"L.A.'s Crystal Method have been referred to as America's answer to the Chemical Brothers. A dance-based electronic duo with a definite rock band feel, the comparison would seem appropriate, although it tends to erase what makes the group distinct: a solid base in American hip-hop, rock, soul, and pop. Formed in 1993 by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, Crystal Method is the most recent stop in a string of projects that led them from their native Las Vegas (and some forgettable four-track stabs at vocal house music), to the early-'90s L.A. rave scene. Drawn in by its youthful idealism, Jordan and Kirkland became absorbed by L.A.'s underground club culture and began knocking out tracks inspired by their experiences. On the strength of one of their demos, Crystal Method signed to Steve Melrose and Justin King's City of Angels imprint in 1994, and their debut single, "Keep Hope Alive," appeared soon after. The title was in reference to L.A.'s waning rave scene (burdened by constant police pressure and a string of random violent incidents) and became something of an anthem due to the endless barrage of remixes and alternate versions that appeared. The pair's demand to be taken seriously as a band (as opposed to the enforced anonymity of most techno acts, and something of a new concept for American dance producers) extended to incessant live performances, and Crystal Method's increasing popularity both in the clubs and among radio jocks led to a deal with Geffen affiliate Outpost Recordings in 1996. The group's debut LP, Vegas -- an unabashed party record bathed in acid, funk, rock, and big beat hip-hop -- appeared in mid-1997 and sold very well. The follow-up Tweekend was released four years later, and the duo inaugurated a series of mix albums (Community Service) in 2002. Third album Legion of Boom followed in 2004 with their soundtrack to the film London landing a year later. In 2006 they teamed with iTunes for an exclusive release titled Drive. The mix was made to accompany any aspiring athlete's workout session and was re-released on CD in 2008 with four bonus tracks." ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide

MySpace.com/TheCrystalMethod

With his third long-playing album Pop Life, the return of the legendary ’Fuck Me I’m Famous’ parties in Ibiza and massive bookings all over Europe and the US, the superstar DJ is taking things to the next level. A household name in his native France, the multi-million selling producer, recording artist and promoter has found the rest of the world is rapidly catching up.

"I just came back from Coachella," he says, of LA’s revered rock festival. "It was huge! I saw an article in [America’s biggest national paper] USA Today that said the highlights of the festival were Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Arctic Monkeys, Rage Against The Machine...; and David Guetta. That’s crazy! I was really impressed."

Yet perhaps the only crazy thing is: what took them so long? David has been DJing since the age of 17, when he first spun tunes at the Broad club in Paris. Throughout the early Nineties, he continued to wow crowds playing an eclectic party set of house, hip-hop and garage at Parisian venues as diverse as Le Centrale, Le Boy and notorious former cabaret spot Folies Pigalle. Many people would be more than content with this. But it remained important to David to take his music to as wide – and diverse – an audience as possible.

"For me, it is all about sharing my passion with people," he says. "That is why I am a DJ. A lot of producers, they don’t think it’s cool to play for people. But even in the studio I love to play for my friends. When I DJ, I play for the party – because I love to share my music."

At first, taking his music to the rest of the world proved to be an eye-opener. "I went from a business class ticket to easyJet," he laughs. "Which is totally fine with me. It was really funny more than anything." Hitting Ibiza, the English and US holidaymakers were initially not too sure what to make of David and his team handing out flyers full of exotic-sounding French names.

"People would laugh at us," he remembers. "Especially the British people." They weren’t laughing for long. As Daft Punk, Cassius and the rest of the French dance scene exploded, David’s Ibizan ’Fuck Me I’m Famous’ nights became the Number One destination, thanks to an ethos that harked back to the original spirit of clubbing.

"The idea is to have people who don’t normally mix," says David, of the hugely successful nights he runs with his wife Cathy. "Clubbing had become like ghettos again, when it comes to my own night I try to do something different. At my night the social barriers come down – there are not many places where you can find a superstar next to a billionaire, a model dancing next to a student."

What started as an ironic name – David wasn’t well-known at all outside France – ’Fuck Me I’m Famous’ soon proved apt, with everyone from Kate Moss to Penelope Cruz to P Diddy joining the fortnightly pilgrimage, fired up by David’s skills as an irresistible party DJ. "My wife brings the glamorous people," he admits, "and I bring the crazies."

By now David had become one of the most in-demand DJs in the world, headlining nights in America, Australia, Japan, South America and beyond. Meanwhile, David’s career as a recording artist was blasting off into the stratosphere. His first two albums Just A Little More Love (2002) and Guetta Blaster (2004) had already reached 2 x gold in Europe, while the Wally Lopez mix of ’Just A Little More Love’ became David’s first UK hit in 2003, and remains a deathless Ibiza anthem to this day. In 2005 he was nominated for a Grammy for his remix of Deep Dish’s ’Flashdance’ and earned that rarest of seals of approval – the invitation to remix David Bowie, in the shape of his peerless "’Heroes’" track. He was named DJ Of The Year at London’s House Music Awards. Then, in 2006, David Guetta vs The Egg’s mash-up ’Love Don’t Let Me Go (Walking Away)’ was a Top 10 smash around the world. In the UK it held the Top 20 for over two months! Meanwhile, three Fuck Me I’m Famous triple gold-selling mix CDs, together with a record label of the same name, plus roadblock nights at the Miami Winter Music Conference, soon ensured FMIF was one of clubland’s most revered brands. The Guetta Sound was truly becoming a global phenomenon. "I am like a tightrope walker," David admits. "It is difficult, but my goal is that the super-cool DJs of the world play me, but I’m being played on the radio, too. That’s very hard."

But David is about to show that gift is no fluke. The 14 tracks on new album Pop Life prove we’re dealing with the rarest of talents – someone who can move hearts and minds on the dancefloor and the Top 40. "It’s a balancing trick," he says. "When you make a track for the club, it is the repetitiveness that makes it work best; so it becomes hypnotic, like a trance. But when you listen at home, you look for music with a lot of changes – because that is what gives it emotion. And I love emotion. So I have to have both."

Hitting the ground running with two huge tracks, ’Love Is Gone’ (classic Guetta, featuring Chris ’Just A Little More Love’ Willis on vocals) and ’Baby When The Light’ ("The total opposite of what I usually do...; a very feminine kind of fragility"), Pop Life features co-writes for the first time – with Cathy ’Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ Dennis and Karen Poole (Jamelia/Girls Aloud/Lily Allen), to name two – and it’s David best album to date, destined to be the soundtrack to this summer and beyond. It’s also suitably-named, from the one DJ who knows pop isn’t a dirty word; whose club nights are open to one and all.

"Yeah, some DJs say pop is a dirty word, but I’m trying to be different!" he says. "Of course dance music is pop music! I’m always faithful to my community, but this album also has big, quality pop melodies. It’s the best album I’ve produced. I’m really happy and proud of it."

www.MySpace.com/DavidGuetta

Rare breeds like Fedde Le Grand are few and far between, and so when someone like this comes along it’s right that the world sits up and listens. He’s a Dutchman blessed with such talent that keeping up to speed with what he does is a task in itself.

It could be said Fedde came out of nowhere, riding off the success of a hit record. Well, to set the record straight; this couldn’t be further from the truth. Le Grand has spent the majority of his earlier youth grafting, spinning records in his Native country and cutting tracks until the inevitable happened. Put your hands up for Detroit was produced in the bedroom, released by one of the biggest labels in dance, and it enabled Fedde to step out into the world of Electronic Dance.

His abilities in the studio are endless. Together with his good friend and production partner Funkerman, they’ve churned out some immaculate material that has slotted into an absolute cross section of fellow DJS. The Flamingo Recordings imprint now stands as one of the most forward-thinking and exciting labels in EDM, with top flight acts eagerly hanging on for news of new releases and remix work.

Fedde’s production talents have been called upon by the great and the good over the past few years. 2008 sees him work with two major music acts, Grammy Award-winning Black Eyed Peas front man Will.i.am, and Madonna – the name says it all. Famed for picking up the hottest talent, Madonna mixed Put your hands up for Detroit with Music for her recent promotional tour, to rapturous response, but the queen of pop didn’t stop there. Next came an invitation for Fedde to remix Give it 2 Me, the second single from the album Hard Candy. Fedde now joins a select group of producers to work with the Queen of Pop, including Mirwais, William Orbit and Stuart Price aka Jacques Lu Cont. The ultimate seal of approval if ever one were needed and straight from the queen of pop!

Add to all the above Fedde’s rammed DJ diary, including his residency at world-famous Pacha Ibiza, countless festivals and headline gigs around the world, and it’s clear that this is man who has conquered his game, plans to stay there for a long time to come. With his debut artist album Output released in the second half of 2008, he is set to storm the international music charts and cement his position as a household name. His passion for music is evident; the quality of his sound is undisputed. Fedde Le Grand might just be looking for a name change; perhaps Fedde Le Tres Grand is on the horizon?

FEDDE FACTS

Put Your Hands Up For Detroit

No:1 in UK, Spain, Russia. Finland & Bulgaria

Ibiza Summer Anthem – M8 Magazine

Best Underground House Track, IDMA 2007

Best Breaks/Electro Track, IDMA 2007

Club Banger Of The Year, 6th Annual Club Awards, Miami 2008

Best Breakthrough Solo Artist, IDMA 2007

Remixes:

Madonna, Robbie Williams, Mr. V, Will.i.am, Martin Solveig and Sharam

MySpace.com/DJFeddeLeGrande

Lee Burridge on...Lee Burridge...

"I was born in November 1968. Nothing much happened until I became a DJ on December 26th 1985 when I started a mobile disco for weddings, birthday parties and the like.

I played lots of pop music then including Depeche Mode, Spagna and The Pet Shop Boys until discovering house music in the late 80's.

I went to a lot of parties in fields and clubs and fell in love with dance music (and a voodoo woman named Phyllis).

I moved from the UK to Hong Kong in 1991 (which isn't in Japan, as lots of journalists seem to think).

I helped build up a crazy underground scene in HK between 1991-97 as no one was playing dance music there.

I also spent a lot of time from 1992 onwards playing at the full moon parties in Thailand as no one was playing records there either.

I moved back to the UK in 1997 and teamed up with Craig Richards and Sasha to play at the Tyrant parties in London and Nottingham.

I slept on a trolley in Craig's studio for a while but eventually got a real bed.

I released two super Tyrant mix CDs with Craig.

I have also released four other mix CDs including two for Global Underground.

I play many, many crazy clubs all over the world each year and usually end up DJing in someone's living room or garden (weather permitting).

I play at festivals such as Coachella, Love Parade, Exit, Creamfields, Notting Hill Carnival and enjoy camping.

I often get asked by journalists to describe what type of music I play.

I don't know is the answer.

I launched my 365 project in June 2005. It's been really fun and unbelievably interesting.

I mostly play records but sometimes play CDs.

I don't take my computer clubbing.

I like making records with silly titles.

I don't ever seem to get round to releasing them though.

I started a record label called Almost Anonymous.

I guess I'll release those records with silly titles now.

I can't play the piano.

I can play the triangle.

I have been in the DJ mag poll at number 10, 27, 31, 56, 76 and 88 but still feel exactly the same.

I have lied once (or was it twice?) in this biography.

I love you."

Lee Burridge owns...be at this show. You won't regret it.

True pioneers of a sound that broke all the rules back in 1998, Stanton Warriors took garage and twisted it beyond all recognition, dropping speaker shattering bass lines and massive beats...all to devastating effect.

Stanton Warriors had arrived.

In 2001, Stanton Warriors laid down a fresh new sound with the seminal ’Stanton Sessions’ that was instantly signed to XL Recordings. The mix saw off competition from Fat Boy Slim and Deep Dish to win Best Album at the Dance Star Awards, and again at the Muzik Mag Awards where they beat Dave Clarke and Danny Tenaglia, whilst the mix recently featured in Mixmags top 50 best compilations ever industry poll. ’Stanton Sessions’ went on to become the biggest selling breaks album of all time – a feat as yet unsurpassed.

