Wednesday 27 December 2017

Introducing TOM JAY... and the Jungle Move (Tom Jay's Deep Mix)!!

On remix duties for Tom Laidlaw's lead single from his debut on East Project, we have the excellent production and DJ talent that is TOM JAY...... (Sense Traxx,­ Alledged,­ Defected ITH,­ 124 Recordings,­ Simma Black):



Hi Tom.  How would you describe your remix of Jungle Move in 5 words?

Raw / Deep / Driven / Warm / Emotive

You have quite a bit of industry experience, having worked at CR2 records and now at MadHouse, MadTech and Sense Traxx.  Do you think this is important to help make it in the industry as a DJ or Producer?

I don’t necessarily think having an industry job is necessary to being successful, I’m not sure it makes too much of a difference. The main thing is making sure the quality of your music is as good as it can be, to not cut corners and to make sure you create networks to get your music heard.

You’ve had a busy 2017 on the releases front… Which has been your favourite production and what can we expect from you in 2018?

My favourite production has to be my remix of DJOKO’s ‘Foolin’ Round’. Had some huge support across the board and did great in the stores, pretty much has defined my direction for 2018.

A few things to come and a few more to finish, so can’t say too much right now, but some nice things on the way with a vinyl-only release coming end of Jan to start the year nicely!

Finally, any exciting plans for NYE?

Not sure, so many great parties on in the city! I’ll see where it takes me.




For more on TOM JAY, go to:


Tuesday 19 December 2017

Introducing TOM LAIDLAW... and the "Jungle Move" EP!!

East Project end the year with a massive EP (out on Boxing Day) from the extra talented Tom Laidlaw...  Check out the previews and interview below:



Please introduce yourself

Hi Guys. I’m Tom Laidlaw, 21 year old DJ/producer from Southend, Essex.

Who have been your big influences musically growing up and now? 

Growing up in a family where music is a massive thing for us with my dad being a mod into Northern Soul from the 80s really influenced me into music and always gave me a great music taste from disco to rock music. Music generally has been a massive thing for me growing up.

How would you describe your sound and how do you like to work in the studio?

I’d like to describe my sound as very punchy with heavy baselines and kicks and always with a little bit of groove.  I like to try and make my tracks different to a lot of house stuff released today but with only 3 years production experience I’m still trying to mould my own sound.

Tell us a bit about how Jungle Move and Junkin came about?  What was the inspiration behind those tracks?

There wasn’t really any inspiration behind jungle move…  I started it aiming for a groovy punchy tech house track with weird perc fills and noises but didn’t want to fall into the generic tech house category.  The jungle idea came about when I was thinking of ideas how to make this track different, so I sampled a load of wild animal noises and put them behind the track and it worked really well. Junkin is a darker track and works really well in a EP together.


Tell us more about KLIK in Southend? And do you have a preference between DJing or producing?

KLIK Southend is a house and techno event that has been running for 6 years now.  It’s a big event in Southend and has been for years, we aim to bring something different to our nights with music deep from the underground scene, with headliners like “Dungeon meat”, Fuse residents and Paranoid London.

I have been DJing for 5 years now and only started producing 3 years ago.  I do not prefer either, I absolutely love them both and it’s a massive passion of mine, from selecting music for a killer set to jumping in the studio and starting new projects – it’s a massive joy for me!


What have been your 2017 highlights and what can we expect from you in 2018?

2017 has been a really good year for me with the KLIK parties growing and having my first EP released, there is a lot planned for 2018 and you can expect more music from me early into the new year!

Finally, assuming you are on Santa’s good list, what would be the ultimate present this year?

I am always looking to improve my home studio so some Roland equipment would be nice… maybe a TR-09.


For more on Tom Laidlaw, go to:


Thursday 2 November 2017

What's HOT in November!?!

It's been a long time since we've done one of these but there are some big nights in London this month, so we thought we would highlight our favourite events...  Check them out:

Unleash 6th Birthday @ Studio Spaces
Sat 4th Nov / 22:00-06:00
DJs:
Magda, Cobblestone Jazz (Live), dOP (Live), Rob Wruhme

Sugar London @ Lightbox
Fri 10th Nov / 23:00-06:00
DJs:
James Carter, Jordan Wright, Slater, S.M.I.T.H, Lewis Murch
LA SAM, Lewis Murch, Alfie Nelson, Charles Barley, The Hart Project

EGG Presents Steve Bug @ EGG
Sat 18th Nov / 23:00-08:00
DJs
Steve Bug, Einzelkind, Hodge and many more...

