 8 PM. You'll have to get your Full Experience Pass to find out just how special it is.



3. On The Runway With Rowgelia



We all love Rowgelia. The beloved chicken has been with the elrow family for years, keeping the energy up until the sunrise set is blaring through the morning. Now, for the first time, Rowgelia is doing a photo shoot with all our favorite fans. Get your Full Experience Pass and enter by 6:30 to get a picture with the hardest partying chicken in the world.



4. Sunset to Sunrise



For the first time in the USA, elrow will run from dusk till dawn. Watch the sunset over the dead sexy New York skyline from the highest walls of the Brooklyn Mirage. Then after doing some of the wildest dancing of your life, do the same thing with the sunrise. The master himself, Paco Osuna, is dropping a sunrise set until ... Well, we don't know when he will stop. Maybe you'll even get to see the next sunset?







5. Special Sundown Sets



We've specially curated both stages to provide the ultimate kickoff to this epic day-and-night of house and techno. In the Mirage (which just underwent some swanky new production upgrades), none other than Shermanology will be guiding the event into darkness with their endlessly funky combination of house music and soulful live vocals. Francis Mercier will be on the decks in the King's Hall, dealing out the smoothest and silkiest afro house in the game. Plus, with the recently installed glass paneling, the coruscating colors from the sunset will still wash over the crowd like a warm waterfall.





6. Animators, confetti, inflatables? Oh my!



elrow is about so much more than the music. This party is a 360-degree, audiovisual experience. One minute you're dancing your heart out. The next, you're sitting in an inflatable pirate ship navigating the crowd like Captain Hook. A blast of confetti shoots off next to you like cannon fire from a rival ship, but instead of avoiding it, you let the color papers engulf the bow. Suddenly your sinking back down to the floor, but all you can do is smile as someone else commandeers the boat and goes on their own voyage. Did you get chills reading that? Well, the earlier you get to elrow, the more likely you'll find yourself in that exact situation.



7. Come Hungry, Leave Happy.



On top of the many upgrades to production, the Mirage has a brand new food menu. So get there early and fuel up proper so you can dance into the night. Then when it comes time to dance into the morning, come back and fuel up again.





8. The Great Hall of Chill



When you need a place to sit and eat, come to the Great Hall, the newly established house of chill in the Avant Gardner. The massive room will be converted into a luxury air-conditioned lounge where you can relax, hydrate (because we care about your health), grab a bite, look at your awesome pics with Rowgelia, meet your fellow attendees and collect yourself before another extended dance session.





9. B2Bs on B2Bs on B2Bs



Far Rowest is all about double the fun. Double the stages. Double the confetti. Double the artists, and for some sets, it's double the DJs. We have curated two unique, rare back-to-back sets. Tech house icon Martin Ikin B2B "My Humps" producer Joshwa. And New York's Jean Pierre B2B elrow resident Toni Varga. These are all elrow veterans and veteran DJs in their own right. When they come together at peak time in the wild west, trying to put it into words would be futile. Just be there.







10. When I Roll Into The Wild Wild West…



This is the first time elrow is making the journey to the untamed frontier of the wild west, with the key word there being "wild." Are you ready to get wild? Cause we are. With epic production upgrades, an extra stage, and even more hours of partying (with the Full Experience Pass), this will be our biggest and wildest party yet. You don't want to miss a second of it.



A Full Experience Pass is Your Ticket to an Elevated elrow NYC

Recognized internationally as one of the most influential artists in electronic music, Carl Cox continues to astound fans. And while he holds an exceptional discography and unmatched skills behind the decks, his ability to curate talent is unmatched. For the first time in 11 years, he’ll flex his unique skill set at Electric Zoo 3.0, performing a rare stateside festival appearance and curating the lineup on his very own Carl Cox Invites stage at the Hilltop Arena on Sunday, September 4. He’ll be joined by some of house and techno’s most sought-after DJs and live acts.



Carl Cox always heeps his ear to the underground, and for EZoo, he’s pulled together a lineup of artists who will light up the crowd with their original tracks, remixes, and edits. These are the artists that are pushing the culture forward. Cox said that he's putting together a very special set including music from his upcoming album Electronic Generations. His first album in over six years, he recently revealed the first track "How It Makes You Feel," a collaboration with Nicole Moudaber, that he's been road-testing for months.



