…

Chunky name, versatile and defined sound: Butch spent the past five years presenting the world with an amazing array of music throughout the different genres of electronic dance music with such an ease and passion that it has made him one of the most sought-after names worldwide. So how big was 2010 for Butch…becoming the most charted artist EVER on music bible Resident Advisor; stringing together ten top 10 tracks in 1 year on Beatport, winning Track Of The Year at the Ibiza Dance Music Awards, releasing his second studio album Eyes Wide Open to critical acclaim… not bad for 1 year. And if you knew him, you’d know that this is only the beginning…

With his 2011 touring calendar already filled to the brim, Habitat is very proud to present Butch in the intimate surrounds Geisha on Friday 11 February for one very special show. Supported by Flex, Richard Lee, El Dario & Rohan Smith. Very limited tickets are available from all Moshtix outlets and geishabar.com.au for $30 +bf.

Geisha – James St, Northbridge

Friday 11 February

Supported by Flex, El Dario, Richard Lee, Rohan Smith

10pm-6am

Sounds like techno…

If it sounds like techno and has origins in Detroit, chances are it probably is techno. Detroit’s Stacey Pullen has continued to produce characteristic and atmospheric electronic sounds whilst championing the legendary reverberations that originated from America’s motor city.

Pullen describes himself as the Kosmik Messenger – an innovator from techno’s homeland. He’s emerged as a techno force, dropping material on Transmat, Metroplex as well as his own Black Flag outlet. He compounds his reputation as a producer with that of being one of the world’s most in demand DJs, playing weekly across the globe year in year out.

Around 1985, while Pullen was still drumming and travelling with his high school band, the Detroit techno movement was born and provided a revolutionary sound to the youth of Detroit. Jeff Mills was taking musical technology to new levels, redefining the borders between DJing and production in a way which had never been done before. The youth of Detroit, including Stacey, listened and learnt.

“Back then the music we called house music, techno, was also called progressive music – the meaning of ‘progressive’ was a futuristic way of thinking about music. That was what we called progressive. Back then for party music in Detroit only hip hop was big – music like techno was progressive.” Stacey Pullen.

Pullen grew up under the mentorship of Detroit’s legendary three: Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson. Back in early 1993, May – who spent most of his time outside the USA at that time – encouraged Pullen to perform across Europe to widen his audience. May subsequently invited Pullen to join him in Amsterdam for a month. That initial month became a year until Pullen moved in with May and together they toured Europe weekly, exposing the audience to Detroit techno.

The competition will be held over three heats, as opposed to only two last year, with 6 DJ’s battling it out a 30 minute set at each heat for the much wanted first prize of $250, along with being added to the Habitat roster.

As one of the judges for this year’s competition, watching the new talent that arose during the first heat is really going to make it hard for Habitat to descend on a winner. With all 6 competitors playing outstanding sets, portraying their own style of tech-house and techno, it was hard enough to pick the finalists for the first round.

Congratulations to ‘Sirus B’ and ‘de | mech’ for making it through the first round of the competition. Both DJ’s were my favourites for the night, smashing out a series of quality tech-house & techno tunes that kept the floor dancing and cheering throughout the night.

Stay tuned for more updates on the competition.

Heat 2 – Saturday 5 June, 2010
Heat 3 – Saturday 19 June, 2010

But now they are much stronger, and gathering yet again on the outskirts…

Another invasion of the planet known as Shape is imminent…

But it seems this time they will most certainly attack both levels…

Can a handful of legendary locals defend their Habitat from these evil invaders and bring glory to all it’s people…

Watch as the battle unfolds Saturday 13 March, over both levels of Shape.

Who will prevail…..

HENRY SAIZ is the creator of a very unique formula, a maximized emo- techno sophistically redressed in a wonderful IDM. His music has been always marked and skillfully splashed by an acid neo-trance essence, and because of that Henry has now reached new levels of brilliance in an exquisite electronic dimension.

The sound of this producer drinks from the well of the most melodic source of experimental electronic, using progressive structures close to trance and adding an elaborated rhythmic bass with traces of funk and acid.

After releasing his first productions on labels such as Global Underground and Paradigm Musik – in which he continues to actively collaborate – in the year 2008 his crafty techno grabbed John Digweed’s attention and, very soon, he saw the doors of the all-powerful British label Renaissance open wide, urging him to be a part of it. Henry signed for Renaissance and become one of the main artists of this galactic tech- house kingdom, among big names such as Hernan Cattaneo, Sasha and James Zabiela. From this moment, and having also released for labels such as Bedrock, Henry boasts two of 2009´s most popular EPs, “Artificial Paradises” and “ Madre Noche”. Henry has also been reinforcing and developing his live act – an authentic trip in to an electronic techno space in which the emotion progresses and merges with the synthetic sounds so perfectly, that it becomes a unique tune.

