Up close and international

This month in up close and international we feature three amazing talents that bring a unique sound and experience to the dance floor every time they perform. With up coming albums, remixes, and global touring, these international superstars are ready to bring it to the party in 2010!

Nic Fanciulli

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From being a shy, talented DJ playing his trade as resident at his local club, to becoming a global superstar, the rise and rise of Nic Fanciulli has been well documented. He has graced countless covers of the most respected dance publications whilst his name repeatedly pops up when clubbers discuss the finest DJ talent in recent years.

Nic joined the music world at 16, where he worked in the local record shop and DJ'd in the local bars, in his hometown of Maidstone, Kent. It was here that he earned his first proper break courtesy of the town's house institution ClubClass. Aged just twenty Nic became main room resident for the night he remains fully committed to. Nic's ClubClass residency would form the launch pad for his future success. Nic welcomed many legendary names to the night such as Deep Dish, Pete Tong, John Digweed and X-Press 2, all of whom were blown away his use of deep techy sounds, acid b-lines and dark melodic grooves. The residency also gave Nic the opportunity to play at different times of the night, allowing him to develop his own sound as well as develop a tremendous understanding of what is expected from a DJ.

Fast forward to 2006 and Nic boasts a portfolio of residencies across the globe that is both testament to his talent and versatility. Starting in the USA, Nic previously held a quarterly resident at Space in Miami, undoubtedly one of the finest nightclubs on the planet. With one Space in the bag, another comes in the form of that legendary terrace in Ibiza for which Nic now plays nearly every Sunday in the summer. This resulted in the headline 'Terrace Kings' which Nic achieved alongside Paul Woolford on their DJ Magazine cover story in August 2006. He also held a residency at the magnificent Il Muretto in Venice and finally back to Britain, where Nic has been responsible for ClubClass developing from a provincial club event, to one of the UK's finest and most influential house nights. ClubClass then went to the Ministry Of Sound in London, which has given Nic an excellent platform in which to showcase his music, as well as the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Danny Tenaglia, Rolando and Funk D' void. March 2008 sees Nic starting a brand new night called Atomic at the esteemed club The End in London. Nic is in good company, The End's has fellow resident holders include Laurent Garnier and Sven Vath.

Nic's production and remix work alongside Andy Chatterley, under Skylark and its bastard son Buick Project, has proved fundamental in pushing him through as both an artist and DJ. Essential new tune status is a regular occurrence for Nic's productions and he has been called upon to remix a plethora of acts including Underworld, Tiefschwarz, Unkle, Kylie and Deep Dish. Critical acclaim doesn't get much better than a Grammy nomination and exactly what they got in 2007 when Buick Project was nominated for their remix of Tracey Thorn/Tiefschwarz track 'Damage'.

Add this to successful releases for Renaissance and it's clear that Nic enjoys a very busy studio schedule. Working with Renaissance has now become common place for Nic after he followed the likes of Sasha, Digweed and Deep Dish, by releasing a compilation on their legendary series in 2005. The mix received huge props from journalists and clubbers alike, was backed by a thirty date world tour and sold thousands worldwide.

Another string to Nic's impeccable bow comes in the form of Saved Records which launched in October 2004. Widely regarded as one of the leading cutting edge labels on the scene, Saved has gone on to release compositions from both established producers such as Zoo Brazil, Paolo Mojo and Audiofly, to up and coming talent such as James Talk and Shafunkers, with remixes being delivered from the likes of Alex Smoke and Paul Woolford. "There is such an untapped pool of talent across the world at the moment that I want to help the new kids coming through get the recognition their music rightly deserves" says Nic.

2007 saw Nic join forces with James Zabiela for their One+One alliance, causing something of a press frenzy they toured across the globe, made some original productions in the form of 'No Pressure' and 'Rover' and released a double CD. Wasting no time Nic then went back in the studio with Skylark partner Andy and the result was their first artist album; 'I-Panik' was released in November of 2007 with a full remix package coming in Spring 2008. The likes of Laurent Garnier praised the album and the press were blown away ' citing it as an intelligent piece of electronica. The remix package sees contributions from acts as diverse as Joris Voorn, Funk Dvoid, Joel Mull, and many others.

