Butch’s take on Sasha’s Ray LaMontagne collaboration is a furious slice of tech-house. “The original ‘Eclipse’ is quite deep,” explains Sasha, “So when we decided to have it remixed, we wanted to take it up a few notches, both to offer variety and make it suitable for those peak time hours.” The resulting mix is a builder in the purest sense. Butch adds in layer upon layer of sound as the variation drives towards its climax, where the innovative use of two mini-breaks in quick succession drown the listener in an intense audio wave; a unique ‘moment’ that never fails to work wherever its played, be it the centre of a dancefloor or thrashed through the iPod headphones!

Nhar’s re-work of Charlie’s ‘Midnight’, contains all his emotive hallmarks founded by a driving kick, a part that’s pretty much omitted from the original, as Charlie explains, “Although there’s a lot of energy in ‘Midnight’ it doesn’t have a traditional 4/4 beat. Nhar really was the perfect choice to re-imagine the track for the dancefloor, his contemporary, yet melodic style, provided him with an immediate understanding of the original and where it then needed to go. I’m delighted with the outcome”

With the original mixes also featured in their full-length, fully mastered guise for the first time, ‘The Midnight Eclipse EP’ is a very welcome addition to the emFire roster.

Sasha / Charlie May – The Midnight Eclipse EP is out December 7th on emFire

The philosophy behind Gem is to only sign music that will become timeless, regardless of which genre they may be categorized as now. The label showcase event Gem Sessions has just been introduced successfully to the Dutch scene with a number of sold out events, an excellent Amsterdam Dance Event show, and there are now plans for more events throughout Europe.

The first artist to be revealed on the label will be Egbert, who was discovered by Jeroen Verheij and went on to release the huge Magie (which was recently signed to Sven Vath’s Sounds Of The 10th Season compilation on Cocoon). This track also landed him a deal to release a 12” on Vath’s label in November.

GEM001 will be Egbert’s Dezelfde Weg EP, which Secret Cinema has been dropping everywhere over the summer and the crowd response has been amazing!
Side A features the hypnotic, melody driven techno slammer title track Dezelfde Weg. On the flipside is a deeper, darker track called Vette Sounds with creepy yet commanding synths over a pounding bassline driven groove.
This track has also received the Secret Cinema Remix treatment to brilliant effect!

Egbert van der Gugten appeared out of the blue in March of 2008 with his first EP Stroom on Lo-Fi Soul Recordings. After listening to Egbert’s tracks on Myspace, Jeroen Verheij was convinced the young producer had a lot of talent and invited him to join his agency. After spending some time in the studio with Verheij, he was soon performing impressive live sets at the Secret Cinema Invites events. The next step was the release of his second EP Vlammen on Michel de Hey’s EC-records in February of 2009. The title track and the B2 Magie were picked up by the world’s leading DJ’s, including Richie Hawtin and Sven Vath. Now it is time for Gem to spread the word around the worldabout this talented young artist with this new EP.

Jeroen Verheij a.k.a. Secret Cinema remains at the forefront of the techno music scene with his immaculate productions and powerful DJ and live performances. September 2009 saw the release of the Jazz Me EP on Cocoon Recordings, which also featured the massive Shake Ur Tek-Ass.

Peter Horrevorts will be responsible for the second release on Gem Records.
He already has a number of high profile releases and remixes under his belt on labels such as Underground Resistance, Ministry of Sound and Global Underground, to name a few, so this is a very exciting prospect. Also look out for Jamie Anderson, Ramon Tapia and Van Anh who will be making their first appearance on Gem soon!

Pinch runs the internationally renowned Bristol dubstep label Tectonic, home to releases from Skream, Benga, Martyn, Joker, 2562, Loefah, Distance and many other top name producers. It is also home to his own groundbreaking work including the genre defining LP ‘Underwater Dancehall’. Bristol is also the base for Subloaded – longest standing dedicated dubstep night in the town, with regular parties in London and an annual room at BLOC Weekender.

International diva Yolanda provides the stunning vocals on ‘Get Up’. She has toured the world with Massive Attack as lead vocalist, recorded tracks for their forthcoming LP and worked with numerous dance acts over the years – either as Yolanda or as her alter ego Koko. She has a quite simply amazing voice and a pair of lungs that could blow out a candle a mile away.