ABODE - Homeward Bound - Take 2 @ Studio 338
Sun 19th Nov / 14:00-02:00
DJs:
TBC

FUSE 9th Borthday @ Village Underground
Sun 19th Nov / 14:00-02:00
DJs:
Enzo Siragusa, Seb Zito, Rossko, Rich NxT, OdD

Paradise London @ Printworks
Sat 25th Nov / 12:00-22:00
DJs:
Jamie Jones, Loco Dice, Audion (Live), wAFF, Latnum
Detlef, Lauren Lane, Mark Jenkyns, William Djoko



Friday 6 October 2017

Introducing... Louis Robinson! (FREE Music)

Next up on the EP FREE series, we have an amazing original tech house monster from the Reading based DJ and producer, Louis Robinson!

This man has big plans for the Reading scene and we can't wait to see how his new night SOLITE progresses...

Check out his FREE track "Saviour" below, along with interview...  ENJOY!!



What are you up to at the moment and what’s in store for the next few months?

Everything has been a little crazy lately but good crazy. So, I’ve just come back from playing some wicked shows out in Ibiza, two of which really stood out for me, I had the opportunity to play for Mark Radford’s label Audio Rehab at Eden and then Faction at Eden the following night too. I have to give a big shout out to the team at VMODA too for sending me some personalised headphones to take on tour with me, they were fantastic and are now my go to set of headphones.

EDEN was incredible, the atmosphere was brilliant and the hospitality was amazing.

At the moment on top of squeezing in new productions and hosting my weekly radio residency on "ELECTRIC", I am currently doing a lot of work behind the scenes with my new business partner KI A PO, we have been building our brand “SOLITE”, an events company focusing on Tech House, & Techno, sometimes I get the chance to throw down a little bit of Disco too which I can never get enough of. Throughout the summer we have been recruiting our residents, hosting small events, doing club takeovers and we were also called upon to do a live stream for “Roland” to celebrate their yearly 909 day celebration.

Once “SOLITE” finds its home venue my focus will be on getting back in the studio so I can finish off my latest productions, I am bursting with ideas at the moment so I cannot wait to get them put together.

Tell us about the music scene in Reading and what Solite brings to it?

Honestly, I am still quite fresh on the Reading music scene, I’m not from around here and being based in London, before I moved to Reading, has meant I have kept a lot of my focus still on the capital.  Reading is a very receptive crowd though, the events I have played here have been great, no one ever wants to leave at the end of a night which is always a good sign and a rewarding feeling.

One of the big reasons KI A PO and myself are working on “SOLITE” is because we want to create a large buzz around the music we love in the town we both now call “home”, and because we want to cement our names into the Reading music scene. We have been in talks with various clubs in Reading and potentially have found our home. I don’t want to give too much away as we have the business side of things to protect but, what I can say is we are very happy with what we have put in place and we feel not only will our choice of venue help us to achieve a large following in Reading but it also opens up a lot of opportunities to branch out to other places around the UK. “SOLITE” is our new family and we intend to grow together as a family bringing really solid music focused events wherever we go, so watch this space.

If you could book one DJ to headline your event who would it be and why?

That is a horrible question, I have so many people who have inspired and continue to inspire me that I would love to work with. If I had to choose one though I would go with Carl Cox.

Growing up as a kid I spent a lot of time looking up to my older sister, we are both identical when it comes to personality and music choice. I have always been into music, I’ve played guitar and drums from a young age but she is one of the main reasons House and Techno was introduced to me. Every time we talk about music she will tell me a story of her and her mates being on the terrace at Space listening to Carl Cox, I won’t say her age because she will beat me, but the stories always tell of the Space days I was unfortunately too young to experience… She’s been a fan for a healthy time haha.

Being able to put Carl Cox on one of my shows would mean I get a night to play with one of the people who has inspired me as a DJ and artist while also being able to bring my big sis along for a trip down memory lane to where all her stories came from that got me hooked on dance music.

You are part of Sugar and resident along with our LA SAM. Tell us how that come about and the sugar event?

I was approached by James (Sugar head honcho) earlier this year, he mentioned he was building a team of DJs and looking to host events around London. I had actually been out of action for about a year at this point as I had some health issues and an op left me having to take things easy. Back on my feet though James introduced me to a team I hadn’t met before and instantly we all clicked. We are a funny bunch when we are together and we all have our individual quirky characters about us, so we make for quite a funny little family but a strong family too. We have had various events throughout the year and the Sugar brand has been growing on the London scene.