Joining the king of techno is New York City-based tech-house guru Charles Meyer, Ibiza-based superstar Chelina Manuhutu, and Detroit house queen DJ Holographic.

“DJ Holographic has so much house music soul and true techno flavor in the music she plays,” Carl Cox said in a press release. “It draws you in the longer she plays. It really does come from the depths of her heart, you can feel it so much. This will be the first time I will get the chance to see her live, and I for one cannot wait.”



Techno legend and long-time friend of Carl Cox, Loco Dice, will join the Invites lineups. Loco Dice was also last on an EZoo lineup 11 years ago. The two iconic artists have frequently shared stages across the world, but this New York reunion is going to be a special one.



“Dice is always evolving with his sound of music that you cannot put in a musical box at all. He really does push the boundaries,” Cox said.



The prodigious Andrea Oliva and incredible Ilario Alicante will also perform a unique b2b set. Oliva will be stopping by between sets as a resident of Ibiza’s favorite day party spot Ushuaia. Alicante is quickly becoming a festival mainstay in his own right, having already performed at Ultra and EDC Vegas this year.



This year’s Electric Zoo lineup features a heavy influx of underground house and techno talent, and the Carl Cox Invites stage takeover will be the cherry on top for the revamped festival. With only a few months left until the quintessential New York festival returns to Randall’s Island, Carl Cox and friends are counting down the days. We know we’ll be at the Invites stage on day three of Ezoo, will you? The only right answer to that question is “Oh yes, yes.”









Carl Cox Returns to Electric Zoo and Curates Carl Cox Invites Takeover

Paco Osuna charged up Music On Festival 2022 with a set that had crowds swelling around the decks within minutes. Starting off brooding and serious, the set evolves to become playful and funky, with a Black Eyed Peas and Groove Armada edit thrown in for good measure.




Music On is a house and techno festival that takes place in Amsterdam. After canceling its 2020 and 2021 editions, it returned with a bang in 2022. Run by Marco Corolla, it is globally recognized for hosting a broad spectrum of upcoming and established talent. The festival returns in 2023. Pre-registration for tickets is open now.









For over two decades, Osuna has been known well beyond the borders of his native Spain for his characteristically deep, refined, and imaginative tech house and techno. In 2006, he launched Mindshake, a platform dedicated to creating and distributing electronic music.



Mindshake has become one of the most important techno labels in the US and Europe, featuring material from the likes of Cuartero, Carlo Lio, Fer BR, Nick Curly, and Paul Ritch. Mindshake events have also developed a committed fanbase: the next installment comes this June at GO Beach Club in Barcelona.




This summer, Osuna is set to play elrow Festival in New York, Space in Miami, Secret Project Festival in Portugal, and beyond.




Follow Paco Osuna on Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud























































Watch Paco Osuna's Intoxicating Music On Festival Performance

Veteran DJ and producer Matthias Tanzmann electrified The Brooklyn Mirage last October with an infectiously groovy set. Sitting at the center of New York’s Avant Gardner complex, The Brooklyn Mirage is a stunning open-air venue boasting an idyllic inner courtyard, striking walls, and evergreen plants.



In 2019, Tanzmann was nominated as Best Tech House DJ in the annual Ibiza DJ Awards for the sixth time. With a career spanning over two decades, he’s no stranger to keeping crowds hooked to the dancefloor for hours on end.

As the owner of the German imprint Moon Harbour Recordings, Tanzmann has helped to grow emerging artists into world-renowned figures from Detlef, to Dennis Cruz, Sidney Charles, and beyond. Since its inception in 2000, the label has released an impressive volume of material.



Tanzmann is a Circoloco resident at the legendary Ibiza venue, DC10, and has remixed work from the likes of Jamie Jones, Booka Shade, Moby, and Josh Wink. He’s set to unleash havoc in the coming months at Octan Ibiza, Watergate in Berlin, E1 in London, and many more clubs worldwide.



Follow Matthias Tanzmann on Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud

























































Matthias Tanzmann Electrifies the Brooklyn Mirage 

Germany

Matthias Tanzmann 

With releases stretching back two decades on labels such as Dirtybird, Poker Flat, and his own imprint Moon Harbour, Matthias Tanzmann is a stalwart of the European house scene. The German artist's impressive catalog is bolstered by residencies at iconic night spots like DC10 in Ibiza and festivals like BPM, Ultra, and Tomorrowland. Tanzmann is also one third of Better Lost Than Stupid with Martin Buttrich and Davide Squillace. We caught up with him as he returned from a short tour of North and Central America to look back on his life and times. 

