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Tyree Cooper

(Chicago Vinyl) ∞ DJ

Tyree Cooper is regarded as one of the most influential international artists of the last three decades. He is part of the first Global House music revolution that started in Chicago. His contribution to House Music & Acid House is unmatched and led him to co-create Hip House alongside The DJ Fast Eddie, widening the appeal of House music worldwide.
Growing up on the streets of Chicago’s South Side, listening to Farley Jackmaster Funk and The Hot Mix 5, Ron Hardy, Frankie Knuckles and his mother’s and uncles’ music collection, Tyree was well schooled in music at an early age. As a freshman he joined the Simeon H.S Concert and Marching Band.
Two years after college Tyree was already one of the most popular and highly sought-after DJs in Chicago. He was then approached by Vince Lawrence of the House band Jesse’s Gang (founded by Jesse Saunders) who persuaded Tyree to put together a demo tape of his music to start a career as a recording artist. From now on, it was only a question of time before signing the first record deal with the Chicago based underground label D.J. International Records.
The first 12′′ single – I Fear The Night (with female vocalist Chic) promptly became an underground classic in Chicago. Other hits followed, Video Crash and Acid Crash (1987) – Acid Over (1988) – Turn Up The Bass (1988/89) – Let’s Get Hyped (feat. Kool Rock Steady, 1989) – Let the Music Take Control (1989) and Hardcore Hip House (1989). In 2013, Tyree Cooper founded his own label: Chicago Vinyl Records with distribution from Juno Records UK. He has continued to release tracks and classic hits from DJ International and Dance Mania record labels.
He has also pursued his passion for DJing and has travelled throughout the globe to play at events such as Glastonbury Festival UK, Amsterdam Dance Event, DJoon Paris, Babel Sao Paulo Brazil, Mona Club Paris, Rhonda International San Francisco and Summer Dance Chicago. He was also hosting a monthly night with Bobby Starrr at the famous Tresor club in Berlin, called E-Man-Ci-Pate.

Deadbeat

(BLKRTZ) ∞ DJ

Scott Monteith is a musician, sound artist and music technology educator best known for his work under the stage name Deadbeat. Having launched his production career at the turn of the millennium, the Canadian-born, Berlin-based producer’s 16 Deadbeat albums, two-dozen singles, and countless remixes and collaborations represent one of most prolific and consistently rewarding catalogues in the modern electronic-music canon.

The city of Montreal played an out sized role in the sonic depths of his early works. Moving to the city in 1998 he secured a day job with local music software developer Applied Acoustics Systems and spent the late hours pursuing his own creative endeavours. In the spring of 2006 Monteith would make the move to Berlin. The move proved fruitful as his creative focus shifted from the studio to the stage, resulting in performance invitations from the most respected clubs and festivals the world over.

As a DJ, Monteith is a dub archivist second to none, with a collection spanning the genre’s early Jamaican roots, through the “steppers” versions of the 80s and 90s championed in the UK and Europe, to the current crop of global producers pushing the dub sounds into previously unheard directions and widely divergent rhythmic structures. This was most clearly highlighted with the release of his critically acclaimed DJ mix Radio Rothko in 2010, rated by various publications as one of the most genre defining mix CDs of all time.

In addition to his production and performance activities, his abilities as an educational speaker and workshop leader have been regularly called upon by the world renowned Red Bull Music Academy, as well as technology leaders such as Microsoft and Ableton among others. A tireless innovator of vast creative vision, 20 plus years on Scott Monteith’s restless creative spirit shows no signs of being quieted for many years to come.

DeepChord

(Soma) ∞ Live

DeepChord

Rod Modell (a.k.a. Deepchord) is a sound-designer with 25 years involvement in electronic music and over 50 releases under various aliases and styles. Beginning with more “industrial” and “ambient” forms of sonic experimentation (working with Kim Cascone and his -then- record-label Silent, and performing with notable industrial acts such as Chris & Cosey and SPK). While attending Art School for Photography, Rod lived in Detroit’s Eastern-Market area, the location of the infamous “techno boulevard”, and home to Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson during that time. Submersed in the blossoming Detroit Techno scene (early 1990’s), a journey from a more experimental sound into Detroit’s techno-world was inevitable. Modell co-founded the Deepchord record label in Detroit during the mid-90’s. Deepchord respected and admired (fellow Detroiters) Underground Resistance for their D.I.Y. attitude and independence. It was because of this respect and admiration that Deepchord declined offers from top techno labels of the time, in favor of doing it by themselves. Many consider Deepchord to be the second wave of the “Basic Channel sound”, and came years before the onslaught of imitators.

