Headliners

If you ask any electronic music professional/expert to name the top house music DJs in the world. You will likely get the following names; Erick Morillo, Derrick Carter, DJ Sneak, Mark Farina. That's how far SF's favorite DJ has come. 7 years ago it wasn't a secret anymore, Mark Farina was the number one SF DJ. In 2000 every club he played was packed to the bone. But now his pouplarity has spread across the globe and he is filling up some of the world famous nightclubs on his tours. Check out his new mix compoliation on Om Records, "House of Om".

Mark developed his musical tastes in Chicago - listening to house music on the radio, living in one of the country's most primordial breeding grounds for house. Farnia's "Mushroom Jazz" sound became popular through the long running San Francisco club called Jazid Up.

For more info about Mark Farina:
- myspace.com/markfarina -
- MarkFarina.net -

With her disarming doe eyes and a heartwarming demeanor, Colette possesses the unmistakable voice of post-millennial house music. Her sweet-but-sultry voice has been called "angelic" so many times, it's a miracle she hasn't grown wings: Imagine a less breathy Kylie Minogue merged with a more controlled Roisin Murphy (Moloko) and you have a good grasp on her classy voice that highlights any beat that flows behind it. Whereas in the late 80s, the diva reigned supreme and made the music cower, Colette has kept it deliciously simple and always melodic, making the former choirgirl-cum-Chicago-house-siren a mainstay of modern dance music.

And it's been that way for a minute -- as raves were starting to wind down throughout the nation in the late 90s, Colette was busting through the "novelty act" stereotype that kept many women DJs corralled like VIP ropes guarding a Hollywood hotspot. But ever since she started her SuperJane troupe with fellow Chicagoan DJs Dayhota, Lady D. and Heather (celebrating their 10th anniversary this year), Colette's paved the way for other women seeking equal time behind the decks as their male counterparts. Things came full circle in 2006, when the Los Angeles transplant reunited with Heather for a stateside tour promoting the "House Of Om" mix they did together. It was a busy year -- Colette also played an intense set at Coachella, kept up her long running residency at "World's Best Club" Smartbar and toured with fellow Om house soldier Kaskade.

And 2007 shows no signs of slowing with her new artist album, Push.

"I'm really excited about this record," Colette exclaims. "I collaborated with such amazing producers and songwriters on this project, and I'm going to be doing a few shows with a live band for the first time." However, the road to making Push, wasn’t always an easy one as Colette explains. “I spent four years working on my debut album Hypnotized. I learned so much from that experience and had a clearer vision of what I wanted my second record to sound like. We worked about 11 months writing and recording Push, with one month off for my wedding. I was really lucky to have found such a great partner as he did more of the planning than I did. Usually the bride is running around getting everything ready, but I was balancing the wedding and recording the new album.

When I got back from my honeymoon I found out that my album was due two months earlier than I had thought! I pretty much said "see you later" to my new husband and went into the studio full force. It was a challenging schedule as I was touring every weekend while finishing up Push. I'd spend four days in the studio and then three days on the road.

The last few weeks working on the record were spent in New York. We'd start around 2pm and finish at 8am the next day. Something would always come up, as it usually does when you're about to finish a project, and we'd have another all nighter. I remember realizing the vocal performances on one of the songs had completely missed its mark. Unfortunately I realized this at 2 am ... six hours before we were turning in the song to get mixed. I ended up being super pissed for about 15 minutes and then went back into the booth to redo the vocals. That song "Call it out" ended up being one of my favorite tracks.

If Push plays out anything like her first artist album, Hypnotized, Colette’s endless nights will have been more than worth the effort. Hypnotized became the most downloaded dance album on iTunes (US), and featured dance floor burners like "What Will She Do for Love" (Billboard's No. 1 Dance Club Play Single) and the title track, which was licensed to The Devil Wears Prada soundtrack. In just a few years time, Colette was featured as a "Newcomer to Watch" in JANE Magazine, filed under "Hot New Music" in Interview Magazine, graced the cover of XLR8R, and named in URB's Next 100.

