Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe) are the most successful duo in UK music history. Since signing to Parlophone Records in1985, they have achieved 42 Top 30 singles in the UK including 22 Top 10 hits and four number ones. They have released 12 studio albums all of which have made the UK Top 10 as well as album charts around the world.

In 2000 they received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music and at the 2009 BRIT Awards they were presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

As writers, producers and remixers, Tennant and Lowe have collaborated, remixed or written for a wide range of artists including Dusty Springfield, Lady Gaga, Liza Minnelli, Madonna, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, The Killers and Girls Aloud.

Pet Shop Boys have also written the West End musical Closer to Heaven with playwright Jonathan Harvey, produced in 2001 by the Really Useful Group. In 2004 they performed their soundtrack to the classic silent film, Battleship Potemkin, with the Dresden Sinfoniker in a free concert in Trafalgar Square presented by the ICA; they have since performed it at various spectacular outdoor events in Germany, Spain and the UK. In 2011, Pet Shop Boys composed a ballet, The Most Incredible Thing, based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same title. The project was a collaboration with choreographer Javier De Frutos and Britain’s leading dance theatre, Sadler’s Wells. The ballet won the Evening Standard Theatre Award and was given a second season at Sadler’s Wells the following year.

In 2012 Pet Shop Boys appeared before a worldwide television audience during the London Olympics’ closing ceremony. Two years later, Tennant and Lowe’s collaboration with Alan Turing biographer Andrew Hodges, A Man From The Future, received its world premiere as a Late Night Prom concert at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBC Singers and narrator Juliet Stevenson.

In their live shows over the last 20 years, Pet Shop Boys have created an original and influential style of pop musical theatre, collaborating with directors, designers and artists including Derek Jarman, David Alden and David Fielding, Zaha Hadid, Sam Taylor-Wood and Es Devlin. Their 2009-2011 arena tour, Pandemonium, was described in a five-star review in The Times as “the ravishing pop spectacle of the year”.

Pet Shop Boys released their last album Electric in 2013, produced by Stuart Price. The album received great critical acclaim and gave Pet Shop Boys their highest album chart positions for 20 years in the UK and USA. The accompanying Electric tour subsequently visited 38 countries over three years and received ecstatic audience and critical reactions.

Pet Shop Boys’ new album, Super, was also produced by Stuart Price and will be released worldwide on April 1. In July Pet Shop Boys will play an exclusive four-date residency entitled Inner Sanctum at the Royal Opera House in London. The concerts will be staged by designer Es Devlin and choreographer Lynne Page.

Yello

Listeners today are used to pop music that transcends genres and scoffs at pigeonholing. From Hip Hop to Lady Gaga – good pop music today draws upon sound archives, moving effortlessly through genres with the most advanced studio techniques and sampling: Sound-collage is the way to go. Without exaggeration, one can easily trace the roots of this development to the Swiss band Yello.

Already thirty years ago, Yello started compiling a kind of trans-global studiotricksound, a branch of music that defies categorization and is so unique there is simply no label that would make sense. What could you possibly call a crossing of avant-garde pop, fake-rap and sound witchcraft, headstrong mix of funk and humor, pre-techno and snappy woodwind sets? Yello has been called idiosyncratic, eccentric, quixotic and exceptional. And they are indeed.

When Yello began they were a trio: sound inventors Boris Blank and Carlos Perón with vocalist Dieter Meier. From their inception, the three performed with truly exciting video clips.The videos, which still remain current, represent a congenial visual representation of the extraordinary Yello sounds – almost hypnotic image collages with thrilling cuts that shaped what today we call MTV aesthetics.

Yello released their first records with the rather obscure independent label Ralph Records, which belonged to the even more obscure Residents from San Francisco. The Residents were outsiders to the pop biz, more artists than musicians – in other words: Yello’s creative soul-mates. Still, it was quite unusual and proves the exceptional quality of Yello, that a band from Switzerland could make it with the great avant-gardists from San Francisco.

Carlos Péron soon left the band to become a producer. Yello now joined the league of the most successful duos in pop history, like the Pet Shop Boys, Wham, Eurythmics or Sparks. The notorious characteristics of a duo are almost always true: one comes to the fore, the other stays in the background. This division is visible with Yello: Boris Blank is more of a shy gadgeteer in the studio, while Dieter Meier shines in public appearances. The same holds true for their work. Dieter Meier once said: “Boris Blank works like a painter in his studio who starts 50 paintings at once” – and from time to time Meier stops by in this studio and does his part by tying them together. Nevertheless, Meier and Blank appear, through their sensibility and passion for style, like identical twins.

Yello’s success and their prominent position in the canon of great pop can hardly be overrated. In Switzerland the duo continues to represent a kind of national sanctuary, second only to the Matterhorn. Yello is by far the most successful and seminal pop export of their country. Over and over again singles they released, like “Oh Yeah”, “I Love You” or “The Race” appeared on the international charts. To have such success in countries like Britain for example, remains a privilege achieved by few other bands from German speaking countries.

The gimmickry of Yello’s sound art, this mixture of speaker killing sound clarions and humoresque tones, widely appreciated by HiFi fetishists, is so strong that Yello tunes are still used for various Hollywood productions, from “Miami Vice” to “The Simpsons”. At the forefront, of course is the track “Oh Yeah” with that legendary deep voice of Dieter Meier, used in memorable scenes of the cult movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.

Yello has an extraordinary ability to merge the acoustic with the visual. Like nobody else, they almost compose audio-visually and this is one of the reasons why Yello music is in such high demands – even in the advertising industry. Yello music is from the get-go a soundtrack, the visual processing constitutes part of the first step.

Also unforgettable is their hit “The Race”, which in 1988 became the theme song for “Formel 1″, the most popular German pop and video clip show from the 80s. Naturally this made the video clip director Dieter Meier, who was also responsible for Trio’s “Da Da Da” video and “Big In Japan” by Alphaville, exceptionally happy.

Yello is a band from the 80s, which is when they were also the most successful, yet they remain current like few other acts from that time. If nothing else, the remix album “Hands on Yello” that was released in 1995, proved that Yello continues to influence following generations. Many big names from the golden techno years, like Moby, Westbam, The Orb, Mark Spoon or Carl Cox technofied their favourite songs by Yello – also to make clear that Yello is a significant part of their musical heritage as DJ’s. Yello had such importance for the era of techno, placing them in the elite company of groups like Kraftwerk or the Yellow Magic Orchestra from Japan, a few more of Yello’s creative soul-mates.

But Yello is by no means a nostalgia band or just the avantgarde of yesterday, quite the contrary. It is stunning how well Yello has aged. Boris Blank still drives to his studio in Zurich everyday to work on his sound collages. Dieter Meier shoots films and has been represented in various international exhibitions since his contribution to the 1972 Documenta. Their numerous seminal collaborations with various artists including Stina Nordenstam, Till Brönner and the Swiss Heidi Happy, testify to Yello’s relevance today. Many of their collaborators continue to be young protagonists of the music scene, folk music stars like Nordenstam or internationally renowned jazz trumpeters like Brönner. It’s hard to believe they have been working for over 30 years.

Yello still prove they know how to expand the boundaries of music, readjusting themselves in a system called Yello. Their last album “Touch Yello” rocketed up the German charts after a silent period of six years, going platinum in Switzerland and demonstrating once more: Yello always remains an extraordinary band. Their unbroken originality is multifacited and manifested itself in various projects such as three futuristic “virtual concerts” in Berlin, Zurich and Vienna, which sold out within hours and became first rate, memorable multimedia spectacles.

On November 5, 2010 Yello released “Yello by Yello”, a very personal appraisal of the last 30 years. The album is available in two configurations:

“Yello By Yello – The Singles Collection 1980-2010″ contains 20 of the greatest hits of Yello’s long career, plus a newly produced and arranged version of their hit “Vicious Games” which features vocals by Swiss pop singer Heidi Happy, making it more compelling than ever. The “Singles Collection” also includes a DVD with 23 visionary Yello videos.

“Yello By Yello – The Anthology Box” is an opulently designed three CD set. In addition to “The Singles Collection 1980-2010″ it contains the double CD “The Anthology” for which Dieter Meier and Boris Blank selected their personal favorites, the Yello songs that remain especially groundbreaking for them. In addition, Yello has included three new songs as a present to their fans : “Dialectical Kid”, “Liquid Lies” and “Tears Run Dry”. Every one of them shows how vital and contemporary Yello remains in 2010. “The Anthology Box” also includes a DVD with all of Yello’s most trailblazing videos. On top of that, this premium set contains a 48 page booklet with rare photographs and personal commentary by Yello on various points of their truly unique carrier.

VIDEO & MUSIC Awards

1983: «I love you»; Video Oscar, Mr. Fantasy, RAI Televisione, Mailand
1985: «Pinball Cha Cha»; «Music Video – the Industry and its Fringes», Collection of Museum of Modern Art, New York
1986: «Desire»; Winner Music Clip Award, MIDEM Cannes
1986: «Vicious Games»; Nomination Music Clip Award, MIDEM Cannes
1988: «The Race»; Diamond Award for best special effects, Bruxelles
1990: «The Race»; World Music Award, Monte Carlo
1988: «Startest X-Tra», 28th Rose d’or, best independent TV production (Prod. Stein Film GmbH / Mani Hildebrand), Montreux
1994: «I love you» & «Goldrush», Collection of Kunsthaus Zurich
1994: «YELLO Jam Special», Winner of 37th New York Film & TV Festival (Prod. DoRo)
1997: YELLO: Art Award of the city of Zurich
2008: “Eyes and Ears Excellence Award”, Munich
2009: E.D.I Award for music film “Touch YELLO”, Switzerland
2010: Swiss Music Achievement Award, Zurich
2012: Rose d’or, Music award, KKL Lucerne
2014: Artistika 2, Honorary award, Visp, Switzerland
2014: Echo Award for life achievement, Germany

Alexander Jung

Alexander Ljung launched SoundCloud in 2008 with co-founder and CTO, Eric Wahlforss. As CEO, Alex is responsible for SoundCloud’s vision, overall strategy and leadership. He oversees a global team of more than 300 people, representing over 30 different nationalities and languages.

SoundCloud is for everyone. It’s a platform for people to discover new, original music and audio, for creators to build audiences, and for everyone to share what they hear whether online or on mobile. Today, SoundCloud reaches more than 350 million people every month, 175 million of whom are unique listeners. Creators post 12 hours of new content on SoundCloud every minute and more than 10 million creators are heard every year.

In 2014, Alex was named in Billboard magazine’s annual ’40 under 40′, highlighting music’s most disruptive power players. In the same year, MIT Technology Review recognized Alex as one of ’35 innovators under 35’ shaping their fields. In 2013, Alex was named ‘One to Watch’ in Fortune magazine’s ’40 under 40′ and European Entrepreneur of the Year by The European Commission and The Next Web, as one of Europe’s most influential and innovative entrepreneurs. SoundCloud and Alex were also awarded Tech Pioneer status by the World Economic Forum in 2013, recognizing the company’s position as a market leader in online audio.

Alex’s personal interests lie in the positive change and wider societal impact technology and design can have. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to all genres of music, and audio such as podcasts; traveling; geeking out on academic theories; and diving shipwrecks. He’s also a proud member of The Cloud Appreciation Society.

Prior to co-founding SoundCloud, Alex began his career working in sound design for feature films and obtained a M.S. from The Royal Institute of Technology. He was born in the UK, grew up in Sweden and splits his time between SoundCloud’s HQ in Berlin and the U.S. offices in San Francisco and New York.

Becky Tong

Becky Tong is the most in demand rising female DJ in London.

Co-founder of Juicebox, a club night and artist development group, Becky is at the very forefront of new music and this is evident in her eclectic and contemporary DJ sets which performs across the globe.

Daughter of world famous DJ Pete Tong, Becky didn’t have to look far for a mentor and has recently shared the stage with her Father in Singapore.

Equally as comfortable playing to a few thousand in a club or festival environment as she is to a few hundred in fashion store launch; Becky has seamlessly combined her passion for music and fashion to great effect. Occasionally joining forces with childhood friend and model, Amber Le Bon; Le Bon Tong DJs are a successful duo on the fashion and branded events scene.

This year sees Becky take the role of music Director for the W hotel group and she continues to write her acclaimed monthly music and fashion based diary column for Harpers Bazaar.

Becky is regularly featured in both fashion and music press making her a highly desirable artist for brands looking to garner press coverage for their events.

Carl Craig

Carl Craig is described as a creative visionary, an electronic music icon, an esteemed Grammy-nominated composer, a world-class DJ and an ambassador for his native Detroit. Yet the common thread that runs through Craig’s broad musical canon and creative projects is a resounding fascination with futurism. The prolific producer has cultivated a unique path as an artist, entrepreneur and civic leader, guided by his tendency toward forward thinking.

“My livelihood is making music that I can perform, whether I’m doing orchestral production or modular strangeness or generating club music. I don’t restrict myself,” said Craig. “I defined myself by being who I am. The ultimate self respect is when you say you’re going to do something and you go and do it to the best of your ability.”

Craig released his first track in 1989 on a Virgin UK compilation album, two singles followed on labels run by his first collaborator, Derrick May. After a series of ambitious releases for his co-owned Retroactive imprint, in 1991 Craig launched his record label Planet E, with the groundbreaking EP “4 Jazz Funk Classics”, under his alias 69. Planet E turned 20 in 2011 and Craig celebrated the label’s history by taking Planet-E and its artists and collaborators on a world tour for the first time ever. As well as this, Planet E invited friends of the label – including Luciano, Kirk Degiorgio, Loco Dice and more – to pick their favorite Planet E track to remix and re-release. Reflecting a year that was packed with events and releases, Craig readily admits that when he started the label he was hoping “it would last forever.” He cites artistic freedom as the highlight of running the label and adds, “It was never a struggle for the label to be an outlet for my or other people’s music. It was always a struggle to stay in business, actually a war to stay in business.” In 2012, Craig took his 69 alias on a live tour; ‘69 Live’, headlined festivals and clubs around the world, fusing masks, darkness and the music of 69. In the same year he was also voted in the top DJs that rule the Earth in Rolling Stone and appeared on the cover of the world’s biggest electronic music magazine, Mixmag. In 2013, he released a 3-CD album on Ministry of Sound, entitled ‘Masterpiece’. The album includes one disc of music Carl was inspired by, one disc of current selections and one special disk of new music, entitled ‘Meditation’, a modular jam of Moroderesque compositions, inspired by David Lynch’s meditation techniques (Lynch, a great advocator of Transcendental Meditation), and an electronic tribute to his beloved city of Detroit.