Overnight, Stanton Warriors became the hottest producers on the planet, and today they continue to stay at the very pinnacle of their profession. High profile remixes for such luminaries as Missy Elliot, Fat Boy Slim, Basement Jaxx, Mylo, Freeform Five, and Busta Rhymes amongst others constantly fill their diary, whilst their own original material continues to push the boundaries of musical excellence.

They are also incomparable when it comes to working with vocalists. In a scene renowned for instrumentals, Stanton Warriors have jetted around the world to record with vocal talents that include Big Daddy Kane, Twista and The Beatnuts, implementing house, electro, hip-hop and funk elements into their sound.

In 2006 Stanton Warriors signed their debut album ’Lost Files’ to V2, becoming one of the first breaks act to sign to a major. Released to massive critical acclaim, ’Lost Files’ received support from a variety of djs across a variety of different scenes, with major support from MTV and Pete Tong on Radio 1. The album was also play listed to Radio 1 & XFM daytime shows plus countless other stations around the world.

’Stanton Sessions 2’ was released at the same time and was immediately voted ’Album Of The Year’ on Annie Nightingale’s BBC Radio 1 Show., And this is not forgetting the request to mix Fabric’s milestone 30th compilation. Which was voted ’Timeout Compilation Of The Year’ and ’Breakspoll Compilation Of The Year’ respectively, with the mix ultimately became one of the fastest selling in the series.

Last year Skint Records brought together Dom and Mark’s killer versions of Gorillaz’ ’Feel Good Inc’, Alter Ego’s legendary ’Rocker’ and Azzido Da Bass’s ’Dooms Night’ amongst a great deal more on ’Remixes’. The compilation perfectly showcased the Stantons sound and made it clear why DJ Mag included them in their recent list of the ’50 Best Remixers Of All Time’.

Their most recent accolades include their placing as Number 1 djs at Breakspoll and Number 1 breaks djs in DJ Magazines Top 100 for the past two years in a list awash with trance and house djs. The awards are testament to having played at every major festival and super club around the world – treading an international path that few djs can rival.

Stanton dj sets are famed for incorporating exclusive original tracks mixed with homemade edits / remixes of cutting edge sounds from underground house through to abstract hip hop and everything in between. It’s all blended into a melting pot of low down booty electro punkishness, and is continually reminding the world why Stanton Warriors have remained unrivalled in their genre for more than a decade.

www.MySpace.com/StantonWarriors

The Ninja Monkey Conspiracy (Minneapolis, MN — Progressive House & Breaks)

The Ninja Monkey Conspiracy is a band of malicious hairless great apes who think it's funny to call themselves monkeys even though they don't have prehensile tails like their smaller and less clever cousins.

This troupe of silly simians is comprised of three individual apes who represent the pinical of the Minneapolis monkey music community. A chimpanzee (dj Johnny Plastik) who generally can't keep his hands off the shot glasses in a club or bar, a red headed orangutan (CK Decksterhaven) who is just as likely to be found sticking his finger in a bottle of Grey Goose as he is to be seen sticking his finger in his ear, and a curiously slender gorilla (dj Jeff Hunter) who is most often seen in his natual habitat breaking empty gin bottles over his head.

Together these fine and upstanding members of simianity will bring you the best in progressive house, trance, and breaks!

For more on this ensemble of anthropoid artists, check out the websites below!

KindBeats.com

MySpace.com/KindBeatss

JeffHunter.ws

MySpace.com/djJeffHunter

"MSTRKRFT (read as "Master-kraft") is an electronic music group from Toronto (East York), Ontario, Canada who are signed to Last Gang Records. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler formerly of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P (Alex Puodziukas) formerly of the Mississauga electropop group Girlsareshort. Al-P was also the producer for Death from Above 1979's album "You're a Woman, I'm a Machine" as well as several of (Jesse's former band) Black Cat #13's records. MSTRKRFT also produced Die Mannequin's first EP, "How to Kill", and Magneta Lane's second LP, "Dancing With Daggers".

Their first single was "Easy Love", released in 2006. They released their second single, "Work On You", on July 6th. In contrast to the "Easy Love" music video, "Work On You" featured animated robots similar to those found in classic cartoons (see: Voltron, Transformers ). Although "The Looks" is MSTRKRFT's first album featuring original content, the band has created remixes from a variety of other artists ranging from Buck 65 to The Kills to Jesse F. Keeler's own band, Death from Above 1979.

MSTRKRFT released their first LP, The Looks, on July 18th, 2006 in the United States and February 2nd, 2007 in Britain. Keeler and Al-P told Eye Weekly weeks before the release of "The Looks", that as the album was being finished, the planning stages for a follow-up record had already begun. Describing the upcoming album's new direction, Al-P said that the album would be "darker, underground disco and house with elements of American rock music."

The "2007" version of their song "Street Justice" was also released as a single. On the band's website message board, Keeler mentioned they were also working on a compilation album comprised of their remixed tracks.

Their song "Paris" was featured in a 2006 commercial for the online music store URGE. In 2007 MSTRKRFT appeared at the WEMF World Electronic Music Festival one of the genre's most prestigious events.

Rock 'v' Dance. In September 2007 MSTRKRFT performed at an Australian spring music festival "Parklife" in Brisbane. They performed their remix of the song "Woman" from Modular label mates Wolfmother. Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother stormed the stage and sang live while MSTRKRFT performed the remix.

In 2008 through Obeygiant.com released a mix cd with Z-Trip. In conjunction with this CD, Obey offered the art work print. It's called Soundclash of the Titans.

On May 24th, 2008 MSTRKRFT were featured on the famous BBC Radio 1 show, The Essential Mix.

On June 13th 2008, MSTRKRFT performed at the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which included a diverse group of artists ranging from Metallica to Jack Johnson.

Their remix of Justice's D.A.N.C.E. was featured in the feature film, "Meet the Spartans". " - wikipedia.com

MSTRKRFT have been to the twin cities once before on their tour with the legendary John Digweed. Unfortunately they were never able to take the stage when the Diamonds tour stopped at Myth in Maplewood because they got stuck in the elevator of their hotel for several hours. They made it to the event too late to perform but when they made an appearance on stage their fans let them know that they were missed. Cheers rang through out the venue and they're expecting those cheers to sound once again when they finally make their debut performance in Minneapolis at the legendary First Avenue nightclub.

This is going to be one hot party. Be there!

www.MySpace.com/MSTRKRFT

Felix Cartal (Vancouver, British Columbia — Electro House)

Felix Cartal is an up and coming talent in the house music scene who hails from Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition to being a quality dj, he released a number of singles last year including the tunes "Drugs", "Parisienne", and "Montreal Dreams". He's also an accomplished remixer having done those duties on tracks by Dragonette, MSTRKRFT, Ashley Simpson, Britney Spears, Hostage, and Moving Units.

Be on the look out for new productions by this underground talent as Felix prepares his first EP that is set to drop soon!

Congorock (Milan, Italy — Hard House)

Congorock is one of Europe’s hottest upcoming DJs of electro style house music. Congorock comes to you from Milan, Italy and initially gained notoriety with the brilliant bassbin grinder "Bluto Fucks Popeye," a track he collaborated on with fellow countrymen, Bloody Beatroots. Since then there’s a good chance you might have also heard Congorocks’s whirring low end club destroyer "Exodus."

Make sure that you arrive early to First Avenue on this night so that you can catch all of this artists performance, you won't be disappointed!

www.MySpace.com/Congorock

Aged just 31, Armin Van Buuren has been named number one in the prestigious DJ Top 100 poll – voted for by over 350,000 people across the world, and an indication of his prolific output over the 10 years he’s been DJing and producing. Being the official World’s Best DJ is just one of his many achievements, but the driving force behind his success is an overriding passion for dance music.

Even a basic list of recent successes reads like a lifetime of work: ’Best Album’ for artist album "Shivers" at both the Dutch Release Dance Awards and the prestigious Edison Awards; ’Best Compilation’ for "A State Of Trance", and ’Best Mix Radio Dutch Show’ at the Miami Winter Music Conference 2006 for radio show ’A State Of Trance’ – now broadcasting on a massive 40 FM stations as well as satellite and internet radio, with over 6 million listeners a week; a 5th year residency in Ibiza at Amnesia; sell-out shows for Armin Only (12,500 people saw the nine-and-a-half hour Rotterdam live set and show and a world tour is planned); over 50,000 downloads every week from podcasting high end chart-bothering positions all over the world for singles, albums and compilations, with single "Rush Hour" used as the theme tune to the UEFA European Youth Championship; a second DVD, ’Armin Only ’Ahoy 2006’ – the landmarks just keep coming!

Born in Leiden, Holland (on December 25, 1976) to a musical family, Armin indulged his passion for music from a young age. He spent all the money he earned with his paper round on records. His mum won a computer when he was 10, "So as a little nerdy kid I was writing my own basic programmes, and learnt about the technology from there." He progressed from making low-profile mix tapes for friends to higher profile mixes when he discovered experimenting with different sequences on his computer through his uncle. "I was so stunned by what I saw him doing on the computer, that I got addicted to creating music right there and then!"

"I loved dance music immediately – this great rebellious sound that was so different to the ’beautiful’ songs of the years before". Armin cites electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre as a major influence (famed for his awesome visuals as well as his groundbreaking synth sounds), as well as Dutch producer Ben Liebrand, who later mentored him in his mixing and producing.

In the early days, Armin thought it was wise to have something extra in case the DJ’ing didn’t work out. So he studied for a law degree. The final year of his course was inevitably stretched as he juggled his studies with his increasingly hectic schedule; his rise to fame included lots of productions and remixes, as well as playing out to packed clubs every weekend. It took him three years to graduate, but his determination made him succeed!

Armin’s own productions have all made a huge impact with his last 12 singles hitting the Top 40 in Holland, and gaining worldwide acclaim. His back catalogue includes Blue Fear, Communication, Sound of Goodbye, Shivers, Rush Hour, Burned With Desire, Exhale, Love You More, This World Is Watching Me, and Yet Another Day. While the remix offers flood in, Armin only takes on tracks that he really loves. He uses exactly the same criteria for his compilations, meaning that every release from Armin or his long-running Armind label is a bone fide stormer that’s earned its place. His output includes tracks for the cult TV series 24, and the likes of Motorcycle’s When The Rush Comes.

Armin is a dedicated trance lover, but isn’t imprisoned by a single genre, saying "What makes trance work so well is that it doesn’t stick to one style, and can incorporate electro, minimal, whatever it likes." His desire to showcase more of the great music he hears, along with the number of people sending him tracks they wanted to release, led to the obvious step of starting his own label, Armada, in 2003.

The label is a joint venture between Armin, Maykel Piron (former head of A&R for Warner Music) and David Lewis, who'd previously managed Armin. "What we wanted was a company that could offer everything for an artist: representation, a booking agency, and a record company. Artists can choose full management, or to just release a record or play out at gigs. Armada lets the artists choose what they want without telling them what to do".

Armin is now a fully-fledged artist in his own right, having made his songwriting debut on his last album, the award-winning Shivers; and artist album three is in the pipeline...; The events continue to get bigger and bigger, and Armin regularly headlines the likes of Sensation White, Global Gathering, Dance Valley, ZoukOut, Mysteryland, Coachella, Beats In Brazil, Trance Energy, Fort Dance, Summer Days, Dance Valley – basically whether you’re in Australia, Russia, the Middle East, the US or Europe, you can catch Armin van Buuren at a club or festival near you!

"This is just what I really want," says Armin. "It’s not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby, it’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my life"

www.MySpace.com/ArminVanBuuren

Blake Jarrell (Chicago, IL — Progressive House)

Aged just 23, Blake Jarrell has had a rollercoaster of a ride to date. Tipped by John Digweed as "definitely someone to look out for in the future," Blake carved himself a niche in the underground dance music scene in his hometown of New Orleans. At 16, he started to DJ and became a resident at local clubs like Ampersand, 735, and the House of Blues where he crafted his progressive house sound. Not satisfied with only DJing, Blake soon began to produce, releasing singles and remixes on various progressive labels co-produced with the late Adam "Starkid" Spears.