With a list of achievements that already overshadows many DJs ten years his senior, its clear that Nic Fanciulli has proven how combining genuine talent with dedication can go a long way. And whilst his record label, residencies, productions and compilations continue to open the ears of thousands of people across the planet, the fact he has a whole host of future projects up his sleeve reveals the best is still to come'.

Groove Armada

Groove Armada Talent page

Not many bands' sixth albums could be described as bold, brave, fresh, adventurous or representing a new creative peak. But Groove Armada's brilliant Black Light is all of those things and more. Twelve years into a career as purveyors of top drawer dance music, Andy Cato and Tom Findlay have completely reinvented their sound, with thrilling results. This, folks, is not just Groove Armada. This is the new, re-focused and re-energised Groove Armada (with a glitterball-shaped cherry on top).

 

We could've knocked out an album of ragga-influenced house bangers and a couple of chill out tunes, and that would've been a much easier life," explains Andy. "But we needed a new challenge. Neither of us was interested in just repeating ourselves." Instead, the music-obsessed duo took inspiration from the new breed of acts they were booking for their award-winning London festival, Lovebox. "Bands like the Friendly Fires, Klaxons, Passion Pit, LCD Soundsystem, Ladyhawke and MGMT," says Tom. "They're the ones really leading the charge, making genuinely exciting, dance-informed music. And that sound really pushed us back towards people like Bowie, Gary Numan, New Order, Fleetwood Mac and Roxy Music."
When the duo got together in Findlay's basement studio in north London to start work on a new album, it was clear they were thinking along similar lines. "We didn't really sit down with a plan," says Tom. "We just started making the noises we wanted to make and this whole electro-driven, rock-tinged, song-based thing started to come out."

The very first song they made for the album was Warsaw, a dark, juddering, electro-rock monster that's one of several Black Light tracks to feature vocals from Empire of the Sun's Nick Littlemore ("The most creative mind I've met for 10 years," says Andy). The track quickly became an online hit when it was offered as a free sneak preview of the band's new sound in September 2009. A comment on one music blog summed up the mood: "Brilliant track – like going to eat a Kitkat and finding it’s entirely made of chocolate. Not what I was expecting but a lovely surprise."

Feeling similarly inspired by their creation, Andy and Tom used it as the driving force for Black Light. For the next 14 months, they could be found spending 19 hour days hunched over mixing desks, instruments and computers, either in Tom's London studio or in Andy's, at his rural French home (nicknamed "Chateau Cato" by Pete Tong). "It certainly wasn't an easy record to make," says Tom. "I was really more of a beats and bleeps person until now, so I did feel massively removed from our comfort zone."

But the duo did have their live experience to call on. As Andy points out, "Groove Armada are in a unique position where, after all these years of experimentation, we can deliver live dance music with a band better than pretty much anyone". The ecstatic masses who saw them closing the Other Stage at Glastonbury in 2008, or the tens of thousands who've bounced along to sold out shows across the planet, will certainly attest to that. It's why Groove Armada remain one of dance music's biggest live draws.

Thus, in a break with GA tradition, their band was brought into the studio early in the making of the Black Light, helping to bring authenticity to their new song-based sound. Andy and Tom also began their tortuous quest to find the guest vocalists who would eventually work with them on the album, scouring their music collections, trawling the internet and asking for tips from friends (and friends of friends). Big names and undiscovered hopefuls alike were tried, tested and honed, discarded or brought into the Black Light pack. "It wasn't about reputation, it was about who could help us make the very best songs possible," says Andy.

Nick Littlemore was recruited after the duo remembered seeing his band PNAU playing live in Australia. "I loved that show," says Tom. "He's just got an amazing vibe; part Jim Morrison, part Nick Cave. He's a great lyricist too." "We tracked him down and, happily, he was up for getting together with us during some time off from Empire of the Sun," adds Andy. "He just works beyond the rulebook. His ideas are amazing". As well as Warsaw, Littlemore's vocals drive the delicate, ethereal Fall Silent; the brooding, menacing Not Forgotten; and the emotion-heavy, 80s-tinged pop polemic that is Cards To Your Heart.