Looking back now to Craig’s early releases from 1989-1992, one can see how much the wild variety found in his early music set the groundwork for his diverse career. He’s fortunate to serve as an inspiration and influence to countless artists in the underground electronic music scene, as well as crossover acts like Underworld, Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem. His 1992 Innerzone Orchestra cut “Bug in the Bassbin” was credited as the spark that inspired the evolution of drum‘n’bass. In typical Craig fashion, “Bug…” continued to develop, morphing into a live jazz composition in 1996. In turn, those experiments laid the ground for Craig to incorporate Jazz elements onto his 1999 I.O. album “Programmed.” Then in the 00’s Craig explored jazz further still as producer on the albums “The Detroit Experiment” and “Rebirth” (2009) for legendary Detroit Jazz collective, Tribe. This is but one example of Craig’s continually evolving exploration of sound.

Clark Warner

Executive Creative Director, Beatport

As Executive Creative Director, Clark Warner oversees the Beatport brand and voice. He joined the company in 2007 as Label Manager, and has since held such roles as Director of Content and VP of Music Services before assuming his current role in March of 2012. Under his watch, Beatport has become the world’s most recognizable non-artist dance music brand.

Warner’s passion for dance music stems from a 20-year career as an active DJ in clubs worldwide, from Berlin to Ibiza, and Los Angeles to Miami. He has had residencies at various venues in Detroit and New York, and performed at such festivals as DEMF/Movement, Sonar, and Mutek. He was instrumental in developing dance labels Minus and Plus 8 Records with longtime collaborator Richie Hawtin, and has worked as a tour manager and event producer with Art of Dance Records, Made in Detroit, and The Final Cut.

A native of Detroit, Warner fell in love with music listening to the city’s late night radio programs, and later co-produced the Focus:Electronic monthly radio segment on WDET-FM for five years. A sought after expert on dance music and DJ culture, Warner is a regular speaker at the Winter Music Conference, IMS Ibiza, and Red Bull Music Academy, and sits on the board of the Association for Electronic Music. His insights have appeared in such publications as the Independent UK, Billboard magazine, New York Times, Groove, and the Detroit Free Press.

An avid art fan, Warner lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children, where enjoys skateboarding, attending shows, and continues to DJ when he gets the chance.

Craig McLean

Craig McLean is a journalist and editor covering the arts and creative industries. Formerly Deputy Editor of The Face, he is a regular contributor to publications including The Saturday Telegraph Magazine, The Observer Magazine, The Times, The Independent on Sunday New Review, ES magazine, FT Weekend, Radio Times, Mail On Sunday Event and BA High Life. He is editor of SohoCreate, the recently-launched magazine accompanying the London creative ideas festival of the same name, and a TV researcher at Whizz Kid entertainment. He recently interviewed Nick Cave live on stage at London’s Porchester Hall, and last year hosted panels at IMS Ibiza and the inaugural SohoCreate.

Damian Lazarus

Greg Consiglio

CEO, Beatport, USA

Greg Consiglio President & CEO, Beatport Greg Consiglio joined Beatport as President and CEO in July of 2015 and is responsible for overseeing the global operations of the Beatport platform, consisting of the Beatport Pro store, the Beatport streaming music service, Beatport News, and video livestreaming service Beatport Live. Greg most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer of SFX Entertainment (NASDQ SFXE), the largest producer of live events dedicated to electronic music. Prior to joining SFX, Greg was a member of the founding management team and President/COO of Viggle, Inc. (NASDQ VGGL), the leading marketing and entertainment rewards platform, from 2011-2015. From August 2006 to February 2010 he served in a variety of roles at Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc., leaving the company as EVP of Business Development, where he oversaw the company’s new business initiatives including online affiliate sales and marketing, online sponsorships, advertising sales, third party alliances, resale sponsorships and the creation and management of new revenue streams beyond ticketing. Previously Greg served in a variety of business development and operational roles at America Online, Inc.’s International Division – overseeing new market development and substantially expanding AOL’s global footprint – including several years as Managing Director, Asia based in Hong Kong. Greg’s earlier career included new market development strategy work for a consultancy he co-founded as well as work in government relations for Nortel and accounting and consulting at KPMG. Greg holds an MA in International Affairs from the School of International Service at American University and a BA in Government and English from Clark University.

Richie Hawtin

Artist, DJ, conceptualist and ambassador, more than anyone else in modern electronic music, Richie Hawtin has relentlessly proved himself to be a true innovator. The one-man mogul behind acclaimed Techno imprints Plus 8 & Minus sends signals out all over the world from his HQ in an old fire station in Windsor, Ontario – just across the border from Detroit Techno City. The signals are constantly evolving, his Plastikman persona gave Techno a unique face with a series of four ruthlessly minimal albums of skeletal beauty, while breathtaking festival live sets at Glastonbury and Tribal Gathering helped invent stadium Techno. His “Decks, EFX & 909” album released on Novamute in 1999 expanded the concept of a DJ mix album beyond the imagination of most DJs. As a pioneering DJ and party promoter he was banned from entering America for 18 months. Yet this jet-setting international futurist is as at home exhibiting alongside acclaimed modern sculptor Anish Kapoor as he is headlining a bush rave with Josh Wink somewhere in Western Australia.

More of a decade into his career, it’s no surprise that the every-youthful Hawtin is up to something new. This time, he’s reconstructing the DJ mix album even further with “DE9: Closer To The Edit”, the groundbreaking new album set for release on the novamute label in September 2001.

His first mix album, for the Mixmag Live series, saw him use extra effects and drum machines as long ago as 1993, “Decks, EFX & 909” cut laser-style between tracks and now, “DE9: Closer To The Edit”, sees Hawtin use his sampler to tear the skin and the flesh from the tracks until there’s just a skeleton left, which he reassembles into a kind of Frankenstein’s robot. The result is a mix album like you’ve never heard before.

Hawtin describes this unique process “I recorded, sampled, cut and spliced over 100 tracks down into their most basic components. I ended up with over 300 loops, ranging in different lengths. I started to recreate and reinterpret each track and then put the pieces back together, as if an audio jigsaw puzzle – using effects and edits as the glue between each piece”.

A classic like Carl Craig’s ‘4 My Peepz’ (under his Paperclip People guise) breathes in and out in less than a minute, like a lonely spirit lost on the hard drive.

“I don’t like mix CDs, everyone’s being lazy, so I gotta do something different,” says Hawtin. “Some people think it’s about me using some extra equipment – a drum machine and some effects – but it’s a whole philosophy really. ‘Let’s take it to the extreme, to somewhere that’s it never been before’ “

Hawtin believes the whole DJ thing is stuck in a groove. So beyond “DE9…” he is championing a new DJ system developed in Holland called Final Scratch, with Plus 8 partner John Acquaviva. Dance and Electronic music is the most technology-based genre of all, but to Hawtin’s frustration it’s still rooted in a music delivery system developed in the 19th Century: the gramophone record. Even though more and more DJs play tracks burnt onto CD, vinyl still rules because it’s easier and instinctive to control. Final Scratch links up to the normal two-turntables-and-mixer set up, but lets you play tracks stored on a laptop using a special piece of vinyl as a ‘mouse’, or controller. You can access literally thousands of tracks, and scratch, cut, slow and mix them just like normal records using this special piece of vinyl. It’s nothing short of revolutionary. As Hawtin enthuses: “It feels and acts like a regular record.” He’s already using Final Scratch to play unreleased tracks by Josh Wink and Speedy J, and special re-edits of some of Hawtin’s classics and personal faves.

Born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, on June 4th 1970 Hawtin emigrated with his family when he was nine to Windsor, Ontario, where his dad Mick still works as a robot technician in the General Motors car factory (his mother, Brenda, is in real estate). Richie cheekily borrowed his dad’s persona for his house alias Robotman. His brother Matthew, who shares the Windsor fire station studio complex with Richie, is a visual artist. By 15 Richie was creeping out of the house to cross the border and go clubbing in Detroit. By 17 he was DJing at The Shelter, a dark basement club where he mixed House and Techno with Industrial music by Nitzer Ebb and Front 242. He had his own show on Detroit’s 96.3FM – inspired by a late ‘80s Detroit radio DJ called The Wizard, now better known as Jeff Mills.

As a teenager Hawtin, already into Breakdancing and Electro, was stirred by the radically beautiful machine music being fashioned by Detroit Techno pioneers like Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. In 1989 he set up Plus 8 Records with John Acquaviva to release their own tracks and push new artists. They started running parties in Detroit. But far from welcoming them, the tight-knit Detroit Techno scene initially turned a cold shoulder on the two renegade Canadians.

“It pissed a lot of people off because there wasn’t anyone else in the city doing it – it took someone from the outside to come in and say, ‘Look, wake up,’” Richie recalls. “These guys [May, Atkins and Saunderson] have left. They’re doing their thing overseas.”

Plus 8 began to gather momentum with a richly varied catalogue of hard-nosed, cutting edge Techno from artists like Speedy J, Dan Bell and Kenny Larkin. Along with the resurgence of Detroit’s confrontational Underground Resistance, this marked the second wave of Detroit Techno. “We all put the focus back on Detroit for a while, we didn’t want to make traditional Techno, we were inspired by traditional Techno. Derick, Kevin and Juan had sent these waves all over the world and we were the first to feel the rebounds of their ripples”.

By 1993 Richie Hawtin’s Detroit parties had become legendary intense affairs as freaky dancing clubbers lost themselves in strange, dark warehouses transformed into disorientating warrens by walls of black plastic sheeting. Inspired by this, Hawtin elected to take Techno one stage further and develop his virtual Plastikman alter ego: a red and black gremlin that is tattooed on his forearm. He didn’t want a collection of tracks; he wanted to make an album that swallowed up the concentrated energy of those parties and spit it back out as something new. An album, “Sheet One” was recorded in a rollercoaster 48 hour studio session and released on novamute in early ‘93 and was soon followed by the brilliant ‘Spastik’, a single recorded three weeks later after a long night dancing to Derrick May.

Hawtin was already shifting identities like a spy changing roles: his 1992 album “Dimension Intrusion”, under his Fuse alias, had played a key part in the Warp label’s groundbreaking “Artificial Intelligence” armchair-Techno series, but he wanted to reach further. He remembered the strange shapes that his friends threw at those warehouse parties, the different creatures they almost became. “Like plasticine,” he says. “That was the whole idea of Plastikman, it was all very viscous and pliable and moveable.” Plastikman wasn’t just a clever alter ego – it was a role for you to try on too. The sound was rubbery and sparse; its moments of melodic steel arriving unnervingly. The first album, “Sheet One”, played up Hawtin’s reputation for LSD and was promoted with a free sheet of fake acid tabs.
Hawtin developed a Plastikman live show that still tours the world. Huge audiences at Glastonbury and Tribal Gathering twitched to its twittering insect rhythms, lost in a soundtrack far freakier than anything else those events had to offer. In 1994 the second album on novamute, “Musik”, let a little human warmth seep onto the clattering Plastikman rhythms, but despite its closing robot lullaby ‘Lasttrak’, it was, if anything, even more discomforting.

Just as the little Plastikman gremlin was becoming an international phenomenon, American immigration officials banned Hawtin from entering America for working illegally. He was barred from entering the States for 18 months. It was a devastating experience.

“My girlfriend lived there and most of my experiences were in Detroit, my friends were there and all of my musical inspiration was there – and suddenly it was like, ‘See that building over there? You can see your inspiration, but you can’t go there.’” Now, typically, he believes the ban had its benefits. It was at this point the Chemicals Brothers and Underworld began to break out of the dance world and into a wider Rock arena. Hawtin now wonders whether he might have gone further down the stadium Techno route. Instead, grounded in Windsor, he went back to the studio to reinvent. “When that happened it was the worst day of my life,” he says now, “and it was one of the best things too.”

The next Plastikman project, ‘Klinik’, wouldn’t come together. “I had tried to follow those records up but there were feelings of pressure at that point,” he says now. Stuck in the studio, depressed, Hawtin set himself a new challenge and gave it a deadline. He pressurised himself back into action, releasing a series of ‘Concept’ EPs based on the months of the year. Each release would feature two tracks recorded in one month only using a set template of sounds. They would be released and then forgotten. The discipline of producing 24 tracks in 12 months rewired the creative circuits. “It progressed me to a different audience, it progressed me with effects which came into my sets and it progressed me into more of this spatial environment I was trying to get to,” says Hawtin.

It was the starting point for his last Plastikman album “Consumed”, which replaced the angry black and red gremlin with dark, abstract sleeve art and the tense rhythms with swathes of bass and melody. Released on novamute in 1998, it was acclaimed in countries like France – where conceptual artists are traditionally celebrated. “Consumed” elevated Hawtin to a new status, he was now not just an international Techno star, but a contemporary artist. Asked to contribute to a French Millennium Exhibition celebrating different ideas of beauty, Hawtin created a musical installation based around the clicks, hisses and pops of vinyl – a beautiful sound, he argued, to his generation. The exhibition also featured the work of world famous sculptor, Anish Kapoor, who Hawtin had long been a fan. In fact “Consumed”’s unique textures had been inspired by Kapoor’s beguiling, futuristic, curved shapes and the cover art echoed the sculptor’s famous obelisk. “I was walking around those sculptures and putting my head into some of them. They had like a sonic quality like chambers of nothingness – and that’s exactly what I was trying to hear. Suddenly I was able to walk around a physical version of what I wanted to do musically.” Hawtin was also moved by the mournful purple washes of the late Mark Rothko, which now hang in London’s Tate Modern. Rothko’s work, says Hawtin, “is very, very subtle, just washes of texture. It kind of gave me a visual perspective of what I was trying to get out of my head, sonically. On a flat surface.”