But in August 2005, disaster struck – Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans, turning Blake’s life upside down. Packing his car with whatever he could, Blake wound up in Chicago where he fell in love with the booming house, techno and trance scene, which further helped shape his sound. It also brought a chance meeting with Armin van Buuren, who Blake passed along a CD of his productions. "It’s bittersweet that I had to lose my hometown to Hurricane Katrina to find such a musically nurturing city as Chicago," says Blake who claims the storm as "simultaneously the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me."

Armin soon contacted Blake and invited him on tour as an opener. Now, following a slew of successful gigs, production work, and remixes (winning him fans in the form of Tiesto, Pete Tong, and Gabriel & Dresden among others) Blake has compiled this debut mix CD for Armada. "It’s a CD that you can listen to in the car or at home – it’s laid back enough to relax on the couch with but still has its pumping moments to listen to on the way out to the club," says Blake. "It comprises of tracks of producers I’ve loved and labels I’ve been into over the past year shaped into 2 CDs that both progress and intensify in their own unique way."

As well as Blake’s worldwide DJing schedule, you can also catch a slew of his new productionwork out this year on Armada. But for now, kick back with what Blake feels is his own "personal time capsule of the sound I’m into at the moment and programming that is an allegorical snapshot of how my personal and professional life has grown over the pastfew years."

www.MySpace.com/BlakeJarrell

Grammy nominated artist and globally acclaimed DJ and Producer Paul van Dyk continues to dominate the electronic music charts and appears at the pinnacle of every Top DJ list across the globe. PvD, as his fans have nicknamed him, is currently ranked the World’s No. 1 DJ by DJ Magazine’s "Top 100 DJs poll" for the second consecutive year. His new original album In Between will be in stores August 2007 and features collaborations with David Byrne and Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls.

PvD is renowned as one of the hardest working artists, with sold-out tours that cross each continent, headline spots at every major festival, and a hugely successful recording career. With over 3 million albums sold worldwide, van Dyk travels around the world over 16 times each year to sold out performances internationally. 2007 alone has brought us PvD remixes of Depeche Mode’s "Martyr" and Justin Timberlake’s "What Goes Around."

PvD received a Grammy nomination in 2005 for Best Dance/Electronic Album for his original album Reflections – this marked the first time NARAS recognized this category. His original productions from Reflections have been synced into major motion pictures such as Into the Blue, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, television’s Entertainment Tonight and MTV’s Cribs, and international ad campaigns for Motorola, HBO, Land Rover, Ski Vail and most recently for Jeep. This year he won the International Dance Music Award (IDMA) for Best Euro DJ.

Previously, PvD won four IDMAs in 2006: Best Global DJ, Best NuNRG/Euro Track, Best Producer and Best Mix Compilation for The Politics of Dancing 2. In addition, PvD was voted "America’s Favorite DJ" for 2004 and 2005 by BPM Magazine and was the big winner at the 2004 Dancestar Awards, taking home 3 awards: Best International DJ, Best Event and Best Music in a Commercial (Motorola). He also won the Mexican Oscar for his soundtrack in the film Zurdo in March 2004. Paul van Dyk was voted "Best Music Maker" by DJ Magazine, received the "Best International DJ Award" at the 1999 Music Awards in London, was named "Best International DJ" by Ministry of Sound Magazine, and Mixmag elected him as "Man of the Year".

Aside from his musical activity, Paul van Dyk has always dedicated a significant part of his life to politics and social justice: from his youth, when he fled over the Berlin Wall to the West, to his children’s charity in India’s Mumbai, and his partnership scheme with the German Red Cross to help poor children in Berlin. In 2004, PvD was the only electronic artist involved in a nationwide tour with the Rock The Vote campaign, where he joined the likes of Bono, P Diddy, the Black Eyed Peas and George Clinton in campaigning for America’s youth to sign up to vote in the presidential election. He most recently received Berlin’s Medal of Honor (Landesverdienstorden) in recognition of his work with Ruckenwind, a charity organization he founded dedicated to helping poor children in Berlin. He joins a distinguished list of arts and political establishment figures with this honor.

Born in Eisenhuettenstadt, East Germany, Paul van Dyk grew up in communist East Berlin. Because his community did not have a true club culture, Paul van Dyk listened to the radio where he discovered his passion for music that extended beyond Techno music – he wanted to create a different, more unique sound. In the early 1990’s Paul van Dyk was spinning regularly at various clubs in Berlin before releasing his first album 45 RPM in 1994. But it wasn’t until the release of his second album Seven Ways which catapulted him into the Top 100, followed by the release of his hit single "For An Angel," which began to earn him praise across the globe. By the time Paul van Dyk released Out There & Back in 2000, it became clear that the Berlin-based musician had far more to offer than his signature club sets and remixes that had already defined him as one of the most influential DJs and producers of all time. His first compilation mix CD Politics of Dancing was released in 2001, followed by Global in 2003 – a DVD which illustrates his own experiences traveling the world.

Paul van Dyk created a revolutionary and visionary concept to offer internet users legal electronic music downloads called VONYC.com – a combination of radio and a music download shop overseen by specialists focused on the electronic dance scene.

Paul van Dyk’s touring diary remains incredibly hectic with regular globetrotting stops at major venues across the globe from New York, London, Ibiza to India, China and Singapore. In the little time remaining between all the travel, Paul van Dyk resides in Berlin where he has his own radio show "Paul van Dyk’s VONYC Sessions" which airs weekly on Area 33 on Sirius Radio on Thursday nights at 6PM ET (and rebroadcasts Saturdays at 8PM ET and Tuesdays at Midnight ET) and Soundgarden which airs every Wednesday 2pm – 4pm (EST) on Fritz radio and over the internet (www.fritz.de).

"LA Riots are in the business of crafting straight-up, hot-as-shit club bangers and they're not messing around. In only a few months since their inception the Los Angeles duo has made a name for themselves cranking out one quality track and remix after another and blowing up some of the hottest parties and venues in Southern California. Now, with remixes of Ocelot, The Scanners, and Le Castle Vania tearing across the blogosphere they're poised to take the party to the masses. Keep your eyes and ears open boys and girls, this is going to be big." -Urb Magazine

"From flooding the Blogosphere to infiltrating LA’s hottest parties, LA Riots has taken all dance-hearty ears hostage. After just a few months, this power duo, Daniel Ledisko and Jo’B, have delivered thundering remixes that make the lo-tech kids cry with envy. With a knack for picking winning tracks to mash, their latest Justice remix (featuring Uffie), ’The Party’ kills on the dance floor. And what God-fearing hipster could forget the remix of The Scanners’ ’Low Life’? Next on the chopping block—The Cure’s ’Just Like Heaven’ and Chromeo’s ’Bonafied Lovin’. Now you know those ears are safe with these dudes." -SwerveFest

"They are the best DJ's in L.A. and whenever we play with them, we know we really have to bring our best.. and not many DJ's make me nervous!" -JFK of MSTRKRFT

"Tattoo Rock Parlour launch Clash, their new electro and indie dance night, with appearances by hotly tipped California remix artists LA Riots and the Baltimore club sounds of Aaron LaCrate. LA Riots are on the verge of blowing up, so catch them now before they end up headlining the mega-clubs." -Toronto Now

LA Riots have been making an impact on the electronic music scene with DJ gigs and dancefloor-ready remixes for the Scanners, Le Castlevania, Mystery Jets, Chromeo, Jupiter One, The Bravery, Photek and Justice. The duo recently signed on with MSTRKRFT's management and got a record deal with Fools Gold, the label co-owned by A-Trak, Kanye West's longtime DJ.

Making their first ever appearance in Minneapolis, this is an event that you shouldn't miss! It's going to be a friday night of insane party banging house music!

Drumcode, Enemy Records

Named in DJ Mag as the "breakthrough DJ of 2008" by Adam Beyer, Kyle's explosive decks and effects DJ sets bridge the divide between techno and minimal. Originally inspired by the harder, percussive stylings of the late 90's Swedish techno sound featured on seminal labels like Drumcode and Code Red, Kyle has witnessed the evolution of the genre as it morphed into a slower, groove based sound. Still loving the energy and power of the earlier phases of techno while embracing the genre's changes, Kyle has refined his productions into what very well may be a new breed of techno that pushes things forward for the next generation of techno to come.

The Indiana-based producer has now come full circle. With his initial projects completed and urged on by long time friends and minimal techno veterans JPLS and Skoozbot, a demo made it to Drumcode label manager Adam Beyer who was on the hunt for what he describes as a "modern techno sound". Beyer immediately put Kyle's tracks to the test at the 2007 Winter Music Conference and invited him onboard as a Drumcode artist. The future is proving to be a very promising place for Kyle Geiger as he is set to drop two highly anticipated releases on Drumcode and take his widely recognized DJ set around the world and to the next level.

Acid Circus (Los Angeles, California — Techno)

In an industry where dj's dominate the action with pressed wax, a live P.A can be the ultimate trip in pure crowd reaction and feedback. The ability to drop samples and percussion in and out of a mix piece by piece, experimenting with the sounds in real-time is a tweakers dream.

Back in '99, tired of dealing with weak music at even weaker parties, the members of acid circus started producing their own brand of techno. Always leaning towards a harder, funkier, dirtier sound, they do whatever it takes to keep the floor moving. Their intense live sets have earned them places alongside some of the international talent to grace LA's underground scene in the past 2 years, such as fanon flowers, pacou, angela flame, dj bone, and juan atkins.

Operating mostly on laptops, acid circus smashes the myth that laptop techno is only for computer geeks who glitch out in front of their monitors. After 3 years of hard gigging they have come up with their first release on Gunjak's (sheep, Tokyo) new label, Deafmosaic. They are constantly working on different projects, but keep an eye out for their second release on up and coming label droid recordings, which promises to slam back after a long awaited return. Acid Circus is v & v vargas.

Drumcell (Los Angeles, California — Techno)

Droid Recordings

Founder of Droid Recordings and co-founder of Droid Behavior, Drumcell has been one of techno's greatest allies in Southern California in recent times.

Over the last 5 years Drumcell has rocked parties from big to small on a weekly basis in LA as well as gigs all over the U.S alongside such names as Kenny Larkin, john Tejada, Tim Xavier, Dan Bell, Ben Sims, Adam Beyer, Jeff Mills, Speedy J, Ritchie Hawtin, Mathew Dear, etc. and has also released quite a few heavy trax on labels omniscient, remains, heavy Industries, and his own DROID recordings imprint.

Drumcell has been known to keep on the edge of technology and continuously pushing the limits to what the future has to offer.He is always in the process of developing homebrew software as well as cutting edge hardware solution to bring a fresh innovative taste to his production and performances. When performing, Drumcell can be seen blurring the lines between a live and a DJ set by utilizing tools such as FX processors , samplers ,drum machines and other devices to weave a thick blend of acidic techno and aggressive but funky minimalist groove to ensure a frenzy amongst his listeners.

Attack People (Minneapolis, Minnesota — Techno)

The Attack People is a very special live performance from Dustin Zahn and Ian Lehman. Their live sets have brought them across the U.S., Europe, and South America, spawning the interests of techno heads across the globe. Their solo projects and combined efforts can be found on renowned labels such as Compound, Mafia, Mankind, and their very own Abiotic Recordings. Tonight, experience the futuristic sounds of The Attack People live

Not very media friendly...however, these guys dont need much of an intro. You know em, you love em, and this type of event is the perfect place to experience the Attack People.

