Jonathan Adams aka Dj JB international , the Cape Town music-maker who has signed a five-year two album and distribution deal with Crownn Records in Berlin, Germany after being discovered on his social media pages by Jerome Bo Fitts, A&R manager of Crownn Records and founder of Bofi Clothing.

We asked Jonathan a few questions before he put together an exclusive mix for Listenup SA pre touring the Middle East.

My personal sound can be described in one easy word progressive. From the music that I produce to my sets that I play. Phat filthy baselines with high energy melody and tranquil breaks.

Think of it this way. Take a deadmau5 drumline, wolfgang gartner’s basslines , and for some crazy reason we throw in a melody line by david guetta … that is more or less my personal sound.

It surely has a bit of everything, from fidget, electro, progressive down to deep and deep tech.

What/who have been Influences in your life?
From the very beginning it was Cape Town pioneering DJ, Tony “Ace” Smith. The guy just blew me away with what a human being is capable of doing with just 2 turntables. From then onwards up until 2004 I shadowed Tony to all his gigs. I met a few great djs and producers along the way. But Tony is still the biggest influence in my career.

Following the list would be Rodney beukes, Joel Zimmerman aka deadmau5, john dahlback. Phenomenal producers

Who are some of your favourite producers & djs?
Is there enough space on this page…? Lol
Short listed they would be deadmau5, wolfgang gartner, BSOD, Nari, daft punk, klaas, last but not least sander van doorn

Best memories as a DJ?
Seeing an ocean of +/- 40 000 people go crazy on my set live at the warehouse project (UK) last year 2009

What equipment do you use?

• 3x Pioneer CDJ 1000
• 1x pioneer DJM 800
• 1x pioneer Fx 1000
• Ableton live 8 running through a midi surface controller for live onset remixes

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
An awesome set of good clean fun, good vibrations and sore feet accompanied by some serious body aches… BALASTIC ENT delivers nothing but the best in electro

Where can people find you online?

www.myspace.com/jbintl
www.reverbnation.com/jbintl
www.facebook.com/jbintl
www.twitter.com/djjbintl
www.soundcloud.com/jbintl

Record Label:Balastic records

Contact:
Kervin: +27 79 024 9880
Mobile: +27 78 100 7189
E-mail: jbintlsa@gmail.com

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Deep melodic progressive house set from Digital Project, a series of special tunes found over the past few months and years..

Tracklisting:

1. White Label
2. Paloma – Fetish (Dandy Hungary & Invoice Remix)
3. Madooza – Bsound
4. Eternal Night – Off Mind (Retroid Absorbed Mix)
5. Zu Fuss – Extrawelt
6. Dance – Alex Stealthy
7. Sonification – Hernan Cattaneo & Soundexile
8. Murder Weapon – 16 Bit Lolitas
9. Madre Noche – Henry Saiz
10. 2000000 Suns – King Unique
11. Prostitutes & Video Games – Break The Box (Grandson Remix)
12. Future Perfect – Way Out West

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Emerging from the cyber lanes of the internet underground, Dj Khoisan has walked these wild and unknown streets for many years, bringing us back hidden beats and sound-filled treats from around the world.

His mixes are crafted using the tunes of artists and producers who operate in the Creative Commons and Netlabel domains, with the occasional guest appearance of mainstream artists who sometimes release their music for free. His mission is to bring us the finest selection of mixes that the free music culture has to offer, where the music is forever free and the quality second to none.

Dj Khoisan started his mixing adventure in the middle of 2009 where he joined the pioneering South African netlabel, Bushmen Records. On joining he became the resident dj of Bushmen Records’ virtual club, Sub Domain. Khoisan is somewhat of a mystery and not much else is known about him. One thing that is known is that his musical journey into the internet underground continues and we will discover more about this mysterious music collector by the sounds he brings back to us.

Can you describe your personal sound in a bit more detail?
All my mixes are made from the music of artists from the netlabel scene with the occasional track from other artists who makes their that tracks downloadable for free. The netlabel scene is an international movement on the internet where music producers share their music for free with others, most often releasing it under a Creative Commons license. This online culture is unfortunately not commonly known to the wider public, even less in South Africa, and is one of the reason why I refer to it as the internet underground. None of my mixes are performed live and which is why I call myself a “virtual dj”. The method I follow in making my mixes is by flagging tracks into “themed” categories as I listen to them on my music player. I download a lot of netlabel releases and listen to new stuff daily. Later on I go in to “arrange mode” where I listen to one of the categorised playlists and then move and remove tracks to form the flow of the final mix.