Although Sam is always taking the piss out of me because he is a giant looking down on little me at only 5 foot 4 and he finds it hilarious that I always choose a good set of shoes, no matter the weather or length of show we are playing, to wear instead of trainers, I love him to bits and am very thankful we now work closely together.

I can’t thank him enough for putting me in touch with East Project and assisting me getting my tracks signed, hopefully in the near future we will get to jump in the studio together to create something special.

Describe Saviour in 5 words?

Techy, Groovy, Minimal, Club focused



For more info on LOUIS ROBINSON go to:

Wednesday 20 September 2017

The Wonderful FREE World of Soundcloud!

Wow... it's been a while since we did one of these, so we thought let's jump straight back onto it and bring you some of the best FREE music we have come across on Soundcloud over the past few month.

Enjoy!

Friday 8 September 2017

EP020... "Lennart Richter Feat American Mag - Pop Something" interview!

For East Project's 20th releases, label favourite since day one, Lennart Richter comes back with a trademark slow funky twisted house anthem that features the vocal talents of American MAG – And is supported by 2 big room remix package and monster B side!




1 - Where are you in the world right now?

Berlin is still my hometown, though I get to travel around more these days as a DJ.

2 - Describe "Pop Something" in 5 words?

Oldschool, Newschool, Gangsta, Trap-ish, Housey

3 - If you and American MAG were a super hero duo, who would you be?

Axe Cop and Flute Cop? *lol*

4 - What other music/gigs do you have coming up we need to look out for?

Before the end of this year you should be seeing commercial releases with King Street Sounds, Edm.com Networks Deep Sounds, Sujet Musique, GUN PWDR, Springbok Recordings and NYLO.

5 - Who would be your dream partner to work with in the studio (dead or alive)?

Prince, definately :D


Wednesday 26 July 2017

EP PODCAST031 - LA SAM

Next up in the East Project podcast series we have a superb mix from our main man LA SAM!!


Please introduce yourself:

Hey my name is LA SAM, the name can be misleading that I am from LA but that is not the case so wanna get that out the way first. I am a DJ from Essex that started as a double act with my friend Lewis but it never worked out so just kept the name. I have been DJ'ing nearly 4 years by November it will be, which is actually the anniversary for playing for you guys the first time. My style is Tech house, techno and deep house mainly. But I do have a liking for Nu disco, more emotional tech house commonly known as "Deep Tech" and 80's music a long with the old kinda hip hop not the stuff that is going about now, back in the day Tupac and Biggie Smalls for example. I have also been producing for 3 years and very proud of my releases so far.

What are you up to at the moment and what have you go lined up for summer?

This year has been crazy I have had a lot of gigs and really well supported releases. I have a residency with Sugar which is a new London event with a concept of colour and bumpy kind of music to make you move. The first party was nothing short of super and headlining with my friend Ben Sterling on the 2nd one was an honour. Highlights this year include We Are Fstvl b2b with Zach Murray in the Data Transmission tent, playing for Data Transmission at Brighton Music Conference then later doing an impromptu b2b with my mate Dan Hayes at the Arch what a wicked venue that is! Also played at the Source, Studio 338 (Garden) and Basing House. I continue my residency for Sugar on the 5th August at our regular location Floripa which fits our concept perfectly as it's a Brazilian themed Tropical bar and there's lots more in pipeline just can't announce yet.

Producing or DJing, which do you prefer?

Wow tough question both very different art forms. I love both honestly otherwise I wouldn't do both. With Dj'ing you express yourself live in front of a crowd of people, timing is crucial and of course track selection, when you drop a track that they have never heard before, seeing their faces and reactions is just incomparable an amazing feeling. With production you're mostly alone or sometimes with a few mates. It's special because when you sit there after making a break down you can just lose yourself closing your eyes and punching the air imagining it being dropped by a top artist in Ibiza for example really gives you a sense of achievement because you made it from scratch. So I don't prefer either sorry haha!

How would you describe your DJing or production style?  Are they similar and how do they feed into each other?

My style is very much taking people on a journey I don't like sticking to one tempo, I like people to go through all different speeds and emotions when watching me, otherwise for me it gets too repetitive and boring. The music I play will always depend what time I play, the venue and the event. Those elements really influence my track choice before hand and then it's reading the crowd and seeing how they are feeling the first few tracks then you can kinda get a sense of what is going to work but I always take risks and play something a bit unique just to see what their reactions are. My production is 100% similar as I like to play my own tracks out first before sending them to my friends and big artists in the industry to use. I've produced Techno, Tech House and deep house including a track made with my own lyrics called "instead" released on Data Transmissions label Shanghaied which gained great feedback from Joyce Muniz, Felix Da Housecat and Maxine Hardcastle. On top of that Detlef used my remix of Submotion - Ah Human on his Stereo Productions Podcast for Chus & Cebellos which was massive for me, Mat.Joe also recently gave great feedback on it too so it shows I have the potential to do well!