This is where Hawtin is at now. Constantly touring all over the world and keeping fans updated on his world wide DJ travels via his website diaries; taking his dad out to dinner with John Peel (a big deal for his Peel–fan father especially now his son is a huge favourite of the radio DJ); pushing himself to his creative boundaries and taking Techno with him. Not just to the middle of the dancefloor, but also above it.

“The good Techno musicians enjoy having a good time, but can see beyond it,” Hawtin notes. “It’s the closest to a contemporary art form.” With Jeff Mills providing an installation to the recent Sonar event in Barcelona, Germany’s Thomas Brinkmann moving from conceptual art into conceptual Techno, and increasing connections between the two worlds.

As Techno and art move closer together Hawtin sees it as a logical part of his constant reinvention. “It’s about setting a standard for yourself and progressing yourself. Showing people you can do something interesting that’s more than just dance music.”

Pete Tong

There are few individuals in the world of dance music who can claim the kind of influence Pete Tong has had over the last twenty years. As the voice of Radio 1’s prestigious dance programming, Pete has held a commanding presence over the industry for more than two decades. With an unparalleled ear for new talent, Tong has become the leading tastemaker of the electronic generation. While he’s known publicly as Pete Tong the DJ, behind the scenes, he’s an industry icon.

Having spent the majority of his life in England, Pete has recently resettled in Los Angeles to begin a new chapter in his life. He’s wasted little time establishing himself in the US, having helped inaugurate Clear Channel Entertainment’sEvolution dance brand in 2013 and recently expanding the programming to the extended two-hour segment, The Evolution Beatport Show with Pete Tong, broadcasting on 90 different Top 40 stations in the US.

Meanwhile, his world famous BBC Radio 1 shows have only grown in popularity. Their collective reach has soared into the millions, broadcasting globally thanks to the BBC iPlayer. TheEssential Mix continues to be the Holy Grail of mix shows, while Tong’s Essential Selection is still the best place to premiere a new record.

On the DJing front, Tong is currently championing three premier All Gone Pete Tong residencies in the US. Once a month, you can find him bridging the gap to the underground at Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, while in Miami, he’s keeping the integrity of club culture alive at Story. His residency at the SLS Las Vegas sees him performing regularly at the brand new LiFE club, where he’s introducing a whole new palette of underground sounds to the party mecca. Finally, the All Gone Pete Tong brand has achieved global renown through world-class parties in Miami during WMC and Ibiza as well as dedicated stages at festivals like Creamfields, TomorrowWorld, and SW4.

As a music producer, Tong has led an esteemed career over the years with notable releases on Pets Recordings, Ministry of Sound, Toolroom Records and more. His compilations have garnered critical acclaim–most notably 2013’s 60-track anthology, The Pete Tong Collection. More recently, he’s debuted on Suara with deep house anthem “The Bumps” alongside John Monkman, while also curating All Gone Ibiza 2014 alongside Tensnake for Defected as part of his All Gone Pete Tong compilation series.

On the business side, Tong continues to be a prominent force in both the booking and A&R worlds. In 2008, he co-founded WME’s electronic music division alongside Joel Zimmerman, helping to turn the venture into one of the most powerful booking agencies in the world. He’s also relaunched his label FFRR, reclaiming his reputation for A&R and signing acts like Oliver Heldens, The Magician, Blonde and The Disciples. On top of this, Tong is responsible for founding The International Music Summit, which holds major events in Ibiza, Los Angeles and Singapore. Now in its 6th year, the event is viewed in the industry as The Premier Platform for Thought Leadership in Electronic Music.

When all is said and done, one shudders to think what dance music would have been like without Pete Tong’s influence. Over the years, he’s played a crucial role in breaking new artists and changing the way people think about electronic music. With his new found home in Los Angeles, the British icon is looking to revolutionize the perception of dance music in America. If there’s anyone up for the task, it’s Pete Tong.

Sven Vath

Carl Cox

One of the most charming DJs in the business. A musical ambassador and a veteran of acid house, a champion of techno, a dance music pioneer, label owner, King of Ibiza – you name it, Carl’s been there and done it, never losing sight of his passions – playing music, breaking tunes and celebrating life.

It was at the age of 15 that Carl bought a set of turntables and began working as a mobile DJ. Disco was the first music that captivated him but by the early 80s Cox had moved on to playing the same music as other young London DJs – rare groove, New York hip-hop and electro. He was perfectly placed to hear Chicago house music in its earliest forms, and when the epic ‘Acid Trax’ by Phuture (a.k.a. DJ Pierre) came out in early ’87. “It was then that I thought, ‘This is it,’ says Carl. “I would do my parties, and I’d play old rare groove and hip hop and soul and I would say ‘Right you’ve got to hear this Phuture track’ and people would just stop and listen.”

As a founder of the sound, Carl rode the exploding British rave scene. He played the opening night of Danny Rampling’s legendary Shoom, co-promoted The Project with Paul Oakenfold, held a residency at the Zap Club in Brighton and at the Sunrise rave in 1988, hooked up a third turntable for his dawn-breaking set, got 15,000 people back on their feet, and established a personal rep for three-deck wizardry.

The next step was to make music, and Carl’s 1991 debut single for Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto label, ‘I Want You,’ gave him a top 30 hit and a Top of the Pops appearance. Two more singles also made the charts. But Carl was a reluctant pop star and as the masses moved onto fluffy house and trance, and the hardcore created jungle, Cox retreated into the club world that had nurtured him, and instead embraced the underground sounds of techno. “Techno drives home somewhere,” he says of his core music. “It takes you to an element of surprise, not knowing where you’re going. It’s scary but wonderful at the same time.”

Carl’s classic releases include his 1995 mix CD, ‘F.A.C.T,’ which became a techno benchmark, selling over 250,000 copies, and the 1996 EP ‘Two Paintings and a Drum,’ which again broke the British top 30. Alongside Carl’s ‘Ultimate Music Management’ company, which counted Josh Wink and Laurent Garnier among 27 clients, there was the Ultimatum record label, for which Carl recorded his third top 30 UK single, ‘Sensual Sophis-ti-cat.’ In 2005, Carl’s third album, ‘The Second Sign’ caused a stir across Europe and reached number 3 in Spain’s national chart. Also gaining critical acclaim was ‘Dirty Bass,’ a collaboration with Christian Smith, and the funky ‘Give Me Your Love’, both released on 23rd Century Records, an outlet for his own burgeoning production output.

Carl formed his own label, Intec Records, in 1999, scoring a series of underground hits and enjoying eight years at the forefront of electronic music. After its closure in 2006, Carl was still inundated with new music, finally deciding to re-launch the label as Intec Digital at the start of 2010. It’s been a triumphant return, thanks to exclusives from some of the biggest names in techno. “The label couldn’t be going better,” says Carl. “It’s great to be back at the helm discovering underground DJs.”

Intec Digital was also the home for Carl’s 6th studio album, ‘All Roads Lead To the Dancefloor,’ released to critical acclaim in 2011 on state-of-the-art, self-updating USB technology.

2013 saw the re-launch of Carl’s seminal Pure Intec series, 9 years after the hugely successful original ‘Pure Intec.’ The release also coincided with the launch of a new series of Intec club nights where Carl and label head, Jon Rundell, played to a sold out XOYO in East London, dates have since followed in Ibiza, Madrid, Switzerland, Amsterdam for ADE, and London’s fabric, where they’ll be returning Easter 2015.

“Jon and I thought it was time,” says Carl. “We’d been working hard the last few years to get Intec back to the forefront of Techno. We have a great roster, with very talented DJs that deserve recognition. This is our way of celebrating the label’s success, showcasing some of our artists, and of course putting out some amazing tracks.”

Carl’s legendary Ibiza residency also continues to break boundaries. Celebrating an astounding 14 consecutive years at Space in 2015, Carl and Safehouse Management have built their weekly residency into one of the Island’s most popular nights, acclaimed for its adventurous and forward-thinking line-ups, musical direction and state of the art production. This, along with Carl’s highly involved and passionate role as promoter, programmer and host, is why each year has seen a growth and progression from the last, both in terms of quality and size. “The night’s popularity and demand has increased year by year, so it’s enabled us to bring even more talent to the island. We have a successful night because we just batten down the hatches and stick to what we do best, which is give value for money,” explains Carl. “People come back to us, as they’re big believers in our brand.”

Summer 2014 was also a record season for Carl in Ibiza – on top of his residency, he also played the Space closing Fiesta, along with dates at Amnesia, Sands and DC10.

Beyond Ibiza Carl continues to deliver his Carl Cox & Friends stage at Ultra, for what has long been one of the festival’s highlights. “2015 will be our 11th year at Ultra, and I’m certain it will go on and on,” says Carl. “We have a very special thing there. They give us free reign in everything. The look, staging, sound, what DJs we book, all of it is down to us, and that’s a great thing, and why we keep going back.”

All this and still Carl’s ‘Global’ radio show continues to break records, now reaching over 17-million weekly listeners worldwide and is syndicated across over 60 terrestrial FM, satellite and DAB stations throughout 35 countries, making him one of the most important broadcasters on the planet, and the most followed DJ on Mixcloud.

Fatboy Slim

Nile Rodgers

George Clinton

Dubfire

From global success in the commercial domain, to equal accomplishments within the underground scene, Dubfire is an artist whose drive, talent and intuition have placed him within the top tier of electronic music artists in the world. He maintains this position within the industry with an unrelenting work ethic and a focused determination to innovate, evolve, and entertain. Whether it’s his involvement with Deep Dish, his solo performances at an extensive list of the world’s most influential clubs and festivals, running his label SCI+TEC, or simply his exploration of audio and visual technology, Dubfire is in a class of his own and is resolute in his forward-thinking ethos.

Born in Iran and raised in the U.S. from the age of seven, Dubfire first developed his skills playing at local clubs in Washington, D.C. He was introduced to Sharam Tayebi through a childhood friend and they formed “Deep Dish:, a production and DJ duo that conquered the world of electronic music, picking up a Grammy (and previous nominations) in the process in addition to a vast array of other awards and accolades. At the height of their success both men opted to take a step back and pursue solo careers, with the Dubfire alias allowing him to express his deep love for underground house and techno. Dubfire quickly integrated himself into the minimalistic techno scene and produced several key releases that cemented him as a true visionary and a force to be reckoned with in underground music. From ‘Ribcage’, ‘Emissions’ and ‘Roadkill’, to his work with Oliver Huntemann and his remix of ‘Spastik’ by Plastikman, Dubfire’s creations perfectly display his musical dexterity and depth of aural knowledge.

Never satisfied with the status quo, Dubfire spent two years crafting a live show and his HYBRID live concept has been wowing audiences since its soft launch debut at the Amsterdam Dance Event in 2014. Described by Thump as, “unlike anything we had previously seen or heard before anywhere,” HYBRID explores the continued convergence of man and machine, delving into the realms of science and technology and their connection with music.

Dubfire’s story is also set to be told through a documentary, titled “Above Ground Level” chronicles his career trajectory from fleeing Iran as a youngster to becoming one of the biggest electronic music stars on the planet. Featuring contributions from his closest friends and family, along with peers such as David Guetta, Richie Hawtin, Pete Tong, and Hot Since 82,
it reinforces his stellar achievements and gives an inside look into Dubfire’s journey.

With over two decades of experience in the music, Dubfire continues to push the envelope and challenge himself.

Tale of Us

Tale of Us are Berlin-based DJ and production partnership Karm and Matteo who are currently re-writing the rulebook for deeply moving, emotional electronic music. Together they share a sonic vision that pulls together elements of house and techno with influences from pop, nu-disco and even rock music. While all of their productions are instantly recognizable as Tale Of Us, these range from straight-up dance floor jams to low-slung ambient tracks and more abstract compositions. While both originally hail from North America, Karm was born in Toronto and Matteo in New York, they moved to Italy as children, which is where they met and formed the close working bond that they now share.

Benjamin Damage

UK house producers Doc Daneeka and Benjamin Damage produced “Creeper” around this time last year for 50 Weapons, an eight-minute vehicle for sleek, aerodynamic riffage, an exercise in the supremacy of simplicity. Label heads Modeselektor apparently liked the single so much they commissioned a whole album from the duo and flew them out to Berlin to accomplish the task. The result is They! Live, a lean, confident long-player of stylishly minimal beats rendered in attractive curves and clear, soft tones.

Coming after “Creeper,” the way They! Live starts is a little bewildering: “No One” and “Battleships” are lit up by slow-burn organ and sultry vocals from Abigail Wyles, delicate tracks that build naturally with soft, jazzy kicks and gently quaking basslines. But they typify the album’s dignity and elegance: in the wrong hands “No One” could easily be a sickly-sweet Burial counterfeit with its pitched-down refrain. The group’s clean lines and tight songwriting tell it almost like a pop song. This continues through the whole record: no matter what style or idea is being explored by the duo, it’s always executed with efficacy and a sense of cavernous space that gives each track a simultaneously enormous but graceful presence. Even a relatively sprightly song like “Ellipsis Torment” feels starved of nutrition in this vacuum, a bottomless void that gives Daneeka & Damage’s house-indebted music a techno tinge.

As a result, They! Live actually slots in quite well with the narrative strand of drowsy beat music that seems to be dominating the dialogue as of late: “Charlottenburg” has all the hallmarks of a banger, glossy chords, hyperactive rimshots and a kick that skips across the surface like a rock on a lake, but it’s all doled out in sluggish shades of grey, not quite hazy (the production is too impeccable for that) but sleepy-eyed all the same. That’s not to say it’s all half-lidded horizons and lucid dreams: an abridged “Creeper” is the album’s triumphant centrepiece, and tracks like “Deaf Siren” and “Juggernaut” hint at blow-outs even if they are always carefully reined in.