In terms of the sound of my mixes I’d say it is generally completive, marked by a downtempo and trippy movement. It takes the listener on an intentional journey and leaves them refreshed at the end of it.

What/who have been Influences in your life?
Music has always had a big part in my life. From playing piano at an early age, to avidly listening to music in the 80s, 90s, 2000s. Everything from 80s rock and pop, to the birth of techno and the evolution of electronic music, with a long stint in the metal scene. The wonders of nature and creation also influences me greatly. God therefore is probably my main inspiration and influence.

Who are some of your favorite Producers & DJs?
There are way too many to mention but I can mention a few for now. Dj Shadow, Massive Attack, Deepspace, Juri, Planet Boelex, Mosiak, Portis Head, Jamirquai, The Delta, Mr. Moods, Merging Moods, Northcape, Sleepy Town Manufacture, Sublinear, Weldroid and many more artists who operate in the netlabel scene. Check my website for the artists in my mixes and also reviews on new and older netlabel releases – http://djkhoisan.wordpress.com/

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
My mixes are generally of the more downtempo and chilled nature so it’s a mellow vibe that takes the listener on journey while they are at work or just relaxing. I do have a few mixes planned that are more dance orientated but is also good to mission on. One is a seriously awesome Drum and Bass set, another an 80s inspired Electro set and then a thumping Breakbeat set that will get you moving while you remain stationary. I tend to have a theme or a specific mood to my mixes. The featured mix, The Matrix 2.0 – Resounded, is the 2nd part of a 3 part series of mixes in which I explore the idea of an alternate soundtrack to the Matrix movies, all made from freely available music from brilliant artists of the netlabel scene.

Tracklisting:
1. Re-Entry – Wavespan (Wavespan)
2. rear entrance technology – planet boelex (Sinking in the Soup EP)
3. Follow Her Trace – Technology of Silence (Liminality: The Silent Hill Inspired Album (Disc One))
4. afternoon coffin break – url (octopus city)
5. 1st impression – innerkozmos (Kozmosounds Demo)
6. Nacht Und Nebel – So simple. (Alba 1)
7. Subversive – The X-Structure (Westcoast Trip)
8. Not For Me – Daniel Blomqvist ([THN100] 100)
9. bang – mindflower (cornerstation)
10. Navigation – Softspace (Mahler’s Cat)
11. Time Travel – Phollox (Electrobel Dubstep Compilation)
12. Leaving the scene – Synthamesk (Milk and Cookies)
13. Trial – Singing Crane Productions (The Rising)
14. Breakdancing In the Rain – Sublinear (Pinned Beneath the Boiling Sky)
15. the spinning pain – black era (the point of no return)
16. winter – alpha conspiracy (cipher)

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Ricardo Da Costa knows a thing or two about what makes a dancefloor tick—master of the addictive morphing bassline and a pounding kick drum, his fusion of electro, tribal and tech house has marked him as one of the most significant DJs to emerge from an already illustrious era of innovators. He is one of the most prominent and accomplished figures in South African dance music— his credentials read like every DJ’s daydream but, above anything else, what shines through is the fact that Ricardo Da Costa has tirelessly followed his passion for dance music and it is this potent passion that permeates all his endeavours.

A true musical maverick, Ricardo Da Costa succeeds at whichever role he decides to take on– the constant element being dance music. Record Managing Director of South Africa’s most well-respected dance label by day and a highly sought-after DJ by night, Ricardo’s world revolves around music—and it’s clear that he’s got all bases covered.

His longevity and presence owes not only to the undeniable quality of Ricardo’s sets: his ability to meld the hypnotic, funky and raw into thumping, soul-shaking soundtracks but also to his constant drive to be at the forefront of global trends. His special gift for finding dance-floor diamonds has led to some of the most successful dance releases in South African music history. With a growing repertoire of highly-successful releases behind him— (nine to date and the tenth on the way) Ricardo has consistently brought his distinct flavour and contagious enthusiasm for House music to South Africa’s ever-evolving party scene.