Decimal (Chicago, Illinois — Techno)

Soma Quality Recordings, Enemy Records

Decimal strives to deconstruct, analyze, rebuild, and reshape theory and technology searching for new directions in techno. Taking cues from the sounds of Detroit, Sweden, and Birmingham, he wraps muscular grooves around experimental rhythm arrangements. Exploring fresh ideas in kinetics and sound design, his tracks stay true to space and

minimalism.

Decimal’s Live P.A.s blur the boundaries between techno and house, with moments that range from deep and dreamy to rowdy and percussive. With an academic approach to

music partially inspired by deconstructionist philosophy, he breaks techno programming into bizarre asymmetrical loops, all the while holding down a groove. His live performance is driving, hypnotic, and improvisational; using a combination of hardware and Ableton Live, he completely restructures and re-loops his productions on the fly, creating a unique dance floor experience each time he rattles the bass bins. As he continues playing to clubs and underground events in all corners of the Midwest, word is quickly spreading about his sophisticated performance technique.

Decimal’s first release on Minneapolis-based Enemy Records, "Small Moving Pieces," earned him international attention, and his follow-up E.P. has been burning up dance

floors at the hands of some of the world’s most respected figures in techno. His hypnotic

jam for the early morning hours, "Idiosynkratik," was recently licensed for M.A.N.D.Y.’s Fabric 38 mix. In 2008, Decimal will continue to expand his repertoire by exploring a diverse range of sounds, and will soon unleash both collaborative and solo efforts for Enemy Records and Mihalis Safras’s Material Series, as well as Scotland’s Soma

Recordings. (Mar. 2008)

www.somarecords.com

www.enemyrecords.com

dj ESP Woody McBride (St. Paul, Minnesota — Techno)

American elektro-shaman, Woody McBride, aka DJ ESP, rocks the world with his unique style of tribal techno, acid house, elektro, ambidelics, hardtek and

authentic old school minimal electronic music.

Raised in the rugged and interesting North Dakota, ESP has rung up over 3 million frequent flyer miles, released nearly 200 records and CDs and inspired many people to love music, get back to nature and ?be alive? - without the use of drugs and alcohol.

Since 1990, his signature deeper than deep 909 kick drum, a base chakra synth funk and a thick mysterious 303 acid sound is what has put ESP in a hard-to-label league of legendary and pioneering producers. His art now shines the brightest today.

His peers and label mates are Richie Hawtin, Dave Clarke, Diego Ro-k, St. Vitas, Iffy, Josh Wink, John Acquaviva, Thomas P. Heckman, DJ Hell, Barada, Eric Powell, Dave The Drummer, Jeff Mills, The Advent, Laurent Garnier, Frankie Bones, Terry Mullan, DJ Hyperactive, St. Vitas, Dave Wesley, Paul Birken, D'jedi, Dean Rodell, Man at Arms, Tommy Sunshine, Joyride, Jethro X and many others?

He has performed at the world's best festivals and clubs to include Rexclub, Tresor, Retroacid, Fuse, Terriakianarkisaki, Nordic Impact, Mayday, Electromind, Namast?, Nature One, Further, Government Toronto, Orbit UK, Ministry of Sound UK, Liquid Room, Buzz DC, Ultraschaal, Acid Wars and other large and underground gatherings.

Matt Rissi & Mustava Avdic (Cedar Rapids, Iowa — Techno)

Zuvuya Records, Giant Squid Records

It's hard to believe that together, Matt Rissi and Mustafa Avdic own Solar Cathedral Recordings and have performed all over the United States as well as Across Europe leaving a lasting impression of what Iowa is capable of on the international techno map. Their imprint features orginal productions and remix work by themselves as well as DJ Misjah, Holger Flinsch, Robin Jacobs, Guba, Dustin Zahn, Woody McBride, Avex Axiom, Centrific, Mladen Tomic, Mike Gervais, Eidolon and many more.

With over 15 years of DJing and producing experience combined, you can find these two in the studio putting together their own renditions of pumping techno music or on a stage making waves of people lose their minds to wicked dancefloor tracks. Watching these two interact with an audience while kicking out the jams is nothing short of explosive. With their original productions gaining support from the likes of Dave Clarke, Paco Osuna, Marco Nastic, Valentino Kanzyani, Umek, Holger Flinsch and more, expect a performance that will be festival worthy on a worldwide scale

myspace.com/eurotrax

mattrissi.com

Jack Complex (Minneapolis, Minnesota — Techno)

Last Summer Jack Complex burst onto the scene with a series of live gear performances that had them in high demand. It's been almost a full year since they have performed live, and are now back with a new live pa with some new twists...

Soul:Control (Minneapolis, Minnesota — Techno)

Soul:Control is DVS1 and Ghetto

On Saturday Morning from 9-12 we'll be shutting down all if the stages for a few hours and setting up a cafe in one of the main stages and you'll be able to enjoy a nice breakfeast to the deep sounds of Soul:Countrol

Jack Trash (Minneapolis, MN — House)

Jack Trash has been in the midwest dance scene for well over a decade. His ability to move between dance music genres is unparalleled and his sets can be anything from house to techno and everything in between. During the 90's he was one of the masterminds behind Mile High and he's currently the CEO of one of Minneapolis' most respected promotions groups, Sound In Motion. He also produces on his record label, Aphrodisio. JT brings it ever time! Don't miss this opportunity to see a master at work.

Jeff Hunter (Minneapolis, Minnesota — Breaks)

A veteran in the Midwest dance scene, Jeff Hunter has been pushing the breakbeat genre for nearly a decade. His dj sets never conform to a single style of breakbeat, yet they have a steady and deliberate flow. The sound of each Jeff Hunter performance is different from the last but you can always expect to hear a few funky jams, a couple of chugging progressive tunes, dark bass line bizness, and some nuskool vibration annihilation!

In addition to being one of the best breakbeat dj's in the Midwest (and one of the only), Jeff also does event promotion for two of the areas most well respected crews, Sound In Motion and DC Productions.

If you like the sound of the broken beat, you need to hear this guy play. It's amazing, truly.

Tyler Hampton (Minneapolis, Minnesota — House)

As one half of two renown production outfits (The Hamptons, Orana Project), Tyler Hampton has produced tracks that have been released on many record labels such as Aphrodisio, Trancetribe, RealDeep, Conspiracy Recordings, and Navigation Records.

In addition to being a whiz-kid in the studio, Tyler is also a sick ass DJ. He's opened for some of the biggest dance acts to come through Minneapolis as a member of Sound In Motion.

Make sure to check him out!

Forget everything you know about the phrase "International DJ," and allow yourself the pleasure of meeting Ferry Corsten.

The Dutch superstar has consistently been voted one of the top 10 DJs in the world (according to DJ magazine’s definitive Top 100 DJ chart) for five years. He’s played for hundreds of thousands of fans – sometimes at once – in amphitheaters, fields and nightclubs from Australia to Russia to white-hot Ibiza. He took the party island’s "Best Trance DJ" prize at the annual DJ Awards ceremony this year and two years ago; got tailed by some road-tripping fans on a Southern Comfort-sponsored, 26-city bus tour of America; and had his life’s work interpreted in music, video and décor at his annual Masquerade event "Full on Ferry", at 12,000-capacity arena Ahoy in his hometown, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

It’s all in a year’s work for the man who’s been called the "architect, pioneer, and instigator" of trance music’s global dominance.

But within the close-knit international DJ community, Corsten’s regarded as something else too: A studio auteur with a fierce sense of sonic rightness; a real-deal producer who works solo, sans engineer, and creates the most complete, energetic, melodic records in dance music. His style is so singular that synthesizer manufacturer Roland commissioned a Corsten sound bank for their new SP-555 sampling unit. But it’s so broad that it could meld with Public Enemy’s classic cut "Bring The Noise," on a Corsten remix that Chuck D himself called "the ultimate concoction of [pace, energy and lyrics."

The world first experienced Corsten’s dance floor wallop in 1999, when the young and hungry artist created aptly named track "Out Of The Blue" (recorded under his System F moniker). It was the first of his eight Dutch gold records, and 10 U.K. Top 40 hits, the most ever by a trance producer. He released his debut album, "Right Of Way," in 2003; and the groundbreaking "L.E.F." – containing Duran Duran collaboration "Fire" – in 2006, which debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes dance chart.

A keen sonic curator, Corsten serves as the head honcho for his record labels, Flashover Recordings, Aleph, Boom tssjak, and Levare.On his new XM Radio show, "Corsten’s Countdown," he debuts new tracks every week and lets his faithful listeners – on the radio, and online – vote on their favorites for the month’s final chart. The show is the first of its kind to engage fans worldwide, and give them a direct hand in predicting and creating hits.

Corsten has also used his high profile for good, serving as an ambassador for the KidsRights Foundation, which increases awareness of the plight of disadvantaged children worldwide. He boasts his own clothing line, Signature F, via Washington, D.C.-based iKY Clothing.

Is Ferry Corsten a globe-trotting, club-packing, beat-dropping superstar DJ? Most definitely. But that's just the beginning of the story...one that's still being written.

BT is the creative force currently driving digital songwriting and soundscaping in its evolution into the audio-visual-spiritual art-form that will define and inspire the human narrative of the 21st Century. He is re-mastering the obsolete soundtrack of our late analog planet, reassembling from the chaos of smashed bytes blurring our sampled lives a new paradigm of beauty for This Binary Universe .

"To marry melody, harmony and memorable songwriting with the most bleeding-edge technology possible is my passion. These are the things that excite me."

The distinct stamp of BT’s virtuoso artistry and craftsmanship is already imprinted across the wide pantheon of modern popular arts and entertainment.

He composed the high octane film score for the blockbuster hit The Fast and the Furious as well as the haunting tonal background for Charlize Theron’s Academy Award-winning performance in Monster. His other scores include Doug Liman’s Go, Under Suspicion (starring Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman), Miramax’s The Underclassman, Sony’s Stealth and the video game Tiger Woods Legends.

His wizardry of the keyboards, classical or electronic, as well as his producing, songwriting and orchestral composing and scoring talents have been showcased in collaborations with major artists, including Sting and David Bowie. Considered the founding pioneer of trance electronica, he has engineered legendary mixes for Madonna, Seal and Sarah McLachlan.

BT seemed fated for his present leadership role in new musical directions and innovations. His predilection for always seeking and ascending to the next level began when he first heard electronic music as an adolescent. "This is what my heroes Debussy, Stravinsky and the like were looking for. Technology-based music is the only idiom that packs such infinite sonic possibilities." The revolutionary fruits of BT’s musical quest thus far are powerfully evident in the glitched-out yet warmly organic soundscapes infusing his epic albums, IMA, ESCM, Movement In Still Life and Emotional Technology. His fifth, currently untitled, studio album is nearing completion in Los Angeles and Australia (with guest artists such as Stuart Copeland of The Police). His second 2006 creation/release will be This Binary Universe, previewed by Keyboard Magazine : "In a hundred years, it could well be studied as the first major electronic work of the new millennium. It’s that good."

BT’s musical explorations, progressing well ahead of the curve in digital sound composition and programming, necessitated the creation of his own software company, Sonik Architects, in support of his expanding vision. Two new programming applications, Break Tweaker and Stutter Edit, both prototyped by BT himself in cSound and Supercollider (two command line-based music-scripting languages) will be commercially released under the Sonik Architects banner later this year.

The most recognized face and sound in American drum & bass belong to Dieselboy. An icon for American d&b for over a decade, he has become an international symbol of this volatile underground dance music movement. America’s best-selling d&b artist by far, Dieselboy was the first American to be voted into the UK-based Drum & Bass Arena Top 10 DJs 2004 online poll. Early in 2007, Dieselboy tag-teamed with d&b’s best-known superstar Goldie in Russia where they co-headlined a festival attended by over 25,000 junglists, and they shared headliner status again soon after at SXSW 2007 in Austin, Texas.