Tanzmann grew up in Leipzig, in former East Germany, hitting his teens just after the Berlin Wall came down, and the Soviet bloc disintegrated. Like many Germans, he found this to be a time of enormous freedom and exploration. 

“When the Wall came down there were so many abandoned places,” says Tanzmann. “It was a period of restructuring and old factories went out of business. All those places were empty and no one really knew what was going on. The police force had to be restructured so you could do a lot of things that nobody cared about.”

Like Berlin in the years after reunification, these abandoned spaces were ideal venues for raves and celebrations of newfound freedom. 

“There were so many illegal parties. You would just move a very basic sound system into an abandoned place and put in a bar and away you go. Nobody would care – there was no police. It was a time with so much opportunity. It was so new. This is what really got me into electronic music and this whole world.” 



Distillery club, Leipzig | Photograph: martin@distillery.de



Tanzmann started playing house music in local bars before landing a residency at the Leipzig institution Distillery. 

“It was a big step for me. Distillery was already a legendary club back then. First, I played the basement, which was more techno than house, then in 1997 I had my first appearance upstairs on the house floor, which was a better fit for me. But the crowd was way more open-minded back then. Techno and house weren’t clearly defined. Everything was new and the crowd was super mixed – you’d have queer people, someone in a suit over there, a punk over here, just this really diverse crowd.” 

Around the same time, Tanzmann started producing music under Gamat 3000 using basic hardware synths and effects. “From the first money I earned, I bought the most basic sampler you can think of and we had one Yamaha synth and two cheap effects. It was exciting. Now you have all those options in a big studio, but back then being limited to just a few sounds and samples, it was a good thing. We had to focus on the limited equipment we had.” 

Tanzmann and some friends from Distillery founded Moon Harbour Recordings in 2000, mainly as a label to put out their own releases. Still going strong, last year Moon Harbour celebrated its 20th anniversary. “We never expected it to exist for so long or to get so much international recognition,” says Tanzmann. “There was no business plan. It was just – hey let’s do something.”

By 2007, with Moon Harbour firmly established as a deep house imprint, Tanzmann was DJing small shows around Europe when CircoLoco invited him to play at the iconic Ibiza club DC10. 

“I had played Space and a few other gigs in Ibiza before this. Then in 2006 I released a track that was played a lot at DC10, so they invited me to play a New Year’s Day party as a try-out.” Then disaster struck. “I was playing a New Year’s Eve gig in London and my luggage was lost on the way to Ibiza.” Tanzmann had some records on him, but the lost luggage meant he was late for his CircoLoco show. “Because we were so late, they took me from the airport directly to the club, opened the back door and shoved me into the DJ booth and I started playing immediately. I didn’t have a chance to get nervous.” 

The slot led to a residency at CircoLoco for the 1997 Ibiza summer season, and he remains one of CircoLoco’s most frequent guests. Tanzmann had found his home away from home. In the subsequent 15 years, he built growing international renown playing deep house, minimal, and tech house, learning to craft his sound, whether playing small clubs with 300 people on the dancefloor or huge parties of 10,000 people. But for Tanzmann, the house sound continues to inspire him. 

“House is always going to be interesting. It’s so self-referential – you have these cycles where it sounds like the ’80s again, then it sounds like the ’90s TR-909 rave sound,  and now it’s the very melodic stuff. I don’t even know where house is right now – there are so many different scenes. But that’s good – it just underlines how big house has become.” 

Ibiza remains one of Tanzmann’s favorite places to play, but he also shouts out South America, especially Argentina, Peru, and Chile. “You have such a responsive and educated crowd in these places, it’s amazing to play there. Recently, I was also able to play again in the US, which I love. And hopefully as the world opens up I’ll be able to play more. I had some great times in Switzerland during the pandemic, as it was one of the few countries that allowed clubs to stay open most of the time.”  

As lockdowns end around the world, Tanzmann splits his schedule between producing and DJing. His latest release on Knee Deep in Sound is a collaboration with long-time friend Steve Bug. He’s also working on remixes for Rony Siekelay and P. Diddy and a project with Black Circle for Moon Harbour recordings. Most of all, he looks forward to the festival circuit ramping up again after two long and quiet years. 