That’s the album’s best but strangest quality: Its hybrid of house and techno is a little too out there to fit in with Chicago-friendly revivalists, and it’s heavily tranquilized in comparison to many of their peers (or even to Doc Daneeka’s own solo work). Taken on its own merits, though, They! Live is a lovely, highly listenable release, flowing effortlessly in a way that most house music albums can only hope for. Whether this collaboration remains a one-off or sprouts further music from the UK duo, They! Live stands as definitive proof of how mutable, accessible and still boldly experimental all this “UK bass” stuff really can be.

Francesca Lombardo

Francesca Lombardo has cultivated a sound of her own, one that represents her multi-disciplinary musical background and transcends the dancefloor with ease. Creating emotional narratives via wistful soundscapes, stirring melodies, hypnotic rhythms and her own mesmerising voice distinguishes her from the crowd.

This Italian-born, classically trained musician carved out her own path in electronic music, criss- crossing the globe as a DJ and live performer, whilst building up a formidable back-catalogue of music.

Relentlessly pushing boundaries, her live set which incorporates a group of instrumentalists to compose and conduct intricate productions, as well as her knack as a DJ to combine captivating rhythms and melodies with dramatic stories, are clear examples of this, furthered still by her striking vocals that wash over crowds with waves of emotion.

2012 saw Francesca’s first release of many on Crosstown Rebels. Now in 2016, a new phase of her career begins, as she prepares to unveil her debut album, a collection of songs that truly represents the essence of what she’s all about, an LP that is forward-thinking, powerful and made from the heart. Live instrumentalists will also feature on this album, merging the world of electronic music with Francesca’s classical upbringing, set to uplift and engage people from all walks of life. The outcome is a combination of grand and orchestral compositions, together with subtle, nuanced numbers.

There’s no doubt that Francesca’s passion and drive to keep innovating in music is unsurpassed and serves as the fuel to keep her inspired, relevant and soundtracking the very best moments of our lives for years to come.

Dave Haslam

Dave Haslam DJ’d at the Hacienda club in Manchester over 450 times, mostly through the 1980s but also late in the 1990s (including the final night of the club, in June 1997). Ian Brown, Tim Burgess, Laurent Garnier, and the Chemical Brothers were regular visitors to Haslam’s ground-breaking DJing events at the Hacienda, and all have credited Haslam as an inspiration. He has since played worldwide, including Paris, Detroit, Ibiza, New York, Hamburg, Lima, Geneva, and festivals including Creamfields, Primavera Sound, and Kendal Calling; and at afterparties for New Order, Gorillaz, and Depeche Mode. In recent years his gigs have included Festival Yeah (back to back with Laurent Garnier) in June 2014, and Panorama Bar (Berghain) in August 2015.

He is also a renowned writer and broadcaster. He has appeared on radio and TV on dozens of occasions (on Radio 4, BBC2, Channel 4, VH1, Arte, Granada, etc) discussing a wide variety of subjects, from graphic design to ecstasy, urban regeneration to the Notting Hill riots, and from the Smiths to Daft Punk. Pitchfork recently premiered a short film about the disco pioneer Cerrone, in which Haslam features alongside Nile Rodgers.

He’s written four books of cultural history; his new book Life After Dark: A History of British Nightclubs & Music Venues, was published in August 2015.

Gary Richards

They say real recognizes real…

As a producer, artist, DJ, and founder of HARD Events, Gary Richards always keeps it real. His uncompromising approach to music spurned the creation of a new hip-hop and house hybrid in the form of 2014’s WEST COAST EP featuring rap heavyweights such as YG, Ty Dolla $ign, Problem, Too $hort, Warren G, and Kurupt. Following the release, he’d deliver explosive sets around the world from Tokyo to Ibiza and at his own sold out HARD Summer 2015 as well as two installments of his wildly popular electronic music cruise HOLY SHIP! and the Ship2Ship Tour.

However, he knew that his next musical evolution had to be bigger, bolder and better.

“When I did the WEST COAST EP, I didn’t necessarily have a plan,” he admits. “I knew what I wanted to do, but it was still so fresh to me. I felt like I was chasing something different. All of a sudden, I’m in the studio with guys, and I became comfortable. So, I thought, ‘How do I make this better and truly fucking dope? How do I make music for the club and a festival, define my sound, and what I want to do going forward?’”

He answered that question with the appropriately titled 2016 single “4Real” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and ILoveMakonnen. Beginning with a strikingly smooth vocal from Ty Dolla $ign punctuated by fingersnaps and nocturnal synths, the track slips into DESTRUCTO’s signature style, dripping with West Coast resin and House boom. ILoveMakonnen blesses the track with a flavorful and fiery verse, and everybody rocks together for the psychedelically sexy video.

“The second night of HARD Summer, Ty told me he wanted to go back in the studio. However, he could only do it the next day,” recalls DESTRUCTO. “So, I went down to his house with Wax Motif, and he just started singing, ‘I’m for real.’ I had already spoken to Makonnen about the track, so Ty shouted him out. Makonnen then returned the favor. They’re bringing some of their world to me, and I’m bringing some of my world to them. That’s what’s happening. I spent about six months perfecting the song with Wax Motif and Styalz Fuego. It had to be fucking insane before we dropped it.”

The crowd went “fucking insane” the first time they heard it. He debuted “4Real” live with Ty Dolla $ign and ILoveMakonnen as special surprise guests on January’s HOLY SHIP! sailing, immediately fueling anticipation for the track. It also marks a new dawn for DESTRUCTO as the first release on his label Hits HARD.

“I’ve been doing this for so long I know how to get everything together,” he says. “I’ve reached a place where I want to put music out on my own, and I’m free to do whatever the fuck I want.”

It’s that kind of attitude which cemented his status as a trailblazer in electronic music. Since 2011, he’s released a string of dance floor anthems across his Technology EP [2012] and Higher EP [2013]. His influence permeated other genres as he contributed official remixes for the likes of Depeche Mode, Giorgio Moroder, Major Lazer, Rob Zombie, Digitalism and more. Moreover, he’s performed at the likes Coachella, Lollapalooza, Voodoo Music + Experience and countless other festivals. Now, “4Real” lays the groundwork for his next body of work.

Throughout everything, he’s “4Real” as it gets. “I hope everyone feels it the way I feel it,” DESTRUCTO leaves off. “It’s been an ongoing process to bring these worlds together. I’m fortunate to have these dudes believe in me. I’m trying to make music you can drive to, dance to and live to.”

Guy Gerber

Guy Gerber has always favored the road less traveled. The Israeli DJ thrives on confounding expectations. What other underground DJ could collaborate with one of hip-hops biggest moguls, Puff Daddy, or start a left-field night at one of Ibiza’s most commercial clubs, Pacha? What other producer blends the worlds of melancholy and euphoria so effortlessly, or turns in a breakup album as an official mix for a revered club brand? It’s these kind of contradictions that define Gerber’s compelling duality.

Before he was fiddling with drum machines and synths, Gerber was all about groups like Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine. These influences still echo clearly in his music today, whether it be his hypnotizing live performances or contemplative, moody productions. Over the course of four albums, Gerber has shown himself to be a singular artist. In 2007, he brought his debut album Late Bloomers to Sven Vath’s Cocoon, following that with 2009’s My Invisible Romance. In 2012 and 2013, he usurped the concept of a mix CD, delivering a Fabric album made up of 100% original new productions; then on Who’s Stalking Who creating an LP more akin to an extended composition than anything else.

As a performer, Guy Gerber is consistently rated one of the best touring acts in dance music, earning a top 10 live performer nod three years in a row for Resident Advisor. When DJing he’s known for extended sets, epitomized by a 12-hour performance at Burning Man in 2014. Gerber’s sets are never forgettable, and he has an unerring ability to disrupt expectations, whether it be confounding Ibiza VIPs with his 2013 Wisdom of the Glove residency at Pacha –which even caught the New York Times’ attention — or 12 months later going in a totally new direction with his clandestine free Ibiza beach party, Rumors. Even at more traditional club residencies like those he holds at Marquee, Sound, and Story, Gerber acts as the subversion, transforming the normative experience into something alive with mysticism and mystique.

On the label front, Gerber has helped curate and A&R some of underground music’s most intriguing talents. His label Supplement Facts hosted everyone from Chaim, to dOP, Guti and Kate Simko. In typical Gerber fashion, just as it was reaching its apex he put it on hold to launch a new imprint Rumors, a befitting title for the mischievously minded Gerber. The new project got off to a promising start, serving as home to Guy’s colossal collaboration with Dixon, “No Distance,” as well as his crossover album with Puff Daddy, 11:11, which proved one of 2014’s most startling and impressive LPs. As with Supplement Facts, Rumors reiterates Gerber’s attention to the visual aesthetic. Both labels have seen him collaborating with artists all over the globe — most recently with Miss Kittin on the critically acclaimed ‘Rumors on The Dancefloor’ EP. Rumors has also served as a home for EPs from other high-profile artists, like Seth Troxler, as well as enigmatic upcoming talents with unique styles, such as Clarian or Acid Mondays.

However, RUMORS is of course more than a well-curated imprint – Gerber also launched the accompanying event series in the summer of 2014. The RUMORS Ibiza party was a free event with a relaxed atmosphere, thanks to its setting in the Playa d’En Bossa beach hotspot Beachouse. Staying true to the original ethos of Ibiza, the RUMORS parties rejected hype by avoiding the mega-lineup announcements and posters across the rest of the island, with very little information about the parties being given away until the last minute, if at all. Despite this, 2015’s RUMORS parties saw huge artists like Sasha, Miss Kittin, Kenny Glasgow and Matthew Dear sharing the decks alongside Gerber, as well as many of the label’s upcoming artists.

Following their Ibiza successes, Guy is now taking his RUMORS parties worldwide, with events at Art Basel Miami and stages at BPM Mexico and We Are FSTVL in London proving that RUMORS really do spread. However, Guy Gerber’s vision of the perfect musical event will remain the same no matter what the stage or country: “The night has a very particular flow… it has to start very deep, very spiritual, and it slowly builds up, never too fast. It’s a very natural-feeling party. The tracks played must have some substance, not too loopy, and have some kind of musical vibe in them. I’m looking for challenging deep house.”

What’s next for Guy Gerber? Like any good rumor, it’s sure to have tongues wagging.

Jason Bentley

Jason Bentley is Music Director of influential NPR radio station KCRW in Santa Monica, and host of their acclaimed programs Morning Becomes Eclectic and Metropolis. Jason has established a distinguished career as a music supervisor for film, including the Matrix trilogy and TRON Legacy with Daft Punk. He maintains a busy DJ schedule including sets at The Coachella Festival, The Electric Daisy Carnival, Lightning In A Bottle, CRSSD Fest, as well as various art, fashion, and music industry events. Jason has worked at Madonna’s Maverick Records as well as Island Records with founder Chris Blackwell. He also works closely with the Recording Academy (NARAS), the organization behind The Grammy Awards.

Brian Tappert

Brian Tappert is a music industry veteran from NJ, who’s career has spanned almost 3 decades.  

Together with his long time friend and business partner Marc Pomeroy, Brian has traveled the world Dj’ing in the worlds most prestigious venues.  He has also produced and remixed some of the most beloved house music classics as part of Jazz-N-Groove, Urban Blues Project, Cleptomaniacs and Soulsearcher among others.  Brian and Marc are also responsible for one of the worlds finest record labels of the 90’s and early 2000’s, Soulfuric Recordings. 

Most recently the pair have been quietly behind Traxsource, the worlds leading house music download site for Dj’s. Since its launch, Traxsource has become one the most respected sources for house and techno music on the planet and is appreciated for its artistic integrity.

José Woldring

José Woldring is founder and CEO of The Media Nanny, one of electronic music’s foremost press and PR agencies, representing artists from across the whole spectrum of the dance world including Martin Garrix, Afrojack, Disclosure, Oliver Heldens, Hardwell, Joris Voorn and Jackmaster. Founded in 2010 while she was fresh out of college in the space of just a few years, José has grown The Media Nanny into one of the more formidable forces in global dance PR handling, every aspect of press and promotion for some its best-loved and most high profile names.

José was born in in Groningen, in the north of Holland, but moved to Amsterdam in 2008 to pursue a career in music and ended up being scouted at a dance contest by MTV and was offered the job as one of their VJs. More comfortable making calls behind the camera than in front of it, she decided to go behind the scenes instead, pursuing a degree in Media & Entertainment Management at university. While studying, she juggled her degree with a part-time job in ad sales at a major radio channel, and then fresh out of college, joined the well-established Anna Agency, helping manage their artists’ press and social media presence.

In 2010, José decided to strike out on her own, and The Media Nanny was born. Her initial relationship with Spinnin’ Records gave her the opportunity to work with a whole range of emerging talent like Martin Garrix and Oliver Heldens and as their profiles grew so did her company. Before long she had built up without doubt the most high profile PR roster in EDM with the likes of Afrojack, Harwell, Arty and DVBBS joining her books followed soon by more underground acts like Disclosure, Joris Voorn and Jackmaster. Whether it’s an international magazine cover, online coverage, radio station visits or TV features, The Media Nanny takes care of it all, with unrivalled global reach.

With her tireless ‘can do’ work ethic, José Woldring, with support from her young, dynamic and ever growing team split between Amsterdam and LA, continues to expand the scope and the reach of The Media Nanny without ever losing the personal touch for which has become their trademark.