Whenever South Africa plays host to an international talent— Ricardo is there, representing. He has held his own alongside some of the most legendary DJs and producers worldwide: Erick Morillo, Pete Tong, Paul van Dyk, Martin Solveig, Sandy Rivera, Junior Jack, Kid Creme, Tall Pall, Tiesto, Tom Novy, Axwell, Sarah Main, Dubfire, Sharam and David Guetta— Ricardo’s been there, done that!

Chances are, if you’ve been anywhere near a dance-floor, you’ll have heard his name or heard his distinctive style of House. A quick rewind takes us to the nineties when young Ricardo was inspired and captured by the sounds of groups like 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor, Cappello, Nightcrawlers, Culture Beat and the iconic band, Depeche Mode. A year or two later, Ricardo was seduced by the burgeoning house scene and his DJ career began to take root. In 1994, at Azurri Cafe, Ricardo’s skills first registered on the clubbing radar and he’s never looked back. Fifteen years later Ricardo has headlined at virtually every nightclub in South Africa, from Flyhouse, Bump, Tramps, DNA, Therapy, ESP, Nexus, Opium, 52 Parliament, Taboo, Sutra, Bang Bang Club,Truth, Aruba Lounge, to Nicci Beach and more.

Ricardo is no stranger to the sprawling madness of festivals either, rocking thousands at Urban Wave (David Guetta, Dubfire, Sharam), Kiss, Sound Factory, ICE, Woodstock, Fu-Cha Gathering and, of course, his long-standing residency at Africa’s biggest dance music festival, H20. It’s here that Ricardo has fuelled a massive 18,000 crowd with his magnetic blend of beats. When Ricardo Da Costa gets his groove on, he grabs your soul and won’t let go.

The demand for his skills has spread to neighbouring state Mozambique and has led to globe-trotting expeditions where he played at some of the world’s best international clubbing cities and festivals. 2004 saw Ricardo fly to Dubai where he rocked club Oxygen; in 2007 he hit Germany’s legendary Love Parade (1,2 million people) and this year his UK tour included gigs at Ministry of Sound, Hoxton Pony, Zulu Bar.

Not content with playing at other people’s parties, Ricardo and partners conceptualized and realized an event at South Africa’s premier night-club, Truth. For two years running the wild and colourful ‘Electric Circus’ parties have pulled well over 3000 of Johannesburg’s dancefloor devotees— a testament to Ricardo’s role as a party-starter, trendsetter and industry mainstay.

Ricardo’s charisma and capacity to lead has defined his career from day one: appointed manager for both Mental Groove Records (1999) and Retro Music (2004) Ricardo developed his in-depth understanding of all facets of the dance music industry. In 2006, Ricardo took up his position at Soul Candi Records where he manages operations of label as well as A&R. His expertise and leadership is responsible for the label’s continued success.

Behind the public persona, Ricardo is a genuinely vital guy with compelling, almost tangible charm. Untouchable in his power to communicate to all people, Ricardo Da Costa walks the walk and has truly earned his place among the scene’s leaders. In fact, if there’s one word that exemplifies Ricardo Da Costa, it is leader. Whether as a DJ, producer, promoter or label manager his dedication and vision knows no boundaries.

Ricardo answered a few questions of ours during some valuable free time he could spare:

Can you describe your personal sound in a bit more detail?
House Music that evokes emotion, tribal, tech, progressive, deep grooves….i do it all

What/who have been Influences in your life?
Brazil, Depeche Mode, Fly House (My first club residency), Erick Morillo, Carl Cox, DJ Nelson (Afroboogie), Stuart H & anything with drums

Who are some of your favourite producers & djs?
Producers: Currently…Axwell, Gabriel Rocha, Joey Suki, Franky Rizardo, Jose Nunez, David Penn, Matteo Di Marr, Hector Couto
DJ’s… Dirty South, Franky Rizardo, Erick Morillo, Tom Novy, Chris Lake, Mark Knight

Best memories as a DJ?
The Love Parade in Germany in 2007, 1.2 million people…it was biblical. Sadly, the parade will never take place again due to this years tragedy

What equipment do you use?
If I could have 3 CDJ 2000’s I will be in my element…

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
Energy

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On the mention of the name Keren Onay, one cannot help but associate the name with a fiery blend of bouncy tech and jacking house. This unique fusion merged with a vibey enthusiastic persona creates an explosive experience for any crowd. It seems a dance floor becomes a feeding ground of charged energy from the minute he drops the first track.

