Freshly Social

Clubbers visiting Ibiza this summer have more than usual to look forward to, following confirmation that New York-based house music impresario Dennis Ferrer will play a residency at the plush new Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel.

Ferrer will join his Bronx-born protégés, the Martinez Brothers, every Sunday, between 26 June and 25 September, for the ‘USA House – Citizens of the world’ club night. It is billed as ‘the coolest party in Ibiza’, and with both Ferrer and the brothers famed for their dedication to embracing, honing and crafting DJ skill, Sundays at Ushuaia promise to be one of most energetic and engaging events on the party isle in 2011.

The news comes hot on the heels of Ferrer’s recent Facebook post, that he will be playing a soon-to-be-announced show in the UK. Ferrer wrote: “For all the UK cats, mark down July 2nd. Comin to town!!” The statement spurred a excited reaction from his sizeable UK fan base, eager to see one of the most iconic names to have emerged from New York’s significant house scene.

Grammy Award-nominated house music production outfit Full Intention continue their 2011 creative high with a stunning remix for pop/dance princess Alexis Jordan.

‘Hush hush’ will be the third release from Jordan, following her debut smash hit singles ‘Happiness’ and ‘Good girl’, both of which made a significant impact on UK charts and dance floors.

The Full Intention remix of ‘Hush hush’, from Jordan’s debut album of the same name, will be part of a stellar EP package, which includes remixes from other top-tier producers, including Tom Neville and Cahill. Released on 8 May, ‘Hush hush’ is destined to dominate radio and club playlists this summer.

Full Intention continue to be one of the music industry’s most in-demand production duos. Consisting of house heroes Michael Gray and Jon Pearn, the partnership has performed remix miracles for music A-Listers, such as George Michael, Bob Sinclar and Jennifer Lopez. Recognised as one of the most innovative and pioneering remix teams of the past decade, their productions are coveted by every genre-DJ worth their salt – fans and advocates include Eric Prydz, Tom Novy, David Morales and The Shapeshifters, to name four.

House music frontrunners Technotronic have delighted fans with news of a major comeback tour in 2011, promising to electrify fans with shows across the world.

Kicking off with a string of hot appearances in Brazil next month, the band, credited with bringing house music into mainstream homes, will ignite global audiences throughout the tour, which is expected to hit almost every continent.

Whilst their signature track ‘Pump up the jam’ is likely to be one of the highlights of the shows, the Technotronic tour promises a consistent translation of high energy performances, ensuring all bases are covered for an audience eager to party.

Responsible for some fifteen million record sales and having recently celebrated their twentieth anniversary, Technotronic are keen to remind fans just why top industry figures still consider them one of the pivotal acts in the genre’s history. Since their 1989 breakthrough ‘Pump up the jam’, the Belgian group have produced an array of standout smash hits, which also include ‘Get up! (before the night is over) and ‘This beat is technotronic’.  

Dance music icon Guru Josh is again responsible for upping the BPM on the industry’s pulse with a new track that leading radio and club DJs are billing as the anthem of 2011.

‘Love of life’ is the first release from the English house legend since the 2010 issue of ‘Frozen teardrops’. However, with an epic house signature track under his belt in ‘Infinity’, Guru Josh has been waiting some time to carve out the next definitive stage in dance floor trends. Following reaction to his latest release, it seems that ‘Love of life’ could be that production.

Remixed by The Fusion & Dima June, ‘Love of life’ is now available on Beatport and already number one on the Dynamite FM Dance Charts in Moscow. Similarly, the track is quickly building momentum across the world, as radio and clubs absorb the impact of its sensational vocal, atmospheric melody and an era-transforming beat that house music aficionados will not be able to resist.

Legendary New York soundtrack maestro, Kenny Dope, has reminded fans just why he is still top of the house pops with a killer spree of tracks released through music social network, SoundCloud.

Productions include collaborations and remixes with Method Man, Raekwon, Royce da 5’9, Joell Ortiz and Rasheed Chappell; and with hip-hop, Baltimore Club, house and dub step cuts all on offer, Dope has cemented his wide appeal amongst followers, once again ensuring nobody is left out. All of this alludes to a continued creative high for Dope, which the DJ/producer is likely to indulge throughout 2011. Great news for clubs. Great news for radio. Great news for fans.