Just like on Hypnotized, Push has got serious dance floor ammo with its tricky, funneled beats and overall playful vibe, but it can slink into dark-and-sexy mode too, making the record just as diverse as its cast. Home and Garden, Santiago & Bushido, Drew K, Chuck Love, Fab, Lucy Woodward share production credit, to name a few. Colette’s sexy, jazzy alto is featured perfectly on "If" and first single, "About Us." It easily could rock the airwaves on a Friday night mainstream pop station and slay the crowd at any dance club, and has already been remixed by tastemaker Derrick Carter. Showing off pop-savvy lyrics that are still perfect for the club, Colette sings of love lost: "I'll tell you something that you need to know/ I'm sick of tryin' and I'm not so sure/ I've lost the feeling from so long ago/You say you love me but you don't care about us"

Keeping things varied four tracks in, "Funny" features Om: Hip Hop new signing and fellow URB “Next 100” featured artist Black Spade, and the resulting vibe is chill with a bit of swagger -- complete with shiny synths over a tripped-up tempo.

"What's so fun about writing house music is that you're not confined to one format," Colette says.  "And on Push, I definitely took advantage of that."


For more info about Colette:
- www.djcolette.com -
- www.myspace.com/djcolette -

In the past few years the Chicago house community has produced a number of innovative and distinct djs trained in the art of transforming tranquil dance floors into spaces of sheer bedlam and bliss. The onset nouveau jock barrage born and bred in the underground gatherings which flourish there. Their committed vision of undiluted musical appreciation, interactive communication, improvisation and basic integrity has brought greater attention to all the city's great djs including the genre busting DJ Heather. Widely regarded as one of the premier selectors in the nation, this Chicagoan demonstrates her skills and sharp deck acumen for the massives throughout the Windy City and the world at large with verve and undeniable talent.

For more info about Heather:
- myspace.com/djheather -
- ILoveDJHeather.com -

Andy Caldwell
Bay Area native Andy Caldwell had a passion for the art of music long before the advent of electronica, and a decade before embarking on a career in deejaying, producing and songwriting. But true musical expression for Andy hit all new levels in the wake of San Francisco's underground rave explosion, when the one-time concert trumpeter and piano player subordinated his horn and foot-pedals in favor of two turntables and a bag of vinyl.

Caldwell's first track "Superfunkidiculous" was released in 1994 and quickly became a top hit throughout the club scene, leading to a collaboration project with childhood friend Gabriel René. Forming the highly acclaimed San Francisco band "Soulstice", Caldwell and René produced and wrote music for the release of the band's album "Illusion" and the renowned remix album, "Mixed Illusions." During that time, Caldwell also created a steady stream of his own celebrated releases for OM Records including three stand-alone, single releases, as well as releases featured on Mark Farina's widely popular Mushroom Jazz series. His singles were also included on six consecutive Om Lounge compilations and two full-length mix CDs entitled Sounds of Om v. 2. Caldwell's now seminal Om Records' release, "I Can't Wait" has appeared on numerous compilations and has become a house music standard.

Other top singles for Caldwell include his popular Naked Music releases "All I Need", "Lectropic" and "Give A Little" as well as remixes for Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo), Miguel Migs, Owusu and Greene and Arvid. He's also recorded and released "Pushin" and "Don't Hold Back" for Inspirit Music's InSoul Sessions v. 1 and InHouse Perspectives 02, albums that he also mixed. He has also collaborated with DJ/producer Behrouz on their single "Be Free" and several remixes for the Yoshitoshi label, including the Grammy nominated track "Safe From Harm" by Narcotic Thrust, "Never Felt this Way" by Hani featured on Deep Dish's Toronto mix for Global Underground as well as a remix of UNO recordings first release "Too Late" by Mei-Lwun.

Further expanding his reach, Caldwell's signature production style is also recognized in the film and television industries. He has composed music for films such as Forces of Nature and Skulls, as well as popular television series: Six Feet Under, Boston Public, and Chromium Blue.<

At age 31, with an ever-expanding discography, Caldwell has only just begun to fulfill his passion for music, with frequent DJ tours, remix opportunities and production work. For the past 3 years, his DJ schedule has allowed him to share his love of music with fans around the world, playing records in every major city on every continent.