Eric Zho

Founder, CEO, A2LiVE/ STORM Festival

Eric is a veteran entertainment executive involved and engaged in all facets of the Chinese entertainment industry, with particular focus in multi-media programming, concert production, sponsorship, and entertainment marketing. Eric was one of pioneering members of the reality TV industry in China and has created enormously successful brands in television entertainment with an average viewership achievement of 100 million viewers per show and more for his top grossing television programs. In 2003, Eric created China’s first reality program, breaking historical ratings record for Shanghai Media Group’s Dragon TV. This program is credited as the first Idol programming of its kind, and later forever transformed prime time television in China

In 2013, Eric made industry headlines once again with his launch of the STORM Electronic Music Festival brand in Shanghai. STORM was one of the largest festivals of its kind in Asia and China alike. Even in its first iteration the festival drew in a crowd of over 20,000 people and fielded an impressive lineup including Axwell, Zedd, Benny Benassi, Fedde le Grand, Jay Sean, Far East Movement, Icono Pop and others. With 15 years of experience in entertainment and an unprecedented insight into the Chinese market, he is leading the growth of EDM in China, involved in over 100 bookings per year in the EDM sector alone. Eric was the key force behind the major collaboration between DJ Superstar AVICII and Mando-Pop Star Leehom Wang. The result of which is the creation of world’s first mainstream Chinese EDM track that climbed to the top of the charts in China.

Since the founding of A2LiVE in 2003, Eric has steadily tranformed the company over the period of a decade from a television production & concert promotion company to now an EDM and database driven entertainment company.

Clients Eric has represented in the past include: Universal Music Group, IMF Channel, Clear Channel Communications, CCTV, SMG Dragon TV, Jiangsu Satellite TV, Zhejiang Satellite TV, Pepsi, Lay’s, Coca Cola, Sprite, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, English First, Volkswagen, Land Rover, L’Oreal, Yue-Sai Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, Dragon Airlines, Delta Airlines, Maxwell, Guang Ming, Dupont Lycra, Dupont Teflon, SEMIR, MAC Cosmetics, Guess Jeans, Diesel, Gibson Guitar, Credit Suisse, Master Card, Hilton Honors, Accenture Budweiser, Sennheiser, Ford Auto, Buick, Pernod Ricard, and more.

Graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Eric has also attended the NYU Tische school of the arts. He currently resides in Shanghai, China.

Robert Miles

Robert Miles has been at the forefront of developments in electronic music for more than two decades as composer, record producer, DJ and now broadcaster.

Selling more than 14 million records, playing to audiences in every corner of the globe, among his many accolades are a Brit Award, a World Music Award and multiple gold and platinum discs. Add to that his numerous soundtrack credits – ‘The Bourne Identity’ among them – and many artists would be happily content. But Robert Miles is a true pioneer and his most exciting times are happening right now.

Born Roberto Concina, he began his musical journey playing classical piano and then creating alternative and electronic music while still in his teens, working in clubs and pirate radio stations in Northeast Italy.

His first major single ‘Children’, which catapulted him to fame, was written in a single night after seeing photographs that his Father had taken of young people affected by the war in ex-Yugoslavia. ‘Children’ occupied the #1 spot in the Euro Top 100 chart for 13 consecutive weeks in 1996, selling over 5 million copies. It later became part of Robert’s debut album, ‘Dreamland’ which also received huge worldwide acclaim.

In the course of his career since, Robert has released 5 groundbreaking albums including his most recent ‘Thirteen’ in 2011, and travelled the world many times, but it was on the island of Ibiza, his home since 2006, that OpenLab, a cutting-edge project bringing together culture, arts, media, technology and innovation, and his most ambitious project yet has been taking shape. Robert’s relationship with the island began in 1988, “it was a great time” he says “full of very colourful and eclectic people. There were parties all over the place, people just celebrating the joy of living and of great music.’’

“Unfortunately that changed for many people in the years that followed, but not all of us. There were still a lot of people coming here for the same reason, the same spirit that drew people to the island in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. It’s exactly that spirit, forward thinking and eclectic, which is the very essence of Ibiza and guides everything we do at OpenLab, the radio station which I founded on the island in 2012. Broadcasting it in the digital age, bringing together a global community of like-minded souls, first online, and now at live events. Re-imagining what Ibiza can be in this new millennium. We play only the very best in new, alternative, electronica and experimental music, 24 hours a day. On 106.4 FM in Ibiza and Formentera and online to the world at www.openlab.fm.”

Matthew Adell

Matthew Adell has dedicated his career to connecting people with the mu- sic they love, beginning as a teenager working at a record store in subur- ban Chicago, to holding key positions at several influential music compa- nies. Prior to founding his newest venture MetaPop, Matthew was CEO of Beatport, where he oversaw the rapid growth of the company, and VP of Music Services at Napster, where he was charged with creative oversight of the company’s music programming and product initiatives. Other previ- ous positions include VP of Music Services at MusicNow.com, as well as senior positions at Amazon and Motorola’s Radiowave.com. He also was VP of Wax Trax! Records, where he signed the KLF, KMFDM and
others, and later founded Organico, his own house music label and the original home to Derrick Carter and Dubtribe Sound System.
Adell has been quoted as an expert source for the digital music industry and DJ/dance community by such outlets as The New York
Times, NPR, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Variety and oth- ers. He has also been a featured speaker at such conferences as SXSW, Amsterdam Dance Event, International Music Seminar, CMJ, Winter Music

Conference, Bandwidth Conference and New Music Seminar, among oth- ers.
Adell’s new venture MetaPop is the premier global provider of
Remix rights management, licensing, tracking, distribution and royalty ser- vices for Remixers and Rights Holders.

Mark Lawrence

After spending 10 years in senior roles at PRS for Music, Mark moved on to combine his passion for Electronic Music with his experience in Membership Organisations by taking on the privileged role as the first Chief Executive of the Association for Electronic Music.  AFEM is the global Trade Body for the entire Electronic Music community, from Creators to Labels, Clubs to Live, Tech to Media.

Eelko van Kooten
FOUNDER & OWNER, SPINNIN’ RECORDS, NETHERLANDS

Eelko van Kooten is one of the most well-known entrepreneurs in the international dance industry. He started music label Spinnin’ Records in 1999, together with A&R specialist Roger de Graaf. Eelko has spearheaded the business for the past 17 years growing to a world-leading team of 75+ creatives, innovators and trailblazers in music.

Today Spinnin’ Records is the world’s leading dance label. Eelko and his team are responsible for releasing world-class tracks hitting international charts and developing the careers of globally renowned DJs including Afrojack, Bingo Players, Martin Garrix, Oliver Heldens, Sander van Doorn, Kris Kross Amsterdam and Sam Feldt.

Born in the 70’s in the Netherlands’ media city Hilversum, Eelko grew up in an entrepreneurial family. He starts university and graduates as the country’s youngest certified real estate broker at age 22. When Eelko is 28 he makes the bold move to start his own publishing company MusicAllStars Publishing – combining his ambitious mindset with what he loves most: music.
A year later in 1999 he founded music label Spinnin’ Records followed by artist management company MusicAllStars Management in 2012.

Over the years Eelko has been praised by the international music industry for his knowledge and ability of pushing the boundaries of the dance industry. He was included in Rolling Stone’s ‘Top 50 Most Important People in EDM’ and won an IDMA award for ‘Best Music Label Executive’.

Pete Tong
BBC Radio 1, Broadcaster, UK

There are few individuals in the world of dance music who can claim the kind of influence Pete Tong has had over the last twenty years. As the voice of Radio 1’s prestigious dance programming, Pete has held a commanding presence over the industry for more than two decades. With an unparalleled ear for new talent, Tong has become the leading tastemaker of the electronic generation. While he’s known publicly as Pete Tong the DJ, behind the scenes, he’s an industry icon.

Having spent the majority of his life in England, Pete has recently resettled in Los Angeles to begin a new chapter in his life. He’s wasted little time establishing himself in the US, having helped inaugurate Clear Channel Entertainment’sEvolution dance brand in 2013 and recently expanding the programming to the extended two-hour segment, The Evolution Beatport Show with Pete Tong, broadcasting on 90 different Top 40 stations in the US.

Meanwhile, his world famous BBC Radio 1 shows have only grown in popularity. Their collective reach has soared into the millions, broadcasting globally thanks to the BBC iPlayer. TheEssential Mix continues to be the Holy Grail of mix shows, while Tong’s Essential Selection is still the best place to premiere a new record.

On the DJing front, Tong is currently championing three premier All Gone Pete Tong residencies in the US. Once a month, you can find him bridging the gap to the underground at Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, while in Miami, he’s keeping the integrity of club culture alive at Story. His residency at the SLS Las Vegas sees him performing regularly at the brand new LiFE club, where he’s introducing a whole new palette of underground sounds to the party mecca. Finally, the All Gone Pete Tong brand has achieved global renown through world-class parties in Miami during WMC and Ibiza as well as dedicated stages at festivals like Creamfields, TomorrowWorld, and SW4.

As a music producer, Tong has led an esteemed career over the years with notable releases on Pets Recordings, Ministry of Sound, Toolroom Records and more. His compilations have garnered critical acclaim–most notably 2013’s 60-track anthology, The Pete Tong Collection. More recently, he’s debuted on Suara with deep house anthem “The Bumps” alongside John Monkman, while also curating All Gone Ibiza 2014 alongside Tensnake for Defected as part of his All Gone Pete Tong compilation series.

On the business side, Tong continues to be a prominent force in both the booking and A&R worlds. In 2008, he co-founded WME’s electronic music division alongside Joel Zimmerman, helping to turn the venture into one of the most powerful booking agencies in the world. He’s also relaunched his label FFRR, reclaiming his reputation for A&R and signing acts like Oliver Heldens, The Magician, Blonde and The Disciples. On top of this, Tong is responsible for founding The International Music Summit, which holds major events in Ibiza, Los Angeles and Singapore. Now in its 6th year, the event is viewed in the industry as The Premier Platform for Thought Leadership in Electronic Music.

When all is said and done, one shudders to think what dance music would have been like without Pete Tong’s influence. Over the years, he’s played a crucial role in breaking new artists and changing the way people think about electronic music. With his new found home in Los Angeles, the British icon is looking to revolutionize the perception of dance music in America. If there’s anyone up for the task, it’s Pete Tong.

Seth Troxler
Artist, USA

Seth Troxler is an American electronic music producer and world renowned DJ from Kalamazoo, Michigan who is based between London, New York and Ibiza. When Troxler was fourteen, he moved to Lake Orion the outskirts of Detroit, where he involved himself in the musical heritage of the city which is reflected techno-influenced aesthetic of both his DJing and his music productions. Troxler tours throughout the year, playing at the world’s most renowned and respected clubs while also running his own labels Play It Say It, Soft Touch and Tuskegee each focusing on a different genre of music. Music aside, he also runs his own restaurant brand called Smokey Tails serving modern Midwestern cuisine.

B Traits
(Artist, Canada)

Brianna Price aka B.Traits grew up in Nelson, British Columbia, a town where “half the people are hippies and half are rednecks.” Her path was set very early indeed. “Even at five, six years old, I was totally mesmerised by music channels and discovered electronic music, including British acts such as The Prodigy.” She soon found herself becoming a music selector and mixtape creator for friends and eventually DJing at local nights.

Bri moved to Vancouver to study music production and would persuade DJs touring North America to come and play in the city. Brit originator DJ SS returned the favour and invited her to play on the World Drum’n’Bass tour. Having never travelled outside Canada, Bri found herself on a whirlwind journey ending in with a permanent move to London, the birthplace of the music she grew up loving.

Bri kept DJing every weekend and working in the studio during the week and in 2007 whilst on tour with Shy FX she played him some of her early productions. Impressed with her skill as a producer and DJ he brought her into his record label, Digital Soundboy.

In 2012 she released the rave / bass hybrid track ‘Fever’ on Digital Soundboy, hit the UK Top 40 and had the track upstreamed to a major record label.

Meanwhile, she attracted the attention of Radio 1’s In New DJs We Trust. Within a year Bri became first choice when Radio 1 was seeking an official cover for Annie Mac.

In September 2014 Bri was honoured with her own show as part of the legendary BBC Radio 1 Friday night line-up, bridging the gap between Pete Tong and the Essential Mix from 1-4am. She loves using her show to champion new underground artists as well as introducing her younger audience to the most influential masters of the scene, both current and historic.

A skilled producer, club DJ and radio presenter, bridging underground music from techno to jungle to house. You should certainly expect the unexpected where B.Traits is concerned – but if there’s something you can predict, it’s that whatever comes next will be unique and it will be big.

deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman)
MAU5TRAP, ARTIST/FOUNDER, USA

Joel Zimmerman, more commonly known as deadmau5 (pronounced ‘dead mouse’), is one of the world’s most respected electronic music producers of modern times. Enjoying international chart success with his platinum-certified single “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” as well as “Professional Griefers,” “Sofi Needs A Ladder” and “I Remember,” he has also released six critically acclaimed albums: W:/2016ALBUM/ and > album title goes here < (both reached #1 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Chart), 4×4=12 (recently recognized for having sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United States), For Lack Of A Better Name, Random Album Title and while(1<2). The multiple JUNO Award-winning and GRAMMY®-nominated artist’s ability to push the boundaries of his talent grows at an equal rate to his fan base, which counts almost 15 million over his combined social media channels. In 2016, deadmau5 leaped into the virtual reality realm with Absolut and released a massive sample catalogue with Splice while performing major festival plays throughout the world. This summer deadmau5 celebrated the 10 year anniversary of his mau5trap record label and recently completed the second leg of his ‘lots of shows in a row’ North American tour with his new Cube 2.1 production. Look for a new album in 2018 and more exciting things to come from deadmau5 soon.

Benji Rogers
dotBlockchain Media, CEO & Co-Founder, USA

Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley
Burning Man Project, Communications Manager, USA

Maykel Piron
Armada Music, Co-Founder / CEO, Netherlands

Caroline Simionescu-Marin
XL Recordings/New Gen, A&R Manager/Founder, UK

Black Coffee
Artist, South Africa

Jonathan Barnes
Pandora, Head of Label Licensing, USA

Michael Addicott
Pandora, Manager of Curation, USA

Lionel Marciano
Black Coffee’s International Manager, USA

Nastia
Artist/DJ, Ukraine

“I love my hobby, which transformed into my profession and my way of life during recent years. My aim is to see as many people as possible on the dancefloor and to dance with them, leading the mood with what unites us all – music. I am what I do.”