With over 14 year behind the decks Keren onay has morphed in to a versatile force in the clubbing scene. Always staying true to his sound he follows his instincts while still paying homage to his most avid listeners.

Having mixed at some of the most established clubs in Jo-burg such as Sugar, Aruba, Malabar and who could forget Truth.

We have also heard his cutting edge sound on the dance floors of the Essential Groove parties, at Passion events, we also tuned in to The Vinyl Frontier on 5FM on Friday nights to hear Mr. Onay rocking the airwaves not to mention being aired regularly on South Africa’s broadest mainstream dance web radio The Sound Republic.

He has played alongside to the likes of Ryan Dent, Craig Massive, Roger Goode, Dean Fuel, Ricardo Da Costa, Lady Lea and Guy Herman. While opening for acts such as the ingenious Trafik from Global Underground and Mowgli are no mean feats by any standard to revered locals such as Roger De Lux and the “Get Dumb” boys Nick Supply and Chris Jack. Just to mention a few in the South African dance scene.

Having risen through the ranks and determination yet still considers himself “honoured” to have played at events such as Sushi Sunday, The Official H2O After parties as well as Truth’s Tenth Birthday.

With pure passion as his driving force he is well on his way to becoming one of the heavy weights in the industry. He has left his fans wanting more and the SA dance scene hankering to see what his next step will be.

Can you describe your personal sound in a bit more detail?
The Genres I usually stick to are House, Tech House, Minimal and Techno. An underground sound with a tribal influence, anything deep and groovy. Energetic samples with a soulful vibe-y rhythm.

What/who have been Influences in your life?
Ryan Dent for his constantly evolving sound, being able to push the limits and his ability to entertain any crowd. Ricardo Da Costa for his passion for music and his love for the industry that clearly emanates in his music and lastly Guy Herman having very similar tastes in music presently, he has always managed to stay true to his roots in house music. That’s it for the local boys. Internationally first and foremost would have to be Barem. I recently saw him play at Truth upstairs, this guy blew my mind in terms of his music. It changed the way I perceived the beat from there on out. Lastly the likes of Sasha, John Digweed and Dubfire.

Who are some of your favorite producers & djs?
Locally I would have to say Roger D’Lux as he definitely has the most amazing skills technically. Producer-wise I reckon Ryan Murgatroyd manages to bring out the goods time and time again.
Intentionally some favourites are Uner & Coyu, Ramon Tapia, D-Unity, Uto Karem, Tim Green and Wally Lopez.

Best memories as a DJ?
My iconic moment would have to be my set at the Truth 10th birthday celebration. I started off with some Deep Tech while the crowd was flooding in, it filled up quickly and by the middle of my set they were screaming for me, every track I dropped the energy just built and built. By the end of my set I had them jumping for more, I had cameras in my face and the energy had turned utterly electric. I then handed over the decks to the international duo from Global Underground, Trafik.

What equipment do you use?
I like to keep it simple, I currently use 2 x Pioneer CDJ 1000 with a Pioneer DJM 800 mixer. I have plans to move over to Serato in the near future.

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
Deep groovy bass lines with a distinct tribal rhythm. Increasing energetic journey from beginning to end. I like to throw in a heavy techno tune once in a while to keep people on their toes.

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Party people and lovers of super sexy electro sounds around the world, this year you are in Tony Finger’s hands!

After 20 years spinning records around the world, he is one of the hottest producers (recently releasing some new tracks on the Worldwide label PACHA Recordings) and DJs of the current electronic scene alongside his label Touch it Records, a global record label specializing in Electro & House and Lounge music. The label has released a string of dancefloor hits reaching the top charts on Djdownload & Beatport.

His latest track “Calling Ibiza” & killer remixes for Goldfish latest Platinum Album “Perception of PACHA” (just released on Pacha Recording) & Jorge Jaramillo (Who Da Funk/Lektro Chic) are ravaging the dancefloors getting support worldwide!

Tony’s passion for electronic beats ignited at the age of 16 and traversed many musical genres; with years behind and unquestionable passion in house music, he has been fascinated with music from Giorgio Moroder’s disco to Kraftwerk’s synth 80s electro to the sounds of Paris French Touch – Daft Punk, Etienne de Crecy, Bob Sinclar & Superfunk.