After 16 releases on Deepchord, Rod went onto co-found Echospace. Echospace released two full length albums and five 12″ singles on Modern Love (Boomkat), and a slew of releases on their Echospace imprint. 2007’s “The Coldest Season” and 2010’s “Liumin” are critically acclaimed electronic music classics, and were on top-lists of prestigious resources such as The Wire, xlr8r, and Resident Advisor (who wrote of The Coldest Season: “in terms of sheer quality, it rivals Basic Channel’s vaunted catalog. Put down that ultra-rare Basic Reshape 12” and check out what’s going on now. This album is bound to be one of the most fully realized listening experiences to grace your stereo this year, and is proof positive that DeepChord and Echospace are the rightful heirs to the dub techno legacy”). Rod also operated an audio-mastering facility in the Detroit area from 1995-2005, employing his services to many electronic record labels, including Richie Hawtin’s M-NUS imprint.

Rod’s recent projects include a collaboration with K Soublis (Fluxion) for Echocord in Denmark (Echocord #046 – “Waves EP”), remixes for fellow Detroiter Aaron Carl (R.I.P.) on Millions Of Moments (#MOM 004), remixes for DFA Records (#dfaemi 2194), reworkings of Juan Atkins’ “Starlight”, Remakes of “Miranda” for Convextion, and new versions of Slam’s Groovelock for Soma Quality Recordings in Glasgow. Deepchord has also been featured on numerous mix cd’s, including Deadbeat’s (Scott Monteith) “Radio Rothko” (theAgriculture, Brooklyn NY), and “Electronic Flavors” mixed by Henrik Schwarz and published by Philip Morris GMBH.

Titonton Duvante

(Residual, 7th City) ∞ Live & DJ

With a musical history spanning back to the early 90’s, as co-creator of the seminal techno band Body Release (alongside Todd Sines, Charles Noel and Mike Szewczyk), and on through a multifaceted career as a composer, recording artist, producer, remixer, record label owner and DJ, Titonton Duvante continues to evolve creatively. As a DJ known for blurring the boundaries of electronic music genres, Titonton deconstructs, blends and rebuilds beats with his special brand of funky turntablism. He’s brought his extraordinary style to nightclubs around the world: from Detroit and San Francisco to Berlin, London, Paris, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Sao Paulo, San Juan, Tokyo and beyond. Titonton has released an arsenal of music on labels such as Palette, Environ, 7th City, Planet E, Sonar Kollektiv, 2000 Black and Bitasweet to name a few, in addition to his own label, Residual Recordings. He’s done collaborative work with contemporaries such as John Tejada, Fabrice Lig and Morgan Geist. Titonton’s remarkable reputation has earned him an entry in Tim Barr’s book, A Rough Guide to Techno, as well as a mention in Dan Sicko’s book, Techno Rebels. Recently moving to New York City from his native Columbus, Ohio, Titonton has been working in the studio, with forthcoming releases on Residual, Frankie,7th City, Corner,Planet Harrier, Manuscript, Open Concept and Boogizm Recordings.