Nastia’s ascendency to her current status has been nothing short of an unexpected whirlwind of success. The DJ, promoter, label owner and producer was born in a tiny village in Ukraine, and forged her own path to widespread recognition out of her sheer love for music without any formal training.

She first heard snippets of electronic music through her older sisters, purchasing a copy of the Matrix soundtrack as a teenager. After her first visit to a big club in the city of Donetsk she was hooked, and subsequently got a job as a dancer in the club whilst studying. Less than a year later she’d taught herself to DJ and began to get booked in clubs around the country.

The following year Nastia landed her own weekly radio show on Kiss FM Ukraine – the country’s biggest station for dance music – and became a resident DJ at Kazantip, the pioneering dance music festival held on the Crimean Peninsula that she continued to be heavily involved with up until 2011.

By this time, she was one of the most well-known DJs of her home country, and landed a residency at the legendary Moscow club ARMA17 that she holds to this day. She founded the Propaganda brand in 2010 for her radio show, and in 2013 she was well placed to begin her own record label of the same name. The label has been steadily releasing a stream of credible but diverse productions ever since, coming from Nastia’s favourite new artists that she discovers on her travels and whilst crate digging.

The label also hosts parties around Europe, further adding to Nastia’s reputation as a promoter. She now holds her own festival in Kiev, Strichka. Held at Closer – an art space based in a former factory – and running for 24 hours straight, this year’s edition saw artists like Jus–Ed, Helena Hauff, DJ Bone, DJ Stingray, Margaret Dygas and Pearson Sound travel to play alongside Nastia and many other local talents. She also debuted the first of her ‘Stereo Piknik’ events in London this year, bringing DJ Qu, Tobias, Pearson Sound, Function and more to the city.

Outside of her own parties, Nastia’s increasingly busy touring schedule takes her to some of the most respected venues in the world: Panorama Bar in Berlin, London’s fabric (where she has played alongside Ricardo Villalobos and with Richie Hawtin for his Play party), The Block in Tel Aviv, WOMB in Tokyo and Cocoon and Circoloco in Ibiza. With her reputation growing, she is now gearing up for her debut Australia tour at the end of this year. A multitalented DJ and expert at reading crowds, Nastia can play industrial techno, experimental, house or DnB depending on the situation, but at the end of the day, her main goal is to make the crowd dance along with her as she did at her first club in Donetsk.

Jason Ellis
Positiva/Virgin Records, A&R Director: 2008-present, UK

Nick Halkes
Positiva/EMI Dance, Managing Director: 1993-1999, UK

Nick Halkes has played an important and consistently dynamic role in the development of electronic music culture for close to thirty years,perhaps most notably as the founder of both the XL Recordings and Positiva labels and for his unique role in the development of The Prodigy (he signed a young Liam Howlett to XL before the band had played their first live show and manages Liam to this day.) Alongside his Prodigy duties Nick currently manages,amongst others, breaks legends Stanton Warriors,drum n bass dons Bad Company UK and newcomers One Bit who have made waves recently with their debut Ministry of Sound single featuring Noah Cyrus.

Nicks start was running a mobile disco during his school days and before he’d finished uni he had worked for WBLS in New York,been the uk rep for the Easy Street label and manufactured and sold smiley t shirts in Ibiza in the summer of 88.

On leaving uni Nick got a job in club/radio promotions and worked on releases from the likes of Massive Attack and The Beloved before snagging a job doing club promo for the Citybeat label.It was whilst in this role that he came up with the agenda and logo for XL Recordings and launched the label with a focus on burgeoning underground talent. The hits followed and with a host of gold and silver discs for his signings such as SL2.House of Pain and Liquid as well as a top ten pop hit as an artist to his credit his next move was to become a director of EMI, launching the Positiva label.

Positiva defined the mid to late 90s dance music explosion and became the uk’s number one dance label delivering smash after smash from the likes of reel 2 real,bbe,the bucketheads and alice deejay.By the end of the decade however Nick was keen to return to the indie sector and launched Incentive in partnership with Ministry of Sound.Here he had hits with artists as diverse as Joey Negro,Matt Darey,Genius Cru and Cascada whilst simultaneously launching a publishing business.More recent years have seen Nick more focussed on his management company,enjoying success with clients such as Caspa and DJ Fresh before settling on his current roster.Nick also currently runs a monthly club night called Reach Up,lectures about the music industry and is launching a podcast series with Eddy Temple Morris which he describes as ‘A desert island discs of electronic music trailblazers’

Dave Lambert
Positiva, Head of A&R: 1993-1998, UK

Dave began his music career in 1989 writing Balearic house music reviews for newly legal Kiss FM’s Free! magazine and then co-founded Touch Magazine in 1991. During this time Dave was getting warn up sets with the likes of Trevor Nelson, Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson and Andy Weatherall and helped launch the Fresh night in London with fellow residents Danny Rampling and Judge Jules and was a resident at Spirit with Roy The Roach, Judge Jules and DJ Harvey. Dave also started the Peach club night with Kiss FM DJ Graham Gold which hosted debut UK DJ appearances from Tiesto and Armin van Buuren and ran weekly in London until 2004.

XL boss Nick Halkes tapped Dave to join him at EMI UK to help set up his new Positiva dance imprint in January 1993.

At Positiva Dave worked with Erick Morillo’s Reel 2 Real, Barbara Tucker, Kenny Dope’s Bucketheads project, BBE and Jeremy Healy & Amos before leaving to helm the AM:PM label at Island Records in 1998. AM:PM joined forces with Serious Records in 2001 to form the focus of the Universal UK dance music set up with Dave taking up the role of Director Of A&R.

At Universal Dave’s A&R’d Ultra Nate, Mousse T, Sonique, Safri Duo, Armin van Buuren and DJ Jean whilst delivering AM:PM and Strictly Rhythm’s debut UK No. 1 hit with Wamdue Project ‘King Of My Castle’.
Over the last 15 years Dave has found himself involved in a variety of electronic music ventures. A keen runner and triathlete, in 2007 Dave released the first continuous mix running album on iTunes and subsequently produced a series of bespoke DJ mixed workout albums with Men’s Health magazine and Ministry Of Sound.
From 2011-2013 Dave was Head Of A&R for Strictly Rhythm steering them back into the UK Top 10 with Ray Foxx’s ‘Boom Boom (Heartbeat)’ and in 2014 returned to Island Records in as A&R consultant signing hits from Tough Love, Lvndscape & Boiler and The Chainsmokers to their first major deal.

Dave currently manages Hot Source and the US based duo Just Us whilst overseeing their Shadow Box imprint and his own Enorme label with The Orchard. He is also a consultant with the FaderPro online music production resource.

Bedouin (Tamer Malki)
Artist, USA

La Fleur
Artist, Sweden

Bradley Gunn
Bradley Gunn Raver, UK

Pete Tong
BBC Radio 1, Broadcaster, UK

There are few individuals in the world of dance music who can claim the kind of influence Pete Tong has had over the last twenty years. As the voice of Radio 1’s prestigious dance programming, Pete has held a commanding presence over the industry for more than two decades. With an unparalleled ear for new talent, Tong has become the leading tastemaker of the electronic generation. While he’s known publicly as Pete Tong the DJ, behind the scenes, he’s an industry icon.

Having spent the majority of his life in England, Pete has recently resettled in Los Angeles to begin a new chapter in his life. He’s wasted little time establishing himself in the US, having helped inaugurate Clear Channel Entertainment’sEvolution dance brand in 2013 and recently expanding the programming to the extended two-hour segment, The Evolution Beatport Show with Pete Tong, broadcasting on 90 different Top 40 stations in the US.

Meanwhile, his world famous BBC Radio 1 shows have only grown in popularity. Their collective reach has soared into the millions, broadcasting globally thanks to the BBC iPlayer. TheEssential Mix continues to be the Holy Grail of mix shows, while Tong’s Essential Selection is still the best place to premiere a new record.

On the DJing front, Tong is currently championing three premier All Gone Pete Tong residencies in the US. Once a month, you can find him bridging the gap to the underground at Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, while in Miami, he’s keeping the integrity of club culture alive at Story. His residency at the SLS Las Vegas sees him performing regularly at the brand new LiFE club, where he’s introducing a whole new palette of underground sounds to the party mecca. Finally, the All Gone Pete Tong brand has achieved global renown through world-class parties in Miami during WMC and Ibiza as well as dedicated stages at festivals like Creamfields, TomorrowWorld, and SW4.

As a music producer, Tong has led an esteemed career over the years with notable releases on Pets Recordings, Ministry of Sound, Toolroom Records and more. His compilations have garnered critical acclaim–most notably 2013’s 60-track anthology, The Pete Tong Collection. More recently, he’s debuted on Suara with deep house anthem “The Bumps” alongside John Monkman, while also curating All Gone Ibiza 2014 alongside Tensnake for Defected as part of his All Gone Pete Tong compilation series.

On the business side, Tong continues to be a prominent force in both the booking and A&R worlds. In 2008, he co-founded WME’s electronic music division alongside Joel Zimmerman, helping to turn the venture into one of the most powerful booking agencies in the world. He’s also relaunched his label FFRR, reclaiming his reputation for A&R and signing acts like Oliver Heldens, The Magician, Blonde and The Disciples. On top of this, Tong is responsible for founding The International Music Summit, which holds major events in Ibiza, Los Angeles and Singapore. Now in its 6th year, the event is viewed in the industry as The Premier Platform for Thought Leadership in Electronic Music.

When all is said and done, one shudders to think what dance music would have been like without Pete Tong’s influence. Over the years, he’s played a crucial role in breaking new artists and changing the way people think about electronic music. With his new found home in Los Angeles, the British icon is looking to revolutionize the perception of dance music in America. If there’s anyone up for the task, it’s Pete Tong.

Mike Malak
Coda Agency, Agent, UK

Mike Malak is an agent at CODA Agency, representing talent from the likes of Jess Glynne, to Billie Eilish, Pusha T, Yung Lean, KSHMR, Carnage and more. He has previously worked for Steve Aoki’s management team focusing on Dim Mak licensing and touring as well as a stint over at Warner Bros records in London. Longtime relationships with the Black Eyed Peas and LMFAO helped him develop his craft and understand all facets of the music industry and the importance of knowing what each role means and what opportunities exist, especially in having seen the Black Eyed Peas go from selling out Jazz Café shows in London to three nights sold out at the Stade de France in Paris. It is therefore through this process over the last 10 years that he decided to start KID Talks, a platform for young people to learn about the industry and motivate them to get started today as we know the industry has no right or wrong path to a job, it is all about hard work and persistence.

Daniel Schoeps
Under my Spell, Solomun, Manager, Germany

Enric Palau
Sónar Festival, Co-Director, Spain

Georgia Taglietti
Sónar Festival, Head of Communications, Spain

David Levy
WME, Partner, UK

David Levy is a partner and co-head of WME’s London music team. His clients include Bjork, Calvin Harris, Fatboy Slim, LCD Soundsystem, Madness, Massive Attack and MIA, as well as emerging artists like Dua Lipa and Nicolas Jaar. Levy has been working in the music industry for 30 years, during which time he has helped launch careers, music festivals and cultural events around the world. He began his career working with bands at age 15, and was promoting shows and working as a DJ by the time he graduated Middlesex Polytechnic in London. In 2009, Levy played an integral role in creating WME’s electronic division in partnership with client and BBC broadcasting legend Pete Tong. Levy works with Nordoff Robins Music Therapy and sits on the advisory boards of The Creative Community For Peace, The Association for Electronic Music and The Hip Hop Shakespeare Company. He currently resides between Ibiza and London with his wife and son.

Seth Troxler
Artist, USA

Seth Troxler is an American electronic music producer and world renowned DJ from Kalamazoo, Michigan who is based between London, New York and Ibiza. When Troxler was fourteen, he moved to Lake Orion the outskirts of Detroit, where he involved himself in the musical heritage of the city which is reflected techno-influenced aesthetic of both his DJing and his music productions. Troxler tours throughout the year, playing at the world’s most renowned and respected clubs while also running his own labels Play It Say It, Soft Touch and Tuskegee each focusing on a different genre of music. Music aside, he also runs his own restaurant brand called Smokey Tails serving modern Midwestern cuisine.

Yann Pissenem
Hï Ibiza / Ushuaïa Ibiza, Owner / Founder / CEO / Artistic Director, Spain

Gustavo Pereira
NEOPOP/BPM Portugal, CEO/Director, Portugal

Within the broad landscape of Portuguese electronic music, Gustavo’s name is completely unavoidable. He is one of the country’s most respected DJ’s, Promoter and is responsible for revitalising Oporto’s and Portugal burgeoning club scene, booking the biggest and most interesting acts for Maré Alta, Indústria and Gare for the last 17years. Over the past years he has also been one of the major players behind the Neopop Festival and other major electronic events in Portugal. One half of the powerful DJ duo Freshkitos, whose regular presence at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, festivals and events have made them a household name. Last year he embraced also a new adventure adding BPM to his list of annual events as a director for it´s edition in Portugal. In the past years he was responsible for bringing El Row, Enter, Circoloco, Vagabundos and other big international brands to Portugal and to feed the apetite of the Portuguese fans when we talk about quality dance music events. As solo DJ he span a wide variety of cutting edge techno and house music and his deep knowledge of dance floor dynamics allow him to enrapture any crowd from intimate, sweaty clubs to huge festival audiences, taking them on a journey to the farthest reaches of the unknown.

Matt Riley
AWAL, Senior Director, Creative, UK

Thomas Heyne
Scorpios Mykonos, Founder, Greece

Ed Karney
GRADE Management, Director, UK

Jessica Capaz
Pacha Group, Artistic Director, Spain

Mark Lawrence
CEO, AFEM: Association for Electronic Music, UK

The Association for Electronic Music has appointed Mark Lawrence as its first CEO. Lawrence previously spent 10 years at UK collection society PRS For Music, latterly as Director of Membership, responsible for 100,000 members worldwide.

