Got some really beautiful music this month. 3 albums in particular caught my ear and have been on repeat for the past couple of weeks.
1. Blue Six: Noesis
Deep music fans, Naked Music is back. Stronger than ever may I add. The scene has changed so much since his last release, I honestly didn’t know what I was going to be up for.
Thankfully, Jay managed to stay completely true to his sexy, lush and distinctive sound, without sounding samey or repetitive of previous works. His new album is right there with his best productions, full marks. Better than “Aquarian Angel”, as good as “Beautiful Tomorrow”. On vocals Aya, Catherine Russell and Tabitha Fair provide the perfect accompaniment to Jay’s luscious beats. Wow!
2. Jaidene Veda: Pisces Pendulum
A collection of wonderfully textured melodies which will leave you wanting more! So many flavours and so much great material. You will recognise a few previously released cuts like “Sunday” and “Soul Size Love”, which still sound super fresh. The new tracks as just as good if not more. Jaidene is a multi-talented lady who’s gonna stick around for a long time. Go get it now!
3. Atjazz: Full Circle (Unreleases Songs & Versions)
It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Martin. The amount of material he releases, and the constant top notch quality, make him a gem of an artist in today’s saturated-of-crap music industry.
His album “Full Circle” came out in 2008 and has been producing several singles accompanies by the dopest remixes. Just when you least expected it, here are several unreleased cuts from that album, and some alternate versions. Leftover material you say? It could make another album’s worth of great songs actually!!
18.06.10 – First ever Stilnovo Sessions live with special guest Atjazz!.
Having found its spiritual home at The Brickhouse in east London Stilnovo Sessions will embody record label Stilnovo Music’s ideology in live form.
Launching on Friday 18th June 2010 Stilnovo Sessions will showcase their record labels talent.
Supplying the beats to move your feet Atjazz is an artist who needs no introduction to quality electronic and downtempo music connoisseurs. Known to many for his superb releases over the years, and for being one not afraid to experiment with sounds without ever compromising on quality, Atjazz has carved a unique place for himself, as well as the strongest respect from renowned producers and DJs the world over.
Founder of Stilnovo Music, Eleonora is a busy entrepreneur by day, and an eclectic DJ by night. She can be seen playing at popular venues like Fabric and Pascha, as well as many an exclusive VIP members club. On the road she has shared the decks with legendary artists like King Britt and Francesco Farfa. On the airwaves, she regularly works with London/Tokyo station Samurai FM and M2o in Italy.
Deep and Soulful house pioneer from Dallas, Texas, Demarkus Lewis has over a hundred releases under his belt, including collaborations with Robert Owens and Timmy Vegas.
Stilnovo the main word representing the world’s best in House from Electronic to Soulful to Chillout and Tech House, all delivered in the upmost of style.
Eleonora Cutaia is an Italian DJ living in London, whose ‘Between The Lines’ mix caught our ears here at Next Girl DJ. Here she shares her thoughts on the industry, her mix, and her favourite DJs.
Hi Eleonora! Welcome to Next Girl DJ! You are already an accomplished DJ, what do feel you would gain by winning this competition?
I wanted to share the music I love with your community. I know my style is not mainstream so I don’t have any expectations at all, but I liked the concept. There are some great female DJs out there, unfortunately there are also many ’showgirl DJs’ who cannot even mix their own records, and sometimes we unfairly get put in the same category.
How do you think a contest like Next Girl DJ could change the face of gender and dance music?
I hope it will help female DJs have more opportunities to show we can definitely be as good as men in this game. I think it will take a bit longer to see real changes. I believe ultimately talent gets noticed though.
Was it difficult putting together your 30 minute mix?
I did not try to fit 100 songs in 30 minutes – my aim was not to show crazy tricks (I’m definitely not known for those). I approach DJing as an art form – almost like composing a song. To me DJing is a performance where you tell a story. I like to push boundaries with genres and surprise people. Expose them to different sounds.
Hi Eleonora! Welcome to Next Girl DJ! You are already an accomplished DJ, what do feel you would gain by winning this competition?
I wanted to share the music I love with your community. I know my style is not mainstream so I don’t have any expectations at all, but I liked the concept. There are some great female DJs out there, unfortunately there are also many ’showgirl DJs’ who cannot even mix their own records, and sometimes we unfairly get put in the same category.
How do you think a contest like Next Girl DJ could change the face of gender and dance music?
I hope it will help female DJs have more opportunities to show we can definitely be as good as men in this game. I think it will take a bit longer to see real changes. I believe ultimately talent gets noticed though.
Was it difficult putting together your 30 minute mix?