Echoplex

aka Post Scriptum (Soleil, Sonic Groove, Ostgut Ton) ∞ Live & DJ

Composer, producer, DJ and trainer
Responsible for significant appearances on labels spanning the
triple digits across labels like Soleil, Synewave, ARTS and Soma, Echoplex has toured throughout Europe, Asia and Americas, rocking festival crowds and headlining massive club-nights with grooves that honour techno’s legacy while looking to its future.
Peter states that he heard electronic music first probably when born, in the hospital near Warsaw, Poland. Hearing the bleeps! the heartbeat, the pulse, all the machines freaking out when after a hard birth, doctors gave him 12 hours to live. Fortunately, luck was on his side, big heart pumped and allowed him to pull through. This big heart is still present till today via his music.
As a young boy, living under the Iron curtain and repressive regime, was not easy to get hands on music imports, hence one of his first ever record was a polish one brought to him by his dad. It was “E≠mc2 ” by Marek Bilinski in 1984 on Polton records and Peter was 9 at that time. He became curious and intrigued by this computer game like music, which he also heard on his Atari 800XL, at elementary school, while watching science and biology programs in class and watching 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tron and Star Wars on VHS tapes. This was an absolute mind shock for young later to become Echoplex as he started to become passionate about vinyl, space movies, computers and technology in general. One of those important technological devices that cemented Peter’s wide music interests was radio. It played vital role in Peter’ s music knowledge gathering and development as he was heavily influenced by radio stations, which brought a variety of sounds from the outside and inside.
Echoplex, left Poland around the time of the end of the Iron Curtain. The feeling of the Iron Curtain falling had brought in the sense of freedom for many, the techno rave scene was exploding, and Peter was about to be right in the middle of that cyclone for real. His next stop on the journey was Italy. While listening to local underground Radio of the likes of DJ Francesco Zappala, Fabrizio Cuchetti and attending the local rave events he was taken away by the Hip house, early Detroit techno and techno rave sound coming from Italy, the Benelux and Europe as a whole. Shortly after Peter took a residency in one of the rave venues near Rome to truly embrace this experience. Buying techno vinyl in Rome became a weekly habit and Peter was hooked.
After 2 years he crossed the ocean and landed in Windsor (next to Detroit), and continued deeper explorations of techno sound, listening to radio WMXD – Electrifying Mojo in Detroit, discovering the Music Institute and attending to parties at the peak of Detroit Techno. He was already quite familiar with sounds coming from Detroit, Chicago, New York and even Windsor, via the Plus 8 – “From our Minds to yours” classic compilation that he already been djing with at his residency in Italy. Seeing the guys behind these releases play and perform was truly inspirational and Peter wanted to understand how to make his own music. Getting to that knowledge was not as easy as today ABC – click on me kind of access. It took years to figure it out. While living in Windsor, Peter experienced techno via many sources like radio, house parties, raves, clubs and even television. The New Dance show in Detroit and Electric Circus in Toronto Canada, soon became new exciting discoveries of the music which he started to spin around the country.
After moving to West coast of Canada, he found himself in the middle of quite different style of music, San Francisco deep electronica and techno ambient coming from Vancouver by the likes of Adam Shaik, Off and Gone and many others really opened up new avenues of creativity, Peter soon became part of that scene and slowly but surely started to shape of what was to become his Echoplex signature sound while making his first sound experiments in a school studio of Electronic Music composition class at Port Moody High School.
Techno started to be the main language to express Echoplex’s inner universe, spending more and more time at the school’s studio, learning by himself about analogue equipment, sequencing, sampling and processing of audio. Eventually, while his friends would party over the weekend, he would lock himself up in the school studio
Whilst attending Chopin’s music School in Warsaw, he
started playing drums and performing in a
Gregorian choir, which helped him gain some understanding of music theory, rhythm, melody and composition.
and record hours and hours of music onto cassette, multitrack recording, DAT and putting together first mixdowns of his live jams using a Roland JX8P synth with PG 800 programmer, which was his first ever synth tool at school.
After building his own home studio, he worked on his live set up and started to perform even up to 6-hour live shows. First as DJ VC, Plasmik Muv, Blue Room, Les Autres Circuites and later as Echoplex. Soon he held residencies at Up Above, the World, Graceland and The Twilight Zone in Gas town Vancouver as well he was a frequent guest DJ at Home Base radio shows run on CITR radio by DJ Noah.
Echoplex started to visit Europe, playing gigs and eventually after completing his sound design course in Canada, he returned to Poland in 1998. It was when, Echoplex sound took off, followed by string of releases on labels like Black Nation, Mechanism Industries, Cetron, Speaker Attack, Sonic Mind, End to End, LL, and appearances on compilations of Ritchie Hawtin, DJ Cajmere, Fumiya Tanaka and many others.
Through projects, alter egos and collaborations, Peter licensed his music also to Nova Mute, M_nus, Kanzleramt, Missile, Torema, Technique, Solo Action, Abiotic, G-force, Hertz, Mosquito, Mutter, Semi-Automatic and Tresor.
Finding a partner-in-crime in fellow techno upstart Damon Wild, Echoplex began releasing 12-inches on Wild’s Synewave label, including under their joint side-project Niteworks. With an increasingly raised profile, the time was right in the early 2000s for Echoplex to initiate his own imprint, Soleil Records, kicking off with his own The World Energy EP and taking international tours in major European, Japanese, Australian and American clubs. After a special invite he performed Live at both Ostgut Ton Label showcase at the Glasgow’s art school and label showcases at Berghain.
30+ years later, Echoplex feels the time has come again to take next step. Now, as a professional and certified trainer, he transfers his skills and acquired knowledge to the next wave of techno artists around the world. He releases for key labels, remaining recognizable, shifting between the energy of the dancefloor and the warmth of analogue electronica.
Echoplex is currently working on his next studio album, and planning to re-launch his label Soleil records. Over a background spread between countries as far-removed as Poland, Italy, Canada and now Scotland, with releases lined up on his own Soleil label and Live dates pencilled, 2022 looks to be an even busier year for Echoplex, where he hopes to branch out with both this and other projects into yet more unexplored techno territory.

