March 6th - HYPE Meets 515 at Pod // DJ T, Christian Smith, Billy Scurry & More

Subject

HYPE MEETS 515
3 Room Special: Pod / Lobby Bar / Crawdaddy
Friday March 6th 2009
Doors 11pm / Adm: e18
++ See below for Advance Ticket details ++

Pod:
DJ T
[Get Physical - Berlin]

Lobby Bar:
BILLY SCURRY
CALVIN JAMES

Crawdaddy:
CHRISTIAN SMITH
[Drumcode, Tronic - Barcelona]

Thomas Koch aka DJ T - An introduction...

For almost twenty years Thomas Koch – DJ T. – has been a vital part of the techno and house scene. In a range of different capacities: among others, Koch worked and works as a DJ, producer, promoter, club operator, publisher and journalist. Blame it all on the disco ball. Born in 1969 in the city of Dusseldorf, at the tender age of nine Koch succumbed to the glistening seduction of black vinyl. By this time, his family had moved to Frankfurt, 'disco' had reached its zenith and Koch's parents continued to ply him with early vinyl compilations, triggering what would become a serious and lifelong collection streak. T.'s burgeoning obsession went beyond disco and hi N-R-G – Village People, Donna Summer and Evelyn Thomas were soon followed by early rap music (via Grandmaster Flash) and finally – from 1983 – electro funk and its seminal protagonists Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, Newcleus and Mantronix. Their tracks had everything Koch craved: glam, funk, beats and bass. They were the soundtrack to a new dance culture. To Koch, this was love at first sight and he decided to take up breakdancing. Until this day, many of DJ T.'s own productions preserve the musical spirit of this period. Some loves do last forever.

Moving back in time, in 1989 Koch founded the influential German-language magazine ‚Groove'. Until this day, Groove remains Germany's most important and high-quality publication for the electronic aspects of life, alongside 'De:Bug'. According to Koch, it was all about "creating a magazine that would meet my own needs. I assumed there were many others with similar needs out there." And history proved him right. Besides serving as Groove's publisher and author for fifteen years, he also contributed to anthologies on club music, among others 'Localiser 1.0' and 'techno'.

In 2002, Koch and friends decided to start their own label, Get Physical Music. By now, the label's popularity and fame has spread well beyond its Berlin base – reaching #4 (of favourite labels) in the annual Groove reader's poll in 2004, Get Physical also claimed the coveted 'label of the year 2005' slot of British club bible DJ Mag. One would be hard-pressed to find a single techno/house DJ around the world who does not reach for at least one Get Physical track when things get hot. Featuring six seasoned veterans of electronic music and club culture, the label collective also includes DJ and production team Patrick Bodmer and Philipp Jung (otherwise known as M.A.N.D.Y.) as well as producers and studio owners Booka Shade (Walter Merziger, Arno Kammermeier, Peter Hayo). Focussing on A&R, Koch tirelessly scours the scene for new talents, soaks up demos, establishes contacts and takes care of those already signed and their current productions.

In addition, Koch's talents as a remixer have not gone unnoticed. His interpretations of acts like Spektrum, Mylor or Newcleus plus remixes for labels like ArtofDisco/Yellow, 20:20 Vision, Simple and Naked Music have moved critics and crowds alike. Berlin daily 'taz' on his recently released, first commercially available DJ mix 'Body Language Vol. 2 ' (2006): "Koch combines tracks from the most varied of genres. And yet, his goal is aligned to the mix's ideal location – triggering the most disparate of euphoria-soaked locations, he touches on the different wave forms of twenty years of party bliss." An apt description of DJ T.'s club sets. Whether, like every weekend, somewhere in Europe or on one of his extensive tours of North and South America, Australia or – soon – Asia: T.'s sets are invariably stirring and extraordinarily varied. In this Koch is most certainly no 'style fascist', but rather something like a bass and groove addicted club historian with a firm grip of the present. His sets turn 25 years of electronic music history into one fine, homogenous blend, reminiscent of expansive narratives that transform the significant links between genres and ages into a physical experience. Yet despite all this track- inherent party spirit, Koch also knows how to send 6pm crowds into veritable danceathons – the tireless Watergate and Panoramabar favourite can probably tap it out in Morse code.

Christian Smith - An introduction...

Swedish citizen Christian Smith spent his early years in Germany soaking up the early house and techno sound of Sven Vath. Now based in Barcelona, he has been championing his funky mix of house and funky techno for more than a decade, playing across Asia, North & South America, and Europe, plus regular slots at summer festivals like Holland's 'Dance Valley', UK's 'Creamfields', Spain's 'Monegros' and Belgium's 'I Love Techno'. His music released on a variety of top labels like Josh Wink's 'Ovum', Carl Cox's 'Intec', Darren Emerson's 'Underwater', and his very own 'Tronic', only proves his flexibility in the studio. Similarly on the decks, Christian's set is a cauldron of grooves, spanning from the sound of minimal, through funky tech house electro, and onto groovy techno. With a full length artist album out on 'Sino' in 2007 and massive support from DJ's ranging from Deep Dish to Carl Cox to Richie Hawtin, the future is very certain for Christian to stay on top as one of the leaders in forward thinking dance music.

Billy Scurry and Calvin James - An introduction...

Billy Scurry has been a household name on Irish dancefloors since the early days. From Sides DC to his Temple of Sound residency to Homelands and his more recent Pod, Hogans and Electric Picnic residencies / appearances, there isn't many clubs or parties that Scurry hasn't brought his eclectic dancefloor sets to. A firm favourite with Irish clubbers for almost 20 years and a Dj with an equally solid international reputation, he slides between techno, house and soul / funk / disco sets with ease. For those in the know, you know what to expect, for the uninitiated come along and find out for yourself!

What can one say about Calvin James that hasn't already been said? A jack of all trades who learnt his craft during a stay in NYC playing support to dance music legends such as Frankie Bones and Kerri Chandler, in classic Calvin style he even landed a gig at Eminem's birthday! More recently he has been a regular name on the Dublin circuit playing everywhere and guesting at all the best club nights. Six years ago he turned a few heads mixing several genres on four to five decks without the aid of headphones - no mean feat. At HYPE Meets 515, he'll be working the floor with two 1200's and two CDJ's. And with more room in the Lobby Bar to drop a varied selection, than that of a normal 'club' setting expect all sorts in the mix as Calvin licks those fingers and brings on his freestyle dancefloor turntablism.

Get Yo' Link On!
www.myspace.com/christiansmithdj
www.myspace.com/subjectevents
www.myspace.com/deejaytea
www.djchristiansmith.com
www.physical-music.com
www.pod.ie

H Y P E at Pod
Harcourt Street Dublin 2
Every F R I D A Y
House Your Body

Advance Tickets from usual outlets. Phone/internet bookings subject to extra service charges. www.ticketmaster.ie /24hr Hotline 0818 719 300

Subject

FilthyFriction!

Nice booking lads.

Should be a good night.

FLYNN-DOG

Most def - Christian Smith is a great producer. Pity no Selway tho!

Subject

Competition //

To win a double pass answer this question;

Name DJ T's label...

Answers to: info[at]subjectevents[dot]com

Winners will be notified by lunchtime on Thursday.

Good luck!

Subject.