Release Date: 30th November 2009

Offering something a little different for the occasion, The Box sees Mark Knight & Martijn Ten Velden, Dave Spoon & D. Ramirez team up for an all singing, all dancing 5 hour back-2back show involving 4 CDJ’s, 3 mixers, 2 laptops, a whole world of FX and no doubt the odd house classic been thrown down. Funkagenda, launching his Toolroom Knights compilation, will close the room flying-solo with an array of Birthday bangers and exclusive personal edits. As friends, producers and DJ’s these are 5 of the most passionate talents working in the industry today, who between them have dominated the dance charts with a succession of big releases and tonight as the leading Toolroom Knights share a common goal…to tear a new dance floor in the main room for the Birthday.

Over in the Bar it’s all about a special DJ/live set from Grammy Award winning Dirty Vegas, fusing vocal elements of a live performance with the energy and beats of a DJ set. 2009 has been a hectic year for the DV trio, who’ve been back in the studio, had 3 major releases on Toolroom; Pressure, Changes and this summer’s IMS anthem Tonight, remixed big hitters Dizzie Rascal, Calvin Harris, Ladytron and announced plans for an artist album due early 2010. All eyes will be on the boys as they turn up their talents for this exciting Birthday appearance. In support, the Bar will be rocking to the sound of Toolroom’s future stars; Pete Griffiths, George Andrews, Mark Storie, Gina Star and the label’s latest ‘Leader of the New School’ Paul Thomas, looking to celebrate the release of his ‘LONS’ album. London party supremos Get Diverted host the Loft and Gifted bring the underground sounds to the Baby Box.

All in all, an almighty party to celebrate 3 years of Toolroom Knights and another guaranteed road-block.

And there’s MORE – Toolroom want to give a little something back as a thank-you for your continued support of their parties over the last 3 years, so all tickets purchased on the door will receive the latest Toolroom Knights CD mixed by Funkagenda FREE, and for advanced ticket holders the CD will be available on the night for £5. (this CD would normally retail in stores at £12.99!!)

Saturday Sessions presents…
Toolroom Knights – 3rd Birthday

Saturday 21st November
23:00-07:00

Box:
Mark Knight b2b Martijn Ten Velden
Funkagenda
Dave Spoon b2b D.Ramirez

Bar:
Dirty Vegas (DJ Set)
Paul Thomas
Pete Griffiths & George Andrews
Mark Storie
Gina Star

Loft: Get Diverted
Rob Aldritt
Lofty b2b Mike Mackeeg
Jordan Brown
Grant Nichols
Alex Acuna

Baby Box: Gifted
James Murray
Lewi Five 0
Twisted K
David Lee
Dave Lane

Door prices: £15* in advance, £20 on the door (which includes FREE Toolroom Knights CD mixed by Funkagenda), £6 after 4am.

*For all for advanced ticket holders, the CD will be available to purchase on the night for £5.

Toolroom has a rich reputation in the mix CD spectrum. How do you feel about being given the opportunity to contribute to the series?
It’s an honour as I guess it would be for any artist. I am glad that they were willing to put me at the helm of this journey and trusted me to steer it in the right direction!

How would you describe the sound of the mix?
Well disc one is more of a groove based listening experience… It’s kind of like the sort of mix I enjoy listening to. It begins really deep and then works its way to a banging finish… Disc two is more representative of a guest slot that I would play in a club. I guess it like a 2hr club mix condensed into 75mins

How did you go about selecting tracks for the mix?
Haha – well it was a long process… Ask George in licensing! It was always going to be a bit more packed than any of the others CDs because I use tools extensively and I wanted that to be captured on the CD. There were LOADS of things that never made it on there due to licensing restrictions though… That was a bit gutting.

Would you say your musical policies as a DJ are accurately reflected?
Definitely! I think a lot of aspects of my sound are covered and people also get to see a different side to my music, for example the deeper stuff from disc one that I don’t normally get to play. I think people will be quite surprised.