Echospace

(Echospace Detroit) ∞ Live

Echospace

Deepchord and Echospace started off as barely more than a rumor supported mostly by the continous scarcity of their records. The duo comprised of Detroit’s Rod Modell and Chicago’s Steven Hitchell have spent nearly two decades producing low-key electronic music both bordering on the verge of myth. They’re considered by many the most noted producers operating in the dub-infused aftermath of the Basic Channel axis and all its myriad offshoots. Once their critically-acclaimed The Coldest Season (LOVE 033CD) emerged on the UK-based Modern Love label, the curtain was unveiled and the sound of Echospace was born. They’ve often been coined the true heirs to the Basic Channel legacy but their work finds a home somewhere on the outskirts of the galaxy, where Detroit soul ties to Jamaican roots played through a tunnel in deep space. This evocative, immersive sound that is Echospace was born out of a love and passion for analog circuitry, sound design, field recordings and non-conventional methods of recording. But it’s also work that’s quintessentially building upon the Detroit electronic scene where it was born, and that divine marriage of roots and vision make the work at once so highly considered, so pertinent and so timeless.

Magda El Bayoumi

(Tresor) ∞ DJ

Magda El Bayoumi is an artist of Polish and Egyptian origin currently living in Berlin.
Resident dj of Berlin’s legend – Tresor club where she play mostly at the Globus floor, she tends to oscillate between techno and different house sub-genres.
Born in Dubai – a mix of nationalities from around the world, relocating later to Warsaw, having a six-month Chicago episode later among other places, she always feels to be true a citizen of the world.
Her strong interest in music since early childhood was inspired due to her father musician and composer who exposed her to music universe and who bought her first Casio keyboard among other instruments.
While playing the guitar, dabbling with the piano, dreaming of becoming a percussionist and exploring different musical genres she finally discovered clubs, parties and electronic music. She became completely fascinated by dj – ing and playing vinyl records.
Regardless of graduating Psychology, her first work experiences with booking artists and organizing parties brought her ever closer to the dj scene where she discovered her deep passion for music, playing and collecting records.
What makes a good dj is a blend of proper record selection with obvious musical knowledge behind plus technical skills — and that’s a concept she strongly believe in.
Whenever she is opening the night, playing in prime time or closing the party, she adjust easily providing best performance possible. Good classic or fresh and new sound techno and house tracks or versatile electronic productions play an important role in her choice of music today. There is only one rule: quality.
Expanding her musical horizons and taking dj – ing to the next level, she decided to move to Berlin – the Mecca of electronic music to find her own place among other creative and open-minded people: „I adore this international tangle of people, creative, uncompromising in expressing themselves and the atmosphere of acceptance of any dissidence — this place definitely fits into my soul” — she admits.
With her residency at Tresor club, she has an opportunity to meet and share musical experiences with the most respected names in the industry today.

Mike Grant

(Moods & Grooves) ∞ DJ

At the end of the 1990s, Mike Grant re-emerged as one of the leading figures in Detroit’s growing house scene after spending the majority of the decade and late ‘80s pursuing other ambitions. When Grant’s fresh Moods & Grooves label began raising more than a few eyebrows with its catalog of releases by many of Detroit’s best house producers, few knew that he has been a key figure in the Motor City’s early to mid-‘80s electronic dance scene as a talented DJ. Grant is one of the few Detroit DJs who plays complete deep house/house or techno sets as well as a mixture. While traveling throughout Europe Grant earned the distinction as being the first American DJ to have a residency at Tresor Club in Berlin.