As a DJ, Dieselboy, born Damian Higgins, was an original pioneer in the early ’90s spreading d&b in North America, first in Pittsburgh, then from Philadelphia, growing in popularity until he was criss-crossing the continent virtually nonstop. His popular mix-tapes and mix-CDs have been the gateway for countless fans to the high energy, futuristic, science fiction sound of d&b. Dieselboy’s style is characterized by flawless execution, meticulous pulse-quickening programming that not only excels at showcasing individual tracks but also creates an intense and epic cinematic atmosphere.

Based now in Brooklyn, Dieselboy is the most in-demand American d&b DJ on the international club, rave and festival circuits including the United Kingdom (home of d&b), Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and North and South Americas. Beyond the scene, Dieselboy, sponsored by DC Shoes, has played rock festivals and X-treme sports exhibitions. Few d&b artists can claim as hardcore a global cult following as Dieselboy’s.

As a producer, Dieselboy was the first d&b artist to chart a single on Billboard’s dance chart with "Invid" in 2000. In 2002, Dieselboy founded HUMAN, the d&b imprint of respected dynamic electronic dance music label System Recordings which launched in 2000, boasting Dieselboy as its first artist, and where he is still its best-selling artist. In 2003, Dieselboy was honored to be asked by highly respected, globally distributed DJ Magazine to create a mix showcasing American d&b entitled DJ World Series: D & B From The United States. In 2006 Dieselboy presented the first HUMAN IMPRINT compilation, a 2XCD set with a mix by producer/DJ crew Evol Intent of Atlanta and a CD of singles called The HUMAN Resource which debuted at #14 on the Billboard electronic album chart only behind non-dance competition such as Gorillaz, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp, and a Disney remix CD.

Born in Florida in 1972 and raised in Colorado with his two sisters by a single mom, young Damian Higgins played drums in his school marching band, and his hobbies included breakdancing, skateboarding, videogames, reading, films and role-playing games. In his senior year of high school he DJ’ed a few dances fading between CDs, tape cassettes and a turntable.

As a student at the University of Pittsburgh, Higgins threw house parties where he met two Carnegie Mellon University radio DJs who offered to teach him how to beat-match records at the station. Higgins was soon was playing on their weekly 6 hour-long radio show.

In 1994, on borrowed turntables, Higgins made a mix-tape calledThe Future Sound of Hardcore and offered it for $5 on rave-related Internet listservs. "Through that, people heard about me and I started getting bookings on the East Coast. It was a very slow process that eventually snowballed into my getting flown various places," which now extend to the six continents with d&b venues. In 1997, Nigel Richards, DJ and owner of 611 Records in Philadelphia, was looking for a roommate, so Higgins moved to Philly, became the d&b buyer for the store, and designed T-shirts and logos for 611.

From 1998 to 2004 Dieselboy hosted "Platinum," a weekly Thursday night event at Philadelphia club Fluid, which gained renown as North America’s premier d&b club night.

In 1998, Dieselboy tied with atmospheric d&b legend LTJ Bukem as "Best Drum & Bass DJ" at the Global DJ Mix Awards, also marking the first time an American had been nominated for the award. In 2000, Dieselboy’s track Invid became the first American track ever played at Goldie’s legendary London club, Metalheadz.

Each of Dieselboy’s albums has raised the bar for the mix-CD art form. He had the distinction of being the first American invited by British d&b label Suburban Base to make a mix cd of a compilation, Drum & Bass Selection USA (1996). Suburban Base had him follow up with 97 Octane (1997), this time allowing him to submit track suggestions, resulting in a more varied selection. In 1998, Nigel Richards gave Dieselboy full artistic control for his next mix-CD, 611 DJ Mix-Series Vol. One (1998), for which he even did the graphics.

Always striving to create something different, in 1998 Dieselboy made a mix-tape called Director’s Cut which he had packaged in film cans, his first experiment in presenting a dance mix in a quasi-cinematic framework.

In 1999, on legendary dance music label Moonshine, Dieselboy’s A Soldier's Story was a comment on junglists' (who often called themselves "soldiers") second-class status in the scene, relegated to substandard rooms and sound systems, while house and trance DJs took center stage. It opened with his first original cd "intro" and marked his debut as a producer with Atlantic State, co-produced with Technical Itch (Mark Caro) of Bristol, England. On his next Moonshine mix, System Upgrade (2000), his intro featured a clever sample from the Ghost in the Shell movie. His mix prominently featured emerging American producers Hive and E-Sassin.

Later in 2000, Palm Pictures released Dieselboy’s The 6ixth Session, a cyborg-themed mix described by the Washington Post as "hard-edged hyperdriven dance music," which marked the beginning of Dieselboy’s VIP remix phase. Also for the first time he bundled a second unmixed CD with original tracks.

For projectHUMAN (2002), Dieselboy presented a mix framed as a movie trailer, hiring movie trailer voice extraordinaire Don LaFontaine for his intro and outro. projectHUMAN was also Dieselboy’s first foray into massive remix commissioning, most of the tracks featuring American producers remixing UK and other international producers, and vice versa.

For his next mix-CD, The Dungeonmaster’s Guide (2004), Dieselboy asked Peter Cullen, well-known for his work as the cartoon voice of the Transformers’ Optimus Prime, to be the voice of the Dungeonmaster who introduces the d&b fantasy and appears throughout the mix to narrate phases of the journey. Again Dieselboy commissioned remixes, this time asking d&b producers from around the world to remix tracks by non-d&b dance music luminaries including Tiesto, Sasha, BT and Josh Wink.

Dieselboy has played metal concerts with Orgy and Disturbed, and was the only d&b artist invited by rock superstar Moby for his Area2 national tour that also included David Bowie, Busta Rhymes, Blue Man Group, Tiesto, and Digweed. Dieselboy has been booked for the second U.S. Virgin Festival at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in the fall of 2007, where he shares the bill with Smashing Pumpkins, the Police, Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang Clan, Interpol, and Velvet Revolver.

Always seeking innovative ways to build bridges within the d&b community, Dieselboy has toured with other DJs such as Technical Itch & Decoder, DJ Rap, DJ Fresh, Bad Company UK, and Hive, expanding exposure for their respective fans as well as creating interesting bills for promoters.

In 2000 Dieselboy united with two other North American d&b legends, AK1200 (Dave Minner, Orlando, FL) and Irish ex-pat DJ Dara (Darragh Guilfoyle, New York, NY), to create an annual super-tour, the Planet of the Drums. Dieselboy brings his trademark hard edgy pyrotechnics, Dara a mellower dub/reggae flavored vibe, with AK1200’s arsenal tearing up the space between, but when these three forces of nature tag-team, with MC Messinian (James Fiorella, Philadelphia, PA) hyping the crowd, the combined effect is magical mayhem. 2007 marks POTD’s 8th North American tour, making it the longest running annual electronic dance music tour of any subgenre. The Planet of the Drums proudly claims credit for moving d&b out of the siderooms and onto the main stage.

Undeniably one of the world’s great ambassadors of drum & bass, continuously pushing the genre beyond its boundaries, Dieselboy is currently at work on his next highly anticipated cross-genre remix extravaganza mix CD, his ninth, entitled Substance D, due out in fall 2007, in conjunction with a HUMAN IMPRINT tour with rotating label artists.

Check out DSL on MySpace.com!

Spktrm (Kalamazoo, MI — Drum & Bass)

2006 was a breakthrough year for this young Michigan based producer. At the mere age of 18, signing the underground darkstep hit "The Hunted" to Foulplay Records and the popular melodic dancefloor destroyer "Transmission" to Soothsayer Recordings brought the name Spektrum to the attention of many well established labels and artists/DJs. He quickly began to gain DJ support of his music from artists including Dieselboy, Evol Intent, Current Value, Limewax, Dylan and Bkey, and it wasn'­t long before the next releases started getting picked up. Since then, Spektrum has signed with Evol Intent Recordings, Dieselboy's Human Imprint Recordings, Future Sickness Records, Venom Inc. Recordings and has collaborations in the works with Current Value & Snow, Arsenic, Evol Intent and many more. He is also currently working on several new projects for Dieselboy, including remix work for his next mix album, all of which he will undoubtedly be showcasing on this tour, making him an act not to be missed.

Messinian (Philadelphia, PA — Vocal Accompaniment)

Born in Los Angeles, California, J-Messinian (nee James Fiorella) bounced around the country nomad-like, eventually ending up in Philadelphia in the late 90's. As a child growing up, James developed a love for MC'ing: head-nodding to HipHop in oversized headphones and engaging in freestyle 'ciphers' with other "staircase artists". His formative musical roots ranged from Soul, to Hip Hop, to Latin percussion and Dancehall, to his mother Helena's emotional piano and guitar sessions. In the early nineties, James began frequenting parties, from b-boy summits to raves with breaks and tribal house. As his journey into the underground progressed, he eventually fell in love with the raw snares and basslines of Drum and Bass music.

In 1998, Messinian started experimenting with rhyming to different styles of music, which led to live performance. After becoming a resident MC at Club Space in Philadelphia, he eventually linked up with the members of the Substitution crew. Making a name for himself MC'ing on the East Coast circuit, Messinian eventually became a member of the Platinum crew (Dieselboy, Sine and Icon) hosting Philly's premier weekly Drum and Bass party at club Fluid.

The launch of the second annual Planet of the Drums tour in 2001 saw J-Messinian became a member of the POTD crew (Dieselboy, AK1200, and Dara). Presently, he can be seen and heard MC'ing around the country (and around the globe) alongside Dieselboy, AK 1200 and Dara, both within the collaborative framework of POTD and performing with each of the three superstar DJs individually.

Messinian's enthralling stage presence and dope-ass rhymes speak to the fervid Drum and bass audience from the stage and beyond. James says it best himself: "Much love to all of my friends and family for their endless support and positive influence. Performing my art form and poetry in front of crowds has been a dream of mine since the age of 9. All of you have helped in making this dream become a reality. Endless respects."

America's Favorite House DJ, Bad Boy Bill, releases his first ever live mix album/concert DVD, Behind The Decks LIVE CD + DVD this October. Nationwide album launch tour kicks off Oct 12 in Sacramento.

Recently voted "America's Favorite House DJ - 2006" by the readers of BPM Magazine (an award which he also won in 2003), Bad Boy Bill releases his first ever live mix album & concert DVD, Behind The Decks LIVE. With Bill's reputation built upon his phenomenal club sets that incorporate extravagant visuals and live dance performances in addition to Bill's fierce turntable prowess, it was only logical for Bill to release his first ever live performance audio/visual set. Filmed and recorded over Memorial Day weekend 2006 at three of the nation's premier nightclubs: The Church in Denver, Avalon in Hollywood, and Crobar in Bill's hometown of Chicago, the DVD features footage shot from over 10 cameras captured in stunning Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound. Never one to short his fans, the DVD rounds out at over 2 hours and includes exclusive multi-media content, behind the scenes features, exclusive visuals, & interviews in addition to the live concert footage.

We would be remiss, however, if we did not talk about the amazing music featured on Behind The Decks LIVE. From the start, this mix grabs your attention with its banging electro house vibes and doesn't let go. Bill effortlessly weaves outstanding tracks and remixes from current house music heroes Eric Prydz, Green Velvet, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Paul Woolford, Fedde Le Grand, Kurd Maverick, Joachim Garraud, JJ Flores & Steve Smooth into a very outstanding club set, all the while incorporating his

traditional use of multiple a cappellas to create on the fly mash ups. The mix album also features exclusive new original productions from Bad Boy Bill himself ("Just Like I Want" and "Someday"), making this a release that you'll have to see to believe.

Bill got his start DJing as a teenager, joining a DJ crew in the neighborhood and spinning at DJ battles. Only a senior in high school, Bad Boy Bill started his own record label. He eventually became a household name on Chicago's B96, using his "Bad Boy Bill" audio ID as a way of

distinguishing himself from the other DJs on the radio. Today, Bill spends most of his time producing tunes in the studio or out on the road, playing up to 150 gigs annually, everywhere from New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles to international hotspots including Peru, Columbia, Germany, England, and Spain.

