Beats 'n' Pieces: The Hot 100

Voting has commenced in the DJmag Top 100 DJs 2008 poll. As controversial as it is influential, the DJmag poll causes ructions, disagreements and debate every year.
But last year, more than 200,000 clubbers worldwide cast their votes in it and you can’t argue with that. In fact, its vast global appeal perhaps explains why Northern Irish trance duo Agnelli & Nelson were the only Irish DJs in last year’s chart.
John O’Callaghan narrowly missed out 12 months ago and even though Beats & Pieces has been saying it for several years, this should be the year he cracks it.
To help the ‘Big Sky’ creator and all of the other deserving Irish turntable talents in their quest, get your mates to log on to www.djmag.com and cast their votes for the green army.
O’Callaghan recently signed an album deal with Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren’s Armind stamp. It will release his second opus early in 2009. Ahead of that comes the follow-up to his ‘Big Sky’ single which will also feature vocals from Derry’s Audrey Gallagher.
Audrey has recently worked with Agnelli & Nelson and Armin van Buuren.
Another Irish singer now firmly established on the dance circuit is Sam Obernik, currently enjoying her second British pop chart hit with one of 2008’s biggest house music anthems, ‘Baditude’.
The south Dubliner, who hails from Cabinteely, produced the crossover club smash with ex-Dirty Vegas star Paul Harris and the UK scene’s man-of-the-moment Dave Spoon.
Earlier this month she performed it live in Ibiza at the BBC Radio 1FM weekender on a show hosted by fellow south Dubliner, Annie Mac. (Pause for a moment and picture that marvellous scene: two Irish girls ruling the roost at one of the biggest annual s on the Ibiza calendar.)
Mum-of-one Sam’s first chart success was in 2002 with Tim Deluxe on ‘It Just Won’t Do’.
She has since worked with Linus Loves on a cover of Stevie Nicks’ ‘Stand Back’ and with Tommy D on Barefoot’s album of stripped-down jazzy acoustic covers of club classics such as ‘White Lines’ and ‘Born Slippy’.
“I always wanted a career in music,” she tells Hot Press. “I started out busking on Grafton Street with Glen Hansard back in The Commitments era.”
A second Barefoot album is on the cards but the married songstress revealed “it may be postponed for a bit if the success of ‘Baditude’ results in a follow-up single and album”.
Another Irish female vocalist with an army of club supporters is Nat Leonard, who has contributed to a string of tunes from the likes of London’s Dave Seaman, Donegal’s Timmy & Tommy and Limerick’s Ross & Buddy.
Next month she releases her first solo single, ‘Right Time’, on the Full Tilt imprint.
It's armed with three huge club mixes: a monster progressive house one from Totally Random, a deep electro workout from Timmy & Tommy and an absolutely storming big room house mix from California’s Thomas Penton (of Electric Candy fame).
Barry Dempsey’s Monad Music imprint continues its relentless onslaught of fresh music this fortnight with singles 31 and 32 from Liverpudlian Paul Kieran and Swede Johan Chatkowski respectively. An Irish hero who is currently enjoying something of a renaissance – Spectrum Is Green – remixes the latter effort.
Belfast’s DJ Mog is representing Ireland at this year’s Creamfields festival in Liverpool on August 23. He told Hot Press: “Judge Jules picked me to play a special ‘BBC introducing…’ stage which will showcase new talent alongside BBC Radio 1’s very own Pete Tong and Dave Pearce and, of course, Jules.”
Another Belfast whiz, Gregory Ferguson, has donned his Jupiter Ace hat again after a year spent working on his AJ Suzuki band project. Ministry of Sound Australia is releasing his remix of hot Aussie electro producer Tommy Trash’s ‘Let Me Love You’ single.
Only three DJs from the South are included in the line-up for Planetlove’s tenth birthday blowout at Shane’s Castle in Antrim on Saturday September 6. Carlow’s John Gibbons and Orla Feeney along with Dublin’s David De Valera will be joining almost 100 other acts in nine arenas.
The festival celebrations actually begin on September 5 when Dutch legend Tiesto performs his second and last Irish concert of 2008, following his recent sell-out at Ballinlough Castle, County Meath.
Meanwhile, Creamfields Ireland is “definitely going ahead” in 2009 according to insiders at PoD Concerts, although at which venue the event will take place remains unclear.
Obvious choices Fairyhouse and Punchestown – where it was held for three years from 2000 until 2002 – would both be out of the equation because of exclusive arrangements the venues have with the RTÉ 2FM Sessions Tour and MCD respectively.
Competition on this front can only benefit the Irish clubber so we await further developments with interest. In the meantime, we’re gearing up for Fish Go Deep’s 20th anniversary party at Electric Picnic and Kraftwerk at Luggala, County Wicklow on September 13 … THE BEAT GOES ON!