“I just came back from a small tour in Mexico, Costa Rica and the US. Hopefully the pandemic will slow down and we’ll see each other at festivals and clubs soon. This is what I really hope for.” 







In techno, it doesn’t get more legendary than Kevin Saunderson. One of the Bellville Three (with Juan Atkins and Derek May), he’s credited as one of the founders of techno. His work with vocalist Paris as Inner City produced two of dance music's most classic cuts, "Big Fun" and "Good Life." And the bass line for his 1988 track "Just Want Another Chance" was the first known use of the Reese bass and was hugely influential in the Drum and Bass scene.

Listen on Apple Music

On January 7th, his remix of Swiss-born Andrea Oliva’s “Transit” dropped on Oliva’s freshly minted All I Need imprint.

Saunderson leans heavily on the staccato strings from the original, making them the centerpiece of the remix. The spicy rhythmic play is exposed when it breaks down, accenting the wavering synths and a transcendent layer of strings. While Oliva’s original pops and bounces, Saunderson has crafted a remix that shakes and slides. The breathtaking rework is at once cinematic and club-ready.



Follow Kevin Saunderson on Instagram | Soundcloud | Spotify



Oliva is an iconic act in his own right. He taught himself to DJ at 13 and quickly rose to prominence in Switzerland. Since he was first invited to DJ at Space, Ibiza in 2004, he’s been a fixture of the White Isle’s scene. The longtime resident of ANTS at Ushuaia recorded his Essential Mix live from the legendary party in 2016. However, his impact as a DJ and producer extends miles beyond Ibiza. He’s genuinely a globally lauded talent.

Oliva’s label All I Need (a sublabel of Armada) is an extension of the pivotal role music plays in his life. Part record label, events series, and fashion brand Oliva is cultivating something that will carry his legacy for years to come.

Andrea Oliva will drop one of his iconic sets for OCHO 3 on Diplo's Revolution this January 22, 2022.




Track of The Week: Kevin Saunderson Remixes Andrea Oliva's "Transit"

It's about time again for our monthly takeover of Diplo's Revolution. Yes, that's right, OCHO 3 is coming on January 22, 2022, to Sirius XM. We're serving up eight hours of non-stop exclusive sets by eight extraordinary artists from across the globe.

This month's diverse lineup features eight artists from across the spectrum of house sub-genres. Andrea Oliva, Cloonee, J. Worra, Layla Benitez, Meduza, Paco Osuna, Shermanology, and Wax Motif all come from different corners of the worldwide house music community. And while their sounds may vary, each one encompasses the words of Chuck Roberts from the 1988 anthem "Can You Feel It" by Fingers Inc., "house music is a universal language."



Tune in to Gray Area OCHO on January 22, 2022









Andrea Oliva

Born in Switzerland, Oliva taught himself to DJ at the tender age of 13. The young DJ found a job in a record shop and quickly established himself as a skilled selector, building a carefully curated library of promos and white labels. It wasn't long before he was booked in Switzerland's best clubs and throwing his legendary sold-out Banditz parties. He's since become a staple of the Ibiza scene cemented by residencies with elrow at Amnesia, Music On at Amnesia, and ANTS at Ushuaïa. His lauded production skills have seen him on remix duties like Luciano and releasing club weapons on Defected, Moon Harbour, Relief, Hot Creations, and 7Wallace.







Cloonee

One of the tech-house scene's most potent stars, Cloonee, has seen an unprecedented rise since the release of his 2017 Estes EP on Elrow. What's followed in an unstoppable tear of genre-defining releases on labels like Sonny Fodera's Solotoko, Desert Hearts, Big Beat, Michael Bibi's Solid Grooves, Mark Knight's Toolroom, and Chris Lake's Black Book Records. With an unsurpassed sense of rhythm and soul-shattering basslines, his releases regularly break the Beatport charts making him one of the site's top-selling tech-house artists of 2021. His back-to-back set with Andrea Oliva at elrow Rowsattacks! in December blew us away; we can't wait to see what tricks he has in his bag for OCHO.