For more info about Andy Caldwell:
- andycaldwell.com -
- myspace.com/djandycaldwell -

Canadian DJ/producer Fred Everything is a key player in the world of House Music and with 12 years in the music business and over 100 productions to his credit, he shows no signs of stopping. Born in Hull and raised in Quebec City, Fred got the early bug for electronic music in High School. He formed a few bands while spending his weekends as one of the youngest in local nightclubs. In the early 90s, he started playing live in raves and clubs in Canada. He was then known as “Everything,” because his live sets could range anywhere from techno to house, ambient and even drum and bass. He even got to open up for a then up and coming, Sasha. Tired of carrying his equipment around, mainly a TR909 and a SH101, he started DJ’ng and changed his name to Fred Everything. A move to the big city of Montreal was the next obvious thing, and it wasn’t too long after that Fred found himself releasing records on some of his favorite labels and catching the attention of DJ’s and producers worldwide.


For more info about Fred Everything:
- fredeverything.com -
- myspace.com/fredeverything -

Samantha James
Songwriter/performer Samantha James has spent the past three years honing her estimable skills as a modern-day singer/songwriter within the dance/electronic/soul genre. Her sultry style, vocal cadences, and international rhythms are largely influenced by such artists as Sade, Basia, Amel Larrieux, Bebel Gilberto and Morcheeba.

On her debut album ‘Rise’ for San Francisco based indie label Om Records, Samantha teamed up with producer and co-writer Sebastian Arocha Morton-AKA ROCAsound (Sting, Vikter Duplaix, Fischerspooner, Fila Brazilia and Rick James for the classic finale’ of the hit film Little Miss Sunshine.)

A native of Los Angeles’ Topanga Canyon where she currently resides, James is the grand daughter of Emmy Award-winning composer/conductor David Rose. James’ lyrics resonate with the pain of lost relationships and joy of loving connections. ” “Samantha has a unique and strong sense of style as a both a songwriter and performer”, enthuses Arocha Morton. “Talented, beautiful, passionate, and dedicated… Samantha James is the real thing-as both recording artist and stage performer. She is a welcome and beautiful new face in the world of dance-electronic music.”


For more info about Samantha James:
- samanthajames.com -
- myspace.com/sammyjmusic -

Locals

M3
Raising the volume of the Bay Area's nightlife since the early 90.s, M3 has proved himself to be an influential character in the development of the SF/SJ house music scene. Born and raised in San Jose, M3 began his music career in 1990 promoting some of the original Bay Area.s massives such as .Get Down, Get Down, Get Down., .The Gathering., and .Deep Space.. Initially influenced by music ranging from Rick James, Screaming Jay Hawkins, and Led Zepplin, M3 began his d.j. career with a smooth down-tempo sound. Since then, his sound has evolved to include a spectrum of thumpin. house beats which he is distinctively known. His dj name, M3, initially stood for Marijuana Motivates the Mind, but has since transformed to Makes Me Move. M3's funky fresh style will, without a doubt, have you moving by the end of the night. Today, M3 keeps himself busy with event promotions, music production, and performing. M3 is spreading the good word of house from San Francisco to San Jose, and beyond. Playing clubs in Moscow, Spain, Prague, Paris , Nottingham, New York, and Hawaii, M3 is funking it up all over the world.


For more info about M3:
- green gorilla lounge -
- myspace.com/djm3sf -

DJ Rouzbeh
Since 1997, DJ Rouzbeh began laying down the vinyl with one goal in mind, being able to work crowds to another state of mind. His passion for the sound and ability to remix tracks live led him to embark on the musical journey he has come to today. Rouzbeh's ability to work the floor with creative sounds and effects sets him apart from the 'average DJ', and has led him to play alongside many world-class DJs. Taking one step further, he jumpstarted Back2Basics in 2000, and currently still manages enough time to be involved in event production. His talents - musical and business - have cemented his existence in the San Francisco house scene. If you have not had a chance to catch him at a LIVE performance, you are missing quite a show.

For more info about DJ Rouzbeh:
R-Squared

Von