TOP 5 DJ KINGS of tech house music
He is a global ambassador of techno. –Resident Advisor
marco carola
F
rom Napoli in the south of Italy, Marco was instrumental in the development of the electronic scene in the early 90s, he took the flourishing techno Napolitano scene to the rest of the world. Over twenty years later and Marco is still one of the most respected artists amongst the techno scene, widely regarded as one of the key factors in driving the genre towards worldwide recognition within electronic music. As a revered producer and successful label head, Marco has spearheaded imprints such as Design Music, Zenit, Question, One Thousands and Do.Mi.No whilst releasing music on a selection of the world’s finest labels such as Minus, Plus 8 2M and Primate Recordings. In addition to five critically acclaimed albums, including his most recent Play It Loud, Marco has also been responsible for a clutch of seminal mix compilations.
In 2006, his mix for legendary London club Fabric’s series was a lesson in sleek, futurefacing minimalism. That was followed up by well received compilations for Time Warp in 2009. In 2010 Cocoon label boss Sven Väth asked him to mix the Frankfurt based label’s Party Animals CD alongside Nick Curly, which took Carola’s dj taste and skills to new heights. Famed for his energetic and impressive three-deck style of mixing and long journey set, Marco has remained one of the most in demand DJs on the planet throughout the last two decades. Favoring mammoth eight hour plus sets, Marco is predisposed to a subtle working of the crowd that has made him a favorite among fans from Ibiza to New York, South America and beyond.
He has become synonymous with the eclectic, the underground, and the quality. –Dancing Astronaut
luciano
I
n the mid-90’s, he was promoting Sense Club and Encuentros con la Technocultura in Santiago de Chile in the company of many initiators of the Latin American electronic music scene: Senor Coconut AKA Atom Heart, Ricardo Villalobos, Dandy Jack & brother Adrian Schopf, Washington Miranda, Argenix Brito, Microman etc. Born in 1978, Luciano is a DJ since 1993 and a producer since 1997. In the mid 90’s, he was promoting Sense Club and Encuentros con la Technocultura in Santiago de Chile in the company of many initiators of the Latin American electronic music scene: Senor Coconut AKA Atom Heart, Ricardo Villalobos, Dandy Jack & brother Adrian Schopf, Washington Miranda, Argenix Brito, Microman etc. He’s played radio stations and DJed clubs & events in Santiago and Latin America, Germany, Spain & Holland, settling in Switzerland in 2000 to release on Mental
Groove Records in Geneva, where he also holds a residency at the Weetamix club. His releases appear on the Transmat, Perlon, Lo-Fi Stereo, Bruchstuecke and Klang Elektronik record labels. Luciano’s mixed Swiss & Chilean identity shows in his music, a somewhat mystical blend of deep techno & electro that integrates southern elements in rhythms and colorful patterns in sound. His collaborations with Ricardo Villalobos (Playhouse, Perlon, Warp, Force Inc etc.) as Sense Club are especially rewarding, as is his partnership with Pier Bucci and Argenix Brito as Monne Automne. Mellowing his style as times goes by, getting more experimental and spacey with a fresh style of his own, Luciano’s production is destined to the wiser dancefloors that have enjoyed his live sets in Peru, Chile, Argentina, the U.S., Spain, Germany & Switzerland. DJ-wise, Luciano’s trade relies on groovy & minimal.
S
steve lawler
teve Lawler needs no introduction, but he certainly warrants one. You would be hard pushed to find a more in-form, in-demand, exceptionally talented artist, regarded as highly by his industry peers as he is by his huge global base of musically educated fans. Steve Lawler, a child of the acid house generation, has been busy with the beats long before genres were but a twinkle in clubland’s eye. An electronic artist who defies generic boundaries, ever since his days organising the infamous motor way raves back in the early 90’s underneath the M42 motor way, in the UK. As an artist: his releases & remixes have been signed by some of the worlds most established recording labels; R&S Records, Systematic,
Drumcode, Harthouse, Cocoon, MBF, OVUM, Sci+Tec, Tsuba, Souvenir, Rekids, Boxer Sport, Be As One, Monique, Kostbar, Soma, Skint and of course his own recording label VIVa MUSiC. Dynamic, driven and drastically obsessed with performing as well as he possibly can Steve’s passion for House, Techno and Electronica is too strong for one simple generic association, and right now his message is louder than ever. 18 years deep and Steve Lawler isn’t just at the top of his game, he’s pushing the boundaries of what a DJ can do, both technically and creatively, as an artist and as a successful label businessman.
