Lord of the trance

Irish trance producer Bryan Kearney’s hot remix of Fire & Ice’s ‘Lost Emotions’ has been signed to Banshee Records, an offshoot of renowned trance stamp, Bonzai Records. The original was released on Bonzai and was produced by L-Vee (Airwave) and DJ Fire (Jurgen Leyers).
Group Therapy, featuring Irish vocalist Nat Leonard’s follow-up to ‘My Own Worst Enemy’, has just been released on Dave Seaman’s Audio Therapy label.
‘Faith Again’ sees the songstress on fine form, with mixes come from Seaman (breakbeat trance) and Luke Chable (electro). The single has received rave reviews from the UK dance press.
Dubliner Karl Davis, off to DJ in Canada at the end of this month, is expanding his hard dance empire.
Hot on the heels of his fifth Hardsounds single is the first from his new imprint, Pure NRG. Karl Davis & Nick Irwin’s ‘I Got Something For Ya’ is coupled with a slamming remix from Vicious Circle’s Ben Stevens.
Next up is the slamming Hardsounds 6, ‘Ready To Go’ from Marc Johnson & DMF, snapped up from the now defunct Tripoli Trax stamp and paired with a monstrous Defective Audio remix.
Irish rapper Collie has just released his ‘Give It Up’ single on Universal. It’s a humourous take on his (successful) attempt to give up smoking weed.
There are two new releases scheduled by Dublin-based drum ‘n’ bass label Bassbin for March. BB1219 pairs soon-to-be-huge Random Movement’s ‘Time 2 Rock’ and ‘Morning Glory’. Both cuts have been caned by Fabio, Calibre, Marcus, Breakage, Flight, Bailey, Marky and Bryan G.
BB1220 features two beat-heavy stormers from Equinox, ‘Unity’ and ‘Rockers International’. The latter is “a slightly deeper take with loads of energy,” according to Bassbin head honcho, Rohan.
Essential album of the fortnight is the urban set, This Is My Demo (All City), from hotly-tipped, MOBO award-winning, UK emcee and producer Sway.
Also well worth purchasing is Cool Calm Pete’s critically acclaimed hip-hop album, Lost – equal parts gritty realism and Daisy Age escapism. Licensed for release on this side of the Atlantic by Definitive Jux, there are two bonus tracks including the RJD2-produced ‘Black Friday’.
J Dilla Jay Dee’s Donuts (PIAS) is a surprisingly addictive rap-less collection of 30-second jam ideas from beat-tape leftovers that has a warm underground charm while Skeewiff’s third foray into the realms of swinging ‘60s-infused lounge-hop, Private Funktion (Jalapeno) is their most accomplished.
Electro Love (Big Love) is the first in a series of mini-compilations featuring eight exclusive underground electro-funk tracks on double-pack vinyl and CD.
Another DJ-friendly set is Compilation Nine from International Deejay Gigolos, the latest twin-CD label round-up which features tracks and mixes from Felix da Housecat feat. P Diddy, Hell & Grace Jones, Miss Kittin & The Hacker and M.A.N.D.Y, among many others.
Set: Meck (Free2Air) is Craig Dimech’s masterful mesh of dirty house and electro which includes his Leo Sayer sampling ‘Thunder in my Heart Again’, while Club Azuli sees Dave Piccioni blend beats from Jacques lu Cont, Moby, Full Intention and Layo & Bushwacka.
Remix of the fortnight is the Pet Shop Boys Maximix of Madonna’s ‘Sorry’, a perfect slab of pure electro-pop. Essential tune of the fortnight is The Prodigy’s ‘Wake The F*** Up’, which can only be found on Liam Howlett’s new Back To Mine compilation on DMC.
Terry Hall, vocalist with The Specials, Fun Boy Three and The Colourfield, will DJ at Voodoo Lounge in Dublin on March 3. Chicago don Green Velvet teams up with Scottish stalwarts Slam at Ten in Waterford on March 17.
BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix will broadcast Pete Tong’s set live from Lush in Portrush on March 11. Also on the bill are resident Col Hamilton, house DJ Nic Fianciulli and wacky outfit The Cuban Brothers.
It will be the second week of the Lush 10th birthday celebrations. On March 4, Col is joined by bosh king, Eddie Halliwell. Tickets for both events are on sale at usual outlets.
The supreme decktician, DJ Food, and The Herbaliser join forces for the next Remedy, at TBMC in Dublin on February 25.
Irish trance duo Agnelli & Nelson headline an all-Ireland trance-fest, Fusion, at The Vaults in Dublin on February 24. Meanwhile, Revolution, which runs at the same venue on March 16, has added an Old Skool room headlined by Slipmatt and yours truly. Tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.
Also on March 16, German trance-meister Paul van Dyk, voted World’s No1 DJ in DJ Magazine’s poll of more than 120,000 clubbers at the end of 2005, will perform his first show at Dublin’s The Point.
This fortnight sees a resident of the acclaimed Trash club, Rory Phillips, bring his unique London style of awkward pop, forgotten post-punk classics and electronic oddities to Backlash at Wax in Dublin on February 16, while there’s an unmissable Anglo-Irish breakbeat soundclash – Evil 9 vs Splitloop – at 515 at PoD on the 17… THE BEAT GOES ON!