His appointment was confirmed at a board meeting of AFEM held at the International Music Summit (IMS) in Ibiza.

Lawrence has a long association with the dance and electronic music genres. In 2012 he launched PRS’s Amplify initiative focusing on the genre, he has spoken at numerous industry events and he co-owns independent house music label Black Rock Records with DJ Steve Mac.

Lawrence began his career in retail banking before joining mechanical rights licensing agency MCPS in 2004. He was promoted to Director of Operations in 2006 before becoming Director of Corporate Planning of PRS for Music three years later. He was promoted to Director of Membership and Rights in 2010, leading a team of 120 staff serving a membership of over 100,000, ranging from major international publishers to individual songwriters.

While at PRS he launched and led Amplify, an initiative to increase membership in the dance music sector and improve the accuracy and value of royalties paid to writers in the genre. He left PRS earlier this year.

He said, “I am delighted and honoured to have been selected by Ben and Kurosh to run this organisation. AFEM has the opportunity to be something amazing – a global electronic music organisation representing everyone from labels to DJs to promoters to publishers, small or large, young or old. I am committed to turning that vision into reality.”

Paco Osuna
Artist, Spain

With a career spanning more than 20 years, Paco Osuna is one of the most renowned artists in the electronic music industry. His creativity, courage and relentless search for new forms of expression are some of his principal and consistent virtues when it comes to making music. On the dance floor, he is lively, intelligent and sophisticated, with a deep awareness for sound aesthetics. Every session is important to Paco and he sets out to invent and renew every time he steps onto the stage.

In 2006 he launched Mindshake, conceived as a platform for the creation and distribution of electronic music. Over the past few years, Mindshake has become one of the most important techno labels in the US and Europe, hosting productions of artists like Cuartero, Carlo Lio, Fer BR, Nick Curly and Paul Ritch, in addition to touring with the label showcases. Also in 2006, Paco founded a night with a fresh concept, Club4, alongside Marco Carola, Adam Beyer y Christian Smith. After more than 10 years, it is now considered a cult club in Barcelona where the love of techno reigns; Club4 has established itself as the overwhelming choice due to the variety and accessibility of the electronic music it has on offer.

Throughout his career Paco has performed at clubs, parties and festivals of great prestige. The list of events in which he has played is endless, and is one where quality is more important than quantity. From Fabric London to WOMB Tokyo, passing through Space NYC, Space Miami and Verboten NY in the US, Watergate Berlin, Electric Brixton London and in his beloved Ibiza at Amnesia and Space. Among the festivals he has played constantly are Sónar, Awakenings, Dockyard, ADE, Neopop, BPM, Electric Zoo, Movement Detroit, Time Warp and Tomorrowland.

From 2012 to 2014 he was resident for Richie Hawtin’s ENTER, appearing not only at Space Ibiza but also in its tour around the world. In 2015 Paco Osuna became part of Music On, joining Marco Carola in residencies at Amnesia Ibiza and the Story club in Miami, as well as the emblematic parties during BPM Mexico.

In 2016 he was selected to be ambassador of PLAYdifferently MODEL1, a distinction also received by Loco Dice, Chris Liebing, Dubfire, Matador, Nicole Moudaber and, of course, Richie Hawtin. 2016 was also an important year for the Mindshake showcases, in which Paco participated alongside the label producers with tours taking in European and American stages, including events such as the Miami Music Week and ADE Amsterdam, for the fifth and second consecutive year respectively. The Mindshake showcases are both an extension of the musical and artistic vision of Paco and a family celebration, where the main goal is to create an intimate and unforgettable experience.

In the studio, Paco Osuna has moulded his own musical signature, coating the purest techno sounds with his characteristic features: depth, darkness and imagination, always accentuated by his creativity and innovation. Proof of that are his releases on labels such as Plus8, Minus, Mood, Spectral, Hommage, and for his own platform Mindshake. In addition, he has remixed representative artists like Plastikman, Nicole Moudaber, Matador, Adam Beyer, Seth Troxler and Monkey Safari.

2017 is a story that is still unwritten, but without doubt Paco Osuna, through determination and love, will continue to trace the journey that has led him be the artist he is today. This year will again see his residency for Music On, while he will also still be focusing his energy on his main project Mindshake, a label that by the end of last year had published more than 49 references since its inception.

Amaru Da Costa
BLACK COFFEE, BRAND/BUSINESS AFFAIRS, SOUTH AFRICA

Mark Newton
Broadwick Live, Director, UK

Mark Knight
Artist, UK

Jason Swamy
NET EASE CLOUD MUSIC, CO-FOUNDER/HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, CHINA

Jason has over 18-years of entrepreneurial experience in the electronic music space. Over the pe-riod of time Jason has worn many hats; DJ, promoter, talent buyer, booker, booking agency, club owner, curator and festival producer and creative director. He has made impactful contributions to the electronic music world in America and Asia.

In Asia, Jason recently took on a role with Net Ease Cloud Music, China’s largest electronic music streaming platform as Co-Founder and Business Director for their electronic music lifestyle division as well as Asia Pacific Managing Director for Coalition One, a leading talent buying agency.

He is the founding member and director of Asia’s first sustainable lifestyle festival called Wonderfruit as well as Founder of Do What You Love, an experience design and talent booking agency based in Hong Kong.

Jason is also responsible for bringing Ultra Music Festival brand to fruition in Macau/Hong Kong, Manila and China.

Outside of Asia, Jason is best known for the following critically acclaimed ventures: Co-founder and creative director of Further Future, a technology lifestyle driven festival. Founding member and music director of cult brand Robot Heart which is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this year.

Jason is an advisor for Gigwell, a disruptive digital booking agency platform based in San Francisco and Ambassador to the Lykke Exchange platform.

Chris Johnson
mau5trap, Label COO, USA

As Label Manager and COO for mau5trap – the label that sparked the careers of Skrillex, Feed Me and REZZ – and head of deadmau5 music, CHRIS JOHNSON spearheads project management, A&R and brand advancement for the mau5trap brand and works closely with 720 president Dean Wilson on all things deadmau5. His tireless dedication to music and ear for A&R led him to discover and sign groundbreaking new artists REZZ, ATTLAS, BlackGummy and several others. With Chris’ careful guidance, the Canadian producer REZZ is now one of the hottest acts in Electronic music and the label continues to grow on all fronts.

Chris joined Three Six Zero Group in 2011 after studying Music Technology in the UK. After two years in the company’s London headquarters, Chris moved to LA to work directly under Dean Wilson. In this position he also managed label projects for Chris Lake and Michael Woods.

Since moving to LA, Chris has project managed four deadmau5 albums, while (1<2) , 5 years of mau5, W:/2016ALBUM/ and stuff I used to do. while(1<2) yielded a Platinum status record in Canada for its second single “Seeya”, with over 80,000 records sold. In his time as mau5trap label manger, Chris has also seen deadmau5’s 2010 album 4×4=12 reach Gold status in the US and “Ghosts n’ Stuff” reach Platinum status worldwide. Chris has also overseen the release of over 500 tracks in his time as label manager.

Through his meticulous project management and A&R development Chris hopes to continue the steady growth of the mau5trap roster, as well as strengthen the mau5trap brand internationally. He sees the future of mau5trap as a timeless lifestyle brand that will curate the very best of electronic music for years to come.

Mich Mellard
Sync Sync, Founder, UK

Lauren Pavan
GRM Daily, Chief Operating Officer, UK

Hannan Malik
NOWHERENEAR, Founder, UK

Andreea Magdalina
Shesaid.so, Founder, USA

Andreea Magdalina is a connector. Currently based out of Los Angeles her work focuses on the interaction between music and technology. With a 5yr+ career as VP of Content at Mixcloud and as a founder of a small non-profit organization, her expertise lies primarily in digital marketing, social media and business development, in addition to music consulting.

In September 2014 Andreea founded a network for women with active roles in the music industry at www.shesaid.so. Featuring 1700+ members worldwide, the SSSO community meets monthly in London at Shoreditch House and in LA at Soho House as part of an event that includes panels, workshops, roundtable discussions and/or performances. shesaid.so partners with various conferences and festivals to curate and speak on panels aimed at promoting exceptional work by women in the music industry. Previous partnerships include Amsterdam Dance Event, M For Montreal, IMS, Further Future, SXSW, Bloc and more. On a global scale, the shesaid.so community is hosting quarterly events in various cities including New York, the Bay Area, Belgium, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona and Lisbon.

Andreea is a an experienced speaker on topics such as music partnerships, artist development, community building, digital marketing, and empowering women in the music industry.

Darren James -Thomas
FMLY Agency, Director, UK

Darren James-Thomas started the FMLY Agency in May 2015 following years of industry experience at record labels (EMI Records / Columbia Records), global promoters (Live Nation) and agencies (EMM). FMLY is a booking and talent buying agency that has worked in curating lineups for Festival No.6 (UK), RPMM (Porto), Electric Elephant (Croatia), Clockenflap (Hong Kong), EXIT (Serbia) and Oasis Festival (Morocco) and represent artists and labels around the world.

Inder Phull
KRPT, Founder/CEO, UK

Carl Loben
DJ Mag, Editor-in-Chief, UK

Carly-Wilford
SISTER Collective, DJ/Presenter & Creator, UK

Cherie Hu
Billboard/Forbes, Tech Columnist, USA

Chris Manning
The Orchard, Senior Director/International Operations, UK

Dan Tait
Pioneer DJ, Editor – DJsounds, UK

Danny Howard
BBC Radio 1 DJ, Nothing Else Matters , UK

Doumi Busturia
Woomoon/Storytellers, Founder, Spain

Fiona Measham
Durham University Professor of Criminology / The Loop Director, UK

Grego O’Halloran
Hï Ibiza/Ushuaïa Ibiza, Operations Manager, Spain

Jaguar Bingham
Mixmag TV, Presenter, UK

With a supercharged backlog of award-winning radio shows, electrifying mixes and the sharpest eye for cutting edge new music, Jaguar is one of the most exciting and promising new creatives to break out onto the UK scene. Whether it’s introducing esteemed DJ’s at Mixmag’s Lab LDN, hosting her bi-weekly slot on Reprezent Radio or tearing up clubs with her sets, everything she does is with an authentic energy and positivity like no other. This was instantly picked up by BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, who brought her on board as an intern and member of its highly-regarded Youth Council back in 2014, as well as making her the face of Radio 1’s ‘One Million Hours’ TV campaign.

It’s no secret that Jaguar has a knack for showcasing quality artists, and has brought through the likes of Mella Dee, Haai, Leftwing + Kody, and Star.One on her radio shows. In 2016 while fresh out of Leeds university, her talents were nationally recognised at the Student Radio Awards, when the legendary Steve Lamacq from 6 Music awarded her with Gold Best Specialist Music Programming and Silver Best Female, with eager promise.

Forever honing her skills as a media personality and selector, Jaguar is fast becoming a name that is frequently being placed alongside dance music big hitters such as Jasper James, Monki, My Nu Leng, Joris Voorn, Eli & Fur and more. When she’s not behind the decks for pioneering brands Smirnoff and Good Life, or bashing out ‘global rave material’ as part of Carly Wilford’s Sister crew, Jaguar lends herself to writing, reviewing and hosting for the Mixmag crew.

At just 22 years old, Jaguar is a rising star in the music and media spheres. She is spurred on by a genuine passion for life and a spark for adventure, leaving the future extremely bright for this young tastemaker.

Jenni Cochrane
AEI Group, Director of Culture & Partnerships, UK

Jon Rundell
Artist, UK

Kate Hutchinson
The Guardian, Journalist, UK

Kelly Money
Little Empire Music, Vice President, UK

Matthew Ligotti
VaynerTalent, Videographer, USA

Matthew Stuart
ATC Management, Artist Manager, UK

B Traits
(Artist, Canada)

Brianna Price aka B.Traits grew up in Nelson, British Columbia, a town where “half the people are hippies and half are rednecks.” Her path was set very early indeed. “Even at five, six years old, I was totally mesmerised by music channels and discovered electronic music, including British acts such as The Prodigy.” She soon found herself becoming a music selector and mixtape creator for friends and eventually DJing at local nights.

Bri moved to Vancouver to study music production and would persuade DJs touring North America to come and play in the city. Brit originator DJ SS returned the favour and invited her to play on the World Drum’n’Bass tour. Having never travelled outside Canada, Bri found herself on a whirlwind journey ending in with a permanent move to London, the birthplace of the music she grew up loving.

Bri kept DJing every weekend and working in the studio during the week and in 2007 whilst on tour with Shy FX she played him some of her early productions. Impressed with her skill as a producer and DJ he brought her into his record label, Digital Soundboy.

In 2012 she released the rave / bass hybrid track ‘Fever’ on Digital Soundboy, hit the UK Top 40 and had the track upstreamed to a major record label.

Meanwhile, she attracted the attention of Radio 1’s In New DJs We Trust. Within a year Bri became first choice when Radio 1 was seeking an official cover for Annie Mac.

In September 2014 Bri was honoured with her own show as part of the legendary BBC Radio 1 Friday night line-up, bridging the gap between Pete Tong and the Essential Mix from 1-4am. She loves using her show to champion new underground artists as well as introducing her younger audience to the most influential masters of the scene, both current and historic.

A skilled producer, club DJ and radio presenter, bridging underground music from techno to jungle to house. You should certainly expect the unexpected where B.Traits is concerned – but if there’s something you can predict, it’s that whatever comes next will be unique and it will be big.

Maximilien Jazani
MANSWELL LAW FIRM, LAWYER, FRANCE

Simon Hills
Axtone, Label & Artist Manager, UK

Stuart Knight
Toolroom, Managing Director, UK

Thomas St John
Thomas St John, Director, USA

Kurosh Nasseri
AFEM: Association for Electronic Music, Co-Chairman/Co-Founder, USA

Kurosh Nasseri is known for his work as a lawyer with exceptional experience in electronic dance music: over the years he has represented Afrojack, Armand van Helden, Basto, Carl Craig, Deep Dish, Dubfire, Duck Sauce, Felix Da Housecat, Paul van Dyk, Sharam, Showtek and many other artists. Corporate clients include club and festival promoters, booking agencies, independent record labels, independent and major publishers, brands, app developers, download sites and technology start-ups seeking advice on contracts, copyright, trademark and licensing issues. Kurosh served as Trustee for the Grammys and is co-founder and co-chair of the Association for Electronic Music (“AFEM”).