J. Worra

Even before being named the 2019 Breakthrough Music Producer of the Year by DJ Mag, J. Worra's technical abilities, trademark swag, and imitable ability to create body grinding beats were well known. Her performance in December at Rowsattacks! in New York was a showstopping moment, proving once again why she's rocked major festivals like EDC and Coachella as well as every major club in the US. She discovered house music in Chicago and, while she may LA-based, brings a hint of that classic vibe to everything she does. Her dynamic catalog includes releases on labels like Higher Ground, Realm, Sweat It Out, and Sink or Swim. And her remixes for GRiZ, Gorgon City, and deadmau5 have elevated their work to new heights.



Tune in to Gray Area OCHO on January 22, 2022









Layla Benitez

It's clear from watching her perform that Layla Benitez has a potent understanding of how music moves people. Her visceral connection to dance music extends beyond the dance floor. It's in her soul. Her father, Jellybean Benitez, is an acclaimed DJ and culture-defining producer who was a pillar of New York's nightlife community throughout the 80s and 90s. Yet Layla's abilities are more than a legacy. Her distinctive blend of afro house, deep house, and world beats create peak dance floor moments for fans from Ibiza to Miami, New York to London, and Mykonos to Los Angeles.










Meduza

House music's recent domination of commercial radio is bookmarked by young producers who understand what underground dance music fans have known for decades. That house music is a feeling. Leading the charge is GRAMMY-nominated Italian trio, Meduza. Their debut single "Piece of Your Heart," with Goodboys, was a worldwide phenomenon topping charts throughout Europe, US, and Asia. The boys have gone on to dominate the charts with radio-friendly beats that have touched millions, streamed in the billions, yet pay homage to house music's underground roots. They masterfully walk the tightrope between the often protective, tight-knit house music community and the mainstream with grace and style, effortlessly bouncing from remixing for the likes of Ed Sheeran to releasing on legendary imprints like Defected.










Paco Osuna

For over two decades, Paco Osuna has steadily built a reputation as one of dance music's most respected and revered selectors and producers. The Mindshake Records founder has been a fixture of the Ibiza scene since the late 90s and held down residencies Richie Hawtins ENTER, Sven Vath's Cocoon series at Amnesia, as well as an endless array of prestigious events all over the world from Electric Zoo to Space Miami, Time Warp to EDC, and Watergate Berlin to WOMB Tokyo. In the studio, his imitable rhythmic timing, sophisticated sound palate, and imaginative spirit have made him a sought-after award-winning producer with releases on Mood, Plus8, Minus, Defected, Moon Harbour, and Get Physical.










Shermanology

Brother sister duo Andy and Dorothy Sherman's ability to inject tech-house with the soul and spirit of their Caribbean heritage has made them a uniquely genre-defying pair. Dorothy's distinct and stirring vocals transport the dance floor to the days of diva house. And Andy's production and DJ experience have traversed genre barriers from UK garage to bass house. Together their sound is boundless, impressing the underground and the mainstream alike. Their 2020 release "Boyz N Da Club" was an unstoppable club slumper. Yet they continue to prove their diversity working with artists like Will Clarke on the emotive "Searching" and scoring over a million plays on "Bon Bini," performed entirely in Papiamentu, their native language. 













Wax Motif

Known as a leader in G house and UK Bass, Wax Motif has more recently established a wider range of sounds. His recent release "Koalack" on his Divided Souls imprint shows a softer, more reflective side. And while Waxy continues to move dance floors with his trademark dirt nasty bass house, his emerging diversity proves his talents in the studio. He's also recently stepped out as a leader in blockchain and community building as one of the first dance music artists to create his cryptocurrency, $WAXM. The industry-leading move gave fans access to exclusive music, one-on-one Zoom sessions, and even the chance to collaborate with the producer who has released on labels like Confession, Night Bass, and Musical Freedom.



Tune in to Gray Area OCHO on January 22, 2022



Get Ready for Another Bumping OCHO on Diplo's Revolution

After an unforeseeable two-year hiatus, the world’s leading indoor techno festival makes its monumental return to the states. On November 19th and 20th, Time Warp US will transport attendees to another dimension with its otherworldly attributes and spellbinding soundscapes spanning two modernized dance floors in a brand new Brooklyn location. 

Recognized for its entrancing lineups packed with techno’s finest, and cutting-edge audio and visual production design, this industrialized area in the city that never sleeps hosts the perfect underground environment for a beaming techno-infused celebration of this caliber. 

Time Warp US never ceases to astonish, but this year’s highly-anticipated production welcomes some extraordinary b2b performances and live acts that will add an unusual touch to the already alluring festival. 