Don’t miss the opportunity to witness Henry in all his glory preforming his unique LIVE set – Saturday 20th Feb – Upstairs at Shape Bar.

Support:

Flex
Cody
Darren J
El Dario

CHARLIE MAY LIVE (Spooky)

There are few more inspired artists working in electronic music today than Charlie May. As the architect behind many of the stylistic blueprint shifts in dance since the early heady days of acid house, May knows a thing or two about what makes a dancefloor tick. One half of revered progressive house pioneers Spooky; the engineer and producer of many of Sasha’s biggest singles and albums; highly respected solo producer in his own right, May has remained at the vivacious beating heart of house since the early ’90s, taking the pulse of the clubbing populace and ensuring it remains in rude health.

It was in 1992 that Charlie May and production partner Duncan Forbes made their maiden voyage as Spooky. After meeting and becoming firm friends, galvanised by their love of the exploding electronic dance scene and classic Krautrock alike, they cut their first record for progressive imprint Guerilla Records, ‘Don’t Panic’. It was to prove highly influential in the nascent, futuristic new movement in dance music – progressive house – that took the highly addictive, propulsive rhythms of acid, and married them to the aquatic depths of Detroit techno and amniotic washes of ambient music, to create a fresh new hybrid.

Along with fellow forward thinkers Leftfield, Spooky were heralded as figureheads of progressive house, and suddenly, with all eyes on them, were compelled to deliver an album that would deliver the same giddy thrills as ‘Don’t Panic’. But few could have predicted that May and Forbes would create such a sky-strafing and ambitious long-player as ‘Gargantuan’. Sampling the likes of Kosmiche pioneers Can, dipping into dub and all the while addressing both the dancing feet and head alike, ‘Gargantuan’ was one of the first dance albums of its kind, and would go on to spawn a million sound-alikes. Primarily because it was different: drawing on classic electronic elements and dragging them into the future, it stood apart from the crowd.

Their most critically acclaimed album – 1995s ‘Found Sound’ followed – in the wake of three EPs (Clank, Stereo and Shunt) which mangled the musical blueprint, throwing hip hop beats, tech bass and sampladelic elements into the heady Spooky sonic signature. The duo became in high demand as remixers, reworking everyone from Sven Vath and William Orbit to Ultramarine and Lush.

Post the success of the more experimental ‘Found Sound’, the act took a hiatus, and Charlie May went in search of a new project. Linking up with one of the world’s most acclaimed and technically skilled DJs, Sasha, he was drafted in to help him realise his sonic vision. Their initial production collaboration was on a soundtrack to hit Playstation game Wipeout 3, and from there, Sasha tasked May with engineering a new version of unreleased Spooky track ‘Xpander’, which was included on the EP of the same name, along with another May/Sasha production, ‘Belfunk’. When producers needed that extra touch of production sheen, Charlie was the man, and when Sasha collaborated with former Underworld founder Darren Emerson on ‘Scorchio’, it was May co-writing and pushing the buttons.

The acclaimed ‘Airdrawndagger’ album (2002) which became Sasha’s production calling card again featured May behind the boards (alongside Junkie XL), as well as the following Global Underground mix album ‘Involver’. But eager to step out of the shadows, May had all this time been honing his solo chops, and with the release of the fresh ‘Bug EP’ on Junior Boys Own London, he began to garner props as a producer in his own right.

“I’m inclined to make my stuff a bit harder than the Spooky stuff. My solo sound is more techno, whereas with Spooky we’ve always blended the techno and house together.”

Charlie’s solo incarnation was to bear further fruit in 2006, with the Charlie May vs. Sasha cut ‘Seal Clubbing’, a smash record for Renaissance.

Returning to the Spooky fold for a third album, ‘Open’, released in 2007, May and Forbes were embraced by the public and critics alike for fashioning a record of emotive dancefloor potency, which came accompanied with an additional ambient disc. After touring the US to promote the record, they found themselves in New York City, where they settled to collaborate with Sasha on a succession of new productions for the DJ’s fresh label Emfire – (Coma, Park It In The Shade, Mongoose and Who Killed Sparky). Of the back of these well-received cuts, the duo were brought in to assist with the production of ‘Involv2er’, the second volume in his DJ mix/remixes series.

In 2009, Spooky were hard at work on several new projects. A new double mix CD for Platipus ‘Tales 4′, saw them investigate both uptempo dancefloor material and electronica, with additional production elements. It also contained two brand new Spooky tracks, exclusive to the compilation. In addition, there will be a succession of special one-off singles. But this will also be the year that Charlie May’s solo career really kicks into gear. Having etched several new club tracks, exhibiting a heavier techno influence, Charlie’s more inspired than ever, and has plenty of new plans.

“I’m focusing on singles for a bit but I’d also like to do an album – its something I really want to do. That would be a big achievement. It’s all guns blazing really – watch this space.”