Grant’s musical career began at an early age, influenced by Detroit’s fledging music scene and his uncle, the general manager at a local R&B/dance radio station, WKWM. By 1980, the young Grant had joined a DJ collective known as Men of Music while becoming close friends with schoolmate Blake Baxter. Baxter showed Grant the art of beat mixing while the two made mix tapes after school, and Grant eventually joined Baxter’s DJ group, The Beat Sound Company. A few years later in 1983, Grant was scoring club residencies in Detroit alongside legends such as Ken Collier and also managed to make appearances on The Scene, a video dance show on WGPR alongside even more local DJs such as Jeff Mills.

During this mid-‘80s era, Grant’s reputation as one of the city’s top DJs led to eventual friendships and partnerships with many of that eras other top DJs, most notably Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, and Juan Atkins. During the summer of 1985, he became a member of Detroit’s first radio mix show, “Street Beat,” where the foundation for what would later become early Detroit techno was ultimately formed. Prior to the Street Beat show, Grant made a commitment to join the military not knowing what doors would eventually open.

During this time in the military, he continued to DJ on the base and in Seattle, where he introduced the sounds of Detroit techno to the unsuspecting West Coast.
Following his time in the military, Grant then studied telecommunications in Chicago and began his career in this same field, while occasionally returning to his hometown for the occasional performance.

In the late ‘90s, Grant planned his return, beginning with a recording as Black Noise on Metroplex Records, titled “Nature of the Beast.” Rather than just DJ and produce tracks, he went to the lengths of starting his own label, Moods & Grooves, and began releasing the work of his peers as well as his own. By mid-2000, the label had received substantial acclaim – including a high-profile appearance by Grant at the landmark Detroit Electronic Music Festival. In 2001 Grant launched the techno based label End to End and urban sounding Afrosyntrix. Recent accomplishments include remixing the Detroit classic “Sharevari,” being selected to perform at Midem’s Electronic Showcase, selection and participation in DEMF/Movement, and inclusion to the “Techno – Detroit’s Gift To the World” exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum.

Luke Hess

(DeepLabs, FXHE, Echocord) ∞ Live & DJ

Born in 1980 and raised in the Detroit area, Luke Hess has harnessed a deep appreciation for electronic music and the expression of the underground movement. His background in mathematics and engineering has given him a scientific approach to the dance floor, using frequencies, tones, and soundscapes to transform surroundings and mood. His faith based music production has landed him a seat with FXHE in Detroit, with numerous EP’s and remixes on other labels like Planet-e, Rekids, Echocord, Kontra-Musik, Dolly, Finale Sessions, Ornaments, and Prime Numbers among others. His debut album was released in early May 2009 by Denmark based label Echocord. In 2010 he began his own interpretation of Detroit techno with his new Detroit project and record label – DeepLabs. His sophomore album “Keep On” was released on FXHE records in 2012 and received a Recommended 4.5/5 rating on Resident Advisor. With 15 years of DJ experience, he is regarded as a perfectionist behind the decks layering his tracks in a very detailed and hypnotic manner. Luke has played at many notable venues and festivals in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America including 10 separate appearances at the illustrious Berghain/Panoramabar in Berlin. Luke’s continued hard work in and out of the studio combined with his unyielding interest in technology and sound will no doubt stimulate the boundaries of electronic music.

Ohm Hourani

(Anoma) ∞ Live & DJ

Impassioned to inject intellectual material into the electronic music scene, OHM HOURANI continues to challenge his understanding of sound. Alongside his innovative studio work, the Montreal-based artist embraces the intricate relationship between technology and electronic music.
His record label ANOMA is dedicated to the distribution of minimalistic, distinctive sounds kissed with a jazzy flair. Funded by the Canada Council of Arts and released in 2019, debut full-length album Jazz of the Machine travels long a didactic path carved by modular synthesizers and drum machines, navigated in the company of carefully hand-picked musicians and vocalists. 

Hourani’s playful enthusiasm manifests itself in his live sets and DJ sets that have piqued the curiosity of progressive-minded music enthusiasts and critics alike. His compositions showcase an infusion of organic sounds and live recordings with intricate sound engineering.
Collective works have been showcased live locally at his beloved MUTEK Montreal Festival, while also travelled abroad as feature performances at the Japanese edition of Montreux Jazz Festival. His DJ sets have resonated warmly with club audiences at esteemed institutions such as Berlin’s Club Der Visionaere, on board floating Parisian club Concrete, or at one of New York’s renowned afterparties. 

It’s an amorous and insightfully curious approach to creating sound. You might even call it anomalistic.