Tony’s legendary flair behind the decks has landed him residencies and top gigs in London (WAD, MOS), Paris (Paris Fashion Week, Bains Douche, Buddha Bar, VIP Room), Moscow (Buddha Bar), Lisbon (FL cafe, SAL Lounge Bar) & Cape Town (Cafe Peroni, Daddy Cool ,Vista Bar @ One & Only, BBC, FTV & many more) alongside international house legends Stephane Pompougnac (Hotel Costes), Bob Sinclar, Daft Punk, David Guetta, Superfunk, Ron Carroll, Junior Sanchez, Boy George, Deep Dish; local SA artists & Djs such as Gold Fish, Coda, Roger Goode, Dino Moran & Craig De Sousa.

You can regularly listen to Tony Finger mix & latest music productions Good Hope FM, 5fm, Radio SA (UK) and on his own weekly radioshow on Dance Web Radio internet radio.

We caught up with Tony, to get the low down behind his success…

Can you describe your personal sound in a bit more detail?
Sexy house with a touch or Electro & tech/Progressive

What/who have been Influences in your life?
Giorgio Moroder’s disco to Kraftwerk’s synth 80s electro to the sounds of Paris French Touch – Daft Punk, Etienne de Crecy, Bob Sinclar & Superfunk, David morales,

Who are some of your favourite producers & djs?
Deadmau5, Axwell, Steve Angello, Guetta and some more …

Best memories as a DJ?
There are many, but the sweetest one was in Russia at one of those big Festival, where I had an aspiring young djette waiting for me to autograph a vinyl for her.

What equipment do you use?
For production, I’m on Mac mainly working on Protools & Logic. Djing wise, I did start to play on vynils but moved to cdj & now using as well Torq Dj & Traktor timecoded.

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
An high energy set, with synth, vocals & pumping baseline.

Tracklisting:

1. Hey Hey – Crookers Remix Dennis Ferrer
2. Devil Walking – Original Club Mix Mark Knight
3. 99 – Tim Green Remix Cassius
4. Spinning Around – Tommyboy Remix Crazibiza
5. My Feelings For You – Original Mix Sebastien Drums, Avicii
6. Just Won’t Do feat. Sam Obernik – ATFC & Warren Clarke Re-Vamp
7. Tim Deluxe, Analog People In A Digital World
8. Louder Than Words feat. Niles Mason – Original Mix David Guetta, Afrojack
9. Teenage Crime – Axwell & Henrik B Remode Adrian Lux
10. Pop Corn – DJ Kharma & Mighty Atom Mix Pacific Wave
11. Conscindo – Original Club Mix Mark Knight, Wolfgang Gartner
12. Apes From Space – Dirtyloud Remix Aaren San
13. C’Mon – Original Mix Tiesto, Diplo
14. Some Chords – Original Mix Deadmau5
15. One – Original Mix Swedish House Mafia

Visit my website for more info, download & booking enquiry:
www.tonyfinger.com

Buy my music on:
www.beatport.com

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Owners of Homegrown – COUNTERSTRIKE, also known as Animal Chin and 500 Mills, have been active drum ‘n bass DJ’s/producers/promoters since the mid nineties.

They have promoted hundreds of drum ‘n bass events between them, some as early as 1995. Collectively producing since 1998, they’ve had over 40 12″ vinyl releases on various labels such as Rob Playford’s Moving Shadow and Dieselboy’s Human.

Algorythm Recordings, their own label, was launched in 2000 and include releases from artists such as Current Value, Limewax, SPL, T.Z.A, The Panacea and Donny. In 2009 the lanched an additional label, Counterstrike Recordings.

Apart from their busy production schedule they still find the time to regularly perform in Europe and the USA. 2009 saw them DJ in 17 countries.

