TJR

Gesaffelstein aka Mike Levy stands apart from the current techno scene in Paris. At the mo- ment when techno and dubstep are producing new heroes amongst a handful of French DJs, Mike Levy has chosen a different route for his musical expression. His energizing techno, dark and obsessional, works the dance-floor yet at the same time continues to mine emotional landscapes and powerful atmospheres.

Born in Lyon in 1985 — the year that saw the birth of Chicago House (Marshall Jefferson’s ‘Move Your Body’) and legendary releases by electronic new wave and EBM (Electronic Body Music) artists like ‘No Shuffle’ by Front 242 — it was in fueling his musical references from the 90s that this young French producer infused his dance music and remixes (for Cassius, Lana Del Rey, Moby, Rebotini, ZZT or Boys Noize..) with a particular tension. Inspired by Kraftwerk but also electronic music born from Punk and New Wave, Gesaffelstein mixes current techno with cutting rhythms and dissonant tones from pioneers like DAF, Front 242 or Nitzer Ebb; a kind of ‘dance metal’.

July 2012 sees Gesaffelstein releasing a two tracks EP, ‘Rise Of Depravity’ on Bromance Re- cords, the independent imprint of Brodinski and Manu Barron. Track one ‘Depravity’ rides on twisted keyboards and despotic synths while floor-killer track two ‘Belgium’ plays homage to the Belgian creative scene in the where in the 80s and early 90s, new forms of electronic jac- king hypnotized crowds.

American producer, Andrew Chen aka Shogun, is the first Asian DJ and producer to be signed to S107/Armada. Whether it is remixing for the world’s number one DJ – Armin van Buuren, or for Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Nadia Ali, Shogun’s productions have gained him full support from the biggest names in the industry including Ferry Corsten, Paul Van Dyk, Above & Beyond, Armin van Buuren, Gareth Emery, and Markus Schulz just to name a few.

With some of the biggest anthems to date, ‘Save Me’, ‘Imprisoned’, ‘Run To My Rescue’ and ‘Skyfire’, Shogun has cemented his place as one of the most influential and biggest trance/progressive acts today and his songs have regularly been featured on the world’s leading radio shows such as Vonyc Sessions, Trance Around The World, Corsten’s Countdown, Global DJ Broadcast, and A State of Trance Radio Show – [32 ASOT plays / 5 Future Favorites].

Voted into the DJ Mag 2011 world rankings at #122, Shogun has headlined events across the globe and also served as resident DJ for the prominent Ministry of Sound nightclub for over 3 years. His exclusive nine hour sets at the superclub set the standard for epic nights that can only be described as an emotional and amazing journey. These sets were also broadcasted live on Ministry of Sound Radio to thousands of listeners worldwide.

With the constant productions of top quality releases and the DJ skills to rock the best clubs in the world, the future is already written for this rising trance artist.

A lifetime, generation, and musical life cycle ago – aka in the ’90s – Ming was part of an experimental hip-hop group you might have heard of: Ming + FS.

The duo used breakbeats as the foundation for most of their work, but was best known for eschewing musical boundaries and resisting tidy little labels, freely incorporating elements of house, electro and drum ‘n’ bass into their music. They affectionately dubbed this smashed-up style “junkyard,” a moniker that got picked up in dance music press, and on their own releases (like 1998’s “Junkyard Drum ‘n’ Bass”). Over the course of their decade together, Ming + FS played over 1,000 shows in the United States and abroad; released four albums, a series of EPs, and countless 12 inches and remixes.

In 2006, Ming parted ways with FS to open his own company, Hood Famous Music (HFM). “When I was with Ming+FS, the industry wanted everything to be in a bucket, genre-specific,” he says. “I wanted to stay in music, but not the same type.” Fast forward five years and Ming has stepped right back into the remix ring, churning out re-works for pop icons and upstarts that incorporate an even broader palette of sounds. He turned Beyonce’s “Who Runs The World” into an electro-meets-dubstep anthem, framed around Diplo’s now legendary beat. He stripped down Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” to a slapped bass and plucked guitar before building to a rock-propelled dance epic. And for the Black Eyed Peas’ “Rock That Body,” he chose swirling, dubby synths and bass, and warped vocal treatments.

Armed with a newfound sense of liberation, over two decades’ worth of production know-how and tools, and inspiration from dance music’s bevy of new champions, Ming is looking toward the musical future he always dreamed of. But the sweetest part of all for this musician-by-blood is just being back in the mix. “I’ve got something to say – again,” says Ming. “I felt like it had been said and done. Now I have my voice back.”

Anytime he hits the stage, Crizzly has no choice but to go hard. Channeling hyperactive energy and uncontainable swagger, the San Antonio DJ and producer ignites crowds with an intoxicating, infectious, and inimitable blend of dubstep and hip-hop, which he affectionately terms, “Crunkstep”. However, there’s a lot more to the 21-year-old artist.

Music became a part of Chris Lee “Crizzly” Marshall’s life at a very young age. As he recalls, he discovered it as a child-insisting on making his kindergarten class listen to the Space Jam soundtrack during naptime-but he didn’t formally embrace it until high school. Picking up a set of turntables, he scored his first gigs at birthday parties. At 19-years-old, production began to inspire him, and he started remixing rap songs from YouTube with a distinctive flare. He released his own takes on Waka Flocka Flame’s “Hard in Da Paint” and “Snap Back Swag” from AJ Hernz, and suddenly he set the blogosphere ablaze. Numerous web sites began reposting these cuts, and Crizzly developed a fervent following.

However, some guerilla tactics helped garner even more high profile attention for the fledgling DJ. After playing 2011’s Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, he took 20 USB drives with his music and distributed them to some of the festivals top names. “I made it a mission to pass them out to my favorite producers,” he remembers with a smile. “I was nervous, but I gave it to Diplo. He listened, and now he plays ‘Hard in Da Paint’ in his set.”

Meanwhile, he slipped “Snap Back Swag” into a playlist on Skrillex’s tour bus, catching the megastar’s ear in the process. As a result, Skrillex added the remix into his set as well. Soon after, even more support came in addition to Skrillex and Diplo with Excision, Datsik, and many others introducing his remixes into their shows.

He describes his sound and style best though. “It’s definitely a mixture of two different worlds, dance music and hip-hop,” he goes on. “People can connect because there’s a lot going on, and there’s more than one dimension. The audience responds immediately too. Since there’s a half- time feel, the blend just makes sense. It feels right to me.”

Most importantly, it feels right to audiences. In February 2012, he embarked on a highly successful tour with 12th Planet and Flinch, and he followed that up with shows alongside Zed’s Dead. In the midst, he was featured in the July 2012 issue of Spin. Currently, he’s confirmed on the bill for the 2012 installments of Nocturnal [California and Texas], Electric Daisy Carnival [Las Vegas, New York, Puerto Rico, Orlando, and Colorado], Atlantic Impulse, Electric Forrest, White Wonderland, Escape From Wonderland Lights All Night in Dallas, Global Dance in Kansas City and Denver, and more. Plus, he’ll embark on his first headline tour of college markets in Fall 2012.

In fact the best way to experience Crizzly is to actually be in the audience. “I play a lot of hard stuff,” he concludes. “I expend a ton of energy. I want the fans to get buck wild, crazy, and crunk. I want them to make some bad decisions and have fun.” One thing’s for sure: there ain’t no party like a Crizzly party. – Rick Florino, May 2011