Describe your podcast mix in 5 words:

A Rollercoaster Journey Of Sound.

On the mix you've included 2 tracks from the Clouded Judgement boys, who we have had play at East Project a couple of times and have been building a great name for themselves...  Who else on the London or UK scene should we be keeping an eye out for?

Yeah man great guys they played just before me and Zach Murray at We Are Fstvl this year they are doing really well, their forthcoming EP is great so had to use a few of those tracks. I have a whole host of friends that are making their way up the ladder but I would have to say my fellow Sugar residents Stephen Thomas, Lizzie Grant, James Carter, Louis Robinson, Lewis Murch and Luke Slater all have something to offer and I'm so happy to be part of a strong team so keep an eye out on them! Also close friends Zach Murray who recently got his track "Drum Machine" dropped by MK at Amnesia in Ibiza and Ben Sterling who released a 4 track EP on Josh Butlers Label Origins rcrds.


You have been following East Project from the start from there parties to there label. Tell us about your forthcoming track on the label and coming on board with the team?

Yes my first ever party as a young man been a major influence on coming into the music industry. My fourth coming track Spiritual Calling was definitely based on the hot creations kind of style but also has a rawness about it. The vocal hook sounds like some sort of spirit calling out hence the name. I am very excited about working closer with the team and a new challenge. I want to help unrecognised talent and help grow the reach of a great label and party that has been so crucial to my development.


TRACKLIST:
1. Nex tone - Believe me now
2. Clouded Judgement - Countdown
3. Paul Lightfoot - Bedroom work
4. Clouded Judgement - Small Step
5. Teeda - Relapse (Robin Fett remix)
6. Ben Read & Jacque Saravante - Overdrive (Simeon Belle remix)
7. Ben Read & Jacque Saravante - Wanchu
8. David Penn - Yeah Yeah
9. Ki Creighton, Makanan - High Motions (Waifs & Strays remix)
10. Ben Sterling - Toot Toot
11. wAFF - Karimba
12. Caleb Calloway - The Place
13. Artikal - Jam Pot
14. LA SAM - Grand Master Get Down
15. Latecomer - Fix up
16. Radion Poddubsky - Over Noise (Cassimm remix)
17. Mr. Jefferson, Nobody else - Tick tock break
18. Patrick Topping - Yes Chief
19. Yade - Submarine (Jojo Angel remix)
20. Mark Star - Ultraviolet (Violet Beats mix)


Follow LA SAM on:


Tuesday 11 July 2017

EP019... Introducing ROUGH CUT!!

Up next on East Project we have a release from the label heads Rough Cut, who venture down a dark twisted garage, house and bass vibe with 2 banging original tracks...



So, what have the Rough Cut boys been up to lately?

Gilly - Fatherhood has been a big focus for us both. Gigs on hold at moment, but hopefully get them going again soon.  Plus we had a big backlog of tracks to finish, so time being spent on them...

Brendan - We've both been v busy personally so the djing has taken a back seat for a while. Instead we've been working on finishing off a ton of tracks we started a while back so that's been good to get closure on them! Apart from EP we have new stuff coming shortly, so watch this space…


Bren - You have recently joined the rest of us and become a father...  how is that going?  And how is affecting your music?

B - It's been pretty amazing thanks bud, loving it. Only downside is the missus has rationed my time in the studio as there's always a bloody nappy to change!

Describe the EP in 10 words (you get 5 each)?

B - West Coast Gangsta Bassline Rawness!
G - Garage, sick, hip hop beats

What was the inspiration behind Gangsta Garage?

B - For me it was about bringing together 2 of my guilty pleasures... West coast rap and UK garage beats. Not something you hear often so I thought it could sound quite cool.  We already had the basslines from some previous sessions and as soon as I heard the rap vocals I knew we was onto something that could really work on the dancefloor.

Ultimately it's all about the bassline drops - Something that makes you grab your pal's shoulder as the track builds and finally drops... Hopefully with Fools Get Hit we've done that!

Do you have other new music coming up that we need to be aware of?

G - We have this EP on East Project out on the 10th, then loads of unsigned material which we will look for homes very shortly. So lots to come from us.


What are your thoughts on the current tech house that seems to be everywhere in clubland?

G - I fell out of love with the tech house/techno scene for quite a long while. Nothing really jumped out at me. However, over the past year, have fallen back in love with it.