Tracklisting:

1. Counterstrike & The Panacea – The Minotaur
2. Black Sun Empire – Driving Insane (Counterstrike Remix)
3. Gancher – Fugea >>>>> Current Value – Circuit
4. Counterstrike – Extreme Mutilation
5. Counterstrike & Current Value – Obsessive
6. Dean Rodell & Cooh – Medicine
7. Forbiden Society & Cooh – The Gord
8. The Outside Agency & Donny – Among Us
9. Counterstrike, Silent Killer & Breaker – The Visitor
10. Gein, Silent Killer & Breaker – 6 Feet
11. Silent Killer – Supremacy Bleeds (Counterstrike Duo Remix)
12. I:Gor – Icebreaker (Counterstrike remix)
13. Gancher – Ardor
14. Current Value – Twisted VIP
15. Counterstrike – Cut You Into Little Pieces VIP
16. Counterstrike –  Bodybag  (Zardonic VIP)
17. Counterstrike & Cooh – Crowdsurfer
18. Current Value – New Life
19. Counterstrike & Gein – Pentagram VIP
20. Counterstrike & Forbidden Society – Extreme
21. Counterstrike – Meltdown
22. Counterstrike, Silent Killer & Breaker- Weapon
23. Underhill – Dead Foot
24. Presence Known & Vista – Cataclysm (Counterstrike Remix)
25. Limewax – Jupiter
26. Current Value – Machines
27. Counterstrike & Cooh – Computer Control
28. Josh Wink – I Am Ready (Bootleg)
29. Counterstrike – Timewarp VIP
30. Current Value & Limewax – Shape of Space
31. Nanotek – Incarnate
32. Silent Killer,Breaker & DJ Hidden – Vultures
33. Donny – The Resistance
34. Panacea feat. AC Slater – Ravemusic Resurrected

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Inspired by a recent trip to Southeast Asia, the progressive breakbeat journey Downsouth continues…

Hope you enjoy this one, tracklist has been very carefully put together over the past 6 months.

Tracklisting:

To date, the Downsouth series has had over 6,000 downloads and close on 15,000 audio streams.

For more from Digital Project check: www.digitalproject.co.za

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Ryan Sullivan has been a well known name in South Africa’s underground for over a decade. Known for rocking dance floors nationwide and releasing a string of killer singles, EP’s and remixes on labels across the globe such as Pure Substance, Bellarine, Perc Trax, FeralCode, Virtuoso, Source of Gravity, Glo-Tech Africa, L2 Music, Fiberline Audio, Worldwide Exclusive, Underground Lessons, Plastik Phylosophy, Vertikal Records and even his own label, Gut Feel Records. All of which garnered support from some of the world’s leading underground DJs and radio stations.

In mid 2010 the Cape Town based artist teamed up with Triplefire Music to release his first full length album titled No One Will Ever Know, a ground breaking piece of work guaranteed to gain reverence across the board. Inspired by the early sounds that originally steered his attention towards electronic dance music, Ryan constructed No One Will Ever Know as a mix consisting of 12 great Sullivan originals and remixes. Musically rich melodies and harmonies combined with driving, percussive rhythm at a comfortable tempo form a serving of music suitable for the lounge, car and dance floor alike. No One Will Ever Know can be downloaded for free from www.ryansullivan.co.za/no-one-will-ever-know/no-one-will-ever-know.html.

Can you describe your personal sound in a bit more detail?
My sound is constantly evolving which makes it hard to describe in too much detail but I am always hooked on groove and musical substance. I love music with interesting rhythms, which can be anything from complex percussion to a simple driving beat. It all depends on how it’s put together and how it’s used. Most important to me is the musicality. The best records for me evoke some sort of emotion and failing that the song must be cleverly quirky.

What/who have been Influences in your life?
Everything influences me in some way but assuming you mean things that have positively influenced my music I would have to say that my surroundings and other people’s music are my main influences. I’m mostly moved by sad music and seem to find endless inspiration in relationships with people, especially at the beginning and end of relationships when my emotions are unsettled. I would actually go as far as to say that I’m most inspired when my life is slightly unstable.

Who are some of your favourite producers & djs?
There have been so many over the years, young and old, famous and unknown. Some of my all time favourites are The Prodigy, James Holden, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Sigur Ros, Thomas Newman, Orbital, Aphex Twin, BT, Leftfield, Chicane, Fluke, Herbert, The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Charles Webster, Coldcut, Dj Shadow, UNKLE, Faithless, Shpongle, Moshic, Hybrid,  Mogwai, some NIN, Bjork, Lamb…too many to mention.

Some newer guys are Applescal, Trentemoeller, The Field, Royksopp, Wighnomy Brothers and again, many more.

I like different types of music for different reasons. All of the above along with many more have been huge influences in my life and obviously in my music even though you’d probably never hear it.

Best memories as a DJ?
There are many but one is when Lee Burridge asked for the dj playing after me to be kicked off so that I could play some more. That was a serious compliment. Especially considering I was performing my own productions live.

Another moment was while partying with James Lavelle aka UNKLE and promising him I’d get sick if he forced me to drink the Jagermeister he was trying to feed me. He made me drink it and ended up having to hold my hair back while I got sick. I know it’s silly but a good memory none the less.

What equipment do you use?
For dj performances I use a laptop, Traktor, Kore and a midi controller.

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
My main aim is always to deliver something a little different and hopefully thought provoking. The music I play is always alternating between musical and emotional, and groovy and quirky. I love to play serious music in a fun way. It’s all about relativity. Every song has a different effect depending on what was played before it and what is being played after it.

Tracklisting

1. Ezequiel Sanchez – Slightly Man – Dialtone Recordings
2. Luis Caballero – Cucarachas – 76 Recordings
3. Nils Noa – Uno Dos Rocks (Christian Sol Remix) – Troll Records
4. Ryan Sullivan – Truth (CDR)
5. Module – Framed – Manual Music
6. Ryan Sullivan – Min Work – Gut Feel Records
7. Nipp – ORL (James Harcourt Remix) – CDR
8. King Roc & Dimitri Nakov – Alameda Jau – Bedrock Records
9. Davide Squillace & Michele Tabucchi – One Lobster, Please (Mathias Kaden’s Gambass Remix) – Sci+Tec Digital Audio
10. Pascal FEOS – The Beat Goes On – Level Non Zero
11. Peter Horrevorts – Nymph – GEM Records
12. Ryan Sullivan – Chase – CDR

To keep abreast of Ryan’s various gigs, events and production projects, please log onto www.ryansullivan.co.za as well as www.gutfeelrecords.net.

You can also purchase his latest releases at on Beatport HERE

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Chris started playing house music at the tender age of 14 and has to date already had the great honour of playing alongside “Paul Oakenfold, Dj Fresh, Roger Goode, Shaun Duvet, Ryan Dent, Flash Republic, Dean Fuel, Nick Supply, Ricardo da Costa, Freestylers(UK) Troydon(UK), Mowgli (Italy), Stupid fresh (UK), and Kelevra (UK).”

Soon Chris shall be joining Sasha on his club tour of SA for the SWC 2010.

Can you describe your personal sound in a bit more detail?
Currently, I play a mixture of tech house, minimal, techno & house. Anything with a deep driving bassline with lots of sub! I have been known to drop a few odd numbers to keep things interesting and I like progression in my sets, so don’t write-me-off after hearing 2 tunes! haha

What/who have been influences in your life?
As far as djing goes, I think Shaun Duvet, for his immense drive for success as well as Dean Fuel for his outright perfection and consistency. On the music front, the Swedes, Axwell, Ingrosso & Angello & Prydz have all influenced me as their production is world class and they just about never deliver a crap tune! Currently, Funkagenda, Dubfire, Mark Mendes, Mark Knight, Adam Shaw and a few other little secrets are dominating my sets!

Who are some of your favourite producers & djs?
Locally, my partner in crime, Nick Supply has really pushed the boundaries of electronic music in South Africa, starting @ 16 and self-taught since then, he really has aided in putting South Africa on the map musically. Ryan Murgatroyd also never ceases to amaze me. Ryan is a total musical machine who can make just about anything, and makes it biiiiig!

Internationally, Funkagenda, Mark Knight, SHM, Dubfire, Mark Mendes, Mendo, Carlo L, D-Formation, D-Unity & Nic Fanciulli are just some of my favorites!

Best memories as a DJ?
Too many to remember! I think playing annually @ Plett & Ballito rages is always a big highlight of my year and have had numerous memories come out of those parties/after-parties! I’m opening for Sasha in a few weeks, pretty sure that will be an experience not to forget!

What equipment do you use?
I happen to have a bit of a fetish for Pioneer toys, so everything from them is in my room! Right now, 2 x CDJ 2000s, DJM 800, EFX 1000 and hopefully soon, the DJM2000 whenever it gets here! Im also investing in some sampling toys such as the Korg Mini. I am a toy-tech freak!

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
They can expect a driving bass-y tech-y sound with the odd recognizable “commercialized” vocal booty from time to time and surprises, lots of them!

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