Was musical diversity an important concept to explore for you while making the mix?
It wasn’t so much of an exploration, as I listen to so much different music. It was more like a case of actually fitting everything I wanted on there!

What do you feel about the house scene at the moment in terms of the quality of musical output?
Some of the output is great. There are exciting producers out there doing amazing tracks, and people are so up for listening right now… However some of the music out there is absolute gash, but its managing to hide under a veil of perceived genius. No names though! My stuff fits into neither I think… It’s just music to shake your bum to.

On the back of the Album release, how packed is your DJ schedule?
It’s Ramjamajammer at the moment. I am on a flight right now to Tokyo and then I get back for a few days of studio work before I shoot off to Russia + Poland… I can’t remember the last weekend off I had! Its pretty packed up until NY aswell – I have a US tour in December that I am really looking forward to and I am really excited that I am booked in London for NYE.

Are there any upcoming shows that you’re particularly looking forward to?
The Toolroom Knights 3rd Birthday at Ministry of Sound in London… I am planning some VERY special bits for that…

Preferred method of mixing: Vinyl or CDs?
Neither! I use Ableton Live 8 and the Akai APC40 now with 2 CDJ’s running in parallel to it… It’s the only way for me to fly.

All-time Favourite Club to perform in?
Pacha NYC or Space Ibiza… The terrace at Space obviously! And then in close joint second it would be Space Miami + Ministry of Sound.

Favourite Producer of the moment?
Either ThreeSixty or Adam Shaw… I also really like Broombeck + Siwell. They all make awesome stuff!

Secret weapon in your record box?
A .44 caliber spud gun… For laying down hefty justice carbohydrate style.

What’s your worst experience behind the decks?
When I used to drink a lot I played a couple of SHOCKING shows… One over here and one in Ireland. I have never felt like more of an asswipe for being as bad as I was. That’s why I got clean and promised that I would never play like that again.

TOOLROOM KNIGHTS MIXED BY FUNKAGENDA IS OUT NOW… (And it’s worth a listen!)

The Dutch superstar has consistently shown his electronic talent through slick production and epic DJ sets, with his success being illustrated in the DJ Top 100 poll top ten where Ferry has had a residency for the past five years. 2009 has seen Ferry’s radio show Corsten’s Countdown go from strength to strength, release the singles Made Of Love ft. Betsie Larkin and We Belong taken from the album to much acclaim whilst continually touring around the globe AND host his annual shindig Full On Ferry –The Masquerade. It’s a fair assumption that Ferry is one of the busiest names in dance music!

Twice In A Blue Moon Remixed shows Ferry handpicking a selection of upcoming and established producers to provide different interpretations of Mr Corsten’s original tracks from the album.

New talent Rafaël Frost does a re-rub of album opener Shelter Me whilst DJ Eco remixes title track Twice In A Blue Moon. Ummet Ozcan (Radio Crash Remix) and Patrick Plaice (Life Remix) also appear on the release whilst trance luminaries Markus Schulz (Brain Box Remix), Lange (We Belong Remix) and Solarstone (Gabriella’s Sky) also appear, giving new treatments to Ferry’s trademark sound.

Twice In A Blue Moon Remixed gives a gentle nod to the artists that Ferry highly rates in the scene today whilst offers a new approach to this classic Corsten album.

Since its inception in the mid 90’s, Godskitchen has been at the forefront of dance music. Whether its running huge festivals, arenas, nightclubs or putting out quality albums, they know what’s what and this album clearly illustrates this. With some of the biggest names playing for the brand on a regular basis, GK have also played a key part in launching some of the lesser known names, helping to keep the scene alive and kicking.

CD1 Adam K and Soha kick off proceedings with their poignant remix of Need To Feel Loved by Reflekt ft. Delline Bass. Privilege favourite Robbie Rivera features with Closer To The Sun (Inpetto Remix) whilst Dennis de Laat’s remix of the massive 4 Strings summer anthem Take Me Away features, guaranteed to do some damage to your soundsystem. More monster tunes come from the kings of trance including Paul van Dyk For An Angel 2009 (Dave Darrel Remix), Tiësto and Sneaky Sound System I Will Be Here, Sander van Doorn presents Purple Haze Bliksem, Armin van Buuren ft. Cathy Burton Rain (Cosmic Gate Remix) and Tiësto’s massive remix of Calvin Harris’s I’m Not Alone.

CD2 Continues to pave the way unleashing more dancefloor destroyers. Opening with Wippenberg’s electro-trance remix of Kidsos by Sebastian Ingrosso, tunes also come from the likes of Marco V Unprepared, Gareth Wyn Justice, B.B.E.’s huge classic Seven Days & One Week in the new Signum Signal Remix, Marcus Schössow crazy Kaboom, Judge Jules with Headstrong Could Be Love (Heatbeat Remix) and Fred Baker presents Y-Traxx Mystery Land (Fred Baker vs. Barry Jay Remix).

CD3 Tightly rounds off the package with cuts from Cosmic Gate ft. Kyler England Flatline (Kyau & Albert Remix) Above & Beyond Anjunabeach, Lange ft. Sarah Howells Let It All Out, M.I.K.E. Sunrise at Palamos 2009 (Gareth Emery Remix), Chicane’s massive Poppiholla (Thrillseekers Remix), Kyau & Albert Be There 4 U (Rafael Frost Remix), Ferry Corsten Twice In A Blue Moon and Bobina Invisible Touch (Ferry’s Invisible Touch Remix).

Taking in the biggest and best in trance, from electro trance to progressive trance to uplifting trance, all have been heard or will be heard thundering out of Godskitchen soundsystems and beyond. Godskitchen Pure Trance Anthems is the definitive music annual for the real club kids and scene supporters.

Now, signing 2009 off in characteristically large fashion, the duo are breaking new ground and unlocking the cage of ‘Nightplay’ – their striking, thrilling debut artist album.

A 15-strong-track album of flammable-fresh at-home and in-club orientated music, it will again bring F&P’s name to the very epicentre of the dance scene.

Over the course of their careers, Filo & Peri have brought some of the world’s finest (and previously undiscovered) singers and songwriters into the spotlight. Through the opening tracks of ‘Nightplay’, Eric Lumiere, the vocalist that delivered ‘Anthem’s globally-conscious (and now clearly zeitgeist-like) message to the masses, is back in vocal command. ‘Back Into Our Lives’, ‘Soul and the Sun’ & ‘Off The Hook’ once again showcase his emotionally-fuelled voice and lyrics in their greatest light.

Fisher (whose career was, to the greater extent, launched by F&P’s 2005 club hit ‘Closer Now’) is also back, providing the vocals to the transcendentally beautiful ‘All I Ask’. You’ll also find fellow American songstress Aruna and Denmark’s Linnea Handberg giving ‘Ashley’ & ‘Let You Know’ comparably halcyon tones.

Weaving in and around this vocal cornucopia are enough instrumentals to keep those of you with more of a dub disposition happy. ‘Caicos Bay’, ‘Bright Lights’, ‘Black Ice’ & ‘Amp’d Up’ are striking the big chords, and will doubtless be burning off clubber’s shoe-rubber over the coming months. On the collaboration front, ‘Far From Reach’ with Mike Saint-Jules and ‘The Majestic’ & ‘Music Matters’ co-produced with greenhorn talent Nick Stufano are also set to reign.

‘Nightplay’ is the real deal. A consummate album from a fully realised act, and one that is set to provide Filo and Peri with their most defining musical moment to date! It’s released through all good download stores and CD purveyors on the 6th of November.

Label: Vandit Records
Catalog: Vandit103cd
Source: CD, Album
Genre: Trance
Release date: 6 November 2009

Whether it’s DJing, heading-up the respected Get Physical label, producing or compiling mix albums, there’s no doubt Patrick and Philipp – aka M.A.N.D.Y. –
are amongst the most exciting pioneers of electronic music on the planet. Their releases and club appearances are met with eager anticipation, founded on a reputation for delivering quality, eclecticism and the damn right weird and wonderful! Now, as the pair join forces with Renaissance for the first time, that trend is set to continue and ascend…

M.A.N.D.Y.’s eagerly anticipated ‘Mix Collection’ does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a beautiful hybrid that flawlessly blends and balances tempos, genres, moods and emotion. A feat that’s made all the more remarkable when you consider Patrick and Phillip have managed to include a whopping 44 tracks, which they further elaborate on, “Eclecticism has always been the key to our approach in selecting tracks for our compilations and the broad brief of ‘The Mix Collection’ enabled us to carry on this way. It’s never an easy process and, as with all our mix comps, this was chosen, edited and produced with blood, sweat, tears as well as a lot of fun and love!”