What makes Time Warp so special is its unwavering devotion to techno, consistent authenticity, and sense of community throughout each installment. If you’re planning on attending next weekend, read on to gain more insight on seven Time Warp US b2b sets and live acts you don’t want to miss!

 

Ben Klock b2b Marcel Dettman

 

German techno titans Ben Klock and Marcel Dettman will bring a taste of that true Berlin sound everyone just can’t seem to get enough of. The Berghain club mainstays and resident DJs never fail to stir up a crowd with their flawless chemistry on the decks, always fusing their slightly distinct approaches to techno in the most harmonious manner. After catching a glimpse of their recent b2b set at Secret Project Festival during ADE last month, there’s no doubt this upcoming performance will leave attendees begging for more. 

 

 

Seth Troxler b2b Jamie Jones 

 

Fans were already thrilled for a Seth Troxler solo set since he was announced on the lineup in phase one. A few weeks ago, the festival curators unveiled that he would be playing alongside Welsh Hot Creations label boss Jamie Jones, an unexpected—yet welcome— surprise. After living in dance music-savvy cities like Detroit, Berlin, London, and Ibiza, Troxler has established himself as one of underground house and techno’s most iconic artists. Combined with Jamie Jones’ innovative soundscapes, this is one dynamic duo you won’t want to skip out on. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mink b2b O.Bee




Brooklyn native Mink has made a name for himself across NYC’s thriving music scene with his groundbreaking performances and all-encompassing compositions. Slated to take the stage next to Istanbul-born Brooklyn-based O.BEE, the two talented musicians will enlighten festival-goers with their rebellious, forward-thinking sounds during their unified Time Warp US debut. Both known for incorporating classic New York flavor into their sets, there’s a reason these two flourishing acts were enlisted for the festival this time around. 

 

Ricardo Villalobos b2b Craig Richards

 

Ricardo Villalobos has been fond of all things music from a young age, and it displays on every single note and melody he shares with fans across the globe. Born in Chile but raised in Germany, the acclaimed DJ and producer is inspired by both countries’ musical histories and is now acknowledged as a leading pioneer of the minimal techno genre. The Time Warp veteran returns alongside nightlife prodigy Craig Richards, whose diversified musical background and captivating techno ensembles mesh perfectly with Villalobos’ exotic beats. While it’ll be hard to top their 2019 b2b set, we’re excited to see these two live in action again.

 

KiNK (Live)

 

Bulgarian artist KiNK wears various hats within the industry but is particularly praised for his state-of-the-art, experimental live performances. The blooming DJ, producer, and beatmaker uses intricate analog machines in conjunction with CDJs when performing on stage, and each performance portrays his impressive sound mixing capabilities and musical expertise in the most alluring manner. KiNK will bring his passion for mixing and his live futuristic techno sounds to Brooklyn as he debuts at Time Warp next weekend!

 

 

Reinier Zonneveld (Live)

 

Reinier Zonneveld is living proof that you can turn your dreams into reality if you give it your absolute all. The self-taught Dutch musician’s decision to drop everything and dedicate all of his time and effort to solely creating techno has surely paid off. Zonneveld’s mesmerizing sonic elements are influenced greatly by his never-ending love for classical music and life-changing warehouse rave experiences, and he brings these devotions to life exquisitely during each live performance. Only he can master intertwining deep and melodic tones with heart rate-inducing acid techno in a live setting. 



 

 

 

Stephan Bodzin (Live)

 

Always humming to the beat of his own drum, Stephan Bodzin has established his own uniquely curated corner of techno. The renowned instrumentalist has headlined some of the world’s most influential venues and festivals, always captivating fans with his ethereal, mind-altering soundscapes. For those who’ve witnessed any of his live sets, it feels like you’re in a dream. A true storyteller on the dance floor, Bodzin portrays his authenticity and impassioned artistic vision flawlessly through each hypnotic melody and live performance. 

 

Aside from these peculiar b2b sets and live acts, all the other remarkable artists on this year’s Time Warp US lineup have a story of their own to tell through their individual mind-bending sounds, so make sure to indulge in as many different performances as possible throughout the festival. There’s a reason why Time Warp made its way across the Atlantic to New York City a few years back, and we’re just as thrilled as you are for its massive return!

For more information on Time Warp USA including time slots, full lineup, and tickets visit their website. 




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