MySpace.com/djBadBoyBill

Nick Rockwell (Chicago, IL — House)

An up and coming performer in the Chicago house music scene, Nick is not one to miss!

www.MySpace.com/NickRockwell

Tiësto's career is punctuated by landmark achievements – the first DJ in the world to sell out a solo stadium event for over 25,000 people 2 nights in a row, he scored a number one hit with his single Traffic, the first instrumental track to reach the top spot in his homeland of Holland in 23 years. His remix of Delerium featuring Sarah McLachlan's Silence was the first house track ever broadcast on daytime radio in North America, (it became an international dancefloor anthem and also spent eight weeks in the UK top 10 chart). He played live in front of billions of people during the Parade Of The Athletes at the official opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens. But despite his meteoric success, Tiësto remains grounded about his achievements and clearly loves making and playing music above the accolades it brings.

Born in Holland, Tiësto became a DJ because he 'liked to share music with other people. When I was younger, I'd listen to a radio show called the Soul Show, and to Ben Liebrand's mix show, where he would remix and cut up different tracks, and I just thought - I wanna do this!' Starting out with a mobile show around the country, he progressed to student parties, and then to three nights a week in a club, learning and perfecting his craft. 'music was always my first love but back then I didn't know it was possible to make a living out of being a DJ... If I wasn't a DJ now though I'd be a chef. I love cooking – it must be because of the mixing element!' The productions came later, in 1995. 'I really wanted to produce music that I could play in my sets, because it brings much more fulfilment to the process. I bought some samplers, some computer programs, and just started working on it.' He makes it sound easy – indeed, he makes it look easy as 10 years down the line his productions consistently bother the charts and frequently reach number one around Europe.

In 1997 Tiësto, along with Arny Bink, formed Black Hole Recordings, the label that launched the hugely acclaimed Magik. In Search Of Sunrise, and Nyana mix compilations. The label grew to such proportions that in 2001 Tiësto started a sub-label, Magik Muzik. 'It's the home of records of mine, or of people whose work I really believe in,' he enthuses. 'Everything on Magik Muzik is what you'll find in my sets, which makes it more of my own little project.' Some of the gems from Magik Muzik include 2001 anthem Flight 643 and his artist albums In My Memory and Just Be.

Though known primarily for his pioneering contributions to the trance scene, Tiësto's style is now a mix of everything: 'trance, house, techno - it's the best of all that the dance world has to offer. In 1998, I was really a trance DJ, but now I've travelled round the world so much, different influences have seeped in and I play a bit of everything. I think the only way forward for DJs now is to play a diverse mix of sounds.' Indeed, his brand of trance was always pushing at the constraints of the genre anyway, featuring soaring vocals from the likes of Sarah McLachlan and Kirsty Hawkshaw, spine-tingling breakdowns, and euphoric melodies at every end of the spectrum. His productions, sets, and releases range from peak time club heaven to the sort of perfect chill out that could reduce a grown man to tears, and have at times owed as much influence to classical music as to dance.

The many high profile gigs and shows have now taken Tiësto away from exclusively playing clubs, and propelled him to become more of a mainstream artist. 'Often at my shows now, half of the people are die-hard clubbers, but the other half are people who know me from the radio, or from more mainstream gigs,' he says. 'It's more like they're going to a concert, so now I get a great mix of both worlds.'

Describing the last few years as 'a journey of defining moments,' (as well as the usual club successes, his shelves are groaning under the weight of numerous awards – TMF-Awards, MTV, Dutch DJ - and gold discs...) his favourites include the second night of the Tiësto In Concert show in Holland in 2004: 'I was really aware of what was going on, the music was just right – a mix of all my big tunes and new tunes, everything just felt perfect that night. I played for nine hours straight, and it was my favourite gig ever.' And, of course, being voted by the readers as the number one DJ in the world for the third time. 'The first time it happened it was so amazing, I was overjoyed. The second and the third time were great as well of course, but the first time you're on the cover of that magazine that is so respected by other DJs – it's like winning an Oscar!'

In May 2006 Tiësto decided to become the worldwide ambassador for Dance4Life, and to invest considerate amounts of his time and efforts to the one charity in which he could really find himself. Immediately the production of a Dance4Life anthem was discussed, which resulted in an a song with Faithless' Maxi Jazz, where Maxi's words and Tiësto's music perfectly intertwine into a dynamic piece which could not better suite the Dance4Life vision.

Continuing to explore fresh avenues, Tiësto is currently experimenting with new sounds in the studio, and writing more vocals himself. 'I'm not looking for any big collaborations right now, I'm more interested in a burgeoning talent – someone whose voice is good, and that really touches you. A voice should sound like an instrument to me. I've had a spell away from the studio, relaxing and travelling, but now I'm really enthused about getting back in there. I'm more open to doing remixes again. I like to hear a track and right away know what I want to do with it, what I can make different, and whether it'll work for me in my sets – all my remixes have to be tried and tested.'

The future for Tiësto promises yet further success, both as the solo artist he's become and the DJ we know him to be. 'Another album, more remixes, definitely,' he agrees, 'but it's hard to look too far into the future. Every couple of months it seems that something new, unexpected and exciting is happening!' - Sally Learmouth

Check out Tiësto's brand new artist album, "Elements of Life", out now on Ultra records. Features 12 amazing tracks including the hits "Dance4life", "He's a Pirate (Tiesto Remix)", and the new single "In The Dark".

www.MySpace.com/UltraRecords

He wasn't able to perform on March 21st due to the Midwest are blizzard but he's coming back to make it up to the Minneapolis faithful! This time the event is in June so there won't be any snowy acts of God to keep him away.

Voted the #4 DJ in the World by DJ Magazine's prestigious 'Top 100' poll for 2006, Christopher Lawrence is recognized worldwide as one of the World's top DJs and producers. Dubbed "A Superstar DJ" by the US's URB and "One Of The Most Popular DJs On The Global Circuit" by DJ Magazine, Christopher Lawrence is one of the biggest, most respected and popular names in dance music today. Once an outsider in a world dominated by European and UK DJs, Christopher has risen to the top of the international dance music heap. He is now considered one of the key global players and America's leading dance music export, playing his tough techno trance sets main stage at the world's biggest festivals and superclubs.

Over the past few years, Christopher has received numerous awards and accolades. Winner of "Best American DJ" at the IDMA's and named the #3 Trance DJ in the World by BPM Magazine's 'America's Favorite DJ' poll for 2006, Christopher is also a recent recipient of the "Best DJ" at both the Dancestar US Awards and Los Angeles Music Awards. Christopher has additionally been nominated in Dancestar UK Awards, DJ Awards, International Trance Awards, Global DJ Mix Awards and IDMA's to name a few. Christopher has also graced the covers of countless magazines, newspapers and publications worldwide.

Described as the "Biggest DJ in the USA" by the BBC's Radio 1, Christopher clocks up over a quarter of a million frequent flyer miles a year and a list of international events too long to mention. In the past year alone, Christopher has toured China, United Kingdom, Mexico, Ibiza, Australia, Taiwan, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Japan, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Colombia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Greece, Russia, El Salvador, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, Slovenia, Panama, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Thailand, Guatemala, and Canada. One need look no further than the top international clubs and dance festivals to find Christopher's name.

Meanwhile, back in the US, Christopher continues to be one of the countries most sought after DJs, headlining high profile events from San Francisco's Love Fest and Sony's 'Playstation 2 Tour' to Arnold Schwazzeneger's 'Terminator III' party. He has played the famed Coachella festival more than any other DJ, and was also the only US DJ invited to headline all three of the inaugural Ministry Of Sound, Cream and Gatecrasher tours of America.

Described as "A Highly Respected Producer" by Mixmag, Christopher won a preliminary Grammy nomination in 2002. With a discography of groundbreaking tracks, Christopher's notable releases 'Attention', 'Scorcher', 'Shredder', 'Renegade', 'Rush Hour', 'Cruise Control', 'October's Child' and bootleg remixes such as 'Batman Begins' have been hammered by DJs from Paul van Dyk and Tiesto to Paul Oakenfold.

This past several years have been Christopher's biggest to date on both the DJ and production front, following the release of two artist albums. His debut album 'All Or Nothing' and the follow up, 'Un-Hooked', a retrospective of Christopher's work for Hook Recordings, both topped the iTunes dance charts and met with widespread chart and critical acclaim from the worlds toughest critics from Rolling Stone to the Washington Post. Christopher's music has soundtracked everything from TV shows such as MTV's 'Real World', to Matchbox Car DVDs to computer games including 'Need for Speed 2' ? bringing an entirely new audience to Christopher.

Always pushing the limits, Christopher gained attention with the release of his new website, which was nominated in the "Best Music Website" category of both the SXSW and the Webby Awards, which are considered the Academy Awards of web design. Designed by the groundbreaking and award winning 2Advanced, Christopher's website became a benchmark in the DJ. Check it out at www.ChristopherLawrence.com

In the late nineties, Christopher established himself as one of the US's biggest selling DJs selling over a quarter of a million mix CDs following a string of record breaking releases including 'Rise', 'Temptation', 'United States of Trance' and 'Around The World'.

After lengthy delays, Christopher's label Pharmacy Electronic Music was officially launched in 2006 with Christopher's most recent mix 'Subculture' being described by Jive Magazine as "The Best Trance Album of the Year!", reiterating the fact that Christopher continues to be one of the World's most evolving and respected DJs.

On the big screen, Christopher has appeared in 'Midsummernight's Rave', as well the documentaries 'Liquid Vinyl', 'Intellect', 'Put The Needle On The Record', 'World Party On Tour' and 'American Massive' to name a few. A music video for Christopher's single, Freefall, shot at California's Electric Daisy Carnival has also been featured on television around the world.

In the world of international dance culture, there are DJs who are leaders and those who are followers. Christopher Lawrence is a true leader.

Benny Benassi was born in Milan on 13 July 1967.

He works as a producer in collaboration with his cousin Alle Benassi, who has been a musician and arranger at Off Limits, in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the internationally successful production unit run by Larry Pignagnoli.

The first club hit was "I feel so fine" by KMC feat Dhany (N° 1 club charts UK) in 2001. This was followed by the BENNY BENASSI presents THE BIZ project, a ground-breaking mixtured of electro, techno and house dosed with minimalist flair.

The first single SATISFACTION, produced in 2002, made its presence felt in the main charts all over Europe in 2003. Some of the results:

- n° 2 in the Official Singles Sales Chart in UK

- over a month in the n° 1 spot in the Official Dance Chart in FRANCE

- top twenty Official Singles Sales Chart in FRANCE

- n° 2 in the Official Dance Chart in GERMANY

- top forty Official Singles Sales Chart in GERMANY

The record was highly acclaimed:

Timo Maas - I have it, crazy fuckin record....crowds love it!!

Carl Cox - Pure energy I love it!

Boy George – Dirty Electro house at it best

Darren Emerson – Norman Cook called about this record and as soon as I heard it I loved it!!!

Roger Sanchez – Loved his mix of Tomcraft, his record is even better.

Paul Oakenfold - Benny has his own unique sound that works on dance floors across the world.

The album HYPNOTICA stayed in the top 20 in the Official Album Sales Chart in FRANCE for over a month, having reached the TOP 5.

Official European Dance Chart: SATISFACTION and ABLE TO LOVE both went top 5 in the Official European Dance Chart

Benny Benassi’s crucial remixes (Sfaction mix):

Tomcraft - "Loneliness"

Electric Six - "Dance Commander"

Outkast - "Ghetto Musik"

Robbie Rivera - "Funk a faction"

Goldfrapp - "Strict Machine"

Felix da Housecat – "Ready 2 wear"

Etienne de Crecy – "Someone like you"

Fischer Spooner - "Never win"

Goldfrapp - "Ooh la la"

Moby - "Beautiful"

David Guetta - "In Love with myself"

Benny and Alle then produced Benassi Bros, a project designed to shine the spotlight on the two Biz vocalists, Paul French and Violeta and other guest singers.

The track by Benassi Bros. feat. Sandy, "Illusion" and "Hit my heart" featuring Dhany were both monster top 20 sales charts hits in France and the album, PUMPHONIA, went gold in France.

Other hit singles taken from HYPNOTICA are "No matter what you do" and "Love is gonna save us"

Benny mixed SUBLIMINAL SESSIONS VI, for the famous New York label and, for the occasion, produced a track called "I want you to come" under the psuedonym BAT67. With this name he also remixed "Hot Tin Groove" by Rava and "Warman Whoreman" by Digitally Stoned People. He is the first European dj to have mixed a Subliminal Sessions compilation.

In 2003, Benny won a lot recognition

- number one in the Top 100 dance tracks on the Ministry of Sound Internet radio

- DJ MAG tune of the year in UK

- Revelation of the year – Italian Dance Music Awards

- Dance revelation of the year – Danish Music Award

- Nominated for international revelation of the year – NRJ Awards, France

In 2004,

- three nominations at Dancestar, Miami and won the best video award

- DjMag favourite DJ Poll Top 100: Benny is number 18, the highest new entry

- European Border Breakers Award for Hypnotica, the Italian album that sold most in Europe outside Italy

2005

"...Phobia", the second Benassi Bros Album was released in 2005, and went gold in France, followed by huge acclaims for the singles "Every Single Day" and "Make me feel".

Benny mixes GALLERY SESSIONS vol.1 with Tall Paul for Duty Free in UK.

Benny starts his own label,...... Pump-kin..... see www.pump-kinmusic.com

First compilation "Benny Benassi cookin' for Pump-kin, phase 1"

2006 sees the debut of Benny's label, Pump-kin. Aimed to emerging new producers. Benny's single Who’s Your Daddy? does really well and the hot video becomes cult

Benny rocks the Ultra Festival in Miami and later in the year plays at a special event mounted in his honour in Manila to over 30,000 people.

2007

Benny rocks the Summerdayze festivals in Australia.

He is the first dj to tour Canada extensively on a bus, like a rockstar, 25 shows in 30 days. All sold out.

The compilation "Benny Benassi cookin' for Pump-kin, special menu" is released.

Benny headlines the house stage at the Ultra Festival in Miami.

Benny plays at the Coachella Valley festival in California in April. According to the organizers there are 25000 people in his tent.

Benny is the headliner at UV Nation in Kuala Lumpur. Despite heavy rain in the afternoon, 20,000 ticket-buyers turn out to see him. The weather holds and Malaysia rocks to his electro beats.

Benny remixes the theme tune to "24", the cult TV program for Fox.

In 2008 the Benny Benassi Remix of 'Bring the noise' by Public Enemy wins the Grammy award in the 'Best Remix' Category.

When Benny isn’t in the studio, he tours the world rocking clubs and events with his unstoppable energy.

He is rated as one of the best djs in the world and generally considered to be the father of modern electrohouse club music. The history of house music can be divided into "before and after SATISFACTION".

His dj style is easy to describe...; it’s kinda electro, sort of house-tec, dirty and cool, sweaty and smooth...;

Movie stars and motion pictures - and the fans who adored them - existed well before the first Academy Awards celebration. Likewise, long before periodicals like URB and BPM Culture began sponsoring annual surveys of the worlds's favorite DJs, the people had already spoken, loud and clear, in favor of DJ Dan. From his origins in the early '90s Los Angeles rave scene, to his non-stop international agenda today (he traveled 135,000 miles in 2005 alone), Dan continues to thrill audiences wherever he goes, from Sydney to Shanghai, Twaiwan to Toronto, and, of course, all across the USA.

When not behind the decks, Dan doesn't rest on his laurels, as fans of his club classics "Loose Caboose", "Needle Damage", "That Phone Track", and his remix of Orgy's "Blue Monday", can well attest. Jost over the past year, he's lent his production to a slew of of international smashes, including remixes of Depeche Mode and Paris Hilton which tipped the Billboard charts and a remix of New Order which reache #2 on the Billboard charts. Thsi year also saw the release of two massive club hits he produced, "Love For The Weekend" and "Baked From Scratch", both featured on the albumn "Lift 2", in addition to two unreleased DJ Dan tracks, "Rock To The Rhythm" and "Chopshop".

But is shouldn't come as that big a surprise that visionaries like New Order and Depeche Mode reach out to DJ Dan...because he is a kindred spirit, a pioneer in the musical as well as geographical sense. Dan was one of the fist DJs to champion the breakbeat sound, and later, funky house, and one of the earliest bastions of the LA Scene to travel outside his home turf. He was a memeber of San Francisco's legendary Funky Techno Tribe, and one of the first American DJs embraced nation-wide in his own country. And all with good reason, he may lend his unerring taste and refined mixing skills to an ever-evolving palette of sounds - as he does with aplomb on "Lift 2" - but fans and colleagues know that they can always depend on DJ Dan to deliver a top-notch night out.

Donald Glaude (Seattle, WA — House)

Confident. Exuberant. Raw. Innovative. These are just a few of the words industry insiders and fans have used to describe the talent behind one of America’s favorite house DJs, Donald Glaude. Ranked #68 on DJMag.com’s Top 100 DJs List in 2005, Donald skyrocketed to #48 this year and his genius keeps on growing...;

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Donald’s love for music began at an early age. Originally a disciplined student of classical music, he was well-versed in the upright bass and violin. Any aspirations Donald had to continue in the classical vein vanished once he heard his first house record. With an ear for blending music already under his belt, and a love for the energy and soul of musical prodigies like George Clinton and Funkadelic, Donald began to amass a collection of house records which he taught himself to mix with a pair of mismatched turntables and a Radio Shack mixer.

Before Donald few DJs had attempted to spin house records. Donald’s fine ear helped him give birth to a new style. After mastering his craft, Donald began DJing in various clubs around Tacoma and Seattle. During that time he made several important connections which would launch his music to the forefront of what was quickly becoming one of the largest underground movements since New Wave in the late-70s. Perhaps the greatest connection Donald made was with another aspiring DJ and friend, DJ Dan.

Together Donald & DJ Dan sparked the rave scene in Seattle and developed large followings. Knowing that Donald possessed an energy and ability to work the crowd that was unparalleled to anyone else on the circuit, Dan convinced San Francisco’s legendary Funky Tekno Tribe to bring down his good friend Donald to play at one of their parties. Donald’s talents quickly made him a permanent fixture on F.T.T.’s roster.

Some DJs seek commercial acceptance. Donald, on the other hand, has always preferred an emotional connection with his audience. For Donald, house music is not simply a mixed bag of sound, but rather an experience that provokes the soul. Apart from his mastery on the decks, Donald is best known for his dynamic showmanship. He enjoys his music as much as his audience does. Embracing their energy, it is not uncommon to find Donald pumping his hands in the air, jumping up and down and shouting back his love to the crowd. It is this powerful signature style which has led fellow DJ and musical producer, Dave Aude, to call Donald the "James Brown of DJs." Donald also caused some stir in 2005 and 2006 with his residency at ICE Nightclub in Las Vegas.

Donald’s uncompromising style and innovation show no sign of slowing down any time soon. With the credit of 5 full-length CDs and numerous remixes under his belt, Donald has focused much of his time to production work. Producing such dance floor hits as "Get Up" and "Soul Cha Cha". As such, Donald has launched two record labels in which are causing rumblings in the industry. Eden Recordings, started with fellow DJ Rick V, and Durty Records, a collaboration with good friend Vince Lombardi.

Donald’s 2005 release, "This is Me" (Moist Music), is a 35-track double CD that defines his creativity, sound and vibrant style. Since its release, Donald’s fans have been eager to hear what’s next from their favorite DJ. Fans will be pleased to know that Donald’s hard at work on another double CD, "For the People" (Moist Music), a live recording and original tracks produced by Donald himself. With the completion of this latest project, the world should be prepared to experience all sides of Donald Glaude: DJ. Producer. ARTIST. Continuing to be "The Hardest Working American Dj" Donald has many new projects planned for this upcoming year. He has a tour scheduled with "America’s Most Beloved Dj" Dj Dan and he also has another new CD releasing in 2007. Also expect new releases from both of his labels Eden Recordings and Durty Records. You have seen him use his musical talents from bring his experience in playing bass, percussion, violin and then moving on to the turntable just show us his grasp on music. To mastering the turntable and then on to recently turned Serato user always expect the unexpected when you come see Donald Glaude...;...;...;

Eddie Halliwell (Wigan, United Kingdom — Trance)

Crowned Mixmag World DJ Of The Year' for second time in 2006.

'Without a shadow of a doubt Eddie Halliwell is a Legend, a hero and a massively popular DJ, worshipped by many...' - DJmag August 2006

'Is Halliwell the most exciting DJ on the planet right now? Maybe' - M8 August 2006

'At 26 Eddie is a DJ legend to rank among the best of them...so clubland make some noise for clubland's answer to Rocky' - Mixmag 2006

'There are people who play records and there are DJs who blow minds, Eddie Halliwell is the latter...who makes every set, no matter how small the club or how big the festival, feel like the closing party of the end of the world' - Mixmag

Aged 26 from Wigan, Eddie Halliwell caught the DJing bug at 15, by 2002 he held residencies at Goodgreef and Gatecrasher. In early 2004 Mixmag voted him DJ of the Year 2003. Eddie has toured extensively throughout the world, key moments in Eddie's career were closing Creamfields, debuting at Godskitchen and becoming resident at Judgement Sundays in Ibiza. He also mixed one disc of Gatecrasher Residents Transmission and put out the now legendary Bosh Mixmag CD.

2006 has been Eddie's busiest and biggest to date, being voted Mixmag's DJ OF The Year for the second time, mixing the highly acclaimed Cream Ibiza CD, launching his 'Fire It Up' brand and most recently being given his own weekly show on Radio 1 following the immense success of 'The Residency'. With a main stage appearance at America's biggest festival - Ultra Fest in Miami, four Radio 1 Essential Mixes under his belt and continued rave reviews of jaw-dropping sets at Cream Amnesia and Judgement Sundays in Ibiza, it is plain to see that Eddie has firmly established himself as one of the most talked about and exciting DJs in the world.

One of the pinnacles of Chicago house music's 90's wave, Derrick Carter began DJ’ing at the age of nine, spinning disco records at family reunions. Born and raised in the western suburbs, Carter was into music from a young age, but during his teens Chicago's house scene sucked him in for good. Before long Carter became a strong presence in the city's underground dance scene. "When I got my driver's license at 16 my sneak ability was validated," he laughs. "I was a fierce bedroom jock for a long time. After you mix for the love of it for six or seven years, you get it pretty tight and you can take it on the road." He got by working at dance-music specialty stores like Gramaphone and gigging at parties. Later he landed regular DJ stints at Shelter, Foxy's, and Smart Bar. Though he doesn't spin much locally anymore, when he does he attracts large crowds. Most of the time he works in Europe, where he's become a minor celebrity among dance-music aficionados.

"Its hard not to laugh on the occaisions when you’ll make 20 times what you make in Chicago on a Saturday night, but back home there are also times when you just do it for fun... So many people come up to me and say ’Man, I had the worst day, My girlfriend left me, I locked my keys in my car, but you turned it around for two hours, and that made me able to get up in the morning’ That’s the best thing going."

Derrick’s sets are rooted in house, but he freely travels outside club tastes, seamlessly incorporating old-school disco, soul, jazz and whatever catches his fancy.

His debut single "Love Me Right" appeared in 1987, just after he graduated from college. Another single ("Symbols and Instruments" as Mood) appeared in 1989, but the Chicago house scene faded soon after, leaving Carter and other artists with few to play for except themselves.

Thanks in part to Cajmere's and Felix Da Housecat's respective labels (Relief, Radikal Fear), Chicago house made a comeback during the mid-'90s and began to offer impressive newcomers in addition to the old guard. Carter, recording for the Organico label, returned with several singles, and an album as Sound Patrol. In 1995, he began working with a live band as the Sound Patrol Orchestra.