‘Upside Down‘ (Disc One) kicks things off and, although it may be the more relaxed mix of the pair, remains true to its audio rollercoaster promise. Be it the ambient intro of Shed and dOP; their own ‘Full Off…’ (a production recorded exclusively for the comp’); the impeccably sequenced mid-section that fuses Lopazz, Sebastien Tellier and Bronnt Industries, or the finale of Schneider TM & Kpt-michi-gan’s Smiths cover – ‘The Light 3000′, this is a body of music that delivers throughout its 70 minutes.

Not to be outdone, ‘Downside Up‘ (Disc 2) puts on its dancing shoes, snatches the baton and picks-up the pace, transporting the listener further into M.A.N.D.Y.’s unique musical world. It’s a constantly shifting, yet perfectly poised landscape crafted out of the 27 records that comprise the disc. Key names such as Peter Kruder, Chromeo, DJ Koze, Martin Buttrich, Felix Da Housecat and Ben Watt rub shoulders before giving way to the inspired inclusion of seminal Miami Bass classic, the aptly titled ‘Bass Generator’. Keen to underline the entire album’s cohesive diversity, things come to fitting close with The Black Dog giving way to the cheeky use of the piano riff from Radio Slave’s take on Hell and P Diddy’s ‘The DJ’ and bonus track ‘What It’s For’ by friends and Get Physical regulars, The Junior Boys.

Utter brilliance.

After his 2002 debut album True Colours received huge props from critics and fans alike, High Contrast became the name on everyone’s lips. Within no time, he has become one of the most revered and respected producer-DJs around. Releasing three massive albums and becoming remixer de-jour for the likes of Missy Elliot, The Streets, Adele and many more.

No slouch on a pair of turntables either, his mixing skills are in demand worldwide, winning countless awards including Radio One’s Essential Mix of the year no less. Adored by both fans of drum + bass, house, rock, indie and electronica, High Contrast holds a unique position in the music scene – equally at home at midday on Radio One, as he is at 5am on the dancefloor at superclubs worldwide. Not only the biggest thing in drum + bass, but a producer whose ability to reach a wider audience through the accessibility of his music is unparalleled. The perfect choice to call upon for this album, High Contrast’s mix is upbeat and rolling, including tracks from Logistics Eastern Promise, Sub Focus’ remix of We Are The People (Empire Of The Sun), Cameo & Krooked Mindset, and his own remix of Imogen Heap’s Deadlock, plus tunes from the likes of Nu:Tone Battle Theme, Marcus Intalex Airborne and Cyantific 88mph.

Ramming venues, shocking crowds, leaving huge smiles from the Big Chill to Glastonbury and beyond, London Elektricity is a man with a rich musical legacy. With critically acclaimed albums, countless remixes and three highly-charged years of live shows under his belt, the past couple of years have seen Tony become the people’s choice for their drum + bass news and upfront music as host of the multi award winning Hospital Podcast.

Truly a live wire on the turntables, expect the unexpected – LE’s mix contains tracks from the likes of Fantasia Fresh, Mistabishi No Matter What VIP, High Contrast Seven Notes In Black, Drumsound & Bassline Smith Clap Your Hands, plus Caspa’s dubstep remix of TC Where’s My Money, Sub Focus’ re-rub of The Prodigy Take Me To The Hospital and London Elektricity tunes including The Great Drum + Bass Swindle and All Hell Is Breaking Loose.

So there you have it. Two mixes from two of the biggest and most respected names in the scene, staked full with anthems, huge remixes of big crossover artists and exclusive tracks… This Is Drum + Bass!

CD1 – HIGH CONTRAST

CD2 – LONDON ELEKTRICITY