I did not try to fit 100 songs in 30 minutes – my aim was not to show crazy tricks (I’m definitely not known for those). I approach DJing as an art form – almost like composing a song. To me DJing is a performance where you tell a story. I like to push boundaries with genres and surprise people. Expose them to different sounds.
What did you use for the mix?
I used Ableton Live. I often use CDs when I play live but I use Ableton for studio and radio mixes.
Where in the world has been your favourite place to DJ?
I loved Dublin. The crowd was amazing, I had so much fun. But Fabric with King Britt and Vikter Duplaix was magic! To me it was a dream come true opening for my mentors.
You currently live in London, what do you think about the police trying to close down Plastic People?
I really hope it’s not gonna happen – I’ve signed the petition. I can only say I had some memorable nights there at the Co-Op and Plastic People is one of my favourite venues in London.
Who do you think is the best DJ in the world?
Can I name 2? King Britt and Carl Craig. I love King for his eclecticism and Carl is the only Techno artist I always go see whenever I can – he really takes you on a journey and I love that. I can always hear a lot of black influences, which give depth to the sound. Plus he plays a lot of his own productions which I’m a huge fan of.
And where do you think dance music culture will be in five years?
It could be a ‘rebirth’ or a complete disaster! Unfortunately dance music has already lost a lot with the digital era. The quality of music in general has gone down because everyone can put their music out there, no matter how bad. It’s important for the young to have mentors for quality reference. The line between being an amateur and a professional is so blurry right now.
We filmed this in September 2009 to present the new Pioneer CDJ2000 for the Italian audience. What else to say, they are some amazing machines! We are going to film a follow up in a few weeks, to showcase their features in more detail.
I have been quite absent lately as my days seem to get busier, and the desire to slow down and enjoy the summer is definitely there.
In fact, I have only accepted to DJ at 2 parties this summer. They are 2 beach parties at 2 different locations in Italy (I couldn’t say no to the sun and sea!!).
The first one was on June 27th at a resort called Bocabarranca. The good Seiji, Domu, Mark De Clive-Lowe and other fellow peeps have played there before and I have been told how cool of a place that was. After coming back, I can only confirm it was a off the hook party!
Amazing location, amazing crowd, it really was worth it as I had a really great time.
It also fills me up with joy whenever I am so well received by my own people in Italy as, in the past I have felt very unappreciated by my own country.
Next party will be at a location called Lamezia Terme, near Cosenza. The same day the new Stilnovo single ‘Dance of the Soul’ comes out.
I’m very excited about this new one as I believe it’s our best work so far and I’m happy about how my mixes turned out
I rarely write about my gigs (maybe I should make it my New year’s resolution to do so more often!!) but this one was sure one worth mention.
It was a special gig for a few reasons: firstly, because it was the first time I was playing in Italy, since I relocated to the UK;
secondly, it was my first time visiting Sicily – a region that holds half of my heritage!
and lastly, because Mercati Generali is a legendary venue that hosted some of the most amazing names in Underground music. From Massive Attack, to Goldie, Gilles Peterson, DJ Spinna, Dorfmeister: a real mecca!
Nedless to say I had the best time out there. The crowd was amazing and, although the weather wasn’t the best one (Sicilians don’t go out when it rains!!), many people came down to dance and have a great time.
Big ups to the promoter and Kikko Solaris for a wicked set!
A presto Catania!!
With the help of Gilles Peterson, my good friend Thristian started a very cool night at Bar Rumba in London with the goal to provide a quality spot in the West End.
Bar Rumba already had a history of Gilles Peterson Mondays but now it’s the BPM is taking things to the next level.
After a couple months running, this time it was me and King Britt joining the residents in the booth.
Always a pleasure djing with King, as he never fails to impress us with his eclectic style.
Quite a few friends came down and it was a very friendly vibe. Those nights where you really rediscover the pleasure of playing what you enjoy and don’t feel constricted by genre barriers.
Dego of 4Hero, Charlie Dark and others were amongst the crowd and everyone seemed to be having a great time.
Thanks to parties like this it is still a pleasure spending a night out in the West End!
I am now a resident at London’s most exclusive club, Whisky Mist.
I’ll be doing the warm up in the Luxe Room for the Ladies night on Wednesdays, playing retro party grooves and stylish upfront cuts as usual.
We start at 9.30 with canapes and drinks… and most times there will be designers hosting the party. We just had Tommy Hilfiger.
It is truly the most glamorous venue in London, with regular guests such as Prince Harry, Paris Hilton, Guy Richie…a real celeb hang out. Last week there were also Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson…