Several mix albums have appeared, including Cosmic Disco on MixMag and Pagan Offering on Pagan. Carter has also founded two labels (Blue Cucaracha and Classic) and remixed tracks from Chicago's own post-rock heroes Tortoise. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Since then pioneering, innovative tracks and consequent critical acclaim have repeatedly marked Derrick out as once of the most important players in Dance music.

Carter says that due to his growing notoriety his production talents have been requested by pop-oriented acts. But he prefers to remain underground. Although enthused about his own Blue Cucaracha label and a new UK-based imprint he runs called Classic, he's reluctant to offer much explanation of either label's MO--other than each releases records when the mood strikes him:

"I like to keep myself pretty invisible. You may think I'm somewhere, but I've already left."

There are DJs who turn up, play records and make people dance. And there are producers who make the dancefloor-igniting records those DJs will kill for. There are very few people in dance music who can do both and Sasha is the leader of the pack. Ever since he rode in on a tidal wave of adoration from the North of England's explosive early 90s club scene, that magic touch has made Alexander Coe one of the most famous, most revered DJ on the planet.

It's because of what he can do with music - the way he can make good records sound better, great records sound awesome, and everything he plays into his own. The way his mixes take elements from across the spectrum of electronic dance, from trance, breaks, progressive and deep house, and create a languidly hypnotic liquid groove. The way his understanding of both melody and momentum can tease, taunt, and en-trance a dancefloor before unleashing a record that will have people not just leaping up and down but bursting with emotion. The best DJs know that Djing is first about being able to read people and then about being able to tap into that human experience and take it on a journey. Sasha has always been noted for being a master at this and it is this universal appeal that he has tapped into that has established his strong fanbase around the globe.

Do not be mistaken, this kind of recognition does not happen overnight. Born and raised in a small town in Wales, Sasha was exposed to Motown records when he was just a baby and it was in the home that his talent for playing the piano was developed. His stepmother forced him to take lessons. At the time, he hated them, but after his first studio session - and this is typical Sasha - he phoned her to say thank you. His first exposure to house music was at Manchester's Hacienda; just as dance music exploded into the summer of love. One visit and the young pony-tailed Sasha was hooked. "The smoke machine, the strobe lights, everyone trance dancing, wearing bandanas and smiley T-shirts," he smiles now. "It definitely had a fuck-you attitude compared to the rest of pop music." This impact encouraged his move from Wales to Manchester. His first exploration into Djing was when a DJ in a local pub announced he was looking for people to play club dates. Sasha volunteered and now says that he 'had about 30 records and basically just blagged it'.

After honing his deck technique, Sasha's first big break came when he was offered a residency at Stokes legendary club Shelly's. When all the other DJ's were playing US House, Sasha's style was much more uplifting, and he encapsulated clubbers with his mixture of piano led Italian House whilst playing acapella tracks over the top. This combination alongside a wide variety of anthems kept dancefloors full and elevated Sasha to hero status. And, lets not forget, in a world where the DJ had too often been bespectacled nerds, here the headline DJ had the looks and charm to match his growing following. In classic rock n' roll style, here was a star that boys wanted to hang out with and girls wanted to get just that little more bit close to.

Shelly's was the launch pad for the residency at Renaissance, where Sasha created his niche and helped forge a new style in UK house music. At Renaissance two major things happened; Sasha mixed the first ever UK DJ mix album and he met John Digweed which cemented the partnership known as 'Northern Exposure'. Sasha and John have played together on five continents, have mixed 3 'Northern Exposure' albums which have sold to over 1 million people worldwide. This special brother like relationship that Sasha and Digweed have on the decks, is what landed them the monthly residency at New York's "Twilo", following in the footsteps of Vasquez and Tenaglia.

The first DJ cover star - on Mixmag in early 1991 - the still shy DJ was freaked. "I was so used to going to places and just hanging out. Suddenly there was a stream of people coming up," he recalls. "Of course it's bound to happen. You go to Liverpool and you're the first 'pin-up' DJ and you're going to get shit. Frankly, It still weirds me out." Today he still remains shy at heart. "I'm not very good in social situations where I'm put on the spot," he says. "Like meeting new people, small talk. Just never been good with that." It's this contradiction - the coyness that Alexander Coe has when it comes to being Sasha, that's at the core of the Sasha myth.

Although Sasha has clearly reached a celebrity status, it's his generous personality, his love for his peers and of course his completely candid humour that has enabled him to maintain such a likeable high profile in the often-fickle world of club culture. Sasha has gone from DJ to superstar status in America, where 'Sarsha' is a household name for many teenagers - a gruelling three month tour took their sound further out into deepest America, preaching a gospel of repetitive beats and imaginative mixing from coast to coast, and right through the mid western heartland of the States. A punishing gig-a-night schedule that must make nights like the opening of Space in Ibiza in June seem like a holiday by comparison.

There followed a move back into releasing his own music, collaborating with the former Underworld mainstay, DJ Darren Emerson on 'Scorchio'. For Sasha, music is his first love, and what gives him a buzz is being able to share his music with others. Soon after 'Scorchio' came the first concrete proof of the long-awaited, debut Sasha longplayer.

'Airdrawndagger' took his nose for the dancefloor's g-spot and combined it with the ears for a heartstring strumming melody, a smile inducing hook and dirty great b-line to create a 69 minute symphony that sounds as wistfully enchanting doing the hoovering at home as it does reaching for the lasers on Saturday night. Like the best Sasha DJ set you ever heard, it has melancholy mixed with euphoria, downtempo introspection mixed with jump n' shout excitement.

Across the 11 tracks, there's the time and space to reflect his love for music that rarely gets the chance to shine in clubs, whether that's punishingly gnarly breakbeats or glittering modern classical film scores. It's a symphony for all ravers that grew up but never grew out of chasing that buzz. A record of a journey that began, as so many did, in the smoke and strobes of Manchester's Hacienda nightclub and has now taken him to Midwestern stadia and around the globe.

And that's an award-winning journey. The Delta Heavy Tour that consisted of Sasha, John Digweed and Jimmy Van M and took in 35 gigs between March and May last year was recently awarded Best Dance Event at the Dancestar Awards 2003. It was a series of gigs that took DJing into unprecedented waters - two mammoth tour buses, visuals by the company behind hit movie 7even's intense opening credit sequence, and crowds of up to 15,000 clubbers crammed into arenas, warehouses and theatres across the United States. The success was such that Sasha and the boys will be back on the road to do it all again, bigger, better, badder come Spring next year.

After a summer of dates across the globe, including sets at Homelands, Creamfields, Dance Valley, and hosting a stage in the forest of the Mount Fuji Festival, Sasha has been in the studio again, working on new plans and ideas, and most recently remixing the forthcoming UNKLE single. Expect a few surprises over the coming months, for the man simply refuses to stand still.

John Digweed (United Kingdom — Progressive)

The word "bedrock" holds two connotations. Literally, it is a solid mass of rock that lies underneath layers of loose, unconsolidated soil. Figuratively speaking, it refers to a basic principle, an irrefutable, fundamental idea upon which other thoughts and movements are derived. Whichever definition you apply, British DJ-producer John Digweed and his 10 year-old Bedrock club event have lived up to its implications.

While lesser DJs bow to the whims of clubland fad and fashion, Digweed continues to stand as a reliable, steadfast pillar of dance floor excellence. He brings the same douse of driving enthusiasm and inspiring innovation to his two-and-a-half year old residency at Manhattan superclub Twilo (where he reigns with Sasha) as he did to his first Bedrock events in Hastings more than 10-years ago, where he emerged as a fresh, young talent who mesmerized faithful audiences with his soul-stirring progressive dance tunes.

His resume of accomplishments makes his proteges swoon and his contemporaries nervous. He served as a resident at the northern club Renaissance during its early-to-mid nineties heyday. He was the first U.K. DJ (with Sasha) to hold a club residency in the U.S. He's consistently voted one of the top 10 international DJs in prestigious club culture publications such as DJ Magazine and Muzik. He's a talent whose appearances in locales such as Australia, Africa, and Asia are met with the same fervor and excitement they receive in Europe and America. And this DJ superstar continues to stay on the rise.

It's perfection he takes to his Bedrock club event, which celebrated one year of holding court at London's famed club Heaven in October 1999. It, like Digweed himself, has stood time's grueling test, graduating from its role as a humble hangout for punters looking for an excuse to party on a weekday night to become a globally-revered, outrageously respected club event whose rotation of world-class DJ talents and back-to-basics mentality prompted Muzik to list it in the top 10 of its "21 Clubs For The 21st Century." Of Bedrock's 1998 premier at Heaven, Time Out magazine said, "There haven't been too many things to salivate over in London club land recently, but the prospect of (Bedrock), the new John Digweed monthly residency at Heaven, has left the cognoscente positively drooling." One year later, the sentiment remains true, as Bedrock has seen the talents of Sasha, Carl Cox, Paul van Dyk, Basement Jaxx, Grooverider, Adam Freeland, Hybrid, The Light, Slacker, and countless other walk through its doors and bring the most enthralling dance sounds to appreciative crowds every other Thursday evening for a measly 5 pounds a head.

It's the same strive towards excellence he brings to his work as a musician. His tracks, recorded with partner Nick Muir under, you guessed it, the moniker Bedrock, are bona fide classics, meshing the deep, luxurious hues of house with the atmospheric rush of trance in Digweed's characteristic style. 1993's "For What You Dream Of," the quintessential Bedrock tune, found its way from the Renaissance dance floor into the film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting in 1996. "Heaven Scent," the latest opus, has been embraced by every important DJ with a clue. And his most recent reconfigurations of cuts by Satoshi Tomiie featuring Kelly Ali from Sneaker Pimps, Danny Tenaglia, and DJs Heller and Farley, plus others have made him one of the most respected and in-demand remixers of the year.

And it's the same distinctive flair and unrelenting passion with which he has delivered the first Bedrock mix CD, released in the U.S. on Ultra Records. Following on the heels of his and Sasha's groundbreaking Northern Exposure DJ mix series -- the third volume, Expeditions, was released in the spring of 1999 to overwhelmingly positive response on both continents, Bedrock is a two-disc set that truly captures John Digweed at his best, and represents his unique signature style that's driven with his sexy and dark-funky twisted house to his relentless, hypnotic progressive trance. A journey that highlights talents from both sides of the pond, including tracks by up-and-coming U.S. producers -- POB & Taylor, Sandra Collins, Tiny Trendies, BPT Feat. Danny Morales, Morel and others -- as well as the latest Bedrock smash. A course that demonstrates the global character of club culture as it moves into the next millennium by creating an artistic bridge that between East and West, London and New York, trance and house. An offering that, like none other before it, reflects Digweed's tri-fold personae as visionary club promoter, forward-thinking producer and exalted DJ.

A strong, steadfast foundation on which the ever-expanding global club culture continues to lean. A standard by which all other promoters, producers and DJs can be measured. With the talent and ambition that has a way of separating the diamonds from the rough, John Digweed's Bedrock is set to move you in more ways than you can imagine.

Kazell (Venice Beach, CA — Progressive)

Kevin Bazell, known more popularly in the dance scene as Kazell, has crafted a sonic presence best described as a unique mix of tough, funky and soulful grooves. This year, Kazell launches Influx Audio. A UK native and LA transplant, Kazell first arrived on US shores in 1991. Back then, parties were harder to come by; good music was even more difficult to secure. No internet and no downloads; this was old skool. Kazell was an unknown, but full of promise. He embraced his new digs and shipped over all his favorite records; within weeks, he was DJing in Miami and around the East Coast. People responded quickly to his signature sounda fusion of dub, tribal, and breaks over a techno-house base. And in his home city of Atlanta, he quickly became a favorite local resident at Liquid Groove, now known