John Acquaviva
Plus Eight Equity Partners, Managing Partner, USA

John Acquaviva as a DJ/Producer and Entrepreneur has flourished in the heart of electronic music. His multi talented persona is Superman like; the quintessential businessman by day – running Plus8 Equity Partners and an iconic musician by night. John Acquaviva is the eye of the storm on an incredible hurricane. The techno icon’s strategic positioning along the electronic music spectrum as an inspired soul, rather than a hit maker, has made for one of the most exciting producers the community has ever experienced.

John Acquaviva was born in Orsara di Puglia, Italy and immigrated with his family to London, Ontario when he was just four years old. Fifteen years later, he was crowned #1 DJ by the best club in town – NOTORIETIES. A champion at song selection and beat matching, his innate talents assisted the then-burgeoning Acquaviva in cementing himself as a primary face of London and Southern Ontario’s music scene. Having him transcend from a “DJ’s DJ” to a techno stalwart in his own right. Acquaviva’s penchant for electronic music production has rewarded him a nearly four-decade-long career of excellence.

John Acquaviva is a man who knows what he wants and has become a master attaining it. He is a musical polestar, a global iconoclast to those who admire his drive and a dedicated top-tier headline entertainer to his fans. On a technological level no DJ has made such significant contributions to the advancement of how DJ’s perform than John Acquaviva. His personal masterful technique and firm grasp of the trade led to his fruitful involvement with Final Scratch and especially Beatport. A vital founder and active member of both companies – the former tool that allows manipulation and playback of digital audio sources and the latter a major online hub for electronic music – John’s role extends far beyond his taste making capabilities. He is a pioneer of electronic music’s technological evolution and helped sculpt the genre’s game-changing transition from analogue to digital and from vinyl to turntables and laptops.

Andrea Oliva
(Artist, Switzerland)

Having taught himself to DJ at the age of 16, Andrea started working in a record store where he built his extensive collection of upfront promos and white labels from Europe and beyond and he soon secured bookings at some of Switzerland’s best clubs leading to residencies at Terminus and Pravda. With his status in his home country growing, Andrea teamed up with the owner of Nordstern in Basel, Agi Isaku, and the duo was soon throwing sold out ‘Banditz’ parties across Switzerland. His reputation took him across the continent and all the way to Ibiza, wherein 2004 he was first invited to DJ at Space.

Andrea developed his production style under the likes of VIVa Music, Saved Records, Be As One and Cadenza, with two 2012 releases breaking into the Beatport top 10 downloads and leading to him becoming RA’ s most charted artist in February and March the following year.

After an incredible few years of production whilst gigging everywhere from Panorama Bar to Coachella, his reputation as a credible artist continued to grow further. His Beatport chart-topping remix of Luciano’s ‘Rise Of Angels’ made serious waves both on the Ibiza circuit as well as on an international level, and he had noticeable releases also on Moonharbour, Defected and Suara. In 2015, Andrea decided to take on producing his debut LP. ‘4313’. Released via Objektivity, the album illustrated both Andrea’s willingness and ability to explore conceptual themes within his own carefully constructed house and techno framework.

Throughout the past year Andrea has continued with an ever strong release schedule, with EP’s released on Hot Creations, Moon Harbour, Relief, Rejected, Kaluki, 7 Wallace and Circus. Other highlights from the past 12 months include debut Boiler Room, Mixmag Lab and DJ Mag sessions as well as starting 2018 for the 4th consecutive year running with his traditional set for Circo Loco at DC10 NYD in Ibiza. Needless to say, Andreá s dedication to the underground scene has garnered him widespread support, and his music is appreciated by a range of dance music luminaries. His incredible sustained work ethic and his love of the ever-evolving scene means there’s no sign of this upward trajectory slowing down any time soon.

Alexander Holland
(Deezer, Chief Content and Product Officer, France)

In May 2015 Alexander Holland joined Deezer as Chief Content and Product Officer.

Holland was most recently at Antenna Group, Greece’s largest media group, where he was Chief Operating Officer of Greece, responsible for all Greek activities. Whilst at Antenna he also held the position of Acting Managing Director of Antenna TV as well as CEO & President of Daphne

Publishing, and was responsible for 150m Euro P&L and 950 employees.

Prior to this, he held the position of Head of Content, Acquisition, Brand and Promotion at Viasat Broadcasting Ltd where he was responsible for content, branding and on-air promotion across all channels within the Viasat Group. He was also a Member of the Management Board of Media Times Group and was the Managing Director of Europe Movieco Ltd. and CEO of Pay TV Channels at Modern Times Group.

Holland earned his Masters Degree in Economics from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

BLOND:ISH
(Vivie-Ann Bakos) (Artist, Canada)

Christine Brown
(Help Musicians UK, Director of External Affairs & Business Development, UK)

Declan McGlynn
(Point Blank, Music Journalist, UK)

Declan McGlynn has spent the last 10 years as a music technology journalist, content creator and consultant. Alongside his work with Point Blank Music School, he has worked with DJ Mag, Resident Advisor, RBMA, Native Instruments, Clash, MusicTech Magazine, Urban Ears, Future Music and many, many more.

Honey Dijon
(Artist, USA)

Honey Dijon was born and raised in Chicago the home of house music but has been living in NYC for many years. Like many involved in the scene, her love affair with music began upon hearing her parent’s soul and r&b records at home. Soon she wanted to be the one dropping the needle on the record whenever they held parties in the family basement and the lure of club life soon followed. Before long she was obsessively collecting her own music from hallowed stores like Imports Etc and Gramaphone in Chicago, all the while honing her own personal style.

It was while hanging out in these stores where Honey met and formed a long-lasting friendship with Derrick Carter, who became a mentor. It was he who introduced her to the underground of Chicago where she was exposed to the sounds of jacking house and Detroit techno. After relocating to New York City, Honey also met another music giant Danny Tenaglia, whose legendary sets at Twilo were also a major source of inspiration. “Danny heavily influenced my sound as a DJ’, says Honey. “The drama of his delivery and risk-taking always informed me of how I wanted to present music. Of course, Derrick and Chicago house was also very influential in my development as an artist, so it’s this combination of Chicago and New York that has helped me develop my signature sound.”

Still preferring vinyl as a format, there is something hugely authentic about the way Honey mixes, fusing the bump of Chicago with more classic New York sounds and other European influences. Her sets are known for their strong programming, passion and integrity. The art of the mix itself is also very important to Honey as anyone who has witnessed her play can testify about her deft mixing skills and the way she dexterously flows between house or techno with a warm, hypnotic feel. She has played at many of the best venues around the world including esteemed underground haunts like Panorama Bar/Berlin, Sub Club/Glasgow, The Block/Tel Aviv, Output/NYC, Space/Ibiza and of course Smart Bar/Chicago.

In the studio, Honey brings her unique perspective and experience to her productions as well. Of course heritage sounds are at the rock bed of what she does, but far from churning out throwback sounds, she makes sure new ideas are at the forefront. For evidence of this look no further than her releases and remixes on Classic Records. In fact, this cultural star recently mixed a retrospective compilation of the legendary Classic Music label as well being commissioned to create the soundtrack for a recent Louis Vuitton Menswear shows.

With her charisma, style and broad understanding of electronic music and upcoming gigs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Amsterdam, Germany, Spain, and Paris to name a few there seems to be no stopping Miss Dijon.

Jay Jay Revlon (DJ, Host and Cultural Events Curator, UK)

Described by Time Out as “one to watch” DJand dancer Jay Jay Revlon was born and raised in London to parents of Jamaican descent. From the early age of 14, Jay Jay has used the craft of dance to express himself and has used his talents to lead other young people in weekly classes & workshops.

Jay Jay has become a major force in the London dance scene where he is credited with being instrumental to the rise of London’s voguing scene and has single-handedly created highly stylized, modern dance house the Kiki House of Tea and leading ballroom collective, English Breakfast London. Jay Jay has used his love of vogue to establish inclusive and diverse events including the massively popular Let’s Have a Kiki birthed at private member’s club The Curtain Hotel, Now been brought to his community in Peckham at The Prince of Peckham and workshops at The Tate Britain & Southbank Centre. Jay Jay has also used vogue as a form of social activism, this was seen last year where hundreds of Londoners saw him pay tribute to the victims of the Orlando shooting at a vigil on Old Compton Street.

A hugely in demand DJ his portfolio includes for Missguided x Pxssy Palace collaboration, Topshop Gay Pride 2017 in-store event and Popchips pop-up store event. Jay Jay’s talents behind the decks have taken his career nationwide and across Europe including Birmingham Pride, The Curtain, Pussy Palace, Belushi’s (Paris). His individual style, electrifying dance technique and unreal DJ sets have peaked the interest of journalists & writers who have featured him in Paper, The Fader, Evening Standard, Attitude and Dazed & Confused to name a few.

Jon Drape
(Broadwick Live, Group Production Director, UK)

Katy Ellis
(Anglo Management, Manager, UK)

Julien Lesaicherre
(Workplace by Facebook, Director EMEA, UK)

Martha Pazienti Caidan
(Resident Advisor, DJ/Radio Presenter/Producer, UK)

Marina Blake
(Brainchild Festival, Creative Director, UK)

Matt Abbott
(Label Worx/AFEM, CEO/Co-Founder and Exec Board, UK

Matt Smallwood
(Toolroom, Label Manager/Head of A&R, UK)

Matthew Adell
(Native Instruments, Chief Digital Officer, USA)

Matthew Adell has dedicated his career to connecting people with the music they love, beginning as a teenager working at a record store in suburban Chicago, to holding key positions at several influential music companies. As Chief Digital Officer of Native Instruments, Matthew now oversees the digital transformation of the music technology powerhouse to create seamless and accessible experiences for creators of all skills and styles. His first product at Native Instruments is Sounds.com, a subscription-based service for loops and samples, which launched in January 2018.

Prior to joining Native Instruments by way of acquisition of his startup MetaPop, Matthew was CEO of Beatport, where he oversaw the rapid growth of the company, and VP of Music Services at Napster, where he was charged with creative oversight of the company’s music programming and product initiatives. Other previous positions include VP of Music Services at MusicNow.com, as well as senior positions at Amazon and Motorola’s Radiowave.com. He also was VP of Wax Trax! Records, where he signed the KLF, KMFDM and others, and later founded Organico, his own house music label and the original home to Derrick Carter and Dubtribe Sound System.

Matthew has been quoted as an expert source for the digital music industry and DJ/dance community by such outlets as The New York Times, NPR, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Variety and others. He has also been a featured speaker at such conferences as SXSW, Amsterdam Dance Event, International Music Seminar, CMJ and Winter Music.

Nick DeCosemo
(Mixmag, Global Editorial Director, USA)

Rui Da Silva
(Artist, Portugal)

Rui Da Silva, one of Portugal’s greatest exports. DJ, producer and songwriter synonymous with pure electronic dance music.

Very few people manage to combine genuine underground respect with commercial success, but Portuguese born but long time London based Rui Da Silva has managed just that.
Famous for is legendary Underground Sound Of Lisbon from the late 90’s he was dubbed one of the best tribal/progressive-house producers in the world. Traveling the globe to destinations as far-flung as Dubai, Colombia, Albania, Russia, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Greece and the U.S., Da Silva has had the pleasure of spinning at nightclubs and festivals internationally, rocking the dancefloors in Space (Ibiza), Ushuaia (Ibiza), Ministry Of Sound (UK), Cream (Liverpool), Rock In Rio (Portugal), DC10 (Ibiza) and Exit Festival (Serbia), among others.

When in the studio he is churning out classics like “So Get Up”, “Touch Me”, “New Lover”, “Cascades Of Colour” and most recent “Calling You”. tunes that regularly jump to the front of record boxes of the cream of the world’s best DJs. His releases relentlessly championed by the top DJ’s from Carl Cox, John Digweed, Tiesto, Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong, Sasha, Danny Tenaglia, David Morales, Eric Morillo, Juan Atkins and many many others.

Nobody has described it better than Pete Tong when introducing Rui Da Silva on his Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 “One of the most acclaimed and strangely un-sung DJ producers in the world.

Pierce Warnecke
(Berklee College of Music, Assistant Professor, Spain)

Pierce Warnecke is sound and video artist from the US, based in Europe for over a decade. He works equally in the sonic and visual domains by creating performances, installations and compositions. His works have been commissioned by CTM Festival, Deutschlandradio Kultur, ORF Musikprotocoll and Mirage Festival. He has received supporting grants from Germany, the European Union and France (Arcadi, Dicream). After studying at Berklee College of Music, he obtained his Master’s at Universität der Kunst Berlin (Kunst und Medien). He is currently a full-time professor at Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain (Music Production, Technology and Innovation).

Recent projects include collaborations with Frank Bretschneider (visuals for his latest work “Sinn+Form” on raster-notion), Matthew Biederman (sound composition for the installation “Perspective”) and Yair Elazar Glotman (visuals for “The Mirror and the Mask”). He has presented his works in many international festivals and spaces, such as MUTEK, Sonic Act (Muziek Gebouw), KW Institut, CTM (HAU2), Elektra, NEMO, Zero1 Biennale, Transmediale, Bozart/BEAF, Semibreve, MadeiraDig, Ososphere, Mirage, LAB30, Jazz à Vienne, Boston Cyberarts, SXSW Interactive and more. He releases music on Portals Editions and Room40 and tracks to be released on raster-noton end of 2017. He is represented by CTM’s DISK agency for booking and Crossed Lab for Production in France.

Todd Terry
(Artist, USA)

Vicenc Marti
(elrow, President and Board Member, Spain)