For me at the moment i'm really digging the Solid Grooves crew... Dennis Cruz and Michael Bibi along with Fuse main man Enzo Siragusa.

Do you have any gigs or events lined up over the next few months?

G - Have had a quiet year with both of us now dads. Hopefully September for East Project and trying to get another night started with Matt over at Daylight Robbery. So hopefully more details soon..

Finally, in the hope that promoters and club owners read this interview, what and where would be your dream gig?

G - Dream venue gig for me would have to be Fabric in UK and Ibiza DC10.

B - We've always preferred the intimate gigs rather than the big clubs to be honest... however Space in Ibiza was always the dream. Looks like we've missed the boat there now though!



FOLLOW ROUGH CUT ON:



Thursday 9 March 2017

East Project Podcast... UMUT AKALIN!

The East Project Podcast is back with a bang and it's all thanks to this top notch tech house mix from London based DJ/Producer Umut Akalin...


Enjoy!!



Can we have an intro please...

Hey all, I'm Umut Akalin, Istanbul born, London based DJ & Producer, label & radio station owner... I've been DJing for over 20 years and producing for over 10 years now. I've made a name for myself in Turkey and then decided it was time for a change so I moved to London and been focusing on several projects. I look after 2 radio stations and 2 record labels. Le Chic.FM and cafedelmar.fm as well as Natural High Records and Feng Shui. I've been releasing on some cool labels and collaborating with quite a few people in the scene now.

How does 2017 look like for Umut Akalin?

I’ve recently started a new project under the alias of Fake.Sake and the first release will be out in April on King Street, I'm rather pleased with that and the feedback I've received so far. Fingers crossed it will be a good one :)

Name one artist/producer who for you will stand out in 2017?

Hopefully Fake.Sake :)

Favourite track of moment and all time?

Lil louis - French Kiss (all time)
Oxia - Domino (Frankey & Sandrino remix)

Describe your remix on the upcoming EP018 release from "Greg N Grandi" in 5 words?

Driving, electric, pumping, deep, techy.



Podcast Tracklisting:
Dakar – Boomerang
Fabio Ceedza, Michele Arcieri – District One
Cassimm – I Bet
Appllo 84 – Work (Brett Gould Remix)
De La Swing – Bambooda
  Matteo Gatti – My Sun (Dennis Cruz Remix)
Leftwing, Koby – Redemption
David Pher – Allright (The Deepshakerz Jackin’ Safe Mix)
Sante – Sick Drummer (Sidney Charles Remix)
Gene Farris – Higher Ground (Latmun Remix)
Justin Martin – Back To The Jungle feat. Will Clarke (Chris Lorenzo Remix)
John Haden & Leander Leen – Just What We Got (Khainz Remix)
DJ Dep – Cricket (Ki Creighton, Makanan Remix)
Supernova – Get Hot

Thursday 9 February 2017

Introducing... Standard Issue!!

We've had a quiet few months here at East Project towers but are back and ready to hit the scene hard, with a load of new music, podcasts, interviews and young DJ/Producers to showcase to the dance community...

To kick things off again, we thought what better way than to introduce a new and exciting DJ/Production talent from the Midlands to the East Project faithful:

"Introducing...  STANDARD ISSUE"

Enjoy!!



Please introduce yourself?

My Name is Nick (Standard Issue), I'm a Dj/Producer from East Midlands.


You have released on a number of cool labels already, what has been your favourite release?

Choosing my fave release is quite a hard one, for me so far it would be one of 2 I think, either my tracks on the Audio Rehab Futurefocus 2 album which gained plays on Rinse Fm, or my track Re Animate 95' on SimmaBlack which had some cool support from the legend Todd Terry.

Oh and obviously the upcoming Ep :-) which so far has gained support from Charlie Hedges on Kiss Fm , Kissy Sell out, Vanilla Ace, MJ Cole to name but a few.

Who are you biggest influences?

I would say my biggest influences in music due to my wide music taste would range from the likes of Plump Djs to Ferry Corsten,  Mark Radford, Low Steppa, too many to list really as I have grown up in various different scenes over the years and have been exposed to many great producers and djs wether it be House, Trance, Techno, breaks etc .


Describe your next release on "Simma Red - Switch Dat EP" in 10 words:

A bit of something for everyone, Bass, Tech, Deep, Jackin'



What's the scene like in the midlands?  Where are you favourite places to DJ and party?

It seems DJ wise I get booked more for London than I do around where I live haha, I do enjoy playing at LightBox, the Loft at Ministry Of Sound was pretty cool as well.

For more info on Standard Issue: