DJ Mixes

Leading guerillas through Virunga…

Denney is part of the exciting new breed of electronic music talent emerging from the UK at the moment. Currently catching both the attention of his peers and dancefloors alike, with both his productions and DJ sets showcasing his own distinctive blend of acid house and techno.
Over the last four years he has held his residency at FUTURE in the north-east of England, playing with some of the biggest names in underground House music and gaining a strong following for not just his warm up sets but also for playing peak-time in between or after the guests. Alongside that his gig diary has seen him play for Pete Tong’s Wonderland, Ibiza Rocks, Manumission in Ibiza and MIKZ in Berlin in recent times. Then such high profile clubs in the UK as Shindig, Circus, Sankeys, Muzika, Ketoloco, Just Jack and he has a very strong connection to the infamous Back to Basics in Leeds, where he is a regular player.
Denney has released and remixed on labels such as Saved Records, Great Stuff, 20:20 Vision, Leftroom and Bulletdodge. His productions have gained support from Laurent Garnier, Dubfire and Jamie Jones, who has signed his music to Hot Creations.

Its evident that Denney is very much a forward thinking DJ looking to make a statement, not only from his latest promo mix for Virunga, where he will be leading the guerillas, not just from his own productions or his remixes, but also for the unprecedented support he has received from the likes of Nic Fanciulli, Bushwacka!, Ralph Lawson, James Lavelle and Yousef.

Guerilla Sounds caught up with Denney for a few words before he hits the decks and leads the night at Virunga on 02 November 2012, a night where Denney will unleash some secret weapons.

Many people recognise you for your “Ultraviolet” release on Hot Creations, but you have been involved in the music scene for some time now, even being charted as a Mixmag Future Hero in 2004. When did you first actually get involved in the music scene?
I originally started playing out when I was 16 in local clubs in the area, at the time the Sugarshack in Middlesbrough was one of the biggest clubs in the UK and I managed to start playing the backroom there weekly. From there on I started to meet people and make contacts and the whole thing just grew from there. I won the Northern Technics DJ Academy competition in Manchester when I was 19 and that led onto the Mixmag award etc. So I guess I’ve been doing this for a good twelve or thirteen years now!

You’ve received praise from industry professionals, Nic Fanciulli, Bushwacka!, Ralph Lawson, James Lavelle. Was it at this point it clicked that you were well and truly making it as a fully recognised artist or was there another moment when you realised?
To be honest its been very flattering to hear the support I’ve had from those guys as they are all people I look up to and have maximum respect for, but its only this year that I have really felt that things have started clicking into the place I want to be. “Ultraviolet” has been the main reason for that as I knew when I made that record it was different, I’m just so happy Jamie and Lee thought the same and put it out on Hot Creations!

As many will associate you with Hot Creations, you have actually released on label such as 20:20 Vision, Saved Records, VIVa MUSiC and Leftroom. Was it always your final goal to release on any of these labels and how do you find yourself fitting in with Hot Creations?
Well I have done originals on Saved and VIVa and remixes for 20:20 and Lefroom, its great to have released on these labels and I absolutely love what they put out. In regards to Hot Creations, I have been friends with Jamie, Richy, Rob and Miguel for years now due to when I used to work at Back to Basics in Leeds and we all used to party together and hang out. Rob and Miguel lived in Leeds also. I know them all on a personal level which is really nice and also they have all been great at giving me advice and pointers along the way which I am grateful for.

We can imagine that recent months have been very busy for you have played at numerous venues and parties; what has been the highlight gig for you recently?
I have two which are equal highlights but were both in the space of 24 hours. They were playing DC10 for Hot Creations Paradise party and then the afterparty at La Plage both in Ibiza. DC10 as it’s my favourite club on the planet and then La Plage was just a great fun vibe all day!

Do you have any secret weapons hidden in your box of trick that you will be dropping at the Virunga party?
I certainly do but I couldn’t possibly reveal them or it wouldn’t be secret anymore would it?!

Fair play to Denney, he has a point. For a DJ and producer who, even though he has been actively involved in the scene for sometime now, has exploded to the next level and upped his game. All that can be said is that we will certainly be looking forward to seeing him play at Virunga, and if his promo mix is anything to go by then guerillas will be swinging from the speakers.

Virunga
The Boileroom, 13 Stoke Fields, Guildford, England
20:00 – 03:00

Virunga | Facebook | Tickets | FB Event | RA | Boiler Room |

Making restrained music…

Greg was touch by music from a very early age when he was given a soundtrack that took him on a sci-fi journey and as an impressionable young lad he was drawn into to the music. Since that very first moment, Greg has been embedded in music; currently resident for London promoters GetDownGood and contributing writer for their respected associated blog. By day, Sawyer works as the PR and Editorial Manager for house heavyweight Defected Records and contributes to leading electronic music magazine Resident Advisor. By night he spins at some of London’s hippest venues, playing alongside underground luminaries such as Osunlade, Daniel Bortz, Severino, Jichael Mackson and Sei A.

Continue reading “G-Sounds 14: Greg Sawyer” »

Coming to The Town…

Forged from two of Malta’s finest musical purveyors, ‘The Town’ fuses Carl Farrugia, alias Audiofreak, and Sean Sammut aka The Element, creating one of the most powerful musical collaborations to have ever emerged from the island.

Continue reading “The Town at London’s Solid Grooves rooftop party” »

Zadig ready to join Ostgut-Ton’s Virginia and Melt residents…

Melt Music are delighted to have continued their link with Ostgut-Ton by calling upon the skills of the talented Virginia… Yet they are just as delighted to announce an exclusive debut London performance from Zadig. Always on the lookout for up and coming tech-house talent, Melt’s 6th event will be graced with just that when Zadig sets down for his first gig in London.

Continue reading “Zadig prepared for Melt 6 with Virginia [Interview]” »

Darin Epsilon takes G-Sounds on a progressive journey…

Internationally acclaimed DJ, producer, radio host, and label owner Darin Epsilon is often referred to as a leader of the Progressive & Tech House scene. His ‘Perspectives’ radio show and podcast, along with his frequent guest appearances on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, allow him to reach out to listeners across the globe. He launched his record label ‘Perspectives Digital’ in November 2010 as an extension of the brand, further solidifying his influence and presence within the global dance community. To top it all, he was named one of the winners in John Digweed & Beatport’s DJ Competition during the summer of 2011.

Continue reading “G-Sounds 13: Darin Epsilon” »

Climbers hit the scene with instant success…

Consisting of two high-school friends from Mexicali, Mexico, these ambitious amigos established the Climbers and embarked upon their musical journey almost 18 months ago to the day. Boasting very different styles of music and contrasting musical influences; Jay having already been a DJ for several years and Kiko coming from a Rock band, they are certainly not your most conventional underground music duo…Yet they both seem to share one-view, one fundamental vision, “to be happy with ourselves and also the music we make, to put our thoughts, feelings and just let it go with the flow”.

One year-on, and the Climbers have already released their first EP, ‘Law of Attraction’ on Droog’s infamous Culprit LA; a record which has enjoyed being timelessly played-out by the likes of Kiki, Art Department, Droog, James Teej, My Favorite Robot, Tanner Ross, Miguel Campbell and Catz n Dogz.
They are proving that they are not just a one EP wonder, with their latest release, coming swiftly after their first success. “My Life” is the second EP in only a month, which has been released on Nervous Records and keeps in line with the distinct Climbers sound. The title track is very much the prominent piece of the EP boasting a blissfully soft vocal, a track that is going to be played all through the summer, far and wide.
Their music can be characterised by classic house percussions, overwhelming baselines, old school vocal sampling and atmospheric pads, which inevitably always pushes all of the right buttons.

Continue reading “Climbers – An Instant Breakthrough [Interview]” »

Geshe and his deep techno tribal house sound…

Geshe Ewing was being influenced by music from a very young age and got his first pair of decks before he even hit his teens. By the time he was in his early teens, he was already DJing on London pirate radio stations, which finally lead him to play in some of London’s renowned clubs at the time.

Continue reading “G-Sounds 12: Geshe Ewing” »

From Hip-Hop to Techno…

After taking a short detour via Hip-Hop, Daniel has landed comfortably into the world of Berlin Techno and of Highgrade, a world where he finds himself in extremely good hands! At thirteen, Daniel started recording music from the radio and performing his first experiments in mixing music with a double cassette deck. Up until 1993 you could always find his Hip-Hop mix tapes circulating around West Berlin, that is until he found himself in the legendary Bunker club and experienced the infectious beats of Techno.

Continue reading “G-Sounds 11: Daniel Dreier” »