Famed for an industrial-sized knowledge of the music that has carved New York’s dynamic and varied party scene, Dope has continued to lead the pack following his work as one half of iconic production outfit, Masters at Work (along with the notoriously talented Little Louie Vega). The duo worked with the likes of Jocelyn Brown, India and Todd Terry, creating one of the most significant contributions to house music in memory.

DJ/producer Michael Gray, one-half of Grammy Award-nominated remix team Full Intention, is giving fans a sneak peek of his fantastic new track ‘Piece of you’ with a YouTube teaser video.

Featuring the sublime vocal talents of Laura Kidd, the soon-to-be-released single harks back to the dance/trance heyday, and is an authentically crafted club collaboration that is already getting rave reviews from house music aficionados.

Hot on the heels of Gray’s recent smash hits, including the Marco Lys and Plastik Planet team effort, ‘I get flashbacks’, and Full Intention’s own masterpiece ‘Play’, ‘Piece of you’ once again cements the versatility and credibility of one of the most innovative and genuine names in house music.

Along with Full Intention partner Jon Pearn, Gray has performed remix miracles for the likes of George Michael, Bob Sinclar, Brandy and the Freemasons. With DJ performances that set and raise the bar to peers, Gray’s creations are treasured by audiences worldwide and steer the genre he helped define.

Brooklyn-born house DJ Jon Cutler stole the show at the ‘Dance your art off’ event in Buffalo, New York, this month, giving fans a glimpse of his slamming style ahead of his intoxicating contribution to the soon-to-be-released ‘Distant Drum Breaks Vol #2’.

Followers of Cutler, who reached number 38 in the UK charts with epic track ‘It’s yours’, won’t be surprised at his appearance at the event – as although the dynamic DJ has been honing his exceptional skills as a DJ since he was fifteen, he also explored other artistic avenues by studying photography at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts.

‘Dance your art off’ aims to raise money for cultural institutions in the area, and Cutler energised the crowd at the Town Ballroom with a spectacular opening vinyl set, fusing deep house and vintage classics with an artistic backdrop of fire, lights and fabrics.

Chicago house music legend Ron Carroll is making a welcome return to holiday isle Tenerife this month for the lively ‘I love music festival 2011’ on 23 April.

It is the first time Carroll, who continues to be one of the most respected figures in the industry, will visit Tenerife since his show stopping appearance at the 2009 Santa Cruz Dance Carnival – a performance that set the fiesta alight and still echoes with fans of the dance maestro.

The ‘I love music festival’ takes place on the southern coast of the sun-drenched vacation hotspot, at the buzzing Tropicana Gardens – the largest open-air balcony in the Canary Islands. The Costa Adeja event has been a focal point for the electronic music industry calendar for several years, and the 2011 line-up promises to be as dynamic as ever.

Swiss super producer/DJ Jamie Lewis is on the hunt for a new employee for his record label Purple Music, and has asked fans interested in the Zurich-based role to apply as soon as possible.

Would-be promoters are advised to get their applications in quick for the position, which will place them at the forefront of the dance industry, working for one of the most respected DJs in the world. A job description and further details can be found on the Purple Music Facebook page.

Founded in 1997, Purple Music aims to fuse house music with the vocally charged ingredient of Gospel – a recipe that has served them well, and led to Lewis receiving two nominations from the UK’s prestigious House Music Awards.

Now the label represents premier dance music acts Kings of Tomorrow, Sandy Rivera, Bob Sinclar, Souldynamic, Inaya Day and Kim Cooper, to name a few, and continues to increase its already significant impact on the industry with global smash hits.

Dynamic house DJ Ian Carey kick-started his Australian tour with two phenomenal shows in Darwin on Friday, whetting the appetites of his legion of Ozzie fans who are looking forward to his string of concerts this month.

Following the inaugural shows, which form part of his longest ever tour in a single country, the American-born, European-based Carey tweeted: “Great 2 gigs in Darwin Friday… Nonstop since I landed.”

Clearly enjoying his energised fans, the Carey train stops next at Platinum on the Gold Coast on 8 April, before steaming off to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Newcastle and Perth to complete what is expected to be one of the country’s 2011 dance music highlights.

Carey’s position as one of the most in-demand house DJ/producers on earth has been cemented further by his recent smash hit ‘Last night’. The groundbreaking track, with hip hop legend Snoop Dog and vocalist Bobby Anthony, has been electrifying clubs, charts and radio this year, continuing his spell of past triumphs, such as ‘Say what you want’ and ‘Keep on rising’.