A child of the acid house generation, Steve Lawler has been busy with the beats long before genres were but a twinkle in clubland’s eye. –Resident Advisor
S
sven väth
ince his beginnings in the Frankfurt club scene in 1982, when Sven Väth attracted interest with DJ sets of several hours and a completely new understanding of club culture, his name has not only stood for the constant development of this art form called Electronic Music: with his platform Cocoon, he has also revealed a real dedication in the support of young musical talent showing his passion for bringing great music to the fore. He has his fans in the most important clubs across the globe as well as at the world’s biggest festivals, he toured South America and played in the Thai jungle, and he is cultural ambassador of the German Goethe Institute. On the dance floor, he unites thirty-five-year-olds with fifteen-year-olds. The reader’s polls of the big magazines regularly see him in top ranks in every important category, and his tours lead him to more than seventy cities and numerous festivals on four continents, practically the
whole year through. However, besides his own career, the advancement of electronic music as such is of high importance to Sven. His Cocoon network is home to the booking agency Cocoon Artist Booking, the event agency Cocoon Events and the record label Cocoon Recordings – three very important components of the electronic music scene that are both innovative and independent. In Ibiza, the Cocoon events belong to the most successful parties for years, due to their sharp musical and artistic profile. In the year 2004, six years after the closing of the ground-breaking Omen club (whose artistic motor Sven Väth had been), he started a new era of club-life in Germany and opened the cocoonclub in Frankfurt, setting new standards in design, conception and music. Two restaurants, a Michelin-star awarded chef and the elite of the international DJ guild guarantee a high-class entertainment experience.
His seamless, techflecked ‘Sound’ is one you’ll return to again and again. –Mixmag.net
Loco Dice is someone, who can puzzle together intangible moods with a direct approach. –Resident Advisor
L
loco dice
oco Dice is widely considered to be one of the corner stones of the electronic music community, both a linchpin for and driving force behind house & techno music for well over a decade. Through a finely-balanced combination of breaking artists via his highly influential record label Desolat; his own accomplished production catalogue for imprints such as M_nus, Cadenza, Ovum, Four:twenty and Cocoon; and his legendary DJ setsacross the globe, Dice has forged a reputation that has seen him enter the small band of elite underground DJ’s.His appeal stems from a particular skill that DJs spend a life time trying to hone. In Dice this is in herent. His ability to puzzle together intangible moods and tap into a crowds collective consciousness fuels his internal cinematic view of music. As the highly respected taste makers Resident Advisor
explained in their Top 100 Poll “what sets him apart isn‘t what he plays, but the way he plays”. His unique mixing style is informed by a life-long affinity with Hip-Hop culture.
“what sets him apart isn‘t what he plays, but the way he plays”. –Resident Advisor
His time as Hip-Hop DJ reached its pinnacle in the mid-90’s when he toured with some of the genre’s leading artists. And his musical journey appears to now be coming full circle. With the likes of ICE-T recently introducing him to the stage at Movement 2012 in Detroit, or Hip-Hop bible Vibe Magazine pinning him as “a most dominant dance music force, (who is) treated like royalty and respected like a God”, Loco Dice’s appeal is a far-reaching as ever.
EDM (Electronic House Music) has this incredible and elusive way of transcending its sound from one genre to the next, never having a real culprit, but more of a moment in time or overnight accident. Tech House pioneers date as far back as early ‘90s with Terry Francis, Stacey Pullen, Derrick Carter, Doc Martin, then introducing the next generations like Peace Division, Halo & Hipp-e, Joeski & Onionz & Bushwaka. Fast-forward to 2014 and tech house couldn’t be anymore popular than it is today. If playing over 18 hours straight to a packed Space Miami isn’t proof enough, then I don’t know what is. Hail to the King’s of tech house, may they’re reign live on. Meet them now.
Designed by Robert Castillo Body Credits mixmag.net residentadvisot.net beatport.com dancingastronaut.com Photo Credits: Vibe Magazine djstevelawler.com locodice.com cadenzamusic.net cocoon.net marcocarola.net Flood STD, Bauhaus Light, Minion Pro, Frutiger, Helvetica Condensed Oblique, Helvetica Inserat LT.