For another of Black Light's main contributors, the duo turned to SaintSaviour, the livewire frontwoman of electro-popsters RGBs who'd supported them on a previous UK tour. With the RGBs having gone their separate ways, SaintSaviour was free to become a major part of the new Groove Armada sound. "She's amazing in a lot of ways," says Andy. "An incredibly talented vocalist and song-writer, and as hard working as we are. She's also turned out to be a brilliant frontwoman for our new live show. I honestly think she's the best performer of her generation."

The singer has lent her crystalline vocals to the album's first single, the gorgeous, regret-tinged I Won't Kneel, as well the the defiant, punk-funk duet Paper Romance, on which she shares vocals with Ben from fast-rising dance-poppers Fenech Soler. St Saviour also appears on the deliciously driving, electro-skank Time and Space alongside Jess Larrabee from underground Brooklyn rockers She Keeps Bees, a band GA discovered on MySpace.

"We've never actually met Jess," says Andy, "but we got really into her albums and started emailing tracks for her to add vocals to. Her music usually has more of a White Stripes kind of vibe. But her mum was a dancer at Studio 54, so I think she got really into the disco flavour and she absolutely nailed it." As well as Time and Space, Larabee lends her voice to the album's gorgeous mellow gem, Just For Tonight ("basically it's a female justification of a one night stand," explains Andy), as well supplying some New York attitude to the spiky, rocked-up Look Me In The Eye Sister (a track the Yeah Yeah Yeahs would kill for).

But the vocalists are not confined to indie upstarts. No, the yearning voice you'll hear on the stirring house lullaby History belongs to pop superstar Will Young, a friend of Andy's since they bonded on nights out in Ibiza. And, having had Roxy Music's Love Is A Drug on repeat for much of the recording session, it seemed only right to get the legendary Bryan Ferry to supply his first ever guest vocal to the softly intense Shameless. "That track is totally worth the posh dinners we had to buy to persuade him," grins Tom.

Of course, Groove Armada are well aware that Black Light is a record which will challenge their fans. That was the whole point. "You have to keep things interesting," says Tom. "I don't want to become the Cliff Richard of dance."

That said, they were both incredibly nervous about debuting their new sound in their headline slot at this year's Lovebox. "I remember standing with Andy in the dressing room, waiting to go on stage," says Tom. "I just said to him, 'This is either going to be the end of everything or the start of something amazing'."

It turned out to be the latter. Spurred on by an astonishingly assured performance from SaintSaviour, the band were triumphant. "The reaction to the songs was just incredible," says Andy. "After all the work, the stress and the tension of making this record, it literally brought tears to my eyes. It just completely went off." So much so that Groove Armada were later nominated for the Best Headliner slot at the UK Festival Awards, despite playing a set made up almost entirely of songs the crowd had never heard before.

"It's amazing to make a record at this point in your career that you're viscerally excited about," says Tom. "But that's honestly how I feel." Andy is quick to agree. "I think even people who've hated everything we've ever made before could absolutely love this record. I'm incredibly proud of it. If I could leave just one album of ours behind, there is absolutely no question as to which one it would be."

Honey Dijon

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Based in New York, Miss Honey’s recent gigs for such clients as Visionare, Hermes, Chloe, The CFDA Awards, Loewe, Narciso Rodriguez and other global taste-makers are making her one of the most sought after dj’s for top fashion calendar events. Other headlining appearances include Berlin’s Love Parade, Ministry of Sound, Respect is Burning in Paris, and the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami.

Although she spins a distinct Chicago sound with inflections of the deep New York underground, Miss Honey prides herself on a style that is all her own. In fact, Honey is one of the few dj’s in recent years to defy pigeon-holing. She draws from a wide repertoire of musical styles; from old school Chicago house, disco, tech-house, tribal, funk, soul, and r&b. As a gifted and experienced dj, Honey knows how to manipulate any crowd. Whether she is easing them into a trancey vibe with the dark sounds of techno, or lifting them up with pumping house, she knows how to rock a party!

A native of the Windy City, Honey was first inspired by the legendary house sounds of such dj pioneers as Ron Hardy, Derrick Carter, Mark Farina, and Frankie Knuckles. When she moved to New York, Honey became great friends with even more influential dj’s, including the amazing Danny Tenaglia, who finally urged her to get behind the decks. Seducing club-goers with her unique sound all over the world, she is